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Background Few cost-effective strategies to shift dietary habits of populations in a healthier direction have been identified. We examined if participating in a chatbot health education program transmitted by Short Messages Service ('SMS-program') could improve adolescent dietary behaviors and body weight trajectories. We also explored possible added effects of maternal or peer involvement. Methods and findings We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) among adolescents from the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC). Eligible were adolescents who during 2015 to 2016 at age 14 years had completed a questionnaire assessing height, weight, and dietary habits. Two thirds were offered participation in an SMS-program, whereas 1/3 ('non-SMS group') received no offer. The SMS program aimed to improve 3 key dietary intake behaviors: sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), fruit and vegetables (FV), and fish. The offered programs had 3 factorially randomized schemes; the aims of these were to test effect of asking the mother or a friend to also participate in the health promotion program, and to test the effect of a 4-week individually tailored SMS program against the full 12-week SMS program targeting all 3 dietary factors. Height and weight and intakes of SSB, FV, and fish were assessed twice by a smartphone-based abbreviated dietary questionnaire completed at 6 months (m) and 18 m follow-up. Main outcome measures were (1) body mass index (BMI) z-score; and (2) an abbreviated Healthy Eating Index (mini-HEI, 1 m window, as mean of z-scores for SSB, FV, and fish). Among the 7,890 randomized adolescents, 5,260 were assigned to any SMS program; 63% (3,338) joined the offered program. Among the 7,890 randomized, 74% (5,853) and 68% (5,370) responded to follow-ups at 6 m and 18 m, respectively. Effects were estimated by intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses and inverse probability weighted per-protocol (IPW-PP) analyses excluding adolescents who did not join the program. Mean (standard deviation (SD)) mini-HEI at baseline, 6 m and 18 m was -0.01 (0.64), 0.01 (0.59), and -0.01 (0.59), respectively. In ITT-analyses, no effects were observed, at any time point, in those who had received any SMS program compared to the non-SMS group, on BMI z-score (6 m: -0.010 [95% confidence interval (CI) -0.035, 0.015]; p = 0.442, 18 m: 0.002 [95% CI -0.029, 0.033]; p = 0.901) or mini-HEI (6 m: 0.016 [95% CI -0.011, 0.043]; p = 0.253, 18m: -0.016 [95% CI -0.045, 0.013]; p = 0.286). In IPW-PP analyses, at 6 m, a small decrease in BMI z-score (-0.030 [95% CI -0.057, -0.003]; p = 0.032) was observed, whereas no significant effect was observed in mini-HEI (0.027 [95% CI -0.002, 0.056]; p = 0.072), among those who had received any SMS program compared to the non-SMS group. At 18 m, no associations were observed (BMI z-score: -0.006 [95% CI -0.039, 0.027]; p = 0.724, and mini-HEI: -0.005 [95% CI -0.036, 0.026]; p = 0.755). The main limitations of the study were that DNBC participants, though derived from the general population, tend to have higher socioeconomic status than average, and that outcome measures were self-reported. Conclusions In this study, a chatbot health education program delivered through an SMS program had no effect on dietary habits or weight trajectories in ITT analyses. However, IPW-PP-analyses, based on those 63% who had joined the offered SMS program, suggested modest improvements in weight development at 6 m, which had faded at 18 m. Future research should focus on developing gender-specific messaging programs including 'booster' messages to obtain sustained engagement. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02809196 https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02809196., Author(s): Anne Ahrendt Bjerregaard 1,2, Daniel E. Zoughbie 3,4, Jørgen Vinsløv Hansen 1, Charlotta Granström 1, Marin Strøm 1,5,Þórhallur Ingi Halldórsson 1,6, Inger Kristine Meder 7, Walter Churchill Willett 8, [...]

Background/objectives Few studies have evaluated the effects of energy drinks on allergic diseases. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the association between energy drinks and various allergic diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis, in a large representative Korean adolescent population. Subjects/methods This cross-sectional study used data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey collected from 2015 to 2016. A total of 129,809 participants (n = 67,056 for males; n = 62,753 for females) aged 12-18 years were included and were asked about their frequency of consumption of energy drinks such as Hot6.sup.®, Redbull.sup.®, and Bacchus.sup.®. Their history of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis throughout life and in the last 12 months were obtained. The association between the frequency of energy-drink consumption and allergic diseases was analyzed using multiple logistic regression with adjustment for various covariates. Results Age, sex, physical activity, obesity, region of residence, economic level, paternal and maternal educational level, smoking, and alcohol consumption differed significantly according to the frequency of energy-drink consumption (each P < 0.001). Frequent energy-drink consumption ([greater than or equal to]7 times a week) was significantly associated with asthma throughout life (odds ratio [OR] = 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03-1.64, P = 0.025), asthma within the last 12 months (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.16-2.35, P = 0.006), allergic rhinitis within the last 12 months (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.02-1.44, P = 0.030), and atopic dermatitis within the last 12 months (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.17-1.90, P = 0.001) compared to no energy-drink consumption in the full-adjusted model. Conclusions Frequent energy-drink consumption is associated with allergic diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis, in Korean adolescents., Author(s): Jee Hye Wee [sup.1] , Chanyang Min [sup.2] [sup.3] , Min Woo Park [sup.4] , Il-Seok Park [sup.5] , Bumjung Park [sup.1] , Hyo Geun Choi [sup.1] [sup.2] Author [...]

