Profiles of a healthful diet and its relationship to biomarkers in a population sample from Mediterranean southern France.

OBJECTIVES: The failure of single-nutrient supplementation to prevent disease in intervention studies underlines the necessity to develop a holistic view of food intake. The objectives of this study were to devise a diet quality index (DQI) and identify biomarkers of multidimensional dietary behavior. DESIGN: A nutrition survey was conducted in Mediterranean southern France by means of a food frequency questionnaire. The DQI was based on current dietary recommendations for prevention of diet-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and some cancers. A second DQI included tobacco use. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: performed Spearman rank correlations, cross-classifications and intraclass correlations were computed between the DQI and biomarkers. RESULTS: Of the 146 subjects, 10 had a healthful diet and 18 had a poor diet. Erythrocyte omega-3 fatty acids-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-beta carotene, and vitamin E concentrations were lower and cholesterol concentrations were higher in the poor diet; the difference was significant for EPA and DHA and borderline significant for vitamin E. Significant correlation was found between the DQI and vitamin E (-0.12), EPA (-0.30), and DHA (-0.28), and beta carotene (-0.17) when tobacco use was considered, but not between the DQI and cholesterol. The correlation coefficient reached 0.58 (P0.01) for a composite index based on all biomarkers except cholesterol. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with a beta carotene levels greater thanl micromol/L, vitamin E greater than 30 micromol/L and EPA greater than 0.65% and DHA greater than 4% of fatty acids in erythrocytes were likely to have a healthful diet. Each biomarker indicated the quality of diet, but correlation was higher with a composite index.

Measurement of background urban nitrogen dioxide pollution levels with passive samplers in Montpellier, France.

Background nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution levels in Montpellier were measured in the context of an assessment operation carried out by the local monitoring network (AMPADI-LR), using Palmes passive samplers. The equipment was validated by continuous measurement with automatic chemiluminescence analyzers. Measurements from representative background pollution sites and the ensuing cartographic representation provide information about local pollution data, a description of seasonal evolution and an assessment of the influence of various sources. The study may be used to define parameters for establishing an exposure index, taking into account roads with heavy traffic, which affects the distribution of NO2 over Montpellier, and meteorological factors. This is a pilot study which will subsequently be used for a more precise assessment measuring the personal exposure of inhabitants, for the purposes of a study on effects on health.