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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2021) | Viewed by 39482

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Alina Rodriguez

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Guest Editor

Imperial College London, Queen Mary University of London, UK
Interests: neurodevelopment; mental health; obesity; life course epidemiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Dietary quality is a crucial contributor to health. Accumulating evidence points to an equally important role of nutrition in wellbeing and mental health, though controversy abounds. Understanding the associations between nutrition, lifestyle, and mental health is paramount for improving public health, especially because dietary recommendations have varied over time. For example, the deterioration of dietary quality, characterized by processed and sugary foods, has contributed to obesity and in turn impacted wellbeing. The double burden of malnutrition (i.e., the overconsumption of calorie-rich and nutrient-poor foods), at the individual or household level, has reached every corner of the globe. The double burden of malnutrition—especially during early development—has a profound impact across the life course on health and growth, on the brain, and, consequently, on human capital. The human brain is highly dependent on calories and so has a very high metabolic rate, while nutrient content is vital for neurodevelopment, structure, and function, and thus mental health. Research is needed to better understand the role of early nutrition, during pregnancy and early life, for lifespan wellbeing. Questions remain concerning the impact of micro- or macronutrients, or dietary quality, for wellbeing and mental health across the lifespan. This Special Issue on “Diet and Wellbeing across the Life Course” seeks to elucidate aspects of the syndemic from various perspectives in order to examine the role of nutrition for wellbeing in children/adolescents, adults, and aging populations.

The objective of the Special Issue on “Diet and Wellbeing across the Life Course” is to publish peer-reviewed papers detailing specific aspects of nutrition that could play a role for wellbeing, defined in its broadest sense, at various points in the life course. Selected papers (original research, reviews, interventions, experiments, and/or epidemiological studies) will preferably (but not necessarily) take a longitudinal approach to address the role of diet composition/quality, specific nutrients, or breastfeeding in wellbeing across the life course.

Prof. Dr. Alina Rodriguez
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Diet
Junk food
Sugar
Nutraceuticals
BMI (body mass index)/body composition
Neurodevelopment
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Depression/mood disorders
Dementia/cognitive decline
Education
Human capital
Genetics
Inflammation
Microbiome
Reproduction

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1380 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fitness, Food, and Biomarkers: Characterizing Body Composition in 19,634 Early Adolescents

by Alina Rodriguez, Katarzyna Korzeniowska, Kamila Szarejko, Hubert Borowski, Michał Brzeziński, Małgorzata Myśliwiec, Leszek Czupryniak, Per-Olof Berggren, Marcin Radziwiłł and Piotr Soszyński

Nutrients 2022, 14(7), 1369; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14071369 - 25 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4953

Abstract

Adolescent obesity persists as a major concern, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, yet evidence gaps exist regarding the pivotal early adolescent years. Our objective was to provide a comprehensive picture using a holistic approach of measured anthropometry in early adolescence, including body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and reported lifestyle characteristics. We aimed to elucidate potential sex/gender differences throughout and associations to biomarkers of disease risk for obese adolescents. Methods: Trained nurses measured 19,634 early adolescents (12–14-year-olds), we collected parental reports, and, for obese adolescents, fasting blood samples in four major Polish cities using a cross-sectional developmental design. Results: 24.7% boys and 18.6% girls were overweight/obese, and 2886 had BMI ≥ 90th percentile. With increasing age, there was greater risk of obesity among boys (p for trend = 0.001) and a decreasing risk of thinness for girls (p for trend = 0.01). Contrary to debate, we found BMI (continuous) was a useful indicator of measured fat mass (FM). There were 38.6% with CRF in the range of poor/very poor and was accounted for primarily by FM in boys, rather than BMI, and systolic blood pressure in girls. Boys, in comparison to girls, engaged more in sports (t = 127.26, p < 0.0001) and consumed more fast food (t = 188.57, p < 0.0001) and sugar-sweetened beverages (167.46, p < 0.0001). Uric acid, a potential marker for prediabetes, was strongly related to BMI in the obese subsample for both boys and girls. Obese girls showed signs of undernutrition. Conclusion: these findings show that overweight/obesity is by far a larger public health problem than thinness in early adolescence and is characterized differentially by sex/gender. Moreover, poor CRF in this age, which may contribute to life course obesity and disease, highlights the need for integrated and personalized intervention strategies taking sex/gender into account. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet and Wellbeing across the Life Course)

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24 pages, 1217 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diet Quality According to Mental Status and Associated Factors during Adulthood in Spain

by Jesús Cebrino and Silvia Portero de la Cruz

Nutrients 2021, 13(5), 1727; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051727 - 19 May 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5619

