Gun Roos

Disparities in vegetable and fruit consumption: European cases from the north to the south.

OBJECTIVE To present disparities in consumption of vegetables and fruits in Europe and to discuss how educational level, region and level of consumption influence the variation. DESIGN A review of selected studies from 1985 to 1997. SETTING/SUBJECTS 33 studies (13 dietary surveys, nine household budget surveys and 11 health behaviour surveys) representing 15 European countries were selected based on criteria developed as part of the study. Association between educational level and consumption of vegetables and fruits was registered for each study and common conclusions were identified. RESULTS In the majority of the studies, with the exception of a few in southern and eastern Europe, consumption of vegetables and fruits was more common among those with higher education. The results suggest that in regions where consumption of vegetables and fruits is more common, the lower social classes tend to consume more of these than the higher social classes. CONCLUSIONS The differences in the patterns of disparities in vegetable and fruit consumption between regions, as well as within populations, need to be considered when efforts to improve nutrition and health are planned.

Men, masculinity and food: interviews with Finnish carpenters and engineers

This study explores how Finnish men from two occupational groups describe food in their everyday life. The concept of masculinity is used in interpreting mens food-related behaviours and beliefs. Data are drawn from semi-structured interviews in the 1990s with twenty carpenters and twenty engineers involved in the building trade. The paper presents analyses of the similarities and differences in how the men talked about meat; vegetables; beer and wine as parts of meals; food as energy, health and pleasure; and cooking. The results show variation both between and within occupational groups. The men did not stress the role of meat, but rather emphasised the role of vegetables. The carpenters tended to favour meat whereas the engineers had a more positive attitude to vegetables. Eating was described as an everyday routine needed to refuel the body and stay healthy. In addition, the engineers talked about the pleasures of eating. The men described cooking as optional or exceptional. The carpenters seemed to more actively embrace hegemonic masculinity and reject what is feminine than the engineers, who have reformulated their definition of masculinity to encompass concerns with health. This study suggests that both masculinity and occupational class play a role in male food-related practices and preferences.

Nordic Children's Foodscapes

Abstract A study of the different food messages that children encounter and their own reflections of these messages was carried out among fifty-nine children from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The children took photos of their “foodscapes,” including school, home, shops, streets, cafés and restaurants. The themes were healthy and unhealthy food, everyday and festive food and their favorite food. The children were well aware of common understandings of healthy/unhealthy food. They labeled fruit, vegetables and fiber-rich foods as healthy and foods rich in sugar, fat and salt as unhealthy. Unhealthy eatables belonged to festive contexts, such as cozy evenings and birthday parties. The everyday food in school and at home was considered healthier, often consisting of well-composed meals including vegetables. The childrens favorite foods belonged to both the healthy and unhealthy categories. The children also dealt with the contradictions between everyday healthy food and unhealthy festive food, which involved adjusting to different social and spatial contexts.

Reduced risk of pre-eclampsia with organic vegetable consumption: results from the prospective Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study

Objective Little is known about the potential health effects of eating organic food either in the general population or during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to examine associations between organic food consumption during pregnancy and the risk of pre-eclampsia among nulliparous Norwegian women. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Norway, years 2002–2008. Participants 28 192 pregnant women (nulliparous, answered food frequency questionnaire and general health questionnaire in mid-pregnancy and no missing information on height, body weight or gestational weight gain). Main outcome measure Relative risk was estimated as ORs by performing binary logistic regression with pre-eclampsia as the outcome and organic food consumption as the exposure. Results The prevalence of pre-eclampsia in the study sample was 5.3% (n=1491). Women who reported to have eaten organic vegetables ‘often’ or ‘mostly’ (n=2493, 8.8%) had lower risk of pre-eclampsia than those who reported ‘never/rarely’ or ‘sometimes’ (crude OR=0.76, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.96; adjusted OR=0.79, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.99). The lower risk associated with high organic vegetable consumption was evident also when adjusting for overall dietary quality, assessed as scores on a healthy food pattern derived by principal component analysis. No associations with pre-eclampsia were found for high intake of organic fruit, cereals, eggs or milk, or a combined index reflecting organic consumption. Conclusions These results show that choosing organically grown vegetables during pregnancy was associated with reduced risk of pre-eclampsia. Possible explanations for an association between pre-eclampsia and use of organic vegetables could be that organic vegetables may change the exposure to pesticides, secondary plant metabolites and/or influence the composition of the gut microbiota.

