Carmen Cuadrado Vives

Markers of lutein and zeaxanthin status in two age groups of men and women: dietary intake, serum concentrations, lipid profile and macular pigment optical density

This study was supported by grant from Accion Estrategica en Salud of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion Tecnologica, Spain) (grant no. PS09/00681) and Rocio Estevez Santiago is the recipient of a JAEPredoc grant from the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), awarded under the program of the Junta para la Ampliacion de Estudios, co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF). We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).

Thao-Child Health Programme: community based intervention for healthy lifestyles promotion to children and families: results of a cohort study

INTRODUCTION childhood obesity is one of the main public health concerns. The multifactorial and multilevel causes require complex interventions such the community based interventions (CBI). Thao-Child Health Programme is a CBI implemented in Spain since 2007. GOAL show the Thao methodology and the latest cross-sectional and longitudinal results. METHODS longitudinal cohort study (4 years of follow- up) and cross sectional study. RESULTS the longitudinal study found an increase of 1% in the overweight prevalence after a follow-up of 4 years of Thao-Programme implementation in 10 municipalities with 6 697 children involved. The cross-sectional study carried out with 20 636 children from 22 municipalities found a childhood overweight prevalence of 26.6%. DISCUSSION currently a brake in the increase of childhood overweight prevalence is considered a success due to the high prevalence worldwide. More studies well methodologically performed are needed to know the efficacy of the CBIs in this field.

Food consumption and risk of malnutrition in community-dwelling very old Spanish adults (≥ 80 years)

INTRODUCTION There are few studies assessing overall diet and food patterns of the oldest population. OBJECTIVES To examine food groups consumption (grams and servings) and their compliance with the dietary guidelines in community-dwelling very old Spanish adults. The relationship with the risk of malnutrition was also studied. METHODS Within the cross-sectional health study of elderly people of Villanueva de la Cañada (Madrid, Spain), in 98 non-institutionalized elders aged ≥ 80 years (66% women) food consumption was calculated from a 24-hour dietary recall and nutritional risk was assessed by Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Statistical significance was evaluated at 95% confidence level (p < 0.05). RESULTS Men consumed significantly higher amounts of snacks/pickles and alcoholic beverages. The consumption of cereals/grain products (2 servings/day), vegetables (1.5 servings/day) and meat, fish, eggs (1.4 servings/day), was below desirable levels. As nutritional status got worse, fruit consumption was significantly smaller (p = 0.039). Relatively weak but highly significant correlations were found between MNA and oils/fats, fruits and alcoholic beverages. After adjustment for energy intake, oils and fats and fruits associations disappeared whereas a negative association between milk/dairy products and MNA was found. CONCLUSIONS Dietary patterns of the elderly population of Villanueva are departing from the traditional Mediterranean diet and though adequate consumption of fruits, milk/dairy products, oils/fats and sugar/confectionery has been achieved, cereals/grain products, vegetables and the meat, fish, eggs group consumption was below the desirable levels. Deterioration of the nutritional status coincided with a reduction in the consumption of all food groups except for ready meals and milk/dairy products whose consumption increased. Further research on the influence of fruit, milk/dairy products, wine and olive oil consumption on nutritional status is required.

Programa de comedores escolares de la Comunidad de Madrid (2001-2015) : diseño, protocolo, metodología y actualización

Introducción: a finales del siglo xx, no se conocía con precisión si la comida del comedor escolar contribuía adecuadamente a la dieta de la población infantil. Además, este servicio complementario no se contemplaba en el proyecto educativo del centro pese a considerarse fundamental en todas sus dimensiones.Objetivo: describir el origen y desarrollo del programa de comedores escolares de la Comunidad de Madrid (CM) en 15 años desde su implantación.Métodos: se elaboró una normativa a cumplir por las empresas de restauración, y que contemplaba aspectos nutricionales y de composición y variedad de los menús, que se utilizó en los concursos para acceder a la prestación del servicio de comedor escolar, publicados en los años 2001, 2002, 2005, 2009 y 2013. Además se realizaron visitas acreditadas a los centros sin previo aviso para verifi car el cumplimiento de la documentación aportada durante el concurso.Resultados: los criterios más actuales sobre programación y elaboración de menús escolares se recogen en el Pliego de Prescripciones Técnicas del año 2013 (C-504/001-2013). Un 92% de las empresas de restauración superaron los cinco concursos habidos en los 15 años de funcionamiento. Hasta el año 2014, se han realizado 755 visitas, revisándose un total de 574 centros.Conclusiones: el programa de comedores escolares de la CM, desde su implementación pionera en España, ha contribuido a la mejora del servicio complementario de comedor. En estos años se han ido incluyendo nuevos requisitos dietéticos y nutricionales que han logrado menús cada vez más ajustados a las recomendaciones de la población escolar.

Software application for the calculation of dietary intake of individual carotenoids and of its contribution to vitamin A intake.

INTRODUCTION The software applications utilized to assess dietary intake usually focus on macro- and micronutrients, but not on other components of the diet with potential beneficial effects on health, which include the carotenoids. The degree to which each carotenoid exerts diverse biological activities differs and, thus, it is in our interest to know their composition in foods on an individual basis. OBJECTIVE To develop a software application with individualized data on carotenoids that enables the calculation of their dietary intake and consultation of the contents of these compounds in foods. MATERIAL AND METHODS Software application developed with Java 7, which includes a database of the carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, ?-cryptoxanthin, ?-carotene and ?-carotene) in foods (including those that are major contributors to carotenoid intake in Europe), generated by HPLC. The variables include those relative to the foods, subjects and diets that are necessary to provide accurate information on the content of carotenoids in foods and to enable the calculation of their intake. RESULTS The software application enables the calculation of the dietary intake of individual carotenoids from 128 foods (raw and cooked), and their contribution to vitamin A intake, in the two forms employed at the present time: retinol equivalents (RE) and retinol activity equivalents (RAE). CONCLUSIONS This software application is a dynamic, specific and accurate tool for the consultation of carotenoid concentrations in foods and the calculation of their intake, aspects that are essential in research studies on diet and health.

Determinantes nutricionales de un envejecimiento sano: Proyecto HALE (Healthy Ageing: Longitudinal Study in Europe)

Introduccion El proyecto HALE de la Union Europea analizo los cambios con la edad y los determinantes de un envejecimiento sano en terminos de mortalidad y morbilidad, funcionalidad fisica, psiquica, cognitiva y social en 13 paises europeos. Material y metodos Datos de los estudios Siete Paises, FINE y SENECA. Se asociaron ingesta de nutrientes, biomarcadores de nutrientes, composicion corporal, dieta, actividad fisica, tabaco, alcohol, salud percibida, funcionalidad psiquica y mortalidad. Resultados La dieta mediterranea, no fumar y el consumo moderado de alcohol se asocian con una disminucion de la mortalidad. Los suplementos de minerales y vitaminas no influyen en el riesgo de mortalidad. Conclusiones Un estilo de vida aconsejado es mantener el peso corporal, consumir una dieta mediterranea, 30 min de actividad fisica al dia, consumo moderado de alcohol y no fumar.