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Aim: University students often cite increased monetary cost as a major barrier to improved eating behaviours. Here, we examine food expenditure behaviours in a sample of Australian university students. Methods: Students (n = 147) collected and analysed a 24‐hour food record to determine their food group and nutrient intakes, then costed the food and non‐tap water beverages consumed in the amounts recorded. Diet cost and food group expenditure (absolute and relative to total diet cost) were calculated and compared across socio‐demographic characteristics. Spearman's Rho correlations and partial correlations (controlling for energy intake) were also used to identify associations between diet cost and intake. Results: The median (IQR) 24‐hour diet cost was $12.42 ($7.06). However, students who worked ≥20 h·wk−1 had a higher diet cost than those who worked <20 h·wk−1 (P =.002) or were unemployed (P =.002). Relative food group expenditure also differed by sex, employment status and whether special dietary requirements were reported (P's <.05). For instance, males reported spending a smaller relative amount on the fruit and vegetables food groups and a larger relative amount on discretionary choices than females (P's < 0.05). Higher diet costs were also associated with greater intakes of the fruit, vegetables and lean meat and alternatives food groups, protein, alcohol, water and calcium, and lower intakes of the grain foods food group and carbohydrate (P's <.05). Conclusions: These findings provide insight into university students' food expenditure behaviours and may assist health professionals to develop targeted strategies and tailored advice aimed at improving their dietary behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: When aiming to develop dietary messaging to achieve reductions in added sugar intakes, it is necessary to identify key food contributors. Food contributors are not expected to remain static over time. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the total added sugars (AS) intake and related food sources for adult respondents of two Australian national consumption surveys. Methods: Repeated 24‐h recall data from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey (1995NNS, n = 10 851) and the 2011–12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (2012NNPAS, n = 9341) was used to estimate AS consumption. Food group sources of AS were examined per consumer and per capita and the food group predictors of energy provided by AS were determined. Results: A significant difference in total AS intake was identified by age and gender between the surveys (all P < 0.001). Increased variability in food group contributions per consumer was also identified. Nine of the top 20 food groups from the 1995NNS differed (P < 0.001) in their contribution to AS in 2012NNPAS per consumer. Fewer changes were apparent at the population level, with >40% AS coming from only three food groups. Age‐stratified analyses showed that the 'sugar, honeys and syrups' and the 'sweetened beverages' food groups were the top contributors between the surveys up to the age group of 70 years. 'Sugar, honey and syrups', 'chocolate and chocolate‐based confectionery,' and 'other confectionery' (all, P < 0.001) were significant predictors of AS intake (1995NNS, r2 = 0.755; 2012NNPAS r2 = 0.740). Conclusions: At a population level, food group contributions to AS intakes for Australian adults have not changed substantially over time, yet notable shifts in AS can be seen when targeting only the consumers of these food sources. 'Cake type desserts' appear to be increasingly consumed though 'sweetened beverages' remain a major contributor to AS intakes warranting targeted public health strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the associations between incidence of depression and dietary intakes of foods and fatty acids in adult Australians. Methods: Data from the 1995 Australian National Nutrition Survey (NNS), the 1995 Australian National Health Survey (NHS) and an updated fatty acid database were merged and the 24-h fatty acid intakes were calculated for the 10 986 adult participants ages 18 to 79 y in the 1995 NNS. The merged data set was used to run a logistic regression with depression as the response variable and the food groups and calculated fatty acid values, age, and sex as predictors. Results: The regression model indicated that increased intakes per kilojoule of meat, poultry, and game; vegetables; and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are associated with lower odds of having depression, whereas increased intakes of non-alcoholic beverages, milk products and dishes, and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) are associated with an increase in the odds of having depression. The results confirm a collective effect of diet on mood. Although other studies have shown that fish consumption is associated with lower odds of depression, this study showed lower odds of depression with high meat consumption, possibly reflecting the fact that Australians consume six times more meat than fish. Conclusion: Significant associations between food and mood identified in this study warrant further research to determine causality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of this paper was to develop a set of food groups for use in a self-administered, computer-assisted diet history interview for use in Australia by combining foods into groups so as to minimise database error in the macronutrient values for the food groups. The program needs to appropriately balance the level of detail used with the burden load on respondents and errors associated with categorisation of foods into groups. Various statistical techniques were utilised to aggregate a large number of food items into compositionally and conceptually similar groups. Exploratory statistical analysis, cluster analysis, stepwise regression analysis and association rule analysis were performed. A database containing 433 food groups was created which minimised the level of database error in the resulting data collection. Although some database error was introduced by aggregating food items into groups, the magnitude of the errors was reasonable considering other error sources. These findings are useful when applied to collection of food intake information for an individual''s diet history and measurement of energy and macronutrient intake. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Dietary behaviors during adolescence and emerging adulthood have important consequences for peak bone mass (PBM) attainment. This study aimed to examine dietary factors that are either beneficial or detrimental to bone health and determine the major sources of calcium in the diets of a sample of young adults. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 189 Australians aged 18-30 years. Three-day dietary intakes were collected using consecutive 24 h recall interviews. Daily totals for energy and nutrients and serves for food groups were computed. The proportion contribution of calcium (mg) from different food groups as well as calcium (mg) per portion and per 100 g were calculated. Females and males failed to meet the recommendations for dairy (91%, 82%), fruit (89%, 94%) and vegetables (74%, 86%). Eighty percent were above the recommended daily intake range for sodium. For calcium, 53% of females and 48% of males had intakes below the estimated average requirement (EAR). Milk products and dishes made the highest mean calcium contribution per portion (mg) mean standard deviation (SD), 204 mg (212) and accounted for 30% of calcium intake in females and 35% in males. As young adulthood is the final chance for dietary manipulation before PBM is achieved, these dietary risk factors should be addressed.

