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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2017) | Viewed by 62340

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Prof. Dr. María M. Morales Suárez-Varela

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1. Research Group in Social and Nutritional Epidemiology, Pharmacoepidemiology and Public Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Sciences, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitat de València, Av. Vicent Andrés Estelles s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
2. Biomedical Research Center in Epidemiology and Public Health Network (CIBERESP), Carlos III Health Institute, Av. Monforte de Lemos 3-5 Pabellón 11 Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
Interests: environmental epidemiology; human health; environmental pollution; epidemiological studies; biostatistics
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Prof. Dr. Yolanda Picò

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1. CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
2. Food and Environmental Safety Research Group, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Science, Toxicology and Legal Medicine, University of Valencia, Avda. Vicente Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
3. Research Center on Desertification (CIDE, UV-CSIC-GV), Carretera Moncada-Náquera, 46113 Moncada, Valencia, Spain
Interests: development of new analytical methods to determine organic contaminants in food and the environment, identification of metabolites, degradation products and unknown compounds by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; environmental risk assessment; environmental and food safety; application of “omics” techniques to environmental problems; development of environmental forensic approaches
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Prof. Dr. Agustín Llopis-González

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1. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Science, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine, Universitat de Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
2. Center for Biomedical Research Network Epidemiology and Public Health, (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Interests: epidemiology; public health; preventive medicine; cancer; nutrition; maternal and fetal health
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are organizing a Special Issue on “Nutrition and Public Health” in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The venue is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes articles and communications. The interdisciplinary area of nutritional sciences and public health. For detailed information on the journal, we refer you to http//www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

The importance of nutrition to public health is self-evident: people must eat to live. Both inadequate and excessive food intake lead to adverse health consequences and contribute to the principal causes of morbidity and mortality through developing and industrialized society. Because all individuals consume food, personal interesting in diet makes nutrition an unusually accessible entry point into health education and service delivery systems. Food intake is determined not only by individual choice but also by cultural norms, agricultural policies, and economic variables, public health approaches to nutrition and dietary intervention should be the methods of choice.

This Special Issue is open to present and discuss diet and nutrition within a broad public health context.

This Special Issue represents an effort to capture current developments in this field, and to provide a forum for cutting-edge contributions to the literature.

Prof. Dr. María M. Morales Suárez-Varela
Prof. Dr. Yolanda Pico Garcia
Prof. Dr. Agustín Llopis-González
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Nutrition
Public Health
Diet quality
Nutritional intake
Disease

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

802 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Does Health-Related Advertising with a Regulatory Focus and Goal Framing Affect Attitudes toward Ads and Healthy Behavior Intentions?

by Chia-Yen Lin and Wei-Ju Yeh

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(12), 1507; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14121507 - 4 Dec 2017

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 7241

Abstract

The health costs of colorectal cancer have increased over the years in Taiwan. The National Health Insurance Administration (NHI) and the Health Promotion Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) in Taiwan advocate that people have to change their unhealthy behaviors; however, the number of patients of colorectal cancer is increasing annually. This research discussed the effects of healthy diet advocacy advertisements (ads) on healthy diet behavior intentions as influenced by the interactions between regulatory focus theory (RFT) and message framing effects. Both regulatory focus theory and message framing effect were discussed for the relationship between advertisement and behavior change in many fields, such as health-related behavior, pro-environmental behavior, consumer choice, etc. We executed an experiment with four different types of public health advocacy ads. A 2 (regulatory focus: promotion vs. prevention) × 2 (message framing: gain framing vs. loss framing) two-factor experiment was adopted, and 201 valid participants responded to the questionnaire. Results indicated that if the ad’s regulatory focus is promotion focus, viewers’ attitudes toward the ad and their behavior intentions are more positive when the slogan of the ad is gain framing rather than loss framing via the multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA), and vice versa. Respondents found the communication easier to comprehend when the ads evoked the respondents’ regulatory focus and applied the appropriate message framing, thus improving the efficacy of health-related advertising. We offer suggestions regarding the future use of health-related advertising for the MOHW. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Public Health)

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817 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fatty Acid Composition of Dried Fruits of Sclerocarya birrea, Diospyros blancoi and Landolphia kirkii

by Athanasia O. Matemu, Durotoye Adeyemi, Hlengilizwe Nyoni, Ladislaus Mdee, Papiso Tshabalala, Bhekie Mamba and Titus A. M. Msagati

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(11), 1401; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14111401 - 17 Nov 2017

