Characterization, phytochemical profiling, antioxidant, and cytotoxicity of underutilized medicinal plants and composite flour.

In this investigation, three medicinal plant powders and a composite flour developed from them were analyzed. FESEM/EDS illustrated irregularly shaped particles in the plant powders except for Withania, which had round to oval shape particles. XRD analysis displayed a semi-crystalline nature of powders, except for Asparagus, which showed amorphous behavior. Both methanol and ethanol plant extracts exhibited significantly higher antioxidants, total phenols, and cell viability. Amongst, optimized composite flour (OCF) methanolic extract demonstrated the highest total phenolic content (69.2 ± 0.11 µg GAE/ml), potent cell viability against A549 cells (3.35 ± 0.15% at 50 µg/ml), and strong free-radical scavenging activity (48.89 ± 0.67 at 200 µg/ml). GCMS and FTIR analyses of the methanolic extracts demonstrated the presence of essential phytoconstituents and functional groups. In silico studies of the phytocomponents, ethyl isoallocholate, 3-Deoxy-d-mannoic lactone, and 4,5-Diamino-2-hydroxypyrimidine suggested good binding affinity against BAX, P53, and EGFR proteins with no toxicity and a good drug score.

Assessing the Healthfulness of University Food Environments: A Systematic Review of Methods and Tools.

The availability, promotion, and price of healthy foods within the university food environment may impact students' dietary choices. This systematic review summarizes the tools and methods used to assess the healthfulness of university food environments where many students spend a significant portion of their emerging adulthood. Thirty-six global studies published between 2012 and 2022 were sourced from PubMed (NNLM), Cochrane Library (Wiley), Web of Science (Clarivate), APA PsycInfo (EBSCO), CINHAL Complete (EBSCO), ProQuest Nursing, and Allied Health, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Of the included studies, 58% were institutional-level audits, 17% examined individual-level perceptions, and 25% combined both. Most institutional-level audits focused on one aspect of the food environment (e.g., eateries, vending machines). For studies examining multiple spaces within the campus environment (38%), comprehensive assessments were limited, and most studies had to employ a combination of assessment tools. Surveys were most often used to gather individual perceptions about the food environment. The Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (NEMS) was the most commonly used tool across all studies. This review highlights the need for a standardized tool, method, or a "healthy" benchmark for specific use at universities to improve methodological rigor and comparability of findings across institutions.

Understanding Health-Related Motivations for Urban Food Self-Production in the Light of Semantic Fields Analysis.

One of the contemporary challenges facing urban areas is the necessity to identify novel approaches to resident involvement in solution creation, with a particular focus on ensuring the best possible nutrition. By investigating the process of co-participation of city dwellers in a unique education project, this paper aims to gain a deeper understanding of the health-related motivations that underpin the decision of early adopters of the implemented technological innovations to join the social experiment. The qualitative study employed purposive sampling and in-depth interviews conducted in two waves, the first between October and November 2022 and the second between September 2023 and January 2024. The study comprised 42 participants drawn from two communities of residents in Lódz and Warsaw, Poland. Transcriptions of the interviews were carried out using semantic field analysis, employing a quantitative approach that counts the frequency of keyword occurrences. Three categories of semantic fields were identified: associations, oppositions, and actions toward the subject, including positive, neutral, and negative temperatures. The findings demonstrate that the health concerns of residents are a pivotal factor in their decision to participate in urban food self-production initiatives, given their limited access to nutritious and healthy vegetables. This is related to several factors, including restrictions related to urbanization and the displacement of local suppliers, lifestyle, and the fast pace of urban life. The dissemination of innovative solutions for growing food in urban environments could, therefore, facilitate awareness-raising and motivation to alter the dietary habits of inhabitants.

Real-world survey of eating attitudes and spending behaviors related to healthy foods/supplements in women seeking to become pregnant.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Since 2022, fertility treatments have been partially covered by insurance in Japan. Women who wish to become pregnant may explore various means of conception as fertility treatments have shown low success rates. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the state of knowledge, behavior, and attitudes toward health foods among women who are actively trying to become pregnant. METHODS: A web-based research company surveyed the eating attitudes and behaviors towards healthy foods of 900 women seeking to become pregnant. Regression analysis for the total amount spent on pregnancy was conducted, with "amount spent on actions undertaken to conceive" as the dependent variable. Multiple regression analysis on actions undertaken to conceive was performed using age, family income, body mass index, duration of hospital visits, duration of actions undertaken to conceive, cumulative amount incurred to conceive, awareness of dietary guidelines, adherence to dietary practices, number of types of health foods and supplements, whether participants considered consumption of nutritious foods and supplements to be important, and cumulative amount spent on healthy foods and supplements. The effect size for the Chi-square test was determined with Cramer's coefficient of association. RESULTS: Increasing age was associated with a longer time to conceive, longer hospital visits, higher conception costs (including fertility treatment), and a higher intake of healthy food products. The number of healthy food types had the greatest impact on the cost incurred to conceive. Folic acid was the most commonly consumed healthy food, followed by iron and calcium. CONCLUSIONS: This study clarified the real-world situation regarding healthy foods for women seeking pregnancy in Japan. The information necessary for pregnant women to select safe healthy foods was clarified, which may lead to the establishment of risk-communication measures to ensure safety.