Early childhood education and care services are a significant feature of Australian family life, where nearly 1.4 million children attended a service in 2019. This paper reports on the cost of food provided to children in long day-care (LDC) services and extrapolates expenditure recommendations to support food provision compliance. A cross-sectional audit of LDC services in metropolitan Perth was conducted to determine food group provision by weighing raw ingredients of meal preparation-morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea (MT, L, AT). Ingredients were costed at 2017 online metropolitan pricing from a large supermarket chain. Across participating services, 2 days of food expenditure per child/day ranged between $1.17 and $4.03 across MT, L, AT, and averaged $2.00 per child/day. Multivariable analysis suggests that an increase of $0.50 per child/day increases the odds of a LDC service meeting >50% of Australian Dietary Guideline (ADG) recommendations across ≥4 core food groups by fourfold ( p = 0.03). Given the fact that the literature regarding food expenditure at LDC services is limited, this study provides information about food expenditure variation that impacts planning and provision of nutritionally balanced menus recommended for children. An average increase of food expenditure of $0.50 per child/day would increase food provision compliance., Competing Interests: R.S., A.D., R.W., L.C., and J.L have no conflicts of interest.

This study examined the relationship between diet quality scores and cardiometabolic risk factors in regionally-dwelling older Australian adults with increased cardiovascular risk. This study was a cross-sectional analysis of demographic, anthropometric, and cardiometabolic risk factor data from 458 participants of the Cardiovascular Stream of the Hazelwood Health Study. Participants completed a 120 item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Multivariable linear regression adjusting for age, sex, smoking, physical activity, education, diabetes, and body mass index was used to examine the relationship between diet and cardiometabolic risk factors. Mean (SD) age of participants was 71 (8) years, and 55% were male. More than half of men and women did not meet recommended intakes of fibre, while 60% of men and 42% of women exceeded recommended dietary sodium intakes. Higher diet quality in terms of intake of vegetables, grains, and non-processed meat, as well as intake of non-fried fish, was associated with more favourable cardiometabolic risk profiles, while sugar-sweetened soft drink intake was strongly associated with adverse cardiometabolic risk factor levels. In older, regionally-dwelling adults, dietary public health strategies that address whole grain products, vegetable and fish consumption, and sugar-sweetened soft-drink intake may be of benefit in reducing cardiometabolic risk.

Lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) should be accompanied by dietary guidance for cardiovascular risk reduction; however, current evidence suggests sub-optimal dietary behaviors in those on LLT. We examined the associations between the dietary intake of key food groups (vegetables, fruit, cereal, protein, and dairy) and LLT use in Australian adults using quantile regression. We used data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab), a prospective population-based study of adults aged ≥25 years, conducted over 5 years (1999-2005). Measurements included a 121-item food frequency questionnaire and LLT use. LLT use was categorized as: LLT users ( n = 446), commenced LLT ( n = 565), ceased LLT ( n = 71), and non-users ( n = 4813). Less than 1% of the cohort met recommended intakes of all food groups at the baseline and follow up. The median daily dietary intake at the follow up among LLT users was 2.2 serves of vegetables, 1.4 serves of fruit, 2.8 serves of cereal, 2.0 serves of protein, and 1.4 serves of dairy. Adjusted analysis showed no differences across the quantiles of intake of key food groups in LLT users and commenced LLT compared to non-users. The LLT medication status is not associated with any difference in meeting recommended intakes of key foods., Competing Interests: Dianna J Magliano reports grants from Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Alphapharm Pty Ltd, AstraZeneca, Bristol–Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly Australia, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen–Cilag, Merck Sharp & Dohme Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Roche Diagnostics Australia, Sanofi Aventis, and Sanofi-synthelabo, during the conduct of the study. Jonathan E Shaw reports grants from Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Alphapharm Pty Ltd, AstraZeneca, Bristol–Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly Australia, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen–Cilag, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Roche Diagnostics Australia, Sanofi Aventis, and Sanofi-synthelabo, during the conduct of the study; however, all are unrelated to the study described herein. Sophia Zoungas reports the following disclosures: AstraZeneca—participation in advisory board, expert committees, or educational meetings in 2017 and 2018 on behalf of Monash University (payment to institution), NovoNordisk—participation in advisory board, expert committees, or educational meetings in 2016 and 2018 on behalf of Monash University, Boehringer Ingelheim—participation in advisory board, expert committees, or educational meetings in 2019 on behalf of Monash University (payment to institution), Sanofi—participation in advisory board, expert committees, or educational meetings in 2018 on behalf of Monash University (payment to institution). All other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare in relation to the present work.

