Gladys Ibanez

Meal planning is associated with food variety, diet quality and body weight status in a large sample of French adults

BackgroundMeal planning could be a potential tool to offset time scarcity and therefore encourage home meal preparation, which has been linked with an improved diet quality. However, to date, meal planning has received little attention in the scientific literature. The aim of our cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between meal planning and diet quality, including adherence to nutritional guidelines and food variety, as well as weight status.MethodsMeal planning, i.e. planning ahead the foods that will be eaten for the next few days, was assessed in 40,554 participants of the web-based observational NutriNet-Santé study. Dietary measurements included intakes of energy, nutrients, food groups, and adherence to the French nutritional guidelines (mPNNS-GS) estimated through repeated 24-h dietary records. A food variety score was also calculated using Food Frequency Questionnaire. Weight and height were self-reported. Association between meal planning and dietary intakes were assessed using ANCOVAs, while associations with quartiles of mPNNS-GS scores, quartiles of food variety score and weight status categories (overweight, obesity) were evaluated using logistic regression models.ResultsA total of 57% of the participants declared to plan meals at least occasionally. Meal planners were more likely to have a higher mPNNS-GS (OR quartile 4 vs. 1 = 1.13, 95% CI: [1.07–1.20]), higher overall food variety (OR quartile 4 vs. 1 = 1.25, 95% CI: [1.18–1.32]). In women, meal planning was associated with lower odds of being overweight (OR = 0.92 [0.87–0.98]) and obese (OR = 0.79 [0.73–0.86]). In men, the association was significant for obesity only (OR = 0.81 [0.69–0.94]).ConclusionsMeal planning was associated with a healthier diet and less obesity. Although no causality can be inferred from the reported associations, these data suggest that meal planning could potentially be relevant for obesity prevention.

Changes in body mass index during childhood and risk of various asthma phenotypes: a retrospective analyse

It is known that asthma is related to obesity but also to small birthweight. The objective of this study was to clarify this issue by assessing the putative relationship between the changes in corpulence between birth and childhood as assessed by body mass index (BMI) and asthma phenotypes.

Prenatal exposure to selenium may protect against wheezing in children by the age of 3

It has been suggested that human in utero exposure to heavy metals such as selenium can reduce the prevalence of childhood asthma and allergic diseases. However, data on this topic are scarce. The objective of the present study was to assess the putative associations between maternal selenium level during pregnancy and the risk of asthma, wheezing, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis in children from the EDEN birth cohort by the age of 1 and 3 years.

Views of general practitioners on indoor environmental health risks in the perinatal period.

Background Home is generally perceived as a safety place, whereas the concentration of pollutants, influenced not only by external pollution but also by human activities, the presence of domestic animals, construction and furniture materials, are sometimes greater than outside. Objectives The aim of this study is to determine the general practitioners’ (GPs) views on indoor environmental health risks in the perinatal period. Methods Four semi-structured focus group with 31 GPs were conducted in two French departments in November 2009, February, March, and April 2010. The focus group meetings were analyzed using a general thematic analysis. Results Perinatal care is a special health issue and a time of privileged sensitization. The attitude of health risks are well known in the case of “traditionally” toxic substances. In the case of “emerging” environmental exposure, these attitudes depend on the knowledge, beliefs, and experience specific to each practitioner. GPs are acquiring a new role in the field of environmental health, while at the same time coming to grips with its own strengths and limitations. The implementation of prevention depends on factors, which are not only specific to the practitioner but also related to the parents and the organization of the medical practice. Conclusion The sensitization of GPs to environmental medicine, promotion of eco-citizen education, development of research, and the distribution of information are some of the means which need to be implemented to prevent harmful exposure of the infant.

Prenatal Maternal Depression Related to Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis in the first 5 Years of Life in Children of the EDEN Mother-Child Cohort Study:

Backgroud Evidence about the relationship between prenatal maternal depression and the development of childhood asthma and allergies in early life is scarce. We aimed to examine this relationship by using data set of EDEN mother-child cohort study. A total of 1139 children were followed-up until the age of 5 years. Methods Prenatal maternal depression was self-reported by using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (CES-D) questionnaire and was classified into binary variable (maternal depression [CES-D score of≥16] and no maternal depression [CES-D score of <16]). Asthma and allergies in the first 5 years were assessed by using the questionnaire of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) was estimated for the relationship between prenatal maternal depression and early life asthma and allergies by marginal models through the method of generalized estimating equation (GEE) when adjusting for the confounders. Results In our study population, 13.67 % of the mothers had clinical significant depression (the total scores for CES-D ≥16) during pregnancy. For children ages 5 years, the prevalence of wheezing, physician-diagnosed asthma, physician-diagnosed eczema and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis were 46.78, 20.99, 29.17, and 22.54%, respectively. Prenatal maternal depression was associated with ever allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (aOR 1.87 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.33–2.62]). No significant relationships were found between prenatal maternal depression and wheezing, physician-diagnosed asthma and physician-diagnosed eczema (aOR 1.12 [95% CI, 0.91–1.39], aOR 1.23 [95% CI, 0.81–1.85] and aOR 1.17 [95% CI, 0.86–1.61], respecitvely). Conclusion Prenatal maternal depression was related to ever allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in the first 5 years of life in children of EDEN mother-child cohort study.