Exploring the spatial mental associations of distinct food types.

Previous research explored the spatial representations of healthy low-calorie and unhealthy high-calorie food items, revealing an association of healthy low-calorie food with left and top sides, and unhealthy/high-calorie food with right and top sides. This association, namely side bias, was limited to these specific categories leaving the representations of healthy high-calorie and unhealthy low-calorie food categories yet to be explored. Present study was designed to examine the spatial representation of four food categories (unhealthy low-calorie, unhealthy high-calorie, healthy low-calorie, healthy high-calorie) using a computerized food placement task. In Experiment 1, participants placed four food items from different categories into eight locations. In Experiment 2, identical task was used with the addition of centrally presented anchor food item to investigate the mental representation of food items in relation to each other. The frequency of placing food items in specific spatial locations were measured. The results of Experiment 1 provided partial support for side bias. However, the use of anchor items in Experiment 2 provided compelling evidence for vertical side bias, demonstrating consistent pattern of placing healthy foods on the upper sides and unhealthy foods on the lower sides. In both experiments, real-life food choices were examined to investigate whether the high-calorie bias would be observed in actual food choice behavior. The results from both experiments indicated strong preference to select high-calorie foods, supporting high-calorie bias. Overall, this study extends the evidence on the spatial representations of distinct food categories.

Trends and challenges of fruit by-products utilization: insights into safety, sensory, and benefits of the use for the development of innovative healthy food: a review.

A significant portion of the human diet is comprised of fruits, which are consumed globally either raw or after being processed. A huge amount of waste and by-products such as skins, seeds, cores, rags, rinds, pomace, etc. are being generated in our homes and agro-processing industries every day. According to previous statistics, nearly half of the fruits are lost or discarded during the entire processing chain. The concern arises when those wastes and by-products damage the environment and simultaneously cause economic losses. There is a lot of potential in these by-products for reuse in a variety of applications, including the isolation of valuable bioactive ingredients and their application in developing healthy and functional foods. The development of novel techniques for the transformation of these materials into marketable commodities may offer a workable solution to this waste issue while also promoting sustainable economic growth from the bio-economic viewpoint. This approach can manage waste as well as add value to enterprises. The goal of this study is twofold based on this scenario. The first is to present a brief overview of the most significant bioactive substances found in those by-products. The second is to review the current status of their valorization including the trends and techniques, safety assessments, sensory attributes, and challenges. Moreover, specific attention is drawn to the future perspective, and some solutions are discussed in this report.

Exploring the role of the general interest in health on the perceptions of Healthy, Industrialized, and Ultra-processed foods among Brazilians.

Food processing includes operations that transform raw materials into new products, ensuring the preservation and supply of safe food; however, this view is not always understood by consumers who tend to associate any type of processing with something negative and harmful to health. Given this, the objective of this study was to explore the associations of Brazilian consumers in relation to healthy foods, industrialized foods, and ultra-processed foods, as well as to evaluate the role of socio-demographic characteristics and interest in health in these associations. To this end, 512 Brazilians completed a word association task on these three concepts and then answered a questionnaire about interest in health and socio-demographic issues. In general, participants associated "Healthy food" mainly with "Unprocessed products." Conversely, "Industrialized foods" and "Ultra-processed foods" were associated with "Processed products," "Negative perceptions," "Health harm," and "Industry". Despite this, it was found that "Industrialized foods" were also perceived positively, mainly due to convenience. Consumer associations were influenced (p ≤ 0.05) both by interest in health and by socio-demographic profile. Individuals with a high interest in health mainly associated "Industrialized foods" and "Ultra-processed foods" with the presence of preservatives, additives, and pesticides, and with diseases. As for those with low interest in health, there was a greater lack of knowledge of the concepts. Doubts and lack of knowledge were observed for "Industrialized foods" and "Ultra-processed foods," mainly among consumers with low educational level. The results indicate the need to develop communication strategies that reach consumers to facilitate understanding and, in this way, help them to make more conscious food choices.

Association of mobile health (mHealth) use with health status and COVID-19-related concerns by people with mobility impairments.

