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This study explored (1) the effect of applying an autocalibration algorithm on accelerometer data analyzed using different signal processing techniques and (2) how these techniques changed the signal composition. Using a dataset of preschoolers (n = 137; 4.31 ± 0.87 years; Actigraph accelerometers (100 Hz) on right hip 24 hours/7 days) the vector magnitude (VM) was calculated as a reference; highpass, bandpass and lowpass filters were applied and the "Euclidean Norm Minus One" (ENMO) was calculated. Amplitude probability distribution functions were created to compare the (1) uncalibrated versus calibrated data and, (2) amplitude distribution across the techniques. Results showed that the calibration correction significantly impacted ENMO, VM lowpass and VM data, but the impact on VM highpass and bandpass data was minimal. Comparing across the techniques, results showed the lowest outputs were derived according to ENMO, followed by the VM highpass/VM bandpass and the VM lowpass/VM which yielded very similar results.

In obesity, circulating saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and inflammatory cytokines interfere with skeletal muscle insulin signaling, leading to whole body insulin resistance. Further, obese skeletal muscle is characterized by macrophage infiltration and polarization to the inflammatory M1 phenotype, which is central to the development of local inflammation and insulin resistance. While skeletal muscle-infiltrated macrophage–myocyte crosstalk is exacerbated by SFA, the effects of other fatty acids, such as n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), are less studied. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of long-chain n-3 and n-6 PUFAs on macrophage M1 polarization and subsequent effects on myocyte inflammation and metabolic function compared to SFA. Using an in vitro model recapitulating obese skeletal muscle cells, differentiated L6 myocytes were cultured for 24 h with RAW 264.7 macrophage-conditioned media (MCM), followed by insulin stimulation (100 nM, 20 min). MCM was generated by pre-treating macrophages for 24 h with 100 µM palmitic acid (16:0, PA–control), arachidonic acid (20:4n-6, AA), or docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA). Next, macrophage cultures were stimulated with a physiological dose (10 ng/mL) of lipopolysaccharide for an additional 12 h to mimic in vivo obese endotoxin levels. Compared to PA, both AA and DHA reduced mRNA expression and/or secreted protein levels of markers for M1 (TNFα, IL-6, iNOS; p < 0.05) and increased those for M2 (IL-10, TGF-β; p < 0.05) macrophage polarization. In turn, AA- and DHA-derived MCM reduced L6 myocyte-secreted cytokines (TNFα, IL6; p < 0.05) and chemokines (MCP-1, MIP-1β; p < 0.05). Only AA-derived MCM increased L6-myocyte phosphorylation of Akt (p < 0.05), yet this was inconsistent with improved insulin signaling, as only DHA-derived MCM improved L6 myocyte glucose uptake (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary n-3 and n-6 PUFAs may be a useful strategy to modulate macrophage–myocyte inflammatory crosstalk and improve myocyte insulin sensitivity in obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary guidance promotes plant-based foods, yet minimal research has examined intake in children. This study examined plant-based food intake in preschool-aged children using plant-based dietary index (PDI) metrics and related these metrics to nutrient and food group intakes. Dietary data were collected from preschool-aged children (n = 283, 3.45 ± 1.22 years) from the Guelph Family Health Study at baseline using the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool. Food intake servings were assigned to 16 food groups for calculation of overall PDI (oPDI), healthful PDI (hPDI), and less healthful (lhPDI) scores and summarized into tertiles for energy-adjusted comparisons. For oPDI, participants in the highest vs. lowest tertile had higher intakes of nutrients and food groups to encourage (e.g., dietary fiber, fruits) as well as lower intakes of nutrients to encourage (e.g., calcium, vitamin D). For hPDI, participants in the highest vs. lowest tertile had higher intakes of nutrients and food groups to encourage and lower intakes of those to limit (e.g., saturated fat, sweets and desserts). For lhPDI, participants in the highest vs. lowest tertile had higher intakes of nutrients and food groups to limit and lower intakes of those to encourage. These results can inform dietetic practice for dietary guidance that promotes plant-based foods in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excess dietary sugar intake increases the risk of unhealthy weight gain, an important cardiometabolic risk factor in children. To further our understanding of this relationship, we performed a narrative review using two approaches. First, research examining dietary sugar intake, its associations with cardiometabolic health, impact of genetics on sweet taste perception and intake, and how genetics moderates the association of dietary sugar intake and cardiometabolic risk factors in preschool-aged children 1.5-5 years old is reviewed. Second, methodological considerations for collecting and analyzing dietary intake of sugar, genetic information, and markers of cardiometabolic health among young children are provided. Our key recommendations include the following for researchers: (1) Further longitudinal research on sugar intake and cardiometabolic risk factors is warranted to inform policy decisions and guidelines for healthy eating in preschool-aged children. (2) Consistency in sugar definitions is needed across research studies to aid with comparisons of results. (3) Select dietary collection tools specific to each study's aim and sugar definition(s). (4) Limit subjectivity of dietary assessment tools as this impacts interpretation of study results. (5) Choose non-invasive biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease until the strengths and limitations of available biomarkers in preschool-aged children are clarified. (6) Select approaches that account for the polygenic nature of cardiometabolic disease such as genome risk scores and genome wide association studies to assess how genetics moderates the relationship