Abstract

Common mental disorders (CMD) are characterized by non-psychotic depressive symptoms, anxiety and somatic complaints, which affect the performance of daily activities. This study aimed to analyze prevalence of diet quality among adults with and without CMD from 2006 to 2017, to study the frequency of food consumption and diet quality according to mental status and age, and to determine which sociodemographic, lifestyle and health-related factors are associated with poor/moderate diet quality, according to mental status. A nationwide cross-sectional study was performed in adults with (n = 12,545) and without CMD (n = 48,079). The data were obtained from three Spanish National Health Surveys (2006, 2011/2012 and 2017). Two logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with diet quality in people with and without CMD. Among those with CMD, the probability of having poor/moderate diet quality was significantly lower for overweight or obese people and those who took part in leisure-time physical activity. Among those without CMD, university graduates were less likely to have a poor/moderate diet quality. Good diet quality was observed more in older adults (≥65 years old) than in emerging (18–24 years old) or young adults (25–44 years old), regardless of mental status. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet and Wellbeing across the Life Course)

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8 pages, 342 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trajectory of Food Insecurity and Its Association with Longitudinal Mental Health and Sleep Outcomes in Adolescents from Economically Disadvantaged Families

by Ting-Hsuan Lee, Jen-Hao Kuo, Chia-Yi Liu, Yi-Fang Yu, Carol Strong, Chung-Ying Lin, Chih-Ting Lee and Meng-Che Tsai

Nutrients 2021, 13(5), 1696; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051696 - 17 May 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3147

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is a critical transition period in the course of human development. Although food insecurity (FI) has been shown to be associated with adverse mental health and sleep outcomes in US adolescents, there is a paucity of research examining the relationships between FI, mental health, and sleep outcomes in Taiwanese adolescents. Furthermore, it is unknown how the change of FI over time (i.e., the trajectory of FI) is related to health outcomes. Methods: The data come from the Taiwan Database of Children and Youth in Poverty, which is a national longitudinal project measuring FI in five survey waves (2009–2017). We employed group-based trajectory modeling to classify various FI trends over the five waves using STATA. Furthermore, a generalized estimating equation analysis was conducted with FI trajectories as the independent variable to see how FI trajectory is related to mental health and sleep outcomes. Results: In total, 1921 participants aged 12–18 years in the first wave were deemed valid for the analysis. We classified the participants into four FI trajectory groups: persistently low FI (24.8%), persistently moderate FI (64.7%), declining from high to low FI (4.1%), and food-secure groups (6.4%). As compared to food-secure adolescents, the persistently moderate FI group was more likely to have mental problems (β = 0.30, [95% confidence interval 0.21–0.38]), while the other FI groups were only marginally associated with mental health problems. Moreover, adolescents in the persistently low FI group (β = 0.13, [0.02–0.23]) and persistently moderate FI group (β = 0.39, [0.29–0.48]) were found to have more sleep problems than those in the food-secure group. Conclusions: Our study describes the FI profile of adolescents from economically disadvantaged families and the difficulties they might encounter. With this information, healthcare providers can aid adolescents in the early stages of mental health problems and provide guidance when appropriate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet and Wellbeing across the Life Course)

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16 pages, 765 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Effects of Nutrient Intake and Dietary Habits on Depression in Korean Adults

by Hyeonseo Yun, Dong-Wook Kim, Eun-Joo Lee, Jinmyung Jung and Sunyong Yoo

Nutrients 2021, 13(4), 1360; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041360 - 19 Apr 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4770

Abstract

While several studies have explored nutrient intake and dietary habits associated with depression, few studies have reflected recent trends and demographic factors. Therefore, we examined how nutrient intake and eating habits are associated with depression, according to gender and age. We performed simple and multiple regressions using nationally representative samples of 10,106 subjects from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The results indicated that cholesterol, dietary fiber, sodium, frequency of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and eating out were significantly associated with depression (p-value < 0.05). Moreover, depression was associated with nutrient intake and dietary habits by gender and age group: sugar, breakfast, lunch, and eating out frequency in the young women’s group; sodium and lunch frequency among middle-age men; dietary fibers, breakfast, and eating out frequency among middle-age women; energy, moisture, carbohydrate, lunch, and dinner frequency in late middle-age men; breakfast and lunch frequency among late middle-age women; vitamin A, carotene, lunch, and eating out frequency among older age men; and fat, saturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acid, omega-6 fatty acid, and eating out frequency among the older age women’s group (p-value < 0.05). This study can be used to establish dietary strategies for depression prevention, considering gender and age. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet and Wellbeing across the Life Course)

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14 pages, 661 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association of a Mediterranean Diet and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption with Subjective Well-Being among Adults with Overweight and Obesity

by Débora Godoy-Izquierdo, Adelaida Ogallar, Raquel Lara, Alejandra Rodríguez-Tadeo and Félix Arbinaga

