Family Factors Associated with Selected Childhood Nutrition Aspects in Central Poland

Childhood diet has a significant influence on diet-related diseases in adulthood, so an understanding of environmental influences on nutrition, is important. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to indicate family factors associated with some aspects of children’s nutrition in Central Poland. A questionnaire was used to investigate 892 mothers’ approach to breastfeeding, frequency of eating with children at fast food restaurants, and serving them snacks, sugary drinks, and fried food. Prevalence of dental caries among children, based on the mothers’ self-assessment, was also assessed. Majority of the mothers breastfed for a period not longer than six months. There was a positive association between breastfeeding duration and mothers’ education level and the number of children in a family. Sweets were used as a reward, more often among younger children and in families with higher number of children. The frequency of consumption of sweet beverages rose with the child’s age and decreased with mother’s education level and family income. It was also more frequent in rural areas. Most children received snacks and fried food at least once a week. There was a negative association between eating with parents at fast food restaurants and, both, the number of children in the family and living in a village. Fast food consumption rose with the mother’s education level and family income. Prevalence of dental caries according to mothers’ declarations was much lower than in national studies but was associated with frequent consumption of snacks and sweet beverages in the examined population. Extensive activities to reduce the occurrence of dental caries at the national level and education concerning the role of a family environment in providing a proper childhood nutrition, with a special emphasis on breastfeeding benefits, seems necessary for Polish parents. Designing community-wide education campaigns referencing population-based programs and other health and disease prevention activities, need to be promoted

The State of Knowledge about Nutrition Sources of Vitamin D, Its Role in the Human Body, and Necessity of Supplementation among Parents in Central Poland

The percentage of children with vitamin D deficiency in Poland is alarming. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge about sources of food and the function of vitamin D, as well as the frequency of its supplementation. A survey was conducted among the parents of children from Central Poland attending primary schools, and a questionnaire containing mainly open-ended questions was used to collect the data. Most mothers knew at least one of the functions of vitamin D in the body but had a low level of knowledge about its dietary sources. Only a small group of respondents supplemented themselves and their children with vitamin D. Statistically significant influences on the level of knowledge about the functions and sources of vitamin D were place of residence (i.e., better knowledge in the countryside) and mothers’ level of education (i.e., the better educated, the greater knowledge). In the case of monthly income level, such impact was observed only in relation to the knowledge of vitamin D functions. Concerning the frequency of supplementation, only maternal level of education had a statistically significant effect (i.e., the higher the education level, the higher the frequency of supplementation). In addition, mothers who were aware of functions of vitamin D and nutritional sources, significantly more frequently supplemented vitamin D

Relation between Environmental Factors and Children’s Health Behaviors Contributing to the Occurrence of Diet-Related Diseases in Central Poland

Proper nutrition is a key element in maintaining normal body weight in children and one of the most important factors influencing their optimum development, growth, and health in the future. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify environmental factors which affect health behaviors of children aged 7–14, contributing to the occurrence of diet-related diseases. The study was performed with participation of 892 school children. The investigated environmental factors were as follows: the place of residence, maternal education level, and the level of family income. A questionnaire was used to collect the data from mothers. The study indicated a prevalence of overweight and obesity among children of 13.9% and 1.2%, respectively. Being underweight applied to 20.0% of examined children, more often to girls. In terms of nutritional behaviors an insufficient consumption of vegetables, fruit, whole grain products, dairy products, and fish was observed. The frequency of vegetable and fruit consumption significantly decreased with an increase in child’s body mass index (BMI) (G = −0.110, p < 0.05 and G = −00.114, p < 0.05). Overall, 29.7% of children devoted less than 30 minutes a day to physical activity, besides the physical education classes at school. Boys were more often physically active than girls (G = 0.205, p < 0.0005). There was a positive correlation between frequency of vegetable (G = 0.167, p < 0.0005) and fruit (G = 0.155, p < 0.005) consumption and mothers’ education level. Girls ate fruit more frequently than boys (G = 0.116, p < 0.05). Higher family income was associated with more frequent whole grain consumption (G = 0.095, p < 0.05), while living in the city was negatively correlated with activity (G = −0.121, p < 0.05) and dairy consumption (G = −0.186, p < 0.005). Continuous investigation of environmental factors affecting children eating behaviors may help to bring benefits in increasing the effectiveness of health promotion and educational programs

