Zumin Shi

Socio-demographic differences in food habits and preferences of school adolescents in Jiangsu Province, China

Objective:To identify the differences in food habits and preferences among the adolescents according to socio-demographic characteristics.Design:Cross-sectional, cluster design survey in 2002.Setting:Eight middle schools in two distinct socio-economic areas of the Jiangsu province, China.Subjects:Some 824 young adolescents (12–14 y) attending public schools with a response rate of 99%.Methods:A self-administered questionnaire containing questions on food and meal frequencies, food preferences and socio-demographic characteristics was used.Results:High socio-economic status (SES) and urban residence was positively associated with intake of high-energy foods, such as foods of animal origin, Western style foods and dairy products. In all, 76% of the students had three meals a day regularly , but 8.1% urban students vs 3.4% rural students had breakfast only 1–3 times per week or less often. Daily fruit consumption was fairly common, but with clear differences by SES. Only about 42% of the boys and 55% of the girls from low SES families ate fruit daily, compared with 66% and 72%, respectively in the high SES families. Urban boys had the lowest proportion of daily consumers of vegetables (67.0%). More urban students drank milk daily than the rural students (68.7 vs 38.5%). The frequency of milk drinking also showed a strong positive association with SES. About 10% of the high SES boys consumed hamburgers daily compared with 2.8% of the low SES boys. More than half of the students reported a liking for Western style fast foods including hamburgers, soft drinks and chocolate. Among high SES boys, 21.5% consumed soft drinks on a daily basis; however, as many as 72.3% wanted to drink soft drinks more often if they could afford it.Conclusions:SES and urban location were positively associated with frequency of intake of high-energy foods. Reported food preferences may enforce this trend. Nutrition education for adolescents and parents is needed to promote healthy eating. Health Authorities should strengthen the monitoring of food intake and its association with overweight/obesity.Sponsorship:This study was funded by the Norwegian Directorate of Health and Social affairs under the auspices of the Norway—China Health Agreement.

Multimorbidity - not just an older person's issue. Results from an Australian biomedical study

BackgroundMultimorbidity, the simultaneous occurrence of two or more chronic conditions, is usually associated with older persons. This research assessed multimorbidity across a range of ages so that planners are informed and appropriate prevention programs, management strategies and health service/health care planning can be implemented.MethodsMultimorbidity was assessed across three age groups from data collected in a major biomedical cohort study (North West Adelaide Health Study). Using randomly selected adults, diabetes, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were determined clinically and cardio-vascular disease, osteoporosis, arthritis and mental health by self-report (ever been told by a doctor). A range of demographic, social, risk and protective factors including high blood pressure and high cholesterol (assessed bio-medically), health service use, quality of life and medication use (linked to government records) were included in the multivariate modelling.ResultsOverall 4.4% of the 20-39 year age group, 15.0% of the 40-59 age group and 39.2% of those aged 60 years of age or older had multimorbidity (17.1% of the total). Of those with multimorbidity, 42.1% were aged less than 60 years of age. A variety of variables were included in the final logistic regression models for the three age groups including family structure, marital status, education attainment, country of birth, smoking status, obesity measurements, medication use, health service utilisation and overall health status.ConclusionsMultimorbidity is not just associated with older persons and flexible care management support systems, appropriate guidelines and care-coordination programs are required across a broader age range. Issues such as health literacy and polypharamacy are also important considerations. Future research is required into assessing multimorbidity across the life course, prevention of complications and assessment of appropriate self-care strategies.

Association between serum ferritin, hemoglobin, iron intake, and diabetes in adults in Jiangsu, China

OBJECTIVE—To investigate the association between iron status, iron intake, and diabetes among Chinese adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—This cross-sectional household survey was carried out in 2002 in Jiangsu Province, China. The sample contained 2,849 men and women aged ≥20 years with a response rate of 89.0%. Iron intake was assessed by food weighing plus consecutive individual 3-day food records. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum ferritin, and hemoglobin were measured. RESULTS—The prevalence of anemia was 18.3% in men and 31.5% in women. Mean hemoglobin and serum ferritin increased across groups with increasing FPG. The prevalence of anemia among women was 15.0% in individuals with FPG >7.0 mmol/l compared with 32.6% in individuals with FPG <5.6 mmol/l. There was a similar, however not significant, trend among men. In women, after adjusting for known risk factors, the odds ratio (OR) of diabetes was 2.15 (95% CI 1.03–4.51) for subjects in the upper quartile of hemoglobin compared with the rest, and the corresponding OR for the upper quartile of serum ferritin was 3.79 (1.72–8.36). Iron intake was positively associated with diabetes in women; fourth quartile intake of iron yielded an OR of 5.53 (1.47–20.44) compared with the first quartile in the multivariate analyses. In men, similar trends were suggested, although they were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS—Iron status and iron intake was independently associated with risk of diabetes in Chinese women but not in men.

Vegetable-rich food pattern is related to obesity in China

Objective:To investigate the association between a vegetable-rich food pattern and obesity among Chinese adults.Design:A food pattern rich in vegetables is associated with lower risk of obesity and non-communicable chronic disease in Western countries. A similar food pattern is found in the Chinese population but the cooking method is different. A cross-sectional household survey of 2849 men and women aged 20 years and over was undertaken in 2002 in Jiangsu Province (response rate, 89.0%). Food intake was assessed by food frequency questionnaire. Factor analysis was used to identify food patterns. Nutrient intake was measured by food weighing plus consecutive individual 3-day food records. Height, weight and waist circumference were measured.Results:The prevalence of general obesity (BMI ⩾28 kg m−2) was 8.0% in men and 12.7% in women, central obesity was 19.5% (⩾90 cm) and 38.2% (⩾80 cm), respectively. A four-factor solution explained 28.5% of the total variance in food frequency intake. The vegetable-rich food pattern (whole grains, fruits and vegetables) was positively associated with vegetable oil and energy intake. Prevalence of obesity/central obesity increased across the quartiles of vegetable-rich food pattern. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors and four distinct food patterns, the vegetable-rich pattern was independently associated with obesity. Compared with the lowest quartile of vegetable-rich pattern, the highest quartile had higher risk of general obesity (men, prevalence ratio (PR): 1.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05–3.14; women, PR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.45–3.49).Conclusion:The vegetable-rich food pattern was associated with higher risk of obesity/central obesity in Chinese adults in both genders. This association can be linked to the high intake of energy due to generous use of oil for stir-frying the vegetables.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and factors associated with its components in Chinese adults.

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components among middle-aged and elderly adults in Jiangsu province, China. Moreover, factors associated with MetS were also assessed. A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted with 4 randomly selected areas including both urban and rural areas from Jiangsu province, China. After the procedure, 3914 adults aged 35 to 74 years were included in the study. Metabolic syndrome was defined by the modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III report. Data were collected by interviewer-administered questionnaire, biophysical assessment, and biochemical examination. Crude and age-standardized prevalence of MetS was 31.5% and 30.5%, respectively. Prevalence rate increased significantly with age in female but not in male subjects, whereas this was true for both sexes with increased body mass index. High blood pressure was the most prevalent component of MetS (45.2%), followed by elevated triglycerides (40.1%) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (40.1%). Multivariate ordinal regression analysis revealed that women had significantly higher risk of MetS than men (odds ratio = 1.72, P < .001). Older age, living in urban area, income, family history of diabetes, and family history of hypertension were positively associated with MetS risk. However, higher education and tea drinking everyday were found to be negatively associated with MetS (P < .05). Moreover, substantial agreement (kappa = 0.79) was found between the International Diabetes Federation and modified Adult Treatment Panel III criteria among 3 comparisons of MetS definitions. Metabolic syndrome was highly prevalent in middle-aged and elderly Chinese population in Jiangsu province. Community-based strategies for diet and lifestyle modifications are strongly suggested, especially in women and the elderly.

Longitudinal Changes in Testosterone Over Five Years in Community-Dwelling Men

CONTEXT There are few population-based studies reporting longitudinal changes in total T, LH, FSH, and SHBG levels, and there is limited information on risk factors for their change. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to examine 5-year changes in serum T, LH, FSH, and SHBG levels among Australian men. DESIGN The study initially included a randomly selected, community-based cohort of 1588 men age 35 years or older at recruitment (mean age, 54 ± 11 y) with available data at 2 visits. Men on medications known to affect, or with established pathology of, the hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal axis were excluded, leaving 1382 for analysis. RESULTS Mean baseline and follow-up T levels were 16.2 ± 1.4 and 15.6 ± 1.4 nmol/L, a change of -0.13 nmol/L/y. Annualized T changes were associated with obesity, being unmarried, and smoking at baseline, but not with diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease. T declined in men who had persistent depression or developed chronic disease, and it increased in men who were married, as compared to unmarried, at both time points. In the multivariate analysis, smoking cessation, development of central obesity (waist ≥ 100 cm), or generalized obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m(2)) resulted in T decreases of 0.36, 0.25, and 0.20 nmol/L/y, respectively. Quitting smoking, developing obesity, and having persisting depression were inversely related to SHBG change. CONCLUSIONS An age-related decline in T levels is not inevitable but is largely explained by smoking behavior and intercurrent changes in health status, particularly obesity and depression.

Monosodium glutamate is not associated with obesity or a greater prevalence of weight gain over 5 years: findings from the Jiangsu Nutrition Study of Chinese adults

Animal studies and one large cross-sectional study of 752 healthy Chinese men and women suggest that monosodium glutamate (MSG) may be associated with overweight/obesity, and these findings raise public concern over the use of MSG as a flavour enhancer in many commercial foods. The aim of this analysis was to investigate a possible association between MSG intake and obesity, and determine whether a greater MSG intake is associated with a clinically significant weight gain over 5 years. Data from 1282 Chinese men and women who participated in the Jiangsu Nutrition Study were analysed. In the present study, MSG intake and body weight were quantitatively assessed in 2002 and followed up in 2007. MSG intake was not associated with significant weight gain after adjusting for age, sex, multiple lifestyle factors and energy intake. When total glutamate intake was added to the model, an inverse association between MSG intake and 5 % weight gain was found (P = 0.028), but when the model was adjusted for either rice intake or food patterns, this association was abolished. These findings indicate that when other food items or dietary patterns are accounted for, no association exists between MSG intake and weight gain.

Prevalence of diabetes among men and women in China.

n engl j med 362;25 nejm.org june 24, 201

Short sleep duration and obesity among Australian children

BackgroundThere is limited information on sleep duration and obesity among Australian children. The objective of the study is to cross-sectionally examine the relationship between sleep duration and obesity in Australian children aged 5 to 15 years.MethodsData were collected using the South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System between January 2004 and December 2008. Each month a representative random sample of South Australians are selected from the Electronic White Pages with interviews conducted using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI). Within each household, the person who was last to have a birthday was selected for interview. Parents reported the number of hours their children slept each day. Obesity was defined according to the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) definition based on BMI calculated from reported body weight and height.ResultsOverall, parents of 3495 children aged 5-15 years (mean 10.7 years, 50.3% boys) were interviewed. The prevalence of obesity was 7.7% (8.9% in boys, 6.6% in girls). In multivariate analysis after adjusting for sociodemographic variables, intake of fruit and vegetables, physical activity and inactivity, the odds ratio (OR) for obesity comparing sleeping <9 hours with ≥10 hours was 2.23 (95% CI 1.04-4.76) among boys, 1.70(0.78-3.73) among girls, and 1.97(1.15-3.38) in both genders. The association between short sleep (<9 hours) and obesity was stronger in the younger age group. No significant association between short sleep and obesity was found among children aged 13-15. There was also an additive interaction between short sleep and low level of physical activity.ConclusionShort sleep duration is associated with increased obesity in children especially among younger age groups and boys.

Dietary fat and sleep duration in Chinese men and women

Background:Many recent studies have highlighted the complex interaction between sleep duration, food intake and metabolic balance. Although a causal link is yet to be established, emerging evidence suggests that short sleep duration may alter the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Thus far, most research has focussed on the link between sleep duration and carbohydrate metabolism. The role of sleep duration in fat intake and vice versa remains relatively unknown.Objective:The aim of this analysis was to determine whether there exists a significant association between sleep duration and fat intake.Design:Data from 2828 adults living in Jiangsu province, China, collected during a national survey of nutrition and health conducted in 2002.Results:The analysis showed a statistically significant association between sleep duration and fat and carbohydrate intake but not protein or fasting blood glucose. Those who slept for less than 7 h a day had significantly higher (P=0.005) percentage of energy from fat intake than those who slept for 7–9 h per day. Analysis of the influence of high fat intake upon sleep demonstrated a trend to reduced sleep duration between the highest and lowest quartiles of fat intake (P=0.056).Conclusions:To our knowledge, this is the first data from a large cross-sectional study to show an association between decreased sleep duration and increased fat intake in humans. Given the trend towards decreased sleep duration in modern societies and the parallel obesity epidemic, the significance of this association warrants more research.