Dietary patterns in UK adolescents obtained from a dual-source FFQ and their associations with socio-economic position, nutrient intake and modes of eating

Objective To derive dietary patterns using principal components analysis from separate FFQ completed by mothers and their teenagers and to assess associations with nutrient intakes and sociodemographic variables. Design Two distinct FFQ were completed by 13-year-olds and their mothers, with some overlap in the foods covered. A combined data set was obtained. Setting Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), Bristol, UK. Subjects Teenagers (n 5334) with adequate dietary data. Results Four patterns were obtained using principal components analysis: a 'Traditional/health-conscious' pattern, a 'Processed' pattern, a 'Snacks/sugared drinks' pattern and a 'Vegetarian' pattern. The 'Traditional/health-conscious' pattern was the most nutrient-rich, having high positive correlations with many nutrients. The 'Processed' and 'Snacks/sugared drinks' patterns showed little association with important nutrients but were positively associated with energy, fats and sugars. There were clear gender and sociodemographic differences across the patterns. Lower scores were seen on the 'Traditional/health conscious' and 'Vegetarian' patterns in males and in those with younger and less educated mothers. Higher scores were seen on the 'Traditional/health-conscious' and 'Vegetarian' patterns in girls and in those whose mothers had higher levels of education. Conclusions It is important to establish healthy eating patterns by the teenage years. However, this is a time when it is difficult to accurately establish dietary intake from a single source, since teenagers consume increasing amounts of foods outside the home. Further dietary pattern studies should focus on teenagers and the source of dietary data collection merits consideration. © 2013 The Authors

Environment and Rural Affairs Monitoring & Modelling Programme - ERAMMP Year 1 Report 16: NRW & ERAMMP monitoring activities review

The aim of the Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and other monitoring activities review is to recommend where the key opportunities exist to address evidence gaps, better align activities and reduce duplication. This should not duplicate the intensive work involving more than 40 organisations and over 100 individuals which resulted in the ‘Options for a New Integrated Natural Resource Monitoring Framework for Wales’ 1 review which identified more than 180 monitoring schemes and provided 6 independent reviews of new opportunities for the monitoring community

Free Sugars and Total Fat Are Important Characteristics of a Dietary Pattern Associated with Adiposity across Childhood and Adolescence

Background The importance of dietary sugar versus fat in the development of obesity is currently a topic of debate. Objective We aimed to identify dietary patterns (DPs) characterized by high sugar and/or high fat content and their longitudinal associations with adiposity during childhood and adolescence. Methods Participants were 6722 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (born 1991-92). DPs were characterized by % total energy intake (%E) from free sugars, %E from total fat, dietary energy density (DED) and fiber density, using reduced rank regression at 7, 10 and 13 years of age. Total body fat mass was measured at 11, 13 and 15 years of age. Regression analyses adjusted for dietary misreporting, physical activity and maternal class. Results Two major DPs were identified: higher z scores for DP1 were associated with greater DED, %E from sugars and fat, and lower fiber density; higher z scores for DP2 were associated with greater %E from sugars but lower %E from fat and DED. A 1 SD increase in z score for DP1 was associated with a mean increase in fat mass index z score of 0.04 SD units (95%CI 0.01, 0.07; P=0.017) and greater odds of excess adiposity (OR:1.12, 95%CI: 1.0, 1.25; P=0.038). DP2 was not associated with adiposity. Conclusions An energy-dense DP high in %E from fat and sugars is associated with greater adiposity in childhood and adolescence. This confirms the role of both fat and sugar and provides a basis for food based dietary guidelines to prevent obesity in children.</p

Recent outbreaks of infectious syphilis, United Kingdom, January 2012 to April 2014

Six outbreaks of infectious syphilis in the United Kingdom, ongoing since 2012, have been investigated among men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexual men and women aged under 25 years. Interventions included case finding and raising awareness among healthcare professionals and the public. Targeting at-risk populations was complicated as many sexual encounters involved anonymous partners. Outbreaks among MSM were influenced by the use of geospatial real-time networking applications that allow users to locate other MSM within close proximity