PURPOSE: Mobile health (mHealth) technology has increased dramatically in the wake of the pandemic. Less research has focused on people with mobility impairing (PMI) disabilities. This study determined the prevalence of mHealth use among PMI adults during the COVID-19 escalation and examines demographic, health and COVID-19 concerns correlates. METHODS: PMI adults (N = 304) completed an online survey investigating mHealth use and COVID-19 concerns related to food access in June of 2020. Smartphone and mHealth use were measured with an adapted version of the survey used in the Pew Internet & American Life project. Descriptive and multivariable analyses were conducted to determine associations of demographics, health status, and COVID-19 concerns with mHealth use. About two-thirds (N = 201) of the sample were mHealth users (owned a smartphone and engaged in health-promoting behaviors with the smartphone; e.g., sought online information, tracked health behaviors, used patient portals). RESULTS: Having hypertension was associated with higher mHealth use, and having higher COVID-19 concerns about food access was associated with higher mHealth use. Those who used mHealth were also more engaged with smartphone apps for communication, services, and entertainment. Only the association between educational attainment and mHealth use remained significant after adjusting for other covariates in multivariable logistic regression models. DISCUSSION: PMIs continue to need support in the use of mHealth technology to help maximize access to potentially important tools for rehabilitation and health management. There is a need to continue to investigate mHealth and its applications for people with disabilities.Implications for RehabilitationMany people with mobility impairing disabilities may be missing opportunities for mHealth rehabilitation and healthcare.COVID-19 has widened existing gaps in access and use of mHealth technology among people with mobility impairing disabilities.Focused education is needed to help people with disabilities exploit the full range of services of their smartphones to increase access to care, social connectivity, and other important goods and services to enhance rehabilitation and health management.

"Everyone's struggling right now": Impact of COVID-19 on addressing food insecurity in rural primary care.

BACKGROUND: Primary care practices can address food insecurity (FI) through routine screening, practice-based food programmes, and referrals to community resources. The COVID-19 pandemic had disproportionate impacts on health outcomes for food-insecure households. OBJECTIVE: To describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on FI screening and interventions in rural primary care practices in northern New England. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with thirteen providers and staff regarding changes to FI screening and interventions, community resources and partnerships, and patient food needs during the pandemic. Themes and exemplar quotations were identified through iterative discussion. RESULTS: Practices reported more frequent informal discussions with patients about FI during the pandemic. Despite limitations in site operations, practices created programmes to distribute food at practice locations or through food deliveries. The adoption of telemedicine had variable impacts on FI screening, creating challenges for some while facilitating screening outside of scheduled visits for others. Practices reported increased food availability due to new or expanded community programmes, but lack of transportation and delivery availability were challenges. New and stronger connections formed between practices and community partners. Increased awareness of FI among both patients and practice staff resulted in decreased stigma. CONCLUSION: Screening for and addressing FI was a priority for rural primary care practices during the pandemic. The implementation of practice-based FI interventions was supported by stronger practice-community connections and a decrease in stigma. The experiences of providers and staff during the pandemic provide insight into best practices for engaging primary care practices in reducing FI.

Validation of a short food group questionnaire to determine intakes from healthy and unhealthy food groups in 5-9-year-old South African children.

BACKGROUND: Reliable dietary data for children are necessary to investigate associations with health outcomes. The present study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire to determine the frequency of intakes of specific healthy and unhealthy food groups in young children. METHODS: Participants were 5-9-year-old South African children (n = 920) from 10 urban schools. Their parents completed a demographic questionnaire and the food intake questionnaire with food pictures. Based on the literature, four healthy food groups (fruits, vegetables, milk, meat/fish/poultry/eggs) and six unhealthy food groups (hot and cold sugar-sweetened beverages, candy, salty snacks, cakes and fast foods) were included, with five different frequency responses. Six experienced nutritionists assessed the face validity and content validity. After pilot testing, construct validity and homogeneity were determined in the participants. Convergent validity was determined using urinary sodium and potassium concentrations as biological intake markers. RESULTS: Nutritionists confirmed face and content validity. Caregivers confirmed understanding of the questionnaire. Three factors explained 50.2% of the variance, with most unhealthy food groups as factor 1, fruits and vegetables as factor 2, and animal source protein and milk groups clustered with sugar-sweetened beverages as factor 3. The frequency of milk group, fruits and vegetables intake correlated negatively, whereas the frequency of salty snacks and fast foods intakes correlated positively with the urinary sodium:potassium ratio. CONCLUSIONS: The healthy and unhealthy food group questionnaire has advantages of low respondent burden, as well as acceptable content and convergent validity in South African children. The questionnaire may be used to investigate associations between food intakes and health outcomes.

Percepção dos residentes de favelas brasileiras sobre o ambiente alimentar: um estudo qualitativo / Perception of the food environment by Brazilian slum residents: a qualitative study / Percepción de los residentes de favelas brasileñas sobre el entorno alimentario: un estudio cualitativo

Resumo A disponibilidade de venda de alimentos no território pode influenciar no consumo alimentar da população. