Sousana K. Papadopoulou

Energy Intake, Diet Composition, Energy Expenditure, and Body Fatness of Adolescents in Northern Greece

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine energy intake, energy expenditure, diet composition, and obesity of adolescents in Northern Greece.

Marital status and educational level associated to obesity in Greek adults: data from the National Epidemiological Survey

BackgroundObesity is an important public health issue and its prevalence is reaching epidemic proportions in both developed and developing countries. The aim of the present study was to determine associations of overweight (OW), obesity (OB) and abdominal obesity (AO) with marital status and educational level in Greek adults of both genders based on data from the National Epidemiological Survey on the prevalence of obesity.MethodsThe selection was conducted by stratified sampling through household family members of Greek children attending school during 2003. A total of 17,341 Greek men and women aged from 20 to 70 years participated in the survey and had anthropometric measurements (height, weight, and waist circumference) for the calculation of prevalence of OW, OB and AO. WHO cut-offs were used to define overweight and obesity categories. Waist circumference of more than 102 cm in men and 88 cm in women defined AO. Marital status and educational level were recorded using a specially designed questionnaire and were classified into 4 categories.ResultsThe overall prevalence of OB was 22.3% (25.8% in men, 18.4% in women), that of OW 35.2% (41.0% in men, 29.8% in women) and that of AO 26.4% in men and 35.9% in women. Ahigher risk of OB was found in married men (OR: 2.28; 95% CI: 1.85-2.81) and married women (OR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.73-3.10) than in the respective unmarried ones. Also, a higher risk of AO was found in married men (OR: 3.40; 95% CI: 2.86-4.03) and in married women (OR: 2.40; 95% CI 2.00-2.88) compared to unmarried ones. The risk for being obese was lower among educated women (primary school, OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.60-0.96, high school, OR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.46-0.74 and University, OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.49-0.81) than among illiterates. No significant differences were found among men.ConclusionsIn Greek adults, marital status was significantly associated with obesity and abdominal obesity status in both genders while educational level was inversely associated with obesity status only in women.

Smoking and vascular risk: are all forms of smoking harmful to all types of vascular disease?

Smoking, both active and passive, is an established vascular risk factor. The present narrative review considers the effects of different forms of smoking (i.e. cannabis, cigar, pipe, smokeless tobacco and cigarette) on cardiovascular risk. Furthermore, the impact of smoking on several vascular risk factors [e.g. hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidaemia and haemostasis] and on vascular diseases such as coronary heart disease (CHD), peripheral arterial disease (PAD), abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and carotid arterial disease, is discussed. The adverse effects of all forms of smoking and the interactions between smoking and established vascular risk factors highlight the importance of smoking cessation in high-risk patients in terms of both primary and secondary vascular disease prevention. Healthcare providers should discourage people (especially the young) from becoming smokers, strongly encourage all vascular patients to stop smoking and support those who decide to quit by pharmaceutical and psychological interventions. In high-risk populations such as patients with CHD, DM and/or PAD, smoking cessation should always be a part of a multifactorial treatment to reduce vascular risk.

Validation of a questionnaire assessing food frequency and nutritional intake in Greek adolescents.

The aim of the study was to develop and validate a specific semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire to assess nutritional intake of Greek adolescents. The sample of the study consisted of 250 pupils (15.3±0.7 years), who completed the Youth Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire enriched with 22 Greek foods and recipes to include ethnic and racial diversity. A 3-day weighed food recall was used as the criterion to test the validity of the questionnaire. The analysis of correlation revealed significant correlations between the two methods for almost all variables. The Pearsons coefficients ranged from 0.83 for energy intake to 0.34 for folate intake. Non-significant correlations were found for selenium and vitamin D intakes. The findings of the study provide evidence for the validity of the scale and its utility in assessing nutritional intake of Greek adolescents.

Association of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle patterns with obesity and cardiometabolic comorbidities in Greek adults: data from the National Epidemiological Survey.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between physical activity (PA) and sedentary lifestyle (SL) patterns with overweight (OW), obesity (OB), abdominal obesity (AO) and cardiometabolic comorbidities in Greek adults based on data from the National Epidemiological Survey for the prevalence of obesity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional epidemiological survey. Participants were selected via stratified sampling. 17,887 men and women, 20–70 years old, underwent anthropometric measurements for the estimation of OW, OB and AO prevalence. Assessment of PA, SL patterns and metabolic comorbidities was performed using an in-home questionnaire allowing self-evaluation of diverse activities and self-report for the presence of hypercholesterolemia (HCE), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or hypertension (HTN). RESULTS: In men, even small amounts of walking were associated with decreased risk of being OW and AO, while larger amounts were associated with decreased risk of being OB. In women, engagement in entertainment activities for more than 4 hours per week was associated with less risk of being OW. concerning cardiometabolic comorbidities, substantial improvement was evident mainly for men, e.g. signfiicantly reduced risk for HCE, T2DM and HTN by frequent engagement in exercise. On the other hand, frequent TV watching and long hours of office work significantly increased the risk of HCE and HTN in men. CONCLUSIONS: In Greek adults, and men in particular, walking activity was significantly associated with lower risk for obesity. In addition, frequent exercise and less sedentary behaviour were associated with reduced risk for cardiometabolic factors, mainly hypercholesterolemia and hypertension.