Background: Although growing evidence suggests that dietary patterns associated with noncommunicable diseases in adulthood may develop early in life, when these are established, as well as their determinants, remains unclear., Methods: We examined determinants and tracking of a dietary pattern (DP) associated with metabolic risk and its key food groups among 860 adolescents in the Western Australian Pregnancy (Raine) Cohort study. Food intake was reported using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) at 14 and 17 years. Z-scores for an 'energy-dense, high-fat, low-fibre' DP were estimated by applying reduced rank regression at both ages. Tracking was based on the predictive value (PV) of remaining in the DPZ-score or food intake quartile at 14 and 17 years. Early-life exposures included: maternal age; maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index; parent smoking status during pregnancy; and parent socio-economic position (SEP) at 14 and 17 years. Associations between the DPZ-scores, early-life factors and SEP were analysed using regression analysis., Results: Dietary tracking was strongest among boys with high DPZ-scores, high intakes of processed meat, low-fibre bread, crisps and savoury snacks (PV > 1) and the lowest intakes of vegetables, fruit and legumes. Lower maternal education (β = 0.09, P = 0.002 at 14 years; β = 0.14, P < 0.001 at 17 years) and lower maternal age at birth (β = 0.09, P = 0.003 at 14 years; β = 0.11, P = 0.004 at 17 years) were positively associated with higher DPZ-scores., Conclusions: An energy-dense, high-fat, low-fibre dietary pattern tracks more strongly among adolescent boys who have high scores for this pattern at 14 years of age. These findings highlight target foods and population subgroups for early interventions aiming to improve dietary behaviours., (© 2017 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.)

To date, observational studies in nutrition have categorized foods into groups such as dairy, cereals, fruits, and vegetables. However, the strength of the association between food groups and chronic diseases is far from convincing. In most international expert surveys, risks are most commonly scored as probable, limited, or insufficient rather than convincing. In this position paper, we hypothesize that current food classifications based on botanical or animal origins can be improved to yield solid recommendations. We propose using a food classification that employs food processes to rank foods in epidemiological studies. Indeed, food health potential results from both nutrient density and food structure (i.e., the matrix effect), both of which can potentially be positively or negatively modified by processing. For example, cereal-based foods may be more or less refined, fractionated, and recombined with added salt, sugars, and fats, yielding a panoply of products with very different nutritional values. The same is true for other food groups. Finally, we propose that from a nutritional perspective, food processing will be an important issue to consider in the coming years, particularly in terms of strengthening the links between food and health and for proposing improved nutritional recommendations or actions., (© 2015 American Society for Nutrition.)

Abstract: DietAdvice is an Australian self-administered dietary assessment website initially developed in 2003–2005. The website allows patients to enter their dietary information and dieticians to remotely access and interpret the data. DietAdvice is presently being updated with new Australian food composition data. This study aims to describe the update process for moving from 1995 to 2006 food composition data. The database for the website was developed using grouped food data from the NUTTAB 1995 database. All food groups were cross-matched with the food from the NUTTAB 2006 database using the food ID codes. Rules were applied to determine the suitability of the food for inclusion in the database. New, ungrouped foods were considered individually and added to existing groups or grouped together as new groups. Foods within each group were statistically weighted to determine the nutrient profile for each group. The NUTTAB 1995 data was used to develop 19, 103 and 422 first, second and third level groups, respectively. From the NUTTAB 2006 data, an additional 623 foods needed to be individually considered. The final database contained 23, 123 and 430 first, second and third level groups, respectively. Ensuring the most recent food composition data is incorporated into the database of the website will maximise the accuracy of the dietary advice provided by the dieticians. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]