Effects of Dietary Protein on Thyroid Axis Activity

Thyroid hormones (TH) are essential for the normal development and function of every vertebrate. The hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis is regulated to maintain euthyroid status. One of the most influential environmental factors that determines HPT axis activity is nutrition. Both food availability and substrate diversity affect thyroid hormone economy. The present paper aims to summarize literature data concerning the influence of the amount and the type of protein on thyroid axis activity. This review sheds light on the contribution of a low-protein diet or insufficient intake of essential amino acids to TH abnormalities. We believe that the knowledge of these dependencies could improve the results of nutritional interventions in thyroid axis disorders and enhance the efficiency of animal breeding

Impact of the Family Environment on the Frequency of Animal-Based Product Consumption in School-Aged Children in Central Poland

Animal-sourced foods (ASFs) have a high nutritional value, which makes them important elements of young people’s diets. Several environmental factors might affect the dietary habits of children and adolescents, and their identification seems to be a principal reason to maintain their healthy eating practice. Thus, we aimed to investigate selected environmental factors (a place of residence, net income, mother’s education level, number of siblings, and mother’s BMI), which may be linked to the consumption frequency of ASFs among school-aged children. In total, 892 mothers of primary school children aged 7–14 years from central Poland took part in the anonymous and voluntary survey. The frequency of meat and meat product consumption was affected by the mother’s education level, place of residence, and net income. Generally, meat was eaten more often by the city children (G = 0.178, p p p p p boys, G = 0.123, p village, G = 0.214, p city, G = 0.97, p <0.05). It can be concluded that the mother’s level of education is a key factor linked to the selected children’s dietary habits. Thus, we believe that successful health education programs designed for young people should include the maternal capacity to interpret and adapt information into daily practice

Porównanie analizy bioimpedancyjnej ze wskaźnikami antropometrycznymi u chorych z nadciśnieniem tętniczym

Aim: Obesity is one of the most crucial challenges of contemporary medicine. Bioelectrical impedance analysis is a useful tool to identify individuals with increased fat mass. However, the equipment is relatively expensive, especially compared to basic anthropometric methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relations between anthropometric indices and bioelectrical impedance analysis in patients with uncomplicated arterial hypertension. Material and methods: In 137 hypertensives the correlations between fat mass (absolute, FM; relative, %FM) and anthropometric parameters (body mass index, BMI; waist circumference, WC; waist-to-hip ratio, WHR; waist-to-height ratio, WHtR; body adiposity index, BAI; visceral adiposity index, VAI) were analysed. Results: Classic anthropometrics correlated well with bioimpedance indices of adipose tissue content: %FM vs. BAI (R = 0.77), WHtR (R = −0.54), BMI (R = 0.52), WC (R = 0.29); FM vs. BMI (R = 0.82), WC (R = 0.66), BAI (R = 0.58), VAI (R = 0.26), WHtR (R = 0.23), WHR (R = 0.19). In females BMI, WC and BAI showed the strongest correlations with adiposity. In males they were WHtR and WC. Conclusions: Some anthropometric measurements show good agreement with bioelectrical impedance analysis and can be considered a valid surrogate for body composition assessment in the case of its inaccessibility. In hypertensive women WC and BMI seem to be the most precise in the assessment of %FM, while in men WHtR and WC are more useful.Cel: Otyłość należy do głównych wyzwań współczesnej medycyny. Analiza bioimpedancyjna stanowi użyteczne narzędzie identyfikacji osób ze zwiększoną masą tkanki tłuszczowej. Niestety, sprzęt do analizy bioimpedancyjnej jest dość kosztowny, zwłaszcza w porównaniu z podstawowymi metodami antropometrycznymi. Celem pracy była ocena związku pomiędzy pomiarami antropometrycznymi a analizą bioimpedancyjną u pacjentów z niepowikłanym nadciśnieniem tętniczym. Materiał i metody: U 137 osób z nadciśnieniem tętniczym oceniono korelacje między ilością tkanki tłuszczowej (bezwzględnej, fat mass, FM; względnej, %FM) a parametrami antropometrycznymi (wskaźnik masy ciała, body mass index, BMI; obwód talii, waist circumference, WC; wskaźnik talia–biodra, waist-to-hip ratio, WHR; wskaźnik talia–wzrost, waistto-height ratio, WHtR; wskaźnik otłuszczenia ciała, body adiposity index, BAI; wskaźnik wisceralnej – trzewnej tkanki tłuszczowej, visceral adiposity index, VAI). Wyniki: Klasyczne pomiary antropometryczne korelowały z bioimpedancyjnymi wskaźnikami zawartości tkanki tłuszczowej: %FM vs BAI (R = 0,77), WHtR (R = −0,54), BMI (R = 0,52), WC (R = 0,29); FM vs BMI (R = 0,82), WC (R = 0,66), BAI (R = 0,58), VAI (R = 0,26), WHtR (R = 0,23), WHR (R = 0,19). U kobiet najsilniejszy związek z ilością tkanki tłuszczowej wykazywały BMI, WC i BAI, zaś u mężczyzn – WHtR i WC. Wnioski: Niektóre pomiary antropometryczne wykazują wysoką zgodność z analizą bioimpedancyjną i mogą być brane pod uwagę jako zastępcze wskaźniki oceny składu ciała w przypadku braku możliwości jej zastosowania. U kobiet z nadciśnieniem tętniczym najbardziej precyzyjne w ocenie %FM okazują się WC i BMI, podczas gdy u mężczyzn są to WHtR i WC