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4440

Abstract

Wild fruits are commonly consumed in the rural communities of South Africa. The information on their nutritionally important fatty acids is, however, limited. Three wild fruit species, Diospyros blancoi, Landolphia kirkii and Sclerocarya birrea from Limpopo Province were selected for evaluation of fatty acid content. Fatty acids composition of dried fruits of Diospyros blancoi (Db), Landolphia kirkii (Lk) and ripe and/or overripe Sclerocarya birrea (Sb) were evaluated by a gas chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometer (GC-TOF-MS). Hexadecanoic acid (C16:0) was found in highest abundance in L. kirkii (57.73–73.55%), followed by S. birrea (55.92–71.31%) and D. blancoi (46.31–62.05%), respectively. Octadecanoic acid (C18:0) was of second highest abundance, with 24.71–100% in D. blancoi, L. kirkii (31.03–41.60%) and S. birrea (9.11–17.0%). The 9-octadecenoic acid (C18:1n-9) was the major unsaturated fatty acid in both S. birrea (5.33–18.82%), D. blancoi (8.22–8.92%), and L. kirkii (3.84–8.63%). The 9,-12-octadecadienoic acid (C18:2n-6) was the major unsaturated fatty acid in D. blancoi (22.34%). The 9,-12,-15-octadecatrienoic acid (C18:3n-3) was found in L. kirkii (3.51%) and S. birrea (2.79%). From the results, saturated fatty acids were the most dominant, whereas mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids were the minor constituents. Therefore, presence of nutritionally important essential fatty acids from S. birrea, D. blancoi and L. kirkii has been shown. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Public Health)

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Open AccessArticle

Diet Quality and Satisfaction with Life, Family Life, and Food-Related Life across Families: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study with Mother-Father-Adolescent Triads

by Berta Schnettler, Germán Lobos, Edgardo Miranda-Zapata, Marianela Denegri, Gastón Ares and Clementina Hueche

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(11), 1313; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14111313 - 29 Oct 2017

Cited by 54 | Viewed by 7302

Abstract

Family is a major determinant of children’s and adolescents’ eating behavior. The objectives of the present study were to assess diet quality, eating habits, satisfaction with life, family life, and food-related life in mother–father–adolescent triads, and to identify profiles of families according to family members’ diet quality. Questionnaires were administered to a sample of 300 two-parent families with one child over the age of 10 in the city of Temuco (Chile), including the Adapted Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Satisfaction with Food-related Life (SWFoL) scale, Satisfaction with Family Life (SWFaL) scales, and questions relating to their eating habits. Positive relationships were found between the diet quality of the family members, particularly between mothers and adolescents. Three family profiles with different diet qualities were identified: “families with an unhealthy diet” (39.3%), “families in which mothers and adolescents have healthy diets, but the fathers’ diets require changes” (14.3%), and “families that require changes in their diet” (46.4%). These findings stress the key role of mothers in determining family diet quality and suggest a positive relationship between diet quality and satisfaction with life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Public Health)

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Open AccessArticle

Dietary Inflammatory Index and Cardiometabolic Risk Parameters in Overweight and Sedentary Subjects

by Claudia Marcela Camargo-Ramos, Jorge Enrique Correa-Bautista, María Correa-Rodríguez and Robinson Ramírez-Vélez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(10), 1104; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14101104 - 6 Oct 2017

Cited by 46 | Viewed by 5690

Abstract

Nutrition has been established as a relevant factor in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to investigate the relationship between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and cardiometabolic risk parameters in a cohort of 90 overweight and sedentary adults from Bogotá, Colombia. A 24-h dietary record was used to calculate the DII. Body composition variables, flow-mediated dilation (FMD), pulse wave velocity (PWV), lipid profile, glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (Hb1Ac), and blood pressure were measured and a cardiometabolic risk score (MetScore) was calculated. A lower DII score (anti-inflammatory diet) was significantly associated with higher high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and FMD, and lower Hb1Ac and MetScore (p < 0.05). A lower DII score was inversely correlated with plasma triglyceride levels (r = −0.354, p < 0.05), glucose (r = −0.422, p < 0.05), MetScore (r = −0.228, p < 0.05), and PWV (r = −0.437, p < 0.05), and positively with FMD (r = 0.261, p < 0.05). In contrast, a higher DII score (pro-inflammatory diet) showed a positive relationship with MetScore (r = 0.410, p < 0.05) and a negative relationship with FMD (r = −0.233, p < 0.05). An increased inflammatory potential of diet was inversely associated with an improved cardiometabolic profile, suggesting the importance of promoting anti-inflammatory diets as an effective strategy for preventing CVD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Public Health)