Background/Objectives: Current research in adults indicates that fruit and vegetable (FAV) consumption increases serum levels of vitamins C, E and folate of [beta]-carotene and reduces homocysteine concentrations. The aim of the present study was to examine the association of FAV consumption on vitamin intakes and their impact on blood vitamin concentrations in European adolescents. Subject/Methods: This multi-center cross-sectional study included 702 (53.7% females) adolescents, aged 12.50-17.49 years, from 10 European cities. Two independent self-administered 24 h dietary recalls were used to estimate the adolescent's diet. The total energy, vitamins and FAV consumption were calculated. Adolescents were categorized into three groups: (i) very low FAV intake ( Results: The main results showed that those adolescents meeting the FAV recommendation, classified as FAV adequate consumers, presented higher intake of energy and some vitamins as B6, total folic acid, C, E and [beta]-carotene compared with FAV very low consumers (P Conclusions: Having a FAV dairy intake above 400 g/day is associated with higher vitamin intake and blood vitamin concentrations, especially for antioxidant and B-vitamins concentrations., Author(s): J Mielgo-Ayuso [sup.1] , J Valtueña [sup.1] , I Huybrechts [sup.2] [sup.3] , C Breidenassel [sup.1] [sup.4] , M Cuenca-García [sup.5] [sup.6] , S De Henauw [sup.2] , P [...]

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine how pre- and early adolescent (10-14 years old) children from a wide range of neighbourhoods interact with their local food environment (FE), with a focus on the foods and food sources they access and their locations. Children in this age group are developing independence and mobility within (and beyond) their home neighbourhoods but are somewhat geographically bound as they cannot yet drive. METHODS: This research consists of qualitative interviews with 31 children (15 males, 16 females) aged 10-14 years living in socio-economically diverse neighbourhoods across Saskatoon, SK. A thematic analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Children's descriptions of what constitutes their neighbourhood FE were varied, ranging from a couple of city blocks to several kilometres from home. Children were familiar with the types of establishment that sell food within their perceived neighbourhood. When children purchased their own food they most frequently cited buying snacks such as ice cream, candy and slushes, and the majority of these purchases were made in convenience stores, gas stations and grocery stores. Few children reported frequenting fast-food or other restaurants without adults, and when they did it was usually to buy snacks such as French fries and ice cream rather than meals. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the importance of interventions targeted to this age group, in which personal food choices were reported almost exclusively as being energy- but not nutrient-dense snack foods. KEY WORDS: Children; environment; diet; food and nutrition; eating OBJECTIFS: Nous avons cherche a examiner comment les preadolescents et les jeunes adolescents (10-14 ans) vivant dans toutes sortes de quartiers interagissent avec leur environnement alimentaire (EA) local, en insistant sur les aliments et les sources de nourriture auxquels ils ont acces et sur leur emplacement. Les enfants de ce groupe d'age developpent leur independance et leur mobilite a l'interieur (et au-dela) de leur quartier d'attache, mais ils sont un peu circonscrits geographiquement, car ils n'ont pas encore l'age de conduire. METHODE: L'etude a comporte des entretiens qualitatifs avec 31 enfants (15 garcons, 16 filles) de 10-14 ans vivant a Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) dans des quartiers diversifies sur le plan socioeconomique. Nous avons fait l'analyse thematique des entretiens. RESULTATS: Les descriptions par les enfants de ce qui constitue l'EA de leur quartier variaient beaucoup, de quelques pates de maisons a plusieurs kilometres de distance de leur domicile. Les enfants connaissaient bien les types d'etablissements qui vendent des aliments dans leur quartier subjectif. Quand les enfants achetaient leurs propres aliments, ils disaient le plus souvent acheter des collations (creme glacee, bonbons, barbotines), et la majorite de ces achats etaient faits dans les depanneurs, les stations-services et les epiceries. Peu d'enfants disaient frequenter des rapido-restaurants ou d'autres restaurants sans la presence d'adultes; quand ils le faisaient, c'etait habituellement pour acheter des collations comme des frites et de la creme glacee plutot que des repas. CONCLUSIONS: Nos resultats soulignent l'importance des interventions qui ciblent ce groupe d'age, oU les choix alimentaires personnels declares sont presque exclusivement des grignotines riches en calories, mais peu nutritives. MOTS CLES: enfant; environnement; regime alimentaire; aliments et nutrition; consommation d'aliment La traduction du resume se trouve a la fin de l'article. Can J Public Health 2016;107(Suppl. 1):eS48-eS52 doi: 10.17269/CJPH.107.5296, Increasing international evidence suggests that the environments in which people live, work and play have an important role in determining their health, (1,2) including obesity and dietary patterns. (3,4) Built [...]

Ahmed Abdel Magied; Victoria Gabriel Jada; Fadwa Abbas Yousif and Somia Ismaeil Afor (2007). Nutritional Status of Adolescents Case Study: Mayo Displaced Camp (Khartoum State). School of Health Sciences, Ahfad [...]