Dietary Intake of Free-Living Elderly in Northern Greece

Abstract The aim of the present study was to investigate the nutrient intake of a non-institutionalized Greek elderly population. Dietary intake and anthropometric data were investigated in 100 elderly subjects from Grevena, Greece, all belonging to the race of “Hasiotes.” According to BMI classification, 48% of the subjects are considered overweight and 20% obese. WHR for women and men was 0.91 and 0.98, respectively. Both genders presented insufficient energy intake (7.27 ± 3.49MJ/d) in 3 ± 0.9 feeding sessions daily. Mean protein and fiber intake was 0.82 ± 0.43 and 0.29 ± 0.2g/kg BW, respectively. The diet presented insufficient amounts of vitamins A, B6, D, E, K, Biotin, Pantothenic acid, Cu, I, Mg, Mn and Zn. Female subjects exhibited low dietary intake of vitamins B2, B3 and Ca. The diet had many characteristics of the traditional Mediterranean diet and comprised of a high intake of goat-milk yoghurt, olive oil, goat cheese, traditional alcohol drinks, pies, legumes, fruits and meat. The majority of the sample (70%), reported fasting on Orthodox celebrations. Further research should assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet with the use of scores and compare diet characteristics to other regions in Greece, in order to present regional differences in Greek diet variations.

Relation of smoking, physical activity and living residence to body fat and fat distribution in elderly men in Greece

It is well-documented that body fat and body fat distribution are related to increased risk for cardiovascular disease, hyperinsulinaemia, and diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of smoking status, physical activity and place of living on body fat and fat distribution of Greek elderly men. The participants were 144 elderly men of mean age 71.78±6.39 years, who were free-living individuals, in Thessaloniki (104 subjects) and in the suburbs (40 subjects). According to our results, 23.9% of men who participated in the study were smokers. No association was found between skinfolds, skinfold ratio and physical activity or smoking. It is worth to mention that a triple percentage of younger elders (60–75 years) smoked, compared to the older ones. This finding could possible explain the absence in anthropometric differences between elderly smokers and non-smokers. Intervention programs aiming to yield information about changing the various modifiable risk factors in the elderly are needed.

Nutritional Routine of Tae Kwon Do Athletes Prior to Competition: What Is the Impact of Weight Control Practices?

ABSTRACT Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate and assess the common dietary and weight management strategies of Tae Kwon Do (TKD) athletes prior to national competitions, as well as to examine the relationships between these strategies and body weight reduction and sensation of physical condition. Methods: Sixty (n = 60) TKD athletes, 23 women (19.4 ± 2.9 years) and 37 men (20.4 ± 3.6 years), with at least 12.1 ± 3.1 years of experience, participated in the present study. The athletes recorded their dietary intake and physical activity for 3 training days and on a competition day. Bioelectrical impedance was used for body composition estimation. Results: Male athletes consumed 1918 ± 685 kcal/24 hours and 1974 ± 669 kcal/24 hours on training and competition days, respectively, and women 1814 ± 446 kcal/24 hours and 1700 ± 439 kcal/24 hours. TKD athletes had significant negative energy balance (48.6% ± 17.8% to 60.3% ± 26.9%; p < 0.05), with the majority of macro- and micronutritional elements being lower than the recommended values, with significant differences between them, as well as within groups, between weekdays and weekend days (p < 0.05). Females lost most of their weight 2 weeks before the games (3.50 ± 1.00 kg), and males lost most of their weight 3 weeks before (3.16 ± 2.48 kg). The majority of TKD athletes were guided by their coaches for weight management strategies. No significant correlations were found between any body composition variable, weight loss, and any nutritional intake at any time point (p > 0.05). Conclusions: These data suggest that the methods of TKD athletes for rapid weight loss are guided by unspecialized professionals, leading to significant malnutrition, because certain deficiencies in both macro- and micronutrient content are present, with no guaranteed specific reduction of their body mass.

Relationships between alcohol consumption, smoking status and food habits in Greek adolescents: Vascular implications for the future.

BACKGROUND Addictive behaviours in adolescents such as alcohol consumption and smoking are rapidly increasing worldwide. OBJECTIVE No previous study has examined smoking status and alcohol consumption in adolescents of Northern Greece in relation to their food habits. Therefore, we assessed the smoking status and alcohol consumption, as well the food habits, of this population. METHOD Adolescents (495 boys and 508 girls) aged 15±1 years old and 15±2 years old respectively, completed questionnaires regarding smoking, alcohol and food habits. RESULTS Tobacco use and alcohol consumption were reported by 9.2% and 48.1% of them, respectively. Of those that drank alcohol, 13.9% were also smokers. Older adolescents were more likely to consume foods high in fat and sugar, low in vitamins and minerals as well as foods, considered by them to be less healthy and prepared in a less healthy way. Moreover, smoker adolescents were less likely to choose foods considered to be healthy and prepared in a healthy way, whereas they were more likely to choose foods high in fat content. CONCLUSIONS Both smoking and alcohol consumption may affect cardiovascular risk and the vasculature. Poor lifestyle (and risk of vascular events) can start at an early age.