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4697 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Agricultural Capacity to Increase the Production of Select Fruits and Vegetables in the US: A Geospatial Modeling Analysis

by Zach Conrad, Christian J. Peters, Kenneth Chui, Lisa Jahns and Timothy S. Griffin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(10), 1106; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14101106 - 23 Sep 2017

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4910

Abstract

The capacity of US agriculture to increase the output of specific foods to accommodate increased demand is not well documented. This research uses geospatial modeling to examine the capacity of the US agricultural landbase to increase the per capita availability of an example set of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables. These fruits and vegetables were selected based on nutrient content and an increasing trend of domestic production and consumption. Geographic information system models were parameterized to identify agricultural land areas meeting crop-specific growing requirements for monthly precipitation and temperature; soil depth and type; cropland availability; and proximity to existing production centers. The results of these analyses demonstrate that crop production can be expanded by nearly 144,000 ha within existing national production centers, generating an additional 0.05 cup-equivalents of fruits and vegetables per capita per day, representing a 1.7% increase above current total F&V availability. Expanding the size of national crop production centers can further increase the availability of all F&V by 2.5%–5.4%, which is still less than the recommended amount. Challenges to increasing F&V production in the US include lack of labor availability, barriers to adoption among producers, and threats to crop yields from environmental concerns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Public Health)

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272 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Consumption of Energy Drinks among Undergraduate Students in Taiwan: Related Factors and Associations with Substance Use

by Yen-Jung Chang, Ching-Yi Peng and Yu-Ching Lan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(9), 954; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14090954 - 24 Aug 2017

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5623

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the consumption of energy drinks and associated factors among undergraduate students in Taiwan. Methods: Data came from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2015. Eligible participants completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing use and perceptions of energy drinks, tobacco, alcohol, and betel nut. Results: Among 606 surveyed undergraduate students, 24.8% reported consuming energy drinks in the past 30 days. The major reasons for use included keeping alert at work (48.7%), being curious about the products (32.0%), enjoying the flavor (31.3%), or preparing for school exams (26.7%). Among energy drink users, half have never read the nutrition label, and 15.3% reported that they had ever mixed energy drinks with alcohol. Most participants showed negative attitudes toward using tobacco, alcohol, or betel nut, while 54.1% reported positive attitudes toward consuming energy drinks. Being male, living away from parents’ home, tobacco use, alcohol use, and positive perceptions of energy drink’s effects significantly predicted energy drink consumption. Conclusions: In addition to exploring motivations of energy drink consumption in undergraduate students in Taiwan, the study findings indicated that energy drink consumption might relate to the use of tobacco and alcohol, which should be taken into account in substance use prevention programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Public Health)

255 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Body Shape and Weight Loss as Motivators for Breastfeeding Initiation and Continuation

by Sophie C. Schalla, Gemma L. Witcomb and Emma Haycraft

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(7), 754; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14070754 - 11 Jul 2017

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 8235

Abstract

Breastfeeding rates in the UK are low. Efforts to promote breastfeeding typically include the known health benefits for mother and child, many of which are not immediate. Gaining immediate benefits can be effective motivators of behaviour. Body-related changes resulting from breastfeeding could be an immediate benefit. This study explored breastfeeding mothers’ reports of body-related changes as benefits of breastfeeding. Mothers (N = 182) who currently, or had recently, breastfed an infant completed a survey detailing their infant feeding choices and the perceived benefits of breastfeeding on their bodies. Half of the mothers felt that breastfeeding had a positive effect on their body. Benefits were grouped into five themes: (1) Returning to pre-pregnancy body shape; (2) Health benefits; (3) Physical benefits; (4) Eating benefits; (5) Psychological benefits. These themes highlight the numerous body-related benefits that mothers identified as resulting from breastfeeding and suggest that immediate, personal, and appearance-related gains of breastfeeding are highly valued. These findings indicate that interventions would likely benefit from emphasising the more immediate physical and psychological benefits of breastfeeding, alongside the health and bonding benefits, as a way to promote breastfeeding initiation and continuation in more women. This may be particularly effective for groups such as young mothers, where breastfeeding rates are low and whose emphasis on body image may be greater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Public Health)

1360 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Validity and Reproducibility of the Iodine Dietary Intake Questionnaire Assessment Conducted for Young Polish Women

by Dominika Głąbska, Ewa Malowaniec and Dominika Guzek

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(7), 700; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14070700 - 29 Jun 2017

