Stefania Sette

The Italian National Food Consumption Survey INRAN-SCAI 2005–06: main results in terms of food consumption

OBJECTIVE The current paper aims to present the main results of the Italian National Food Consumption Survey INRAN-SCAI 2005-06. DESIGN A cross-sectional study was performed. Households were randomly selected after geographical stratification of the national territory. Food consumption was assessed on three consecutive days through individual estimated dietary records. SETTING Italy. SUBJECTS The final study sample comprised 3323 subjects (1501 males and 1822 females) aged 0.1 to 97.7 years belonging to 1329 households: fifty-two infants (0-2.9 years), 193 children (3-9.9 years), 247 teenagers (10-17.9 years), 2313 adults (18-64.9 years) and 518 elderly (65 years and above). RESULTS Participation rate was 33 %. The mean ratio of estimated energy intake to estimated BMR was 1.41 in adults. Indicators of mean and high individual consumption are presented for fifteen large categories and fifty-one subcategories of foods and beverages, in the total population and in consumers, by age and sex categories. The overall consumption of fruit and vegetables was 418 g/d. The consumption of red meat was approximately 700 g/week, expressed as raw weight. Some specific aspects of the Italian food consumption pattern were confirmed: a large contribution from bread, pasta and pizza to cereals, from olive oil to fats and from wine to alcoholic beverages. CONCLUSIONS The database obtained from the survey will be the key reference for Italian food consumption during the coming years and will be utilized for a variety of purposes including the assessment of nutrient intakes and risk analysis.

Dietary exposure assessments for children in europe (the EXPOCHI project): rationale, methods and design.

Background/purposeThe number of dietary exposure assessment studies focussing on children is very limited. Children are however a vulnerable group due to their higher food consumption level per kg body weight. Therefore, the EXPOCHI project aims [1] to create a relational network of individual food consumption databases in children, covering different geographical areas within Europe, and [2] to use these data to assess the usual intake of lead, chromium, selenium and food colours.MethodsEXPOCHI includes 14 food consumption databases focussed on children (1-14 y old). The data are considered representative at national/regional level: 14 regions covering 13 countries. Since the aim of the study is to perform long-term exposure assessments, only data derived from 24 hr dietary recalls and dietary records recorded on at least two non-consecutive days per individual were included in the dietary exposure assessments. To link consumption data and concentration data of lead, chromium and selenium in a standardised way, categorisation of the food consumption data was based on the food categorisation system described within the SCOOP Task report 3.2.11. For food colours, the food categorisation system specified in the Council Directive 94/36/EC was used.ConclusionThe EXPOCHI project includes a pan-European long-term exposure assessment of lead, chromium, selenium and food colours among children living in 13 different EU countries. However, the different study methods and designs used to collect the data in the different countries necessitate an in-depth description of these different methods and a discussion about the resulting limitations.

Food and nutrient intake, nutritional knowledge and diet-related attitudes in European adolescents

Background and objective:To provide an overview of methods used to assess food and nutrient intake, nutritional knowledge and diet-related attitudes in the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence Cross-Sectional Study (HELENA-CSS), with selected results from the feasibility study.Material and Methods:To assess food intake in 13- to 16-year-old adolescents, a previously developed computer-assisted and self-administered 24-h recall was adapted for international use. Food consumption data were linked to national food composition databases to calculate energy and nutrient intakes. To assess nutritional knowledge in pupils not having any special (trained) education concerning ‘nutrition’, a 23-item validated multiple choice questionnaire was adapted. To assess eating attitudes, behaviour and/or putative problems with body weight in adolescents, a validated inventory covering 60 questions or statements was adapted for the study. In a feasibility study, instruments, data collection and processing were tested in one school class in each of the 10 participating European cities.Results and Conclusions:The feasibility study provided plausible results, quite consistent between countries. Against this background and for the first time, standardized and uniform methodology was made available for the main study to assess and characterize dietary intake, nutritional knowledge and eating attitudes.

The third National Food Consumption Survey, INRAN-SCAI 2005-06: major dietary sources of nutrients in Italy.

Abstract Introduction: To promote healthy food consumption patterns, information is required on the contribution of food groups to total nutrient intake. The objective of this paper is to identify the main dietary sources of nutrients in the diet of the population in Italy. Methods: Data collected through individual food records within the INRAN-SCAI 2005–06 survey were required. The final sample included 3323 subjects aged 0.1–97.7 years. Results: The percentage contributed by each food category to the intake of energy, dietary fibre and of 26 nutrients was calculated. Above 3 years of age, the main contributors to macro- and micro-nutrient intakes were similar among the various age-sex groupings with few exceptions. Conclusion: These data might be used to develop specific strategies for Italy in order to increase the intake of dietary fibre and to decrease that of total fats and of sugars in the population.

Links Among Italian Preschoolers’ Socioemotional Competence, Teacher–Child Relationship Quality, and Peer Acceptance

Research Findings: The purpose of the present study was to examine the relations among teacher–child relationship quality (close, conflictive, and dependent), childrens social behavior, and peer likability in a sample of Italian preschool-age children (46 boys, 42 girls). Preschool teachers evaluated the quality of the teacher–child relationship and childrens social behaviors (i.e., social competence, anger-aggression, and anxiety-withdrawal). Peer-rated likability was measured using a sociometric procedure. Results indicated that conflictual teacher–child relationships were related to high aggressive behavior, and dependent teacher–child relationships were positively associated with childrens anxiety-withdrawal. Moreover, we found an indirect association between close teacher–child relationship quality and peer likability through childrens social competence. Practice or Policy: The findings provide evidence that the teacher–child relationship is critical for childrens social behaviors and that social competence is uniquely related to peer likability.

Longitudinal study of sleep behavior in normal infants during the first year of life.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To longitudinally examine sleep patterns, habits, and parent-reported sleep problems during the first year of life. METHODS Seven hundred four parent/child pairs participated in a longitudinal cohort study. Structured interview recording general demographic data, feeding habits, intercurrent diseases, family history, sleep habits, and parental evaluation of the infants sleep carried out at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. RESULTS Nocturnal, daytime, and total sleep duration showed a high inter-individual variability in the first year of life associated with changes in the first 6 months and stability from 6 to 12 months. Bedtime was at around 22:00 and remained stable at 6, 9, and 12 months of age. Approximately 20% of the infants had more than 2 awakenings and slept more often in the parent bed. Nearly 10% of the infants were considered as having a problematic sleep by parents and this significantly correlated with nocturnal awakenings and difficulties falling asleep. CONCLUSIONS Sleep patterns change during the first year of life but most sleep variables (i.e., sleep latency and duration) show little variation from 6 to 12 months. Our data provide a context for clinicians to discuss sleep issues with parents and suggest that prevention efforts should focus to the first 3-6 months, since sleep patterns show stability from that time point to 12 months.

Comparison of different approaches to calculate nutrient intakes based upon 24-h recall data derived from a multicenter study in European adolescents

AbstractPurpose The European “Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence” (HELENA) project evaluated two different approaches to harmonize the matching procedures between 24-h recall data and food composition databases. In the first approach, the 24-h recall data were linked to the local/national food composition databases using standardized procedures, while in the second approach, the 24-h recall data were linked to the German BLS database which includes a larger food list. The aim of this paper was to compare the intakes of energy and eight nutrient components calculated via both approaches. Methods Two non-consecutive 24-h recalls were performed in 1268 adolescents. Energy, carbohydrates, proteins, fat, fiber, water, alcohol, calcium and vitamin C were calculated via the two approaches at individual level. Paired samples t test and Pearson’s correlations were used to compare the mean intakes of energy and the eight mentioned nutrients and to investigate the possible associations between the two approaches.ResultsSmall but significant differences were found between the intakes of energy and the eight food components when comparing both approaches. Very strong and strong correlations (0.70–0.95) were found between both methods for all nutrients.ConclusionThe dietary intakes obtained via the two different linking procedures are highly correlated for energy and the eight nutrients under study.

Assessing Social Competence and Behavior Problems in a Sample of Italian Preschoolers Using the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Scale

Research Findings: The main goals of this study were to examine the factor validity of the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation (SCBE-30) scale using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis and to test factor invariance across gender in a sample of Italian preschool-age children (241 boys, 252 girls). The concurrent validity of the SCBE scale was examined with measures of childrens popularity and rejection. Our findings replicated a 3-factor model of the SCBE scale found in other studies with 3 correlated factors of social competence, anger–aggression, and anxiety–withdrawal. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence of configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance of the scale across gender. Popularity was positively related to childrens social competence and negatively related to anxiety–withdrawal. Rejection was positively related to childrens anger–aggression and anxiety–withdrawal and negatively related to social competence. Practice or Policy: The use of the SCBE scale in the Italian educational setting may help teachers understand childrens emotional and social competencies and thereby improve social adjustment in the classroom.

Dietary protein and amino acids intake and its relationship with blood pressure in adolescents: The HELENA STUDY

OBJECTIVE To analyze the association between dietary protein and amino acids intake and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure in European adolescents. METHODS Participants were from the cross-sectional study performed in Europe, Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA study; n = 1605; 12.5-17.5 years; 833 girls) selected by complex sampling. The associations between dietary protein and amino acids intake and SBP/DBP were examined by multilevel linear regression models (context variable by school); the analysis being stratified by sex. Cities, seasonality, age, socioeconomic level, parental education level, body mass index, waist circumference, Tanner stage and physical activity were used as covariates. RESULTS In boys, we found an inverse association between protein (animal and vegetable) intake and DBP; and a positive association between histidine and SBP. In girls, we observed a positive association among tryptophan, histidine with SBP and methionine with DBP. On the other hand, we observed an inverse association between tyrosine and both SBP and DBP levels in girls. CONCLUSIONS The association between amino acids and BP levels is controversial and depends on the type of amino acids, and protein intake can help control the DBP in boys.

Modelling framework for assessment of dietary exposure to added flavouring substances within the FACET (Flavours, Additives, and Food Contact Material Exposure Task) project

This paper provides a model to assess dietary exposure to flavouring substances intentionally added to food. The purpose is to describe the approaches currently available and their scientific basis. The proposed exposure model for flavouring substances envisages three different levels of refinement: basic, intermediate and refined. At the two first levels, the model may be applied to all 2543 substances actually in use in Europe, while the refined level has been applied to 41 target flavouring substances selected within the FACET project. The refined level entails the use of the probability of addition of the flavouring substance added to the food and of correction factors related to losses owing to the processing of a food.