Good practice characteristics of diet and physical activity interventions and policies: an umbrella review

BackgroundThis umbrella review aimed at eliciting good practice characteristics of interventions and policies aiming at healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and lowering sedentary behaviors. Applying the World Health Organization’s framework, we sought for 3 types of characteristics, reflecting: (1) main intervention/policy characteristics, referring to the design, targets, and participants, (2) monitoring and evaluation processes, and (3) implementation issues. This investigation was undertaken by the DEDPIAC Knowledge Hub (the Knowledge Hub on the DEterminants of DIet and Physical ACtivity), which is an action of the European Union’s joint programming initiative.MethodsA systematic review of reviews and stakeholder documents was conducted. Data from 7 databases was analyzed (99 documents met inclusion criteria). Additionally, resources of 7 major stakeholders (e.g., World Health Organization) were systematically searched (10 documents met inclusion criteria). Overall, the review yielded 74 systematic reviews, 16 position review papers, and 19 stakeholders’ documents. Across characteristics, 25% were supported by ≥ 4 systematic reviews. Further, 25% characteristics were supported by ≥ 3 stakeholders’ documents. If identified characteristics were included in at least 4 systematic reviews or at least 3 stakeholders’ documents, these good practice characteristics were classified as relevant.ResultsWe derived a list of 149 potential good practice characteristics, of which 53 were classified as relevant. The main characteristics of intervention/policy (n = 18) fell into 6 categories: the use of theory, participants, target behavior, content development/management, multidimensionality, practitioners/settings. Monitoring and evaluation characteristics (n = 18) were grouped into 6 categories: costs/funding, outcomes, evaluation of effects, time/effect size, reach, the evaluation of participation and generalizability, active components/underlying processes. Implementation characteristics (n = 17) were grouped into eight categories: participation processes, training for practitioners, the use/integration of existing resources, feasibility, maintenance/sustainability, implementation partnerships, implementation consistency/adaptation processes, transferability.ConclusionsThe use of the proposed list of 53 good practice characteristics may foster further development of health promotion sciences, as it would allow for identification of success vectors in the domains of main characteristics of interventions/policies, their implementation, evaluation and monitoring processes.

“I EAT BECAUSE I'M HUNGRY, BECAUSE IT'S GOOD, AND TO BECOME FULL”: EVERYDAY EATING VOICED BY MALE CARPENTERS, DRIVERS, AND ENGINEERS IN CONTEMPORARY OSLO

Little is known firsthand about mens experiences of eating, because most empirical accounts on the meanings of food and eating come from studies of women. The qualitative research reported here explores how Norwegian men relate to food consumption. The findings consider how gender and occupational status explain mens relationship to food. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2001–2003, in Oslo, with 20 carpenters, 15 engineers, and 11 drivers. Eating was often portrayed as an untroubled routine and only occasionally was food conceived as problematic for health. Food was part of pleasure on weekends, but most men distanced themselves from a “gourmet” discourse. This study suggests that underlying structural factors of gender and class expectations effect how men talk about eating.

Work, food and physical activity. A qualitative study of coping strategies among men in three occupations.

Life style diseases contribute heavily to inequalities in health. Thus, there is a need for a better understanding of factors affecting health-related habits, such as diet and exercise, among different groups of people. In this study, the work situation is chosen as a point of departure for analyses on health-related perceptions and habits among men from three different occupations: 20 carpenters, 15 engineers and 11 drivers in Oslo, Norway. The data were collected by in depth semi-structured interviews. There were clear differences in the way men in the three types of work view food, meals, the body and physical activity. The distribution of different types of meals throughout the day was also tied to the type of work. This was linked to notions of food as fuel for immediate body functioning, vis a vis body shape and future health. The differences observed are most likely a mixture and mutual reinforcement of demands related to the work situation as well as the socio-cultural background, level of knowledge and education. Benefits at work were also different; those in higher positions (engineers) received most healthy benefits, such as fruit baskets, healthy lunches, and participation in physical activities. These may contribute to the already large differences in health practices.

Organic Food Consumption during Pregnancy and Hypospadias and Cryptorchidism at Birth: The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa)

Background The etiologies of the male urogenital anomalies hypospadias and cryptorchidism remain unclear. It has been suggested that maternal diet and environmental contaminants may affect the risk of these anomalies via placental or hormonal disturbances. Objectives We examined associations between organic food consumption during pregnancy and prevalence of hypospadias and cryptorchidism at birth. Methods Our study includes 35,107 women participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) who delivered a singleton male infant. Information about use of six groups of organically produced food (vegetables, fruit, bread/cereal, milk/dairy products, eggs, and meat) during pregnancy was collected by a food frequency questionnaire. Women who indicated that they sometimes, often, or mostly consumed organic foods in at least one of the six food groups were classified as organic food consumers in analyses. Hypospadias and cryptorchidism diagnoses were retrieved from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using multiple logistic regression. Results Seventy-four male newborns were diagnosed with hypospadias (0.2%), and 151 with cryptorchidism (0.4%). Women who consumed any organic food during pregnancy were less likely to give birth to a boy with hypospadias (OR = 0.42; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.70, based on 21 exposed cases) than women who reported they never or seldom consumed organic food. Associations with specific organic foods were strongest for vegetable (OR = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.85; 10 exposed cases) and milk/dairy (OR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.17, 1.07; 7 exposed cases) consumption. No substantial association was observed for consumption of organic food and cryptorchidism. Conclusions Consumption of organically produced foods during pregnancy was associated with a lower prevalence of hypospadias in our study population. These findings were based on small numbers of cases and require replication in other study populations. Citation Brantsæter AL, Torjusen H, Meltzer HM, Papadopoulou E, Hoppin JA, Alexander J, Lieblein G, Roos G, Holten JM, Swartz J, Haugen M. 2016. Organic food consumption during pregnancy and hypospadias and cryptorchidism at birth: the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Environ Health Perspect 124:357–364; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409518