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 5234

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyse a designed brief iodine dietary intake questionnaire based on a food frequency assessment (IOdine Dietary INtake Evaluation-Food Frequency Questionnaire—IODINE-FFQ), including the assessment of validity and reproducibility in a group of 90 Polish women aged 20–35 years. Participants collected 3-day dietary records and filled in the IODINE-FFQ twice (FFQ1—directly after the dietary record and FFQ2—6 weeks later). The analysis included an assessment of validity (comparison with the results of the 3-day dietary record) and of reproducibility (comparison of the results obtained twice—FFQ1 and FFQ2). In the analysis of validity, a Bland-Altman index of 5.5% and 4.4% was recorded, respectively for FFQ1 and FFQ2. In the analysis of reproducibility it was 6.7%, but the share of individuals correctly classified into tertiles was over 70% (weighted κ of 0.675). It was stated, that assessment of IODINE-FFQ revealed a satisfactory level of validity and reproducibility in the analysis of Bland-Alman plot. The IODINE-FFQ may be indicated as a tool for the assessment of iodine intake in the young women in Poland, however further studies should be considered in order to obtain the practical tool for public health specialists. Due to the lack of validated iodine-specific food frequency questionnaires for countries of Eastern Europe, the IODINE-FFQ may be adjusted for courtiers other than Poland including iodine-fortified products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Public Health)

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361 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Dietary Calcium Intake and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Spanish Children: The ANIVA Study

by Nuria Rubio-López, Agustín Llopis-González, Yolanda Picó and María Morales-Suárez-Varela

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(6), 637; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14060637 - 14 Jun 2017

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6976

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of dietary calcium intake with anthropometric measures, physical activity and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) in 1176 Spanish children aged 6–9 years. Data were obtained from “Antropometría y Nutrición Infantil de Valencia” (ANIVA), a cross-sectional study of a representative sample. Dietary calcium intake assessed from three-day food records was compared to recommended daily intakes in Spain. Anthropometric measures (weight and height) were measured according to international standards and adherence to the MedDiet was evaluated using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) test. For the total sample of children, 25.8% had inadequate calcium intake, a significantly higher prevalence in girls (p = 0.006) and inadequate calcium intake was associated with lower height z-score (p = 0.001) for both sexes. In girls, there was an inverse relationship between calcium intake and body mass index (p = 0.001) and waist/hip ratio (p = 0.018). Boys presented a polarization in physical activity, reporting a greater level of both physical and sedentary activity in comparison with girls (p = 0.001). Children with poor adherence to MedDiet, even if they consume two yogurts or cheese (40 g) daily, adjusted by gender, age, total energy intake, physical activity and father’s level of education, are at risk of inadequate total calcium intake (odds ratio adjusted [ORa]: 3.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13–9.94, p = 0.001). The intake of these dairy products was insufficient to cover calcium intake recommendations in this age group (6–9 years). It is important to prioritize health strategies that promote the MedDiet and to increase calcium intake in this age group. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Public Health)

1915 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reduced Dietary Selenium Impairs Vascular Function by Increasing Oxidative Stress in Sprague-Dawley Rat Aortas

by Ana Stupin, Anita Cosic, Sanja Novak, Monika Vesel, Ivana Jukic, Brigita Popovic, Krunoslav Karalic, Zdenko Loncaric and Ines Drenjancevic

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(6), 591; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14060591 - 2 Jun 2017

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 5568

Abstract

This study aimed to determine whether low dietary Se content affects the function and mechanisms mediating the vascular relaxation of rat aortas, and to test the role of oxidative stress in observed differences. Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were maintained for 10 weeks on low Se (low-Se group; N = 20) or normal Se content (norm-Se group; N = 20) rat chow. Dose responses to acetylcholine (ACh; 10⁻⁹–10⁻⁵M) and the response to reduced pO₂ were tested in noradrenaline-precontracted aortic rings in the absence/presence of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), the cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 (COX-1, 2) inhibitor Indomethacin, and the antioxidative agent Tempol in tissue bath. mRNA expression of glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1), catalase (CAT), and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) was measured in rat aortas. Oxidative stress (Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; TBARS), antioxidative plasma capacity (ferric reducing ability of plasma assay; FRAP), and protein levels of GPx1 were measured in plasma and serum samples, respectively. Reduced ACh-induced relaxation (AChIR) (dominantly mediated by NO) in the low-Se group compared to the norm-Se group was restored by Tempol administration. Hypoxia-induced relaxation (HIR) (dominantly mediated by COX-1, 2), TBARS, and FRAP as well as GPx1 serum concentrations were similar between the groups. mRNA GPx1 expression in rat aortas was significantly decreased in the low-Se compared to the norm-Se group. These data suggest that low dietary Se content increases the local oxidative stress level, which subsequently affects the NO-mediated vascular response. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Public Health)

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