Comparison of Glycemic Response to Carbohydrate Meals without or with a Plant-Based Formula of Kidney Bean Extract, White Mulberry Leaf Extract, and Green Coffee Extract in Individuals with Abdominal Obesity

Due to the rising prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, a strategy that can positively influence diet quality in a simple way is being explored, since a low glycemic index (GI) diet is advised in the dietoprophylaxis and diet therapy of diabetes. Methods: Twenty-three women with abdominal obesity participated in the study. The postprandial glycemic response and glycemic index were determined after three carbohydrate meals (noodle soup, white rice, strawberry sorbet) without or with the addition of a plant-base supplement (extracts of kidney bean, white mulberry leaf, and green coffee) with a potentially hypoglycemic effect. For two products (instant noodle soup and white rice), the addition of the plant supplement resulted in a reduction in glicemic iAUC values (respectively, by: 17.1%, p = 0.005 and 5.3%; p = 0.03; 40.6%, p = 0.004 and 5.3%, p = 0.019). However, this effect was not observed for strawberry sorbet. The blood glucose concentrations 30 min after the consumption of instant noodle soup and white rice with the plant-based formula addition significantly affected the GI value of tested meals (p = 0.0086, r = 0.53; p = 0.0096, r = 0.53), which may indicate the effect of this plant supplement on enterohormone and/or insulin secretion. Conclusion: A formula containing kidney bean, white mulberry leaves, and green coffee extracts may therefore be a notable factor in lowering postprandial glycemia and the GI of carbohydrate foods. However, further research is needed to determine for which food groups and meals its use may be most effective

Comparison between bioelectrical impedance analysis and anthropometric indices in hypertensive patients

Aim: Obesity is one of the most crucial challenges of contemporary medicine. Bioelectrical impedance analysis is a useful tool to identify individuals with increased fat mass. However, the equipment is relatively expensive, especially compared to basic anthropometric methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relations between anthropometric indices and bioelectrical impedance analysis in patients with uncomplicated arterial hypertension. Material and methods: In 137 hypertensives the correlations between fat mass (absolute, FM; relative, %FM) and anthropometric parameters (body mass index, BMI; waist circumference, WC; waist-to-hip ratio, WHR; waist-to-height ratio, WHtR; body adiposity index, BAI; visceral adiposity index, VAI) were analysed. Results: Classic anthropometrics correlated well with bioimpedance indices of adipose tissue content: %FM vs. BAI (R = 0.77), WHtR (R = −0.54), BMI (R = 0.52), WC (R = 0.29); FM vs. BMI (R = 0.82), WC (R = 0.66), BAI (R = 0.58), VAI (R = 0.26), WHtR (R = 0.23), WHR (R = 0.19). In females BMI, WC and BAI showed the strongest correlations with adiposity. In males they were WHtR and WC. Conclusions: Some anthropometric measurements show good agreement with bioelectrical impedance analysis and can be considered a valid surrogate for body composition assessment in the case of its inaccessibility. In hypertensive women WC and BMI seem to be the most precise in the assessment of %FM, while in men WHtR and WC are more useful