Regina Belski

Fiber, protein, and lupin-enriched foods: role for improving cardiovascular health.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally (World Health Organisation, 2011). Many of the risk factors for CVD are modifiable, including overweight and obesity. Numerous strategies have been proposed to fight CVD, with a special focus being placed on dietary interventions for weight management. The literature suggests that two nutrients, fiber and protein, may play significant roles in weight control and hence cardiovascular health. Increasing both protein and fiber in the diet can be difficult because popular low-carbohydrate and high-protein diets tend to have considerably low-fiber intakes (Slavin, 2005). One approach to obtain both is to develop functional foods using unique ingredients. Lupin flour is a novel food ingredient derived from the endosperm of lupin. It contains 40-45% protein, 25-30% fiber, and negligible sugar and starch (Petterson and Crosbie, 1990). Research conducted to date reveals that lupin-enriched foods, which are naturally high in protein and fiber, may have a significant effect on CVD risk factors. This review explores whether there is a role for fiber-, protein-, and lupin-enriched foods in improving cardiovascular health.

A Systematic Review of Athletes’ and Coaches’ Nutrition Knowledge and Reflections on the Quality of Current Nutrition Knowledge Measures

Context: Nutrition knowledge can influence dietary choices and impact on athletic performance. Valid and reliable measures are needed to assess the nutrition knowledge of athletes and coaches. Objectives: (1) To systematically review the published literature on nutrition knowledge of adult athletes and coaches and (2) to assess the quality of measures used to assess nutrition knowledge. Data Sources: MEDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscuss, Web of Science, and SCOPUS. Study Selection: 36 studies that provided a quantitative measure of nutrition knowledge and described the measurement tool that was used were included. Data extraction: Participant description, questionnaire description, results (mean correct and responses to individual items), study quality, and questionnaire quality. Data synthesis: All studies were of neutral quality. Tools used to measure knowledge did not consider health literacy, were outdated with regards to consensus recommendations, and lacked appropriate and adequate validation. The current status of nutrition knowledge in athletes and coaches is difficult to ascertain. Gaps in knowledge also remain unclear, but it is likely that energy density, the need for supplementation, and the role of protein are frequently misunderstood. Conclusions: Previous reports of nutrition knowledge need to be interpreted with caution. A new, universal, up-to-date, validated measure of general and sports nutrition knowledge is required to allow for assessment of nutrition knowledge.

Exploring General and Sports Nutrition and Food Knowledge in Elite Male Australian Athletes

Nutrition knowledge is believed to influence nutritional intake, which in turn influences performance in elite athletes. There is currently no published data on the nutrition knowledge of elite Australian Football (AF) players. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the current level of general and sports nutrition knowledge in elite male AF athletes. Forty six elite male AF players (23.5 ± 2.8 years) answered 123 questions relating to five areas of nutrition knowledge: dietary recommendations, sources of nutrients, choosing everyday foods, alcohol and sports nutrition. Demographic details and perceptions of nutrition knowledge were collected for all participants. The mean nutrition knowledge score was 74.4 ± 10.9 (60.5%). The highest score was obtained in sports nutrition section (17.9 ± 3.0, 61.7%). The dietitian was selected as the first source of information by 98% of athletes, with club trainer and teammates as second choice for 45.7% and 23.9% of athletes, respectively. The majority of athletes correctly answered questions regarding recommendations to increase fruit and vegetable intake and decrease fat intake (95.6%, 91.1% and 93.3% correct respectively). While 80% of the athletes were aware fat intake should predominately be made up of unsaturated fat, they were less able to identify food sources of unsaturated fats (35.6% and 24.4% correct for statements regarding monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, respectively). Broad nutrition messages and recommendations appear to be well understood; however, gaps in nutrition knowledge are evident. A better understanding of nutrition knowledge in athletes will allow nutrition education interventions to target areas in need of improvement.

Cultivating student skills in self-regulated learning through evaluation of task complexity

In order to self-regulate, students need to honestly reflect on their learning and to take appropriate corrective action. A simple procedure to cultivate student skills in self-regulated learning, known as the Task Evaluation and Reflection Instrument for Student Self-Assessment (TERISSA) is discussed in this paper. TERISSA guides students through two evaluations of the complexity of a task: the first is undertaken just before solving the task and the second straight after completing the task. This study involved 63 undergraduate students and observed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.007) in performance between the students who did (6.1/10) and did not (4.1/10) use TERISSA during tutorials leading up to an assessment task.

Developing and validating a nutrition knowledge questionnaire: key methods and considerations

OBJECTIVE To outline key statistical considerations and detailed methodologies for the development and evaluation of a valid and reliable nutrition knowledge questionnaire. DESIGN Literature on questionnaire development in a range of fields was reviewed and a set of evidence-based guidelines specific to the creation of a nutrition knowledge questionnaire have been developed. The recommendations describe key qualitative methods and statistical considerations, and include relevant examples from previous papers and existing nutrition knowledge questionnaires. Where details have been omitted for the sake of brevity, the reader has been directed to suitable references. RESULTS We recommend an eight-step methodology for nutrition knowledge questionnaire development as follows: (i) definition of the construct and development of a test plan; (ii) generation of the item pool; (iii) choice of the scoring system and response format; (iv) assessment of content validity; (v) assessment of face validity; (vi) purification of the scale using item analysis, including item characteristics, difficulty and discrimination; (vii) evaluation of the scale including its factor structure and internal reliability, or Rasch analysis, including assessment of dimensionality and internal reliability; and (viii) gathering of data to re-examine the questionnaires properties, assess temporal stability and confirm construct validity. Several of these methods have previously been overlooked. CONCLUSIONS The measurement of nutrition knowledge is an important consideration for individuals working in the nutrition field. Improved methods in the development of nutrition knowledge questionnaires, such as the use of factor analysis or Rasch analysis, will enable more confidence in reported measures of nutrition knowledge.

The impact of coaches providing healthy snacks at junior sport training

Objective: Sports clubs provide an opportunity to tackle childhood obesity rates through targeted interventions. Our study aimed to investigate if coaches providing healthy snacks to participants before junior netball sessions at five clubs in Melbourne, Australia, increased consumption of healthy foods and influenced coach perceptions of participants’ attention/participation levels.

Pregnancy nutrition knowledge and experiences of pregnant women and antenatal care clinicians: A mixed methods approach

BACKGROUND Dietary intake of pregnant women do not appear to meet the dietary recommendations. Nutrition knowledge and practices of pregnant women and their antenatal care clinicians are factors that may be influential on dietary intakes of pregnant women. AIM To assess and compare pregnancy nutrition recommendation knowledge and to explore how nutrition knowledge impacts on food choices in pregnant women and nutrition education practices of antenatal care providers. METHODS An explanatory sequential research mixed methods study design was applied. All participants were recruited from a metropolitan maternity hospital in Melbourne, Australia. The first phase assessed pregnancy nutrition knowledge and sources of nutrition information using a questionnaire (n=202) then followed semi-structured interviews with women and clinicians (n=31). FINDINGS The clinicians obtained significantly higher nutrition scores than compared to women, however, nutrition knowledge gaps were highlighted for both women and clinicians. Women reported receiving limited nutrition advice, a reflection of the clinicians reporting they provided limited nutrition advice. CONCLUSION A key challenge for women adhering to dietary recommendations was having inadequate knowledge of the dietary recommendations and receiving limited information from their care providers. Similarly, as well as time constraints, limited nutrition knowledge and a lack of nutrition training impacted on the capacity of clinicians to provide adequate nutrition education.