The role of food analysis in national and international nutrition programmes.

This paper outlines the importance of information on the composition of foods for a wide range of national and international activities at government, community and industry levels. Particular reference is made to the essential need for nutrient composition data of food supplied for the development of nutrition policy and programmes, for nutrition research and nutritional education to improve health status and reduce risk for disease. The regional activities of the International Network of Food Data Systems (INFOODS) and the Asia Pacific Food Analysis Network (APFAN) to promote the availability and quality of food composition data, are discussed. In particular, reference is made to the role of APFAN in promoting the use of consistent methodologies for food analysis by its member organizations.

Effect of nutrition improvement project on morbidity from infectious diseases in preschool children in Vietnam: comparison with control commune.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a nutrition improvement project based on home garden production and nutrition education on morbidity from acute respiratory infection and diarrhoeal disease in preschool children. DESIGN: The morbidity survey comprised five data collections undertaken by trained interviewers to ascertain the incidence and severity of respiratory infections and the incidence of diarrhoeal disease in children in two communes. SETTING: A project commune and a control commune in Vietnam. SUBJECTS: Preschool children to 6 years of age living in the project commune Khai Xuan (average 469 children) and the control commune Ching Cong (average 251 children). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Differences between the two communes over time in the incidence and severity of respiratory infections and the incidence of diarrhoeal disease. RESULTS: In Khai Xuan there was a significant reduction (P < 0.0001) in the incidence of respiratory infections (from 49.5% to 11.2%) and diarrhoeal infections (18.3% to 5.1%); the incidence of pneumonia and severe pneumonia was also significantly reduced (P < 0.0001). In Ching Cong there was no significant change in the incidence and severity of respiratory disease nor in the incidence of diarrhoeal disease. CONCLUSIONS: These findings emphasise the successful health outcome of a nutrition project based on household food production and nutrition education and the value of evaluating nutrition projects by reference to measurable health outcomes.

PIP: A nutrition program based on home garden food production and nutrition education for mothers of young children was associated with significant reductions in morbidity from acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease in preschool children in Viet Nam's Vinh Phu province. The nutrition program was implemented in Khai Xuan commune during 1991-93; Ching Cong commune, which did not receive the intervention, served as the control community. In Khai Xuan, the incidence of respiratory infections among children under 6 years of age decreased from 49.5% to 11.2% during the study period, while that of diarrheal disease dropped from 18.3% to 5.1%. The nutrition project was also associated with significant declines in severe pneumonia. No changes in morbidity occurred in the control commune. The intervention resulted in significantly higher intakes of vegetables, fruit, energy, protein, vitamin A, and iron by project children compared with controls. It is recommended that nutrition improvement be adopted as an infectious disease control strategy in international and national development programs, especially those in countries where respiratory and diarrheal infections are the major cause of child morbidity and mortality.

Dietary intake of Australian smokers and nonsmokers.

The 1983 National Dietary Survey of Adults and the 1983 Risk Factor Prevalence Survey No. 2, conducted on the same subjects, provided an opportunity to examine the nutrient intakes of smokers (1024 men and 785 women) and nonsmokers (1974 men and 2421 women). The nutrients analysed were energy (kJ); fat (g/day and contribution to energy); starch (contribution to energy); dietary fibre (g/day and g/1000 kJ); alcohol (g/1000 kJ); polyunsaturated/saturated fats ratio; cholesterol, niacin, vitamin C, calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium (mg/1000 kJ); and vitamin A, thiamin and riboflavin (microgram/1000 kJ). For both men and women, nonsmokers have a significantly higher intake of starch, dietary fibre (g/day and g/1000 kJ), thiamin, vitamin C, calcium and magnesium than smokers, who have a significantly higher intake of alcohol. Male smokers also have a higher intake of energy and cholesterol, but a lower intake of riboflavin, than nonsmokers. These differences in nutrient intakes suggest that nonsmokers consume a more nutritious diet than smokers, in regard to having a higher intake of fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereals and milk and milk products. There is a highly statistically significant association between smoking status and hazardous intake of alcohol. Both men and women who smoke have a significantly lower body mass index (BMI), than nonsmokers or ex-smokers.

Iron status of Australian children.

A national survey covering all States and Territories was conducted in urban and rural schools to determine the iron status of Australian children and adolescents. This article reports the results of blood analyses for 1696 schoolchildren aged 9, 12 and 15 years. The measures of iron status analysed were plasma levels of iron, transferrin and ferritin. Results for all of these measures were available for 1204 of the schoolchildren for whom iron status was assessed based on the plasma ferritin and transferrin saturation model. Iron status was generally satisfactory in the 9, 12 and 15 year old boys and the 9 and 12 year old girls. There was a marked and statistically significantly higher prevalence of iron deficiency among the 15 year old girls. These results are discussed in relation to the food and nutrient intakes of 12 and 15 year old children who also participated in the 1985 National Dietary Survey of Schoolchildren.

Breast-milk production and energy exchange in human lactation.

The milk production of one mother was determined post-partum for a period of 13 weeks, during which time breast milk was her infant's only source of food energy. The weight changes of both the mother and the male infant were recorded during this period. The food intake and activity pattern of the mother were also recorded for 4-week periods: at 2, 6, 10 weeks after birth and 2 weeks after the cessation of lactation, which was maintained for a period of 27 weeks. The infant regained his birth weight of 3310 g on the 14th day of life. His weight gain for the duration of the study, which averaged 233 g/week, was considered satisfactory. The daily milk production increased gradually from an average of 241 g during the 1st week post-partum to 995 g during the 12th week. The infant's maximum milk intake and hence food energy intake per kg body-weight was (range) 198-204 g milk and 550-560 kJ/kg respectively during the 3rd to the 7th week, followed by a gradual decrease from the 8th to the 13th week after birth. The estimated efficiency of energy conversion for breast-milk production was consistent with other values reported in the literature.