Abscess infections and malnutrition - a cross-sectional study of polydrug addicts in Oslo, Norway

Injection drug use and malnutrition are widespread among polydrug addicts in Oslo, Norway, but little is known about the frequency of abscess infections and possible relations to malnutrition. Objectives. To assess the prevalence of abscess infections, and differences in nutritional status between drug addicts with or without abscess infections. Design. A cross-sectional study of 195 polydrug addicts encompassing interview of demographics, dietary recall, anthropometric measurements and biochemical analyses. All respondents were under the influence of illicit drugs and were not participating in any drug treatment or rehabilitation program at the time of investigation. Results. Abscess infections were reported by 25% of the respondents, 19% of the men and 33% of the women (p = 0.025). Underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) was significantly more prevalent in the abscess infected than in the non-abscess-infected group (p = 0.001). The abscess-infected addicts reported fewer meals, lower intakes of fruits and vegetables, lower energy percentage (E%) from protein and higher E% from sugar. They also had lower total intakes of vitamins D, B1, B6, B12, folic acid and vitamin C than the non-abscess-infected group. The two groups differed significantly with respect to S-C-peptide (p = 0.042) and B-HbA1c (p = 0.012), and the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (P-tHCY > 15 μmol/L) was 73% in the abscess-infected group and 41% in the non-abscess-infected group (p = 0.001). The concentrations of S-25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 was very low. Conclusion. The prevalence of abscess infections was 25% among the examined polydrug addicts. Dietary, anthropometric and biochemical assessment indicated a relation between abscess infections and malnutritio

Body weight, weight perceptions and food intake patterns. A cross-sectional study among male recruits in the Norwegian National Guard

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Young men tend to have a low intake of vegetables and fruit. Unfortunately, this group is difficult to reach with health information. Furthermore, knowledge about weight perceptions and the relationship to food behaviour among young men is scant. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between BMI, health and weight perceptions and food intake patterns among young men in the military.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were collected with a 4-day food diary among 578 male recruits (age 18-26, mean 19.7) in the Norwegian National Guard (response rate 78%), in addition to a questionnaire, including questions about health and weight perceptions, and food frequency when still living at home. Weight and height were objectively measured. Food patterns were explored with principal component analysis, based on the diary data. A multivariate linear regression analysis determined the association between BMI and food patterns, and attitudes to health and slenderness, adjusting for smoking, physical activity and phase of data collection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twenty eight percent of the recruits were overweight/obese (BMI > 25 kg/m²). Two-thirds meant that it is important for them to be slender, and these recruits reported more of both light (p = 0.025) and hard (p = 0.016) physical activity than the others. It was a positive association between the recruits' food frequency at home, and the amount of intake in the military camp for several food items. A principal component analysis identified three distinct food patterns, loading on 1) plant foods, 2) fast food/soft drinks, 3) milk/cereals. Those who stated that it is important for them to be slender, or to have good health, did not have significantly different food intake patterns than the others. BMI was inversely related to scores on the plant food pattern, and positive attitudes to slenderness.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The majority of the recruits find it important to be slender. This orientation had a bearing on their physical activity pattern, but less on the food intake pattern. The data also indicate that subjects with high intakes of plant foods were less likely to have a high BMI than others. It is important to raise awareness of healthy eating in young men.</p

"Organic Consumers' Perceptions and Dietary Choices, 1997"

The purpose of the data collected in "Organic Consumers' Perceptions and Dietary Choices, 1997" was to examine consumers' motivation to choose organically produced food, and to look at the obstacles they encountered when they wanted to choose such food. The starting point of the study was the increase in organic farming in Norway - as elsewhere in Europe, and the new demands that this situation put the sales side in. What significance organic food had for consumers, the extent to which they got hold of the organic goods they wanted and how organic foods included in their dietary patterns were key issues in the survey. The survey touched on consumer knowledge and attitudes related to organic food, through a broad perspective of ethical, environmental and health considerations related to food. There were correlations between the choice of organic food and consumer orientation in the food market, perceptions of food quality, and their dietary patterns. Consumers who bought organic foods had to a greater extent a local orientation in the food market and put more emphasis on quality properties that cannot be determined through the senses in the purchasing situation, for example environmentally-friendly production methods, in addition to traditional quality characteristics such as appearance and taste. Several of the consumers who bought organic food emphasized more fruits and vegetables and less meat in their diets. Lack of information in general, little knowledge of the Ø-label, low availability and high cost were important barriers to buying organically produced food

Menn og mat

Nummer: 1-2004 Moderne spising beskrives som komplekst. Studier har i hovedsak vært basert på kvinners svar og man vet mindre om hvordan menn opplever mat og spising. Målet for denne studien er å beskrive menns oppfatninger om mat og spising i moderne tid. Stu-dien er basert på diskursanalyse av semi-strukturerte intervjuer med 20 tømrer/snekker, 15 ingeniører og 11 sjåfører som arbeidet i Oslo området i perioden 2001-2003. Spising ble ofte beskrevet som en rutine og var kun tilfeldig karakterisert som problema-tisk. Da mat beskrevs som problematisk var det ikke påvist å ha konsekvenser for valg av mat i hverdagen. Målet med å spise på hverdagen var fremst å bli mett. Mat hadde også positive meninger, det beskrevs som en del av helgekos, nytelse og smakopple-velse. Tilknyttede prosjekter Menn, helse og helselivssti

Age perceptions and physical activity among middle-aged men in three occupational groups

The aim of this study is to explore how middle-aged men in different socio-economic groups and with different work experiences, talk about ageing, and how they see age as a reason for pursuing or not pursuing physical activity. Data were collected in Oslo by interviews with 46 men (carpenters, engineers, drivers) aged 35-57 years, and workplace group discussions. The analysis explored similarities and differences in the men's interpretive repertoires on work, everyday activities, health and health-related habits. The data were discussed in relation to Bourdieu's theories on the production and conversion of physical capital. For the carpenters emerging themes related to the ageing body were worry about decline in strength, the feeling of uselessness, and an awareness of what the body can take. For the engineers, the themes were keeping the body in shape and the ability to tackle stress. In addition to these themes, the drivers focussed on leaving the body as it is/taking age as it comes. Men in all three occupational groups said that they were thinking more about health and disease with age. Even though many talked about becoming more sedate, there were also some who maintained physical activity or became more physically active with age. The emphasis and the reasons for being more physically active were different in the three groups, and involved aspects such as health, strength, pleasure, social milieu, and warding off personal problems. Age was therefore used as a reason both for being and not being physically active. In conclusion health workers should be aware of the different life experiences and views related to the body, health and physical activity that exist among men of different occupational groups. This is needed to tailor information to fit the interest areas of men belonging to different socio-economic groups.Ageing Physical capital Physical activity Men Norway

Økologisk produsert mat: Forbrukernes vurderinger og bruksmønster

Forbrukerne har rett til å føle seg trygge på at maten de spiser ikke utgjør en fare for liv og helse. For forbrukerne er det derfor viktig å få informasjon slik at man kan gjøre velbegrunnede valg