between dietary sugar intake and cardiometabolic risk. This review highlights potential recommendations that will support a research environment to help inform policy decisions and healthy eating policies to reduce cardiometabolic risk in young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The sociodemographic characteristics of a parent and child may predispose young children to excessive dietary sugar intake; however, there is limited research available on this topic. The aim of this cross-sectional analysis was to examine the impact of sociodemographic characteristics such as child age, child sex, child ethnicity, parent number of years living in Canada, annual household income, parent education and parent marital status on total, free and added sugar intake in young children. Dietary and sociodemographic data including 267 children from 210 families participating in the Guelph Family Health Study were examined. The results indicate that child age, child ethnicity and annual household income can play a crucial role in shaping sugar intake in young children. This research may help inform future research and program interventions early in life along with guiding parents to decrease sugar intake in young children. Background: It is crucial to develop strategies targeted to promote healthy eating patterns in vulnerable populations, especially young children from diverse sociodemographic groups. Thus, the study objective was to investigate the associations between child age, child sex, child ethnicity, parent number of years living in Canada, annual household income, parent education and parent marital status with total, free and added sugar intakes in young children. Methods: This cross-sectional study was a secondary analysis of data gathered in the Guelph Family Health Study. The study included 267 children (129M; 138F) from 210 families aged 1.5 to 5 years. Parents completed questionnaires for children on sociodemographic characteristics and an online 24-hour diet recall. The associations between sociodemographic characteristics and sugar intakes were determined using generalized estimating equations applied to linear regression models. Results: The mean age of the children was 3.5 ± 1.2 years (mean ± std dev.). As children's age increased, there was a greater intake of free and added sugar ( β ^ = 8.6, p = 0.01, 95% CI = 2.4 to 14.7 and β ^ = 6.5, p = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.8 to 12.2, respectively). Those children who identified as white had a higher total sugar intake than children of other ethnicities ( β ^ = 31.0, p = 0.01, 95% CI = 7.2 to 54.7). Additionally, higher annual household income was associated with lower was free sugar intake in children ( β ^ = −2.4, p = 0.02, 95% CI = −4.5 to −0.4). Conclusions: This study underscores the significant influence of multiple sociodemographic characteristics on sugar intake in young children, providing valuable insights for public health policy and nutrition interventions. Moreover, this study highlights the need for early behaviour interventions focusing on reducing sugar intake in young children, while considering sociodemographic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research in rodents suggests that fatty acid (FA) desaturase expression and activity may be modified by vitamin A; however, this has not been investigated in humans. The primary objective of this study was to examine associations between dietary retinoid intakes, plasma retinoid concentrations, and FA desaturase indices in young adults. As a secondary objective, biological sex and estrogen‐containing contraceptive (EC) use were investigated due to prior evidence demonstrating that both can influence plasma retinol concentration and FA desaturase indices. Dietary retinoid intake (food frequency questionnaire), plasma retinoid concentrations (high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry), plasma FA (gas chromatography), and FA desaturase indices (product‐to‐precursor ratios) from 945 adults recruited for the cross‐sectional Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health study were analyzed. Participants were stratified into quartiles based on plasma retinol concentration and data analyzed by one‐way analysis of covariance. Dietary retinoid intakes were not associated with the overall n‐3 pathway, overall n‐6 pathway, delta‐5 desaturase, delta‐6 desaturase, or delta‐9 desaturase indices (all r < 0.10, p > 0.05). The overall n‐6 pathway index was significantly higher (p = 0.0004) and the delta‐5 desaturase index was significantly lower (p = 0.0003) in individuals with higher plasma retinol levels; however, these differences were lost when participants were grouped by biological sex and EC use. Although weak relationships were observed between plasma retinol and some FA desaturase indices in the total population, these associations appear to be driven by biological sex and EC usage rather than retinoids. We therefore find little evidence of a relationship between retinoids and FA desaturase indices in young, healthy adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited research on the intake of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) among preschool-aged children. Canada's Food Guide suggests limiting intake of NNS for all population groups and Health Canada recommends that young children (<2 years) avoid consuming beverages containing NNS. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and type of non-nutritive sweetener (NNS) intake in preschool-aged children participating in the Guelph Family Health Study pilots. Parents (n = 78 families) completed 3-day food records (n = 112 children; n = 55 females, n = 57 males; 3.6 years ± 1.3). Nineteen children (17%) reported consumption of foods or beverages containing NNS. Food sources with NNS included: freezies, oral nutritional supplements, flavored water, carbonated drinks, sugar free jam and protein powder. The majority of NNS contained in these foods were identified as stevia leaf extract, acesulfame K, sucralose, monk fruit extract and aspartame. Future research should continue to study NNS intake patterns longitudinally in children and examine the association of NNS intake with diet quality and health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]