Influencing factors of children's fruit, vegetable and sugar-enriched food intake in a Finnish preschool setting – Preschool personnel's perceptions

INTRODUCTION A large proportion of young children spend most of their weekdays at preschool in Western countries. In Finland, three meals are included in a full day at preschool. These meals have the potential to promote healthy eating. This study aimed to obtain the personnels (preschool teachers, day-care nurses) views on the factors influencing childrens fruit, vegetable, and sugar-enriched food intake at preschool. STUDY DESIGN Four focus groups, in all 14 preschool personnel. Two researchers independently analysed the data using a socio-ecological framework. RESULTS At the child level, age, peers, and the childs personality were recognized as factors influencing the fruit and vegetable (FV) and sugar-enriched food intake. At the preschool level, both the physical and social environments were discussed thoroughly, whereas at the societal level, policies of the EU, the state, and the municipality were mentioned as factors that influence what children eat in preschool. The personnel also discussed the interactions between factors both between levels and within levels. CONCLUSIONS In Finnish preschools, childrens food intake is influenced on and within several levels of the socio-ecological model. The identification of the factors influencing food intake allows different methods of intervention at multiple levels to promote healthy eating behaviours in preschools.

Media debate on obesity prevention in the UK and Sweden

Obesity prevention has recently gained a great deal of attention from researchers, policy makers and the mass media. At the political level international and national policy documents with focus on obesity prevention and health promotion are being developed and implemented (1, 2). The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised prevention of overweight and obesity as a serious global public health concern (1). It is widely recognized that a range of information is needed to be able to prevent obesity successfully. To add to the understanding of options for the prevention of obesity, current media debates in the UK and Sweden were analysed. The UK was selected since a dramatic increase in the prevalence of obesity has spurred a lively British media debate. To obtain a Nordic perspective Sweden, where a white paper is currently being developed (2), was included in the analysis. The specific research questions were: Who are the key actors and who is given the responsibility for obesity prevention in the media debates? What obesity prevention measures and strategies are described in the media debates? The Internet editions of one major national newspaper in each country, The Guardian in the UK and Dagens Nyheter in Sweden, were selected as data sources. The Internet archives of the newspapers over 1 year (September 2003 to August 2004) were searched for newspaper articles using the keyword ‘obesity’. All newspaper articles that included information on actors or causes and/or obesity prevention strategies were included in the analysis. Obesity seems currently to be a bigger media topic in the UK than in Sweden. The preliminary search of The Guardian resulted in 810 news articles, of which 199 fulfilled the selection criteria and were included in the analysis. The Guardian covered research and obesity-related reports published by various authorities, organizations and groups. For example, the activities of the Food Standards Agency, an independent food safety watchdog, made the news frequently. There was also extensive commentary related to government actions, including preparation of a white paper dealing with advertising and food labelling, and a campaign aimed at increasing everyday physical activity. The search of the archives of Dagens Nyheter resulted in 24 news items, of which all fulfilled the criteria and were included in the analysis. The main news item in Sweden was the development of the new national policy and action plan for good food habits and increased physical activity (2). There is a possibility that part of the reason for the great difference in the number of articles between the two newspapers is a result of differences in indexing systems. However, a pronounced need for action in the UK seems to be reflected in the observation that one-fifth of the headlines in The Guardian included war metaphors (e.g. time bomb, war, attack) whereas in Dagens Nyheter only one headline indicated domestic conflict (‘Chip-eating dads lose the carrot war’). The media debates on obesity prevention in both the UK and Sweden seem to recognize that obesity is complex and related to both individual behaviour and environmental factors. The main responsible actors were, according to both newspapers, the government and the food industry. Because of the focus on children and obesity, schools and parents were also pointed out as important actors. In addition, in the UK the roles of advertising, individuals’ sedentary lifestyles and social inequality were discussed. In the Swedish newspaper there were some references to the responsibility of agricultural policy in the development of obesity. A wide range of obesity prevention strategies (national policies, information, restrictions on advertising, food labelling, price policies, activities at school, physical activity, etc.) was discussed in Short communication