ABSTRACT
The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) is the usual method for estimating dietary intake in epidemiological studies. However, investigations focused only on nutrient and food intake does not show the reason why, where or how people choose certain foods and reject others. Food preference and its choosing decision helps to explain more accurately why people eat certain foods and how this freedom of choice is implemented. Thus, we decided to design and validate a Food Preference Questionnaire (FPQ) to be applied in adults under nutritional epidemiological studies. This FPQ was applied to 60 adults of both sexes, who lived in Córdoba, Argentina, and in the nearby cities of the Greater Córdoba region. The validity of the FPQ was estimated through the Spearman correlation coefficient and calculated by using SPSS 17.0, and the determination coefficient was also estimated. The correlation between the number of subjects who indicated a preference for a particular food or meal, and its frequency of consumption gave a result of rs=0.5 (p less 0.1), whereas the determination coefficient had a value of r2= 0.25. Thus, the dietary patterns of adult population from Córdoba were estimated by assessing food preferences. The biological, psychological and socio-cultural aspects of the food decision context, in addition to their complex relations, may contribute to understand better the choice of food intake hence precluding the role of dietary practices in health and disease.
Subject(s)
Diet Records , Food Preferences/classification , Surveys and Questionnaires , Adult , Argentina , Energy Intake , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
Epidemiological and laboratory research has shown that dietary components are associated with the risk of developing urinary tract tumors (UTT). The purpose of this case-control study, carried out between 2004 and 2008 in Córdoba, a Mediterranean city in Argentina, was to describe the role of dietary patterns and to investigate any association with the risk of developing UTT. One hundred and sixty-eight patients with histologically confirmed transitional UTT and 334 controls with acute, nonneoplastic, and nonurinary tract diseases from the same hospitals were studied. All patients were interviewed about their food habits and their exposure to a number of known or suspected risk factors for UTT. Multiple correspondence analysis was used to explore dietary patterns and data analyses were carried out by calculating odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals by using multiple logistic regression. Two main dietary patterns identified were a 'prudent' pattern that was linked to controls and a 'western' pattern that was associated with cases. A frequent intake of vegetable oils, lean meats, grains, and fruits, the moderate use of alcohol (mainly red wine) together with potato and sweet consumption, and the habit of taking at least four meals per day, were associated with a reduced risk for UTT. In contrast, frequent consumption of infusions (mainly maté), potatoes, alcohol, sweets, and processed meat resulted in a high risk for UTT. The dietary patterns of our population have a role in the development of UTT, thus implying that appropriate nutritional education may decrease this risk.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell/epidemiology , Diet/statistics & numerical data , Feeding Behavior , Urologic Neoplasms/epidemiology , Aged , Argentina/epidemiology , Carcinoma, Transitional Cell/etiology , Carcinoma, Transitional Cell/prevention & control , Case-Control Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Risk Factors , Urologic Neoplasms/etiology , Urologic Neoplasms/prevention & controlABSTRACT
This paper describes the influence of the piemontese culture on food practices of students living in Piamonte, Santa Fe, Argentina. Food practices of 96 students with Piamontese ancestry (PA) (n = 57) and without Piamontese ancestry (No-PA) (n = 39) were studied along 2002 using a self-administered questionnare. Data were analysed by Chi square test, Fisher's exact test, multiple correspondance analysis and logistic regression. Consumption of bagna cauda (p < 0.05) and polenta (p < 0.1) were higher among PA. Differences on the elaboration of polenta and pasta were found: PA add them cheese (p < 0.05) and cream (p < 0.05) whereas no-PA make use of meat (p < 0.05) and tomato sauce (p < 0.05), respectively. The frequency of consumption of traditional Piamontese meals and the role of the mother in the purchase, the elaboration and the serving of the food were similar on both groups. In conclusion, food practices of Piamontese's descendants recall the food culture of their ancestry with some reasonable adaptations to the local context.
Subject(s)
Culture , Diet , Feeding Behavior/ethnology , Food Preferences/ethnology , Adolescent , Argentina/ethnology , Chi-Square Distribution , Female , Humans , Logistic Models , MaleABSTRACT
This paper describes the influence of the piemontese culture on food practices of students living in Piamonte, Santa Fe, Argentina. Food practices of 96 students with Piamontese ancestry (PA) (n = 57) and without Piamontese ancestry (No-PA) (n = 39) were studied along 2002 using a self-administered questionnare. Data were analysed by Chi square test, Fishers exact test, multiple correspondance analysis and logistic regression. Consumption of bagna cauda (p < 0.05) and polenta (p < 0.1) were higher among PA. Differences on the elaboration of polenta and pasta were found: PA add them cheese (p < 0.05) and cream (p < 0.05) whereas no-PA make use of meat (p < 0.05) and tomato sauce (p < 0.05), respectively. The frequency of consumption of traditional Piamontese meals and the role of the mother in the purchase, the elaboration and the serving of the food were similar on both groups. In conclusion, food practices of Piamonteses descendants recall the food culture of their ancestry with some reasonable adaptations to the local context.
