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Objectives: To evaluate the relative validity of the diet history questionnaire (DHQ) used in the Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project (CHAMP) against a four-day weighed food record (4dWFR) as the reference method. Design and measurements: Detailed DHQ followed by a 4dWFR were completed between July 2012 and October of 2013. Setting: Burwood, Canada Bay and Strathfield in Sydney, Australia. Participants: Fifty six community- dwelling men aged 75 years and over (mean=79 years). Results: DHQ estimates of intakes were generally higher than estimates from 4dWFR. Differences between the two methods were generally less than 20% with the exception of ß-carotene (37%). Fixed and proportional biases were only present for retinol, ß-carotene, magnesium, phosphorus and percentage of energy from protein; however, 95% limits of agreement were in some cases wide. Pearson correlation coefficient of log-transformed unadjusted values ranged from 0.15 (zinc) to 0.70 (alcohol), and from 0.06 (iron) to 0.63 (thiamin) after energy-adjustment. Spearman's correlation coefficients ranged from 0.16 (zinc) to 0.80 (alcohol) before energy adjustment, and from 0.15(zinc) to 0.81(alcohol) after energy adjustment. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the DHQ used in CHAMP to measure the nutritional intake of its participants is appropriate to this age group and provides reasonably similar results to the 4dWFR for the majority of nutrients analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traumatic stress in early-life increases the risk for cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders later in life. Such early stress can also impact the progeny even if not directly exposed, likely through epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we report in mice that the offspring of males subjected to postnatal traumatic stress have decreased gene expression in molecular pathways necessary for neuronal signaling, and altered synaptic plasticity when adult. Long-term potentiation is abolished and long-term depression is enhanced in the hippocampus, and these defects are associated with impaired long-term memory in both the exposed fathers and their offspring. The brain-specific gamma isoform of protein kinase C (Prkcc) is one of the affected signaling components in the hippocampus. Its expression is reduced in the offspring, and DNA methylation at its promoter is altered both in the hippocampus of the offspring and the sperm of fathers. These results suggest that postnatal traumatic stress in males can affect brain plasticity and cognitive functions in the adult progeny, possibly through epigenetic alterations in the male germline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: In parallel with the obesity epidemic, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) has risen over the same period. Our aim was to investigate associations between the consumption of SSB in childhood and adolescence with subsequent changes in body fatness in early adulthood. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A longitudinal study of 9-year-old children (n=283) enrolled in the Danish part of the European Youth Heart Study with a 6-year and 12-year follow-up. Data were collected at ages 9, 15 and 21 years. Multivariate regression analyses with adjustment for potential confounders were used to evaluate the effect of SSB consumption at 9 and 15 years and change in SSB consumption from 9–15 years on subsequent change in body fatness until 21 years. RESULTS: Subjects who consumed more than one serve of SSB daily at age 15 years had larger increases in body mass index (BMI) (β=0.92, P=0.046) and waist circumference (WC) (β=2.69, P=0.04) compared to non-consumers over the subsequent 6 years. In addition, subjects who increased their SSB consumption from age 9–15 years also had larger increases in BMI (β=0.91, P=0.09) and WC (β=2.72, P=0.04) from 15–21 years, compared to those who reported no change in consumption. No significant association was observed from 9–21 years. CONCLUSION: This study provides new evidence that SSB consumption in adolescence and changes in SSB consumption from childhood to adolescence are both significant predictors of change in body fatness later in early adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives:Nutritional status has been shown to affect quality of life, tolerance of future treatments and survival in people having undergone major upper gastrointestinal surgery. The objective of this trial was to assess the impact of intense individualized dietary advice following major upper gastrointestinal surgery on nutritional status, dietary intake, gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life, compared to the current usual care.Subjects/Methods:On discharge from hospital, people having had major upper gastrointestinal surgery were randomized to have dietetic follow-up fortnightly for 6 months or to a control group. Data collection was conducted at baseline, and at 1, 3 and 6 months.Results:Twenty-seven people were randomized to either the intervention or control group. There was a small but non-significant difference in percent weight loss in the intervention (−0.8±8.8) compared to the control group (−2.7±9.7) at 6 months. There were no other differences between the two groups.Conclusions:This small study did not demonstrate that intense individualized dietary advice leads to improvements in nutritional status and quality of life for people having had major upper gastrointestinal surgery. The study does highlight that this group is at high nutritional risk, and does support the need for a larger multicentre study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the relationships between previous diet, biomarkers of selected B vitamins, nutritional status and length of stay. Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Geriatric rehabilitation patients, Sydney, Australia. Participants: Fifty two consenting patients with normal serum creatinine levels and no dementia. Measurements: Serum vitamin B12, plasma vitamin B6, serum and erythrocyte folate, homocysteine and methylmalonic acid (MMA) concentrations; dietary intake using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and nutritional assessment using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Length of stay data were collected from medical records after discharge. Results: The age was 80 ± 8 year (mean ± SD), BMI 26.4 ± 6.8 kg/m and MNA score 22 ± 3 indicating some risk of malnutrition. Deficiencies of vitamins B6, B12 and folate were found in 30, 22 and 5 subjects respectively. Length of stay was positively correlated with age and MMA (Spearman's correlation 0.4, p<0.01 and 0.28, p<0.05 respectively) and negatively correlated with albumin, vitamin B6 and MNA score (Spearman's correlation −0.35, −0.33 and −0.29, p<0.05). After adjustment for age and sex, ln vitamin B6 and ln MMA concentrations were significant in predicting ln LOS (p=0.006 and p=0.014 respectively). Conclusion: The study indicates a high risk of vitamin B deficiencies in the elderly and suggests that deficiencies of vitamins B6 and B12 are associated with length of stay. This is concerning as B vitamin status is rarely fully assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This analysis examines period trends in body weight of Australian 18-24 year olds. Secondary analysis of National Health Surveys was performed, including examination of socio-demographic determinants of obesity. The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased from 24.0 and 5.1% in males and 13.2 and 5.8% in females, respectively, in 1995 to 29.3 and 13.8% in males and 20.6 and 20.6% in females in 2012. Mean body mass index (BMI) increased over time from 23.7 (s.d. 3.5) for males and 22.4 (s.d. 4.0) for females in 1995 to 25.2 (s.d. 4.8) and 25.5 (s.d. 5.9) in 2011/2. Lower educational attainment increased the odds of having BMI⩾25.00 kg/m(2) for both sexes (P=0.03 males and P<0.001 females). Overweight and obesity were higher in rural females (P<0.05) and those socio-economically disadvantaged (P<0.0001). The obesity epidemic has worsened for Australian young adults and in particular young females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To assess the individual contributions of age, period and birth cohort to prevalence of overweight and obesity in the Australian population during 1990 to 2000.Design:Age-period-cohort Poisson regression modelling of data from National Health Surveys conducted in Australia in 1990, 1995 and 2000.Subjects:Adults aged 20 years and over. Weightings were applied to account for differences in sampling and participation rates so that the sample is representative of the entire Australian adult population.Methods:Twelve age groups, based on 5-year intervals from 20 to 24 years to greater than 75 years, three survey periods and 14 cohorts, also based on 5-year intervals from pre-1915 up to 1976–1980, were used in the analysis. The data were age-standardized to the 2000 population and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Log-linear models, for the prevalence rates of overall overweight (BMI 25) and of obesity (BMI 30) were fitted to the data.Results:Age (P<0.001), period (P<0.001) and cohort (P=0.002) all showed significant independent effects on prevalence of overall overweight in the Australian population such that prevalence rises with increasing age, recency of period and cohorts born since 1960. Age (P<0.001) and period (P<0.001) demonstrated strong effects on prevalence of obesity but birth cohort (P=0.07) was not significant. The effects were similar for men and women except that the overall effect of birth cohort on overall overweight was significant in women (P<0.05) but not men (P=0.09).Conclusion:The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Australian adults continued to rise during the 1990s. The obesogenic environment seems to have worsened and more recently born cohorts may be at increased risk of overweight.European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2008) 62, 898–907; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602769; published online 18 April 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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