The influence of diet quality on health-related quality of life in undergraduates.

Objective: Explore the relationship between fruit and vegetable (FV) intake and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in undergraduates. Participants: Undergraduates (N = 655). Methods: Using the Centers for Disease Control's Healthy Days Core Module and National Cancer Institute's (NCI) FV screener, differences in HRQOL between students who had consumed above the sample's average FV intake and their counterparts were evaluated. Multiple regression analyses assessed behaviors that predicted HRQOL. Results: Differences existed between HRQOL of students who consumed above average FV (M = 2.2 1.3) and peers, F(9,602) = 509, p < 0.001, Wilk's Δ = 0.116, partial n2 = 0.884. Predictors explained 30.0% of the variance in days per month feeling healthy (r2 = 0.29, F(4, 549) = 58.6, p < 0.001): perceived stress (ß = 0.46, p < 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (ß = 0.11, p < 0.01), FV intake (ß = 0.16, p < 0.001), and sleep duration (ß = 0.08, p < 0.05). Conclusions: FV intake and modifiable behaviors influenced HRQOL, suggesting that multifaceted interventions could improve HRQOL in this population.

Sexual Minority College Undergraduate Students Have Worse Health-Related Quality of Life, Diet Quality, and Weight Dissatisfaction Than Their Heterosexual Peers.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL), diet quality (DQ), and weight dissatisfaction in sexual minority (SM) undergraduates. METHODS: Undergraduates (n = 690) at 2 universities completed a survey assessing HRQOL, body mass index, DQ, and weight dissatisfaction. A multivariate analysis of covariance assessed HRQOL between SM and heterosexual students. Chi-square tests and independent t tests measured weight dissatisfaction and DQ. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Significant differences in HRQOL were observed (F[6,584] = 8.89; P < 0.001; Wilk's Λ = 0.916; partial η2 = 0.084). Sexual minority students experienced more days per month feeling sad/blue/depressed (12.0 ± 9.7 vs 6.3 ± 7.8 days; P < 0.001) and worried/tense/anxious (18.1 ± 10.2 vs 10.9 ± 9.8 days; P < 0.001); and fewer days feeling healthy and full of energy (6.8 ± 6.5 vs 11.4 ± 8.7 days; P < 0.001). Sexual minority students consumed more sugar (14.4 ± 7.9 g vs 10.2 ± 7.1 g; P = 0.020), had higher body mass indexes (25.8 ± 6.1 vs 24.4 ± 4.8; P = 0.005), and were less satisfied with their weight (30.7% vs 44.0%; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Sexual minority undergraduates experience similar health disparities as other SM populations and have indicators of poorer DQ.

The Effectiveness of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) on Diet Quality as Measured by the Healthy Eating Index.

The objective of the study was to assess the relationship between participation in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and food-related behavior change, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2005, using a single-state, case study approach. Pre-EFNEP and post-EFNEP participation HEI scores as well as demographic, geographic, socioeconomic, and program participation characteristics from fiscal years 2013-2016 were analyzed using summary statistics and Ordinary Least Squares regressions. HEI scores were adjusted for age, sex, race, rural/urban residence, county, highest grade achieved, income, number of children, public assistance programs, and number of hours in EFNEP in the analysis. The total HEI score and several HEI subscores improved from pre-EFNEP to post-EFNEP at the 5% significance level or better. Sodium and total grains scores decreased post-EFNEP: P = .003 and P = .05, respectively. Participation in Women, Infants, and Children or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program had no effect on HEI scores or changes in scores post-EFNEP. Spending less than 7 hours in the program was associated with a smaller improvement in total HEI score (P = .05) and an increased intake of sodium (P = .03), compared with spending 7 to 16 hours in the program. Overall, EFNEP participation was associated with improvements in diet quality.

Whole Grain Muffin Acceptance by Young Adults.

Adolescents and young adults in the United States do not consume recommended amounts of whole grains. University dining services have opportunities to inform students about whole grains and to offer foods containing blends of whole grains with refined flour to increase daily consumption of these healthful foods. An online survey of university students (n = 100) found that 70% of respondents did not know the proportion of servings of whole grains that should be eaten daily. Mini blueberry muffins containing 50, 75, and 100% white whole wheat flour were served to 50 undergraduate students who rated their liking of the muffins using a nine-point hedonic scale. Respondents liked all muffin formulations similarly for appearance, taste, texture and overall liking. After the whole grain content of each muffin was revealed, 66% of students increased their liking of the muffins containing 100% whole wheat flour. Only half of the students increased their liking for the 75% whole wheat flour muffins, and most students reported no change in liking for the muffins made with the lowest percentage of whole wheat flour. Labeling whole grain foods in university foodservice operations may increase consumption of this food group by some students. Further research with actual purchase behavior is needed.

A Review of Dietary Intake Studies in Maintenance Dialysis Patients.

Protein-energy wasting affects many maintenance dialysis patients (MDPs) and decreases survival. Suboptimal dietary energy intake (DEI) and dietary protein intake (DPI), secondary to reduced dietary intake (DI), are important risk factors in the development of protein-energy wasting. Multiple investigations of DEI and DPI in MDPs have occurred but few authors have synthesized these data. A comprehensive review of DI studies in MDPs was completed with the purpose of providing timely data on DI in MDPs until updated clinical practice guidelines for nutrition in nephrology care are published. A majority of DI investigations in MDPs confirm that DEI and DPI are below current nutrition guidelines. MDPs also have significantly lower DEI and DPI when compared with healthy controls. These findings inform the direction of further guidelines for nutrition in nephrology care as well as spark future research interests.

Comparison of dietary intake among women on maintenance dialysis to a Women's Health Initiative cohort: results from the NKF-CRN Second National Research Question Collaborative Study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the characteristics and dietary intake of Second National Research Question (SNRQ) participants to the Women's Health Initiative-Dietary Modification (WHI-DM) Trial group and to compare the dietary intake of both groups to relevant reference norms. DESIGN: The study design was a secondary analysis of data collected from the SNRQ and from the WHI-DM Trial. SUBJECTS: SNRQ participants were adult women on dialysis (n = 248) from U.S. dialysis facilities. WHI-DM Trial participants (n = 48,836) were postmenopausal, 50- to 79-year-old women from 40 U.S. clinical centers. METHODS: The 1-sample t test, χ(2), and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to compare the SNRQ participants to the WHI-DM group and to compare the dietary intake of both to nutrition reference norms. Differences were considered significant at a 2-tailed P ≤ .01. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Dietary intake was defined as dietary energy intake (DEI), dietary protein intake (DPI), fiber, fat, saturated fat, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, fruits, and vegetables. RESULTS: Characteristics including age, race, weight, educational level, and cardiovascular disease differed between the SNRQ and WHI-DM groups (P < .001). SNRQ participants had lower DEI, DPI, fiber, fat, saturated fat, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, fruit, and vegetable intake than WHI-DM women (P < .001). Dietary intake of SNRQ hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients differed significantly from reference norms (P < .001) except for phosphorus intake in PD patients (P = .03). WHI-DM women had higher intakes of fat and saturated fat and lower intakes of fiber, fruit, and vegetables than recommended in reference norms for the general population. CONCLUSION: Dietary intake differed significantly between SNRQ participants and the WHI-DM group. Dietary intake of the SNRQ participants, except for phosphorus intake in PD patients, differed significantly from relevant reference norms.