[Nutrition of adolescent girls in Lorraine]. / Alimentation des adolescentes en Lorraine.

A survey concerning the nutritional habits, using the method of the dietary history, was undertaken among 273 girls aged 10 to 16 and examined at the Preventive Medicine Center in Nancy. The energy amount, on average 2,363 calories/day (9.88 MJ) and the distribution among the various nutriments differed little from the French recommendations. Energy intakes varied with bone ages and the socio-cultural level of parents. No intake changes were found with respect to the degree of overweight or to the growth peak. The study of the distribution of intakes according to the main groups of aliments showed the important place of dairy products (14.6%), breads (13.9%) as well as sweets and pastries (11.8%, 12.9%), distribution independent of age. Lunch represents the most important meal of the day (35.7%). Snacks provide as much energy as breakfast. The latter is insufficient in 20% of cases. However, this insufficiency is compensated during the day.

Dietary behavior of French men according to alcohol drinking pattern.

Relationships of alcohol consumption with diet were studied in 216 French men aged 18-44. The sample was divided on the basis of alcohol intake in the preceding 7 days: controls (less than or equal to 43 g/day), moderate drinkers (44-87 g/day) and heavy drinkers (88-200 g/day). Moderate and heavy drinkers consumed more meat and meat products, bread and toast, dried vegetables and potatoes than controls but fewer nonalcoholic drinks and less milk, yogurt, cooked vegetables, raw and cooked fruits, pastries and confectioneries. Total energy intake was higher in drinkers than in controls but nonalcoholic energy intake was not significantly different; alcohol was simply added to food intake. Moderate and heavy drinkers consumed significantly less carbohydrates but more fat and protein than controls. Vitamins A and C intakes were lower in the moderate and heavy drinkers than in controls but folate and iron intakes were higher. The differences in dietary habits between controls and drinkers were not related to age nor to socioprofessional status since after adjustment for these two parameters the same relationships were still found.

[Plasma retinol, carotenoids and tocopherols: biological variations between 18 and 45 years of age]. / Rétinol, caroténoïdes et tocophérols plasmatiques: facteurs de variation biologique entre 18 et 45 ans.

Variation factors of plasma retinol, carotenoids and vitamin E, and particularly sex and alcohol consumption, were studied on a sample of 271 males and females aged between 18 and 45 years. For analysis needs two subsamples were constituted: I (males and females with alcohol consumption less than or equal to 43 g/day) and II (males only). Sex and level of alcohol intake were two independent variation factors of plasma retinol and carotenoids. Associated with triglyceride and cholesterol for I and with triglyceride and ponderal index for II, they explained 40% of the total variance of plasma retinol. For carotenoids, the other associated independent variables were cholesterol, vitamin A and energy intake (r2 = 23% of explained variance). And for plasma vitamin E, neither sex nor alcohol consumption was a significant predictor of the model, the only variation factors being plasma lipids and age for I (r2 = 37%) and the same parameters associated with ponderal index for II (r2 = 55%).