Nutrients 2021, 13(4), 1342; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041342 - 17 Apr 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4054

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests that among behavioral-lifestyle factors, adherence to a healthy dietary pattern such as the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) is linked not only to better psychological health and mental positive status but also to increased subjective well-being (SWB). Nevertheless, this association has been unexplored among individuals with excessive weight. This study explored whether adherence to the MedDiet and the intake of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables (FV) are associated with increased happiness and life satisfaction among Spanish adults with overweight or obesity when weight, body image, and body satisfaction are also considered. A convenience sample of adult individuals with excessive weight completed self-reports on the study variables, and weight and BMI were measured by bioimpedance. No evidence of a relationship with SWB indicators was obtained for MedDiet global indicators, probably due to the low adherence to a healthy diet by these individuals. In contrast, FV intake, as a powerful indicator of healthy eating, was associated with life satisfaction when BMI and body image dimensions were considered, among which body satisfaction had a key role. Moreover, life satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between FV consumption and happiness. Our findings are expected to make a relevant contribution to knowledge on the positive correlates or protective factors for overall well-being in obesity, including dietary habits and body appreciation. Our results may inform obesity management actions focused on inclusive, positive aesthetic models and promoting a healthy lifestyle for happiness in obesity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet and Wellbeing across the Life Course)

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15 pages, 1184 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationship between Dispositional Mindfulness, Psychological Health, and Diet Quality among Healthy Midlife Adults

by Shannon D. Donofry, Kirk I. Erickson, Michele D. Levine, Peter J. Gianaros, Matthew F. Muldoon and Stephen B. Manuck

Nutrients 2020, 12(11), 3414; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12113414 - 6 Nov 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4819

Abstract

Mindfulness, a practice of non-judgmental awareness of present experience, has been associated with reduced eating psychopathology and emotion-driven eating. However, it remains unclear whether mindfulness relates to diet quality. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine whether dispositional mindfulness is associated with diet quality and to explore psychological factors relating dispositional mindfulness to diet quality. Community-dwelling adults (N = 406; M_age = 43.19, SD = 7.26; M_{body mass index [BMI]} = 27.08, SD = 5.28; 52% female) completed ratings of dispositional mindfulness, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA). Dietary intake was assessed using the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire, from which the 2015 Healthy Eating Index was derived. Analyses were conducted using the “lavaan” package in R with bias-corrected bootstrapped confidence intervals (BootCI). Age, sex, race, education, and BMI were entered as covariates in all models. Higher dispositional mindfulness was associated with higher diet quality (β = 0.11, p = 0.03), and this effect was mediated through lower depressive symptoms (indirect effect β = 0.06, p = 0.02, BootCI = 0.104–1.42, p = 0.03). Dispositional mindfulness was negatively correlated with perceived stress (β = −0.31, p < 0.01) and NA (β = −0.43, p < 0.01), as well as positively correlated with PA (β = −0.26, p < 0.01). However, these factors were unrelated to diet quality. These cross-sectional data provide initial evidence that dispositional mindfulness relates to diet quality among midlife adults, an effect that may be explained in part by less depressive symptomatology. Given that lifestyle behaviors in midlife are leading determinants of risk for cardiovascular disease and neurocognitive impairment in late life, interventions to enhance mindfulness in midlife may mitigate disease risk. Additional research assessing the impact of mindfulness interventions on diet quality are warranted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet and Wellbeing across the Life Course)

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Review

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14 pages, 1185 KiB

Open AccessReview

Diet Quality of Malaysians across Lifespan: A Scoping Review of Evidence in a Multi-Ethnic Population

by Amutha Ramadas, Su Ming Tham, Shehzeen Alnoor Lalani and Sangeetha Shyam

Nutrients 2021, 13(4), 1380; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041380 - 20 Apr 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 10721

Abstract

Malaysia is a rapidly developing economy experiencing a nutrition transition. It suffers from a double burden of over- and undernutrition, making it essential to understand diet quality in the population. In this scoping review, we have collated the existing literature on Malaysian diet quality, including factors that influence it, and the association between diet quality and health outcomes across the lifespan of Malaysians. Overall, diet quality was poor in all age groups studied. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and its iterations were predominantly used in urban and clinical settings to evaluate diet-chronic disease relationships. These indices were significantly associated with cardio-metabolic and disease risks in adults. The Diet Diversity Score (DDS) and Food Variety Score (FVS) were used to gauge diet quality in maternal and child nutrition studies and were associated with appropriate growth and caloric intake. Deficiencies were found in fruit, vegetable, legumes, and dairy intake. Meat, salt, and sugar intake were found to be excessive in many studies. The findings can inform policies to improve diet quality in this population. The review also identified knowledge gaps that require further investigation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet and Wellbeing across the Life Course)

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