Sangah Shin

Relationship between adhering to dietary guidelines and the risk of obesity in Korean children

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Dietary guidelines for Korean children were released in 2009. The goal of the present study was to examine diet quality in terms of adherence to these dietary guidelines as well as explore the association between guideline adherence and risk of obesity in Korean children. SUBJECTS/METHODS Children aged 5-11 years (mean age = 8.9 years old, n = 191, 80.6% girls) were recruited from a university hospital in Seoul, Korea. Adherence to dietary guidelines for Korean children was calculated using the Likert scale (1-5), and children were then categorized into low, moderate, and high groups based on adherence scores. Obesity or being overweight was determined based on an age- and gender- specific percentile for body mass index (BMI) of the 2007 Korean National Growth Charts. Diet quality was evaluated from 3 days of dietary intake data. RESULTS Children in the high adherence group were characterized by significantly lower BMI percentiles and paternal BMIs as well as higher percentages of fathers with a high level of education and higher household incomes compared to those in the low or moderate group. Children in the high adherence group consumed significantly higher amounts of milk and dairy products, were less likely to consume lower than the EAR of phosphorus and iron, and had higher NARs for calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and MAR than those in low groups. The ORs for obesity (BMI ≥ 95th percentile) or being overweight including obesity (BMI ≥ 85th percentile) were significantly lower in the high adherence group compared to the low adherence group (OR: 0.33, 95% CI = 0.13-0.82, P for trend = 0.019; OR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.11-0.61 P for trend = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Korean children who adhered to dietary guidelines displayed better diet quality and a reduced risk of obesity.

Development and Evaluation of a Web-based Computer-Assisted Personal Interview System (CAPIS) for Open-ended Dietary Assessments among Koreans

The accuracy of dietary assessments has emerged as a major concern in nutritional epidemiology and new dietary assessment tools using computer technology to increase accuracy have been developed in many countries. The purpose of this study was to develop a web-based computer-assisted personal interview system (CAPIS) for conducting dietary assessment and to evaluate its practical utilization among Koreans. The client software was developed using Microsofts ClickOnce technology, which allows communication with a database system via an http server to add or retrieve data. The system consists of a tracking system for the subject and researcher, a data-input system during the interview, a calculation system for estimating food and nutrient intake, a data-output system for presenting the results, and an evaluation system for assessing the adequacy of nutrient and food intake. Databases of the nutrient composition of common food (n = 3,642), recipes for common dishes (n = 1,886), and photos of serving sizes for food and dishes (n = 4,152) were constructed, and logical processes for data collection, calculation, and output were developed. The functionality, on-site applicability, and efficiency of CAPIS were evaluated in a convenience sample of 181 participants (61 males, 120 females; aged 24 to 85) by comparing with manual 24 hour recall method with paper questionnaire. The CAPIS was functioned adequately in the field survey in terms of completeness of function, security, and compliance of researcher and subjects. Regarding on-site applicability, 23.2%, 32.6%, 35.4%, and 43.7% of subjects reported that CAPIS was easier to recall their diet, to estimate the amount consumed, to communicate with the interviewer, and to concentrate on the interview than the manual method with paper questionnaire, respectively. Although CAPIS required more interview time (9 min 42 sec) compared to the manual method (7 min 30 sec), it saved time and cost for data coding and entry (15 min 35 sec) and gave high satisfaction from the prompt feedback after interview to the subjects, which increase efficiency to apply on the field survey. Our results suggest that the newly developed CAPIS is suitable for conducting personal interviews for dietary assessment in Korean population.

Protective Effect of Onion Extract on Bleomycin-Induced Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity in Human Lymphocytes.

Following one of the world’s largest nuclear accidents, occured at Fukushima, Japan in 2011, a significant scientific effort has focused on minimizing the potential adverse health effects due to radiation exposure. The use of natural dietary antioxidants to reduce the risk of radiation-induced oxidative DNA damage is a simple strategy for minimizing radiation-related cancer rates and improving overall health. The onion is among the richest sources of dietary flavonoids and is an important food for increasing their overall intake. Therefore, we examined the effect of an onion extract on cyto- and geno-toxicity in human lymphocytes treated with bleomycin (BLM), a radiomimetic agent. In addition, we measured the frequency of micronuclei (MN) and DNA damage following treatment with BLM using a cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus assay and a single cell gel electrophoresis assay. We observed a significant increase in cell viability in lymphocytes treated with onion extract then exposed to BLM compared to cells treated with BLM alone. The frequency of BLM induced MN and DNA damage increased in a dose-dependent manner; however, when lymphocytes were pretreated with onion extract (10 and 20 μL/mL), the frequency of BLM-induced MN was decreased at all doses of BLM and DNA damage was decreased at 3 μg/mL of BLM. These results suggest that onion extract may have protective effects against BLM-induced cyto- and genotoxicity in human lymphocytes.

Associations of Dietary Antioxidants and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Data from the 2007–2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Antioxidants are suggested to decrease risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) by preventing progressive impairment of pancreatic β-cell and endothelial function. This study was aimed to investigate the association between dietary antioxidants and risk of T2D in Korean adults based on a national representative data. A total of 24,377 adults (19–74 years) who completed one-day 24 h dietary recall and health examination were included. Dietary antioxidant intakes including α-carotene (p < 0.0001), lycopene (p = 0.0107), flavan-3-ols (p < 0.0001), and proanthocyanidins (p = 0.0075) were significantly higher in non-diabetic subjects than in diabetic subjects. After adjusting for confounding variables, the highest quartile group of α-carotene intake was associated with a 48% reduced risk of T2D in men (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.34–0.80, p for trend = 0.0037) and a 39% reduced risk in women (OR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.38–0.996, p for trend = 0.0377) compared to the lowest quartile group. Men in the highest quartile of β-carotene intake showed lower risk of T2D (OR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.42–0.97), but no significant decreasing trend. However, the intakes of total carotenoids and other antioxidants showed no significant association with the risk of T2D. These findings suggest that a further comprehensive approach which considers overall dietary pattern is required.

Total Antioxidant Capacity from Dietary Supplement Decreases the Likelihood of Having Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults

This study was conducted to estimate antioxidant vitamin intake and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) from diet and dietary supplements and to examine their association with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean adults. Out of 6308 adults 19~64 years old from the 2010~2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1847 adults were classified as dietary supplement users and the other 4461 adults were classified as non-users. Antioxidant intake and TAC from diet and dietary supplements were estimated using dietary intake data and linked with the antioxidant and TAC database for common Korean foods. The prevalence of MetS was lower in dietary supplement users (odds ratio (OR) = 0.82; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.68–0.98) than that in non-users. Among dietary supplement users, a lower prevalence of MetS was observed in the highest tertile for vitamin A (OR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.53–0.99) and vitamin E (OR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.55–0.99) intake than that in the lowest tertile among non-users. Subjects in the highest tertile of TAC among dietary supplement users showed a lower prevalence of MetS (OR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52–0.99) than non-users. The results imply that intake of vitamin A, vitamin E, and TAC from dietary supplements might have a protective effect on MetS among Korean adults.

The Role of Red Meat and Flavonoid Consumption on Cancer Prevention: The Korean Cancer Screening Examination Cohort

Markedly increased red meat consumption is a cancer risk factor, while dietary flavonoids may help prevent the disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of red meat and flavonoid consumption with cancer risk, based on data from 8024 subjects, drawn from the 2004–2008 Cancer Screening Examination Cohort of the Korean National Cancer Center. Hazard ratios (HRs) were obtained by using a Cox proportional hazard model. During the mean follow-up period of 10.1 years, 443 cases were newly diagnosed with cancer. After adjusting for age, there was a significant correlation between cancer risk and the daily intake of ≥43 g of red meat per day (HR 1.31; 95% CI 1.01, 1.71; p = 0.045), and total flavonoid intake tended to decrease cancer risk (HR 0.70; 95% CI 0.49, 0.99; highest vs. lowest quartile; p-trend = 0.073) in men. Following multivariable adjustment, there were no statistically significant associations between flavonoid intake and overall cancer risk in individuals with high levels of red meat intake. Men with low daily red meat intake exhibited an inverse association between flavonoid consumption and cancer incidence (HR 0.41; 95% CI 0.21, 0.80; highest vs. lowest; p-trend = 0.017). Additional research is necessary to clarify the effects of flavonoid consumption on specific cancer incidence, relative to daily red meat intake.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in Relation to Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome among Korean Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study from the 2012–2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)

It is well known that the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) increases the risk of developing obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, there are not many studies investigating the link between SSBs and increased incidences of diseases in the Asian population, and in particular, in Korea. We explored the association of SSB consumption with the risk of developing obesity and MetS among Korean adults (12,112 participants from the 2012–2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). We calculated the total SSB consumption frequency by counting each beverage item, including soda beverages, fruit juices, and sweetened rice drinks. Obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥25 kg/m2, and MetS was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program, Adult Treatment Panel III. A survey logistic regression analyses was conducted to examine the association of SSB consumption with obesity and MetS, adjusting for related confounders such as age, energy intake, household income, education, alcohol drinking, smoking status, and physical activity. The SSB consumption was positively associated with an increased risk of the prevalence for obesity (Odd ratio (OR): 1.60; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23–2.09; p for trend = 0.0009) and MetS (OR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.20–2.16; p for trend = 0.0003) among women. In men, SSB consumption only contributed to a higher prevalence of obesity (OR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.11–1.72; p for trend = 0.0041). In conclusion, increased consumption of SSBs was closely linked with a higher prevalence of obesity and MetS in the Korean population.

Erratum: The Role of Red Meat and Flavonoid Consumption on Cancer Prevention: The Korean Cancer Screening Examination Cohort; Nutrients 2017, 9, 938

The authors have requested the following corrections to their paper [...].