Physical characterization of incense aerosols.

Experiments were performed to study the physical characteristics of smoke aerosols generated by burning three types of stick incense in a 4 m3 clean room. Sidestream cigarette smoke was also examined under the same conditions to provide a comparison. Among the parameters measured were (a) masses of aerosol, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides generated by burning the incense or cigarettes, (b) rates of decay of the particles from the air, and (c) estimates of count median particle size during a 7 h period post-burning. There was variability among the types of incense studied with respect to many of the parameters. Also, as a general trend, the greater the initial particulate mass concentration, the more rapid the rate of decay of the smoke. In relation to the quantity of particulate generated, cigarette smoke was found to produce proportionally larger quantities of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides than did incense. Due to the fact that burning incense was found to generate large quantities of particulate (an average of greater than 45 mg/g burned, as opposed to about 10 mg/g burned for the cigarettes), it is likely, in cases in which incense is habitually burned in indoor settings, that such a practice would produce substantial airborne particulate concentrations.

The effectiveness of adherence intervention in a colon cancer prevention field trial.

BACKGROUND: Adherence interventions were implemented in a 1-year community-based colon cancer prevention clinical trial (n = 110) using wheat bran fiber and calcium dietary supplements. The adherence promotion strategy was guided by a theoretical model. METHODS: The adherence intervention contains both a generalized portion given to all participants and an individualized portion given to marginal (50-74% intake) and low (under 50% intake) adherers. A regression model was employed to assess the effectiveness of the interventions both at the first intervention and at subsequent times. RESULTS: The Health Behavior in Cancer Prevention Model-based adherence promotion intervention was associated with retention of participants, both during the run-in period and after randomization (P = 0.05); and maximization of the percentage of the 13.5-g recommended fiber supplement consumed during the trial (92.5%). The positive effects of the adherence intervention were greater with first-time nonadherers and the control group than with the experimental group. The high-fiber group had notably more biological GI effects from the increased fiber intake, more preexisting comorbidities, and lower perceived cognitive and physical health status. CONCLUSIONS: Randomized participants had excellent adherence overall. Retention rates in the trial were better than would be expected without the adherence intervention, especially among those participants who may have been at higher risk for dropping out of the study. This suggests that a systematic, theoretically based adherence strategy should be further tested in clinical trial settings in which lower adherence is a problem.

A community-based feasibility study using wheat bran fiber supplementation to lower colon cancer risk.

METHODS: In this feasibility study, free-living older adults (n = 180; means = 67.5 years old) were randomly assigned to one of three levels of a 3-month standardized compliance enhancement program. RESULTS: Regarding subject compliance with the 18 g/day wheat bran fiber supplement, the high compliance enhancement group had a superior regimen compliance rate (88%) versus the medium and low groups, (66 and 29%, respectively) (P = 0.01), with similar attrition rates. CONCLUSION: No significant gastrointestinal side effects and changes in body weight were reported. For similar efficacy, the comprehensive compliance enhancement group had the greatest cost effectiveness.

An exploratory study of attitudes, beliefs and practices related to the interim dietary guidelines for reducing cancer in the elderly.

In this pilot study, a self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the health attitudes, beliefs and practices related to each of the Interim Dietary Guidelines for Reducing Cancer Risk (I.D.G.R.C.R.) in a convenience sample of elderly Caucasian subjects (N = 30) over 60 years old. The questionnaire items included personal efficacy, perceived motivators and barriers, and current practices related to the compliance of each of the dietary guidelines. The distributions of responses to the questionnaire items show variations in the subjects' attitudes, beliefs and current dietary practices related to each of the dietary guidelines. Most subjects reported current practice of most guidelines except the guideline of a low fat diet. Most of the time, the subjects perceived one or more motivations to comply with the guidelines of eating fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C, and eating dark green or deep yellow vegetables. Taste and health benefits were shown to be important factors among motivators influencing the compliance to the dietary guidelines. The findings of this exploratory study have direct implications for planning nutrition intervention programs for cancer risk reduction in the elderly.

The effects of energy content and sweet taste on food consumption in restrained and non-restrained eaters.

To characterize restrained eating behavior, we fed pudding mixtures (preloads) varying in energy content and sweet taste to subjects before measuring their intake of a variety of appetizing foods in a laboratory setting. Twenty-four female subjects were divided into three groups: normal-weight restrained eaters (no. = 8), normal-weight non-restrained eaters (no. = 7), and over-weight restrained eaters (no. = 9). Classification of subjects was based on body mass and restrained eating score. Five preloads varying in energy content (393 or 67 kcal) and type of sweeteners (sucrose or cyclamate) were served 1/2 hour before test meals of assorted hors d'oeuvres. Subjects were not informed of the specific aim of the study, and were instructed to eat until full. Multivariate analysis of variance of repeated measures showed that food intake of all subjects was higher after eating low-energy preloads than after eating high-energy preloads, although subjects did not recognize the effect in self-reports (p less than .01). The energy intake of restrained normal-weight eaters was significantly (p less than .05) lower after eating sweet preloads than after eating non-sweet preloads. Findings suggest that a food-intake control mechanism responds to short-term energy deficits among subjects of varied body mass and restrained eating indexes. J Am Diet Assoc 90:1223-1228, 1990.

An exploratory investigation of elders' views on diet, nutrition and cancer prevention.

The goal of this exploratory investigation was to describe views related to diet and cancer prevention among the residents of a southwestern retirement community. Ethnographic interviews were conducted with twelve residents, providing over 500 data bits for this investigation. Several categories representative of the elders' views related to diet and cancer prevention were identified using content analysis. These included Determinants of food choices, Vigilance and diet and Expectations related to diet and cancer prevention. Two cultural themes illustrated the semantic relationships among the categories: "It's not easy to change your diet, especially when you are all alone," and "Eating right helps you resist disease but it is just too late for us." As diet becomes a primary means of reducing one's risk for certain types of cancer, the informed expertise of nutrition educators and health practitioners is needed to assist the public in adopting dietary guidelines. Qualitative data, as presented here, will be useful in developing effective education materials to meet this need.

Meat fat madness: conflicting patterns of meat fat consumption and their public health implications.

From 1979 to 1985, the University of Arizona's Household Refuse Analysis Project recorded packaging and food debris in household refuse to track the purchase of red meat and the discard of separable fat in sample neighborhoods with different income and age characteristics. From 1979 to 1982, the discard rate of meat fat remained relatively constant; in 1983, the rate of discard of meat fat nearly doubled and has remained stable in all neighborhoods measured. During the same period, the purchase of red meat with separable fat (steaks, roasts, and chops) declined, while the purchase of red meat with hidden, non-separable fat (hamburger, lunch meats, sausage, and bacon) held constant or increased. Thus, two "fat" trends have been identified at the household level: first, the purchase of less red meat with separable fat and the discard of a greater percentage of that fat, and second, the purchase of a greater percentage of red meat with substantial quantities of non-separable fat. Whether these seemingly contradictory choices are being made by a fully informed public is unclear. It is suggested that health promoters need to communicate the fat content of all types of red meat, especially those with hidden fat, more clearly.