Evaluation of the impact of a school gardening intervention on children's fruit and vegetable intake: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Current academic literature suggests that school gardening programmes can provide an interactive environment with the potential to change children’s fruit and vegetable intake. This is the first cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) designed to evaluate whether a school gardening programme can have an effect on children’s fruit and vegetable intake. Methods: The trial included children from 23 schools; these schools were randomised into two groups, one to receive the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)-led intervention and the other to receive the less involved Teacher-led intervention. A 24-hour food diary (CADET) was used to collect baseline and follow-up dietary intake 18 months apart. Questionnaires were also administered to evaluate the intervention implementation. Results: A total of 641 children completed the trial with a mean age of 8.1 years (95% CI: 8.0, 8.4). The unadjusted results from multilevel regression analysis revealed that for combined daily fruit and vegetable intake the Teacher-led group had a higher daily mean change of 8 g (95% CI: −19, 36) compared to the RHS-led group -32 g (95% CI: −60, −3). However, after adjusting for possible confounders this difference was not significant (intervention effect: −40 g, 95% CI: −88, 1; p = 0.06). The adjusted analysis of process measures identified that if schools improved their gardening score by 3 levels (a measure of school gardening involvement - the scale has 6 levels from 0 ‘no garden’ to 5 ‘community involvement’), irrespective of group allocation, children had, on average, a daily increase of 81 g of fruit and vegetable intake (95% CI: 0, 163; p = 0.05) compared to schools that had no change in gardening score. Conclusions: This study is the first cluster randomised controlled trial designed to evaluate a school gardening intervention. The results have found very little evidence to support the claims that school gardening alone can improve children’s daily fruit and vegetable intake. However, when a gardening intervention is implemented at a high level within the school it may improve children’s daily fruit and vegetable intake by a portion. Improving children’s fruit and vegetable intake remains a challenging task

Sugar sweetened beverage consumption by Australian children: Implications for public health strategy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>High consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been linked to unhealthy weight gain and nutrition related chronic disease. Intake of SSB among children remains high in spite of public health efforts to reduce consumption, including restrictions on marketing to children and limitations on the sale of these products in many schools. Much extant literature on Australian SSB consumption is out-dated and lacks information on several key issues. We sought to address this using a contemporary Australian dataset to examine purchase source, consumption pattern, dietary factors, and demographic profile of SSB consumption in children.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were from the 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, a representative random sample of 4,834 Australian children aged 2-16 years. Mean SSB intake by type, location and source was calculated and logistic regression models were fitted to determine factors associated with different levels of consumption.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>SSB consumption was high and age-associated differences in patterns of consumption were evident. Over 77% of SSB consumed was purchased via supermarkets and 60% of all SSB was consumed in the home environment. Less than 17% of SSB was sourced from school canteens and fast food establishments. Children whose parents had lower levels of education consumed more SSB on average, while children whose parents had higher education levels were more likely to favour sweetened juices and flavoured milks.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>SSB intake by Australian children remains high and warrants continued public health attention. Evidence based and age-targeted interventions, which also recognise supermarkets as the primary source of SSB, are recommended to reduce SSB consumption among children. Additionally, education of parents and children regarding the health consequences of high consumption of both carbonated and non-carbonated SSBs is required.</p

Isoenergetic replacement of dietary saturated with monounsaturated fat via macadamia nuts enhances endothelial function in overweight subjects

Background & aims - Excess adiposity (overweight) is one of numerous risk factors for cardiometabolic disease. Most risk reduction strategies for overweight rely on weight loss through dietary energy restriction. However, since the evidence base for long-term successful weight loss interventions is scant, it is important to identify strategies for risk reduction independent of weight loss. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of isoenergetic substitution of dietary saturated fat (SFA) with monounsaturated fat (MUFA) via macadamia nuts on coronary risk compared to usual diet in overweight adults. Methods - A randomised controlled trial design, maintaining usual energy intake, but manipulating dietary lipid profile in a group of 64 (54 female, 10 male) overweight (BMI > 25), otherwise healthy, subjects. For the intervention group, energy intakes of usual (baseline) diets were calculated from multiple 3 day diet diaries, and SFA was replaced with MUFA (target: 50%E from fat as MUFA) by altering dietary SFA sources and adding macadamia nuts to the diet. Both control and intervention groups received advice on national guidelines for physical activity and adhered to the same protocol for diet diary record keeping and trial consultations. Anthropometric and clinical measures were taken at baseline and at 10 weeks. Results A significant increase in brachial artery flow-mediated dilation ( p < 0.05) was seen in the monounsaturated diet group at week 10 compared to baseline. This corresponded to significant decreases in waist circumference, total cholesterol ( p < 0.05), plasma leptin and ICAM-1 ( p < 0.01). Conclusions - In patient subgroups where adherence to dietary energy-reduction is poor, isoenergetic interventions may improve endothelial function and other coronary risk factors without changes in body weight. This trial was registered with the Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12607000106437)

Effects of a macadamia nut enriched diet on serum lipids and lipoproteins compared to a low fat diet.

Macadamia nuts are a native Australian food rich in the monounsaturated fats, oleic acid and palmitoleic acid. A monounsaturated fatty acid-rich diet (MD), enriched with macadamia nuts (40% energy as fat, 20% energy from macadamia nuts) was compaared with a high-complex-carbohydrate diet (HC) for effects on serum lipid and lipoprotein levels. Subjects (7 female, 7 male) between 25 and 59 years of age were randomly allocated either to MD followed by HC, or vice versa. Each dietary phase lasted 4 weeks. Both diets lowered serum cholesterol by 7.9% (

Comparison of the Effects On Lipoproteins and Apolipoproteins of a Diet High in Monounsaturated Fatty-Acids, Enriched with Avocado, and a High-Carbohydrate Diet

A randomized trial was conducted to compare effects of a diet high in monounsaturated fatty acids, enriched with avocado (AE), and a high-complex-carbohydrate diet (AHA-III) on blood lipid concentrations. Fifteen females between 37 and 58 y of age were allocated either to AE followed by AHA-III, or vice versa. Each dietary phase lasted 3 wk. Both diets were found to lower total cholesterol compared with baseline values. AE was more effective, with an 8.2% decrease (P < 0.05) whereas AHA-III was associated with a 4.9% decrease (NS). Low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B decreased significantly on AE but not on AHA-III (P < 0.05). The high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) concentration did not change on AE but decreased 13.9% on AHA-III (P < 0.01). It is concluded that AE is more effective than is AHA-III in decreasing total cholesterol, and, unlike AHA-III, it does not decrease HDL concentrations

A mouse partially protective glycoprotein antigen in Streptococcus agalactiae serotype Ia

The immunological properties of a glycoprotein antigen (antigen 2) of Streptococcus agalactiae serotype Ia were investigated. A specific antiserum was prepared by immunizing rabbits with antigen 2 immunoprecipitates excised from Crossed immunoelectrophoresis (Crossed IEP) gels. This antiserum produced a single peak representing antigen 2 when reacted with a Triton X-100 sonicate of heat-killed whole serotype Ia cells in Crossed IEP analysis. With polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and subsequent immunoelectroblotting, three strongly reacting polypeptides were detected at 60, 56, and 35 kilo-Daltons. Many faintly reacting polypeptides were detected between 67 and 30 kilodalton. The specific anti-antigen 2 serum used in Crossed immunoisoelectric focusing (XIEF) detected three immunoprecipitates, two with a pI of 8.4 and one with a pI of 6.7. Identification of the antigens detected in XIEF with the polypeptides detected by immunoelectroblotting was not attempted. The specific anti-antigen 2 serum partially protected mice against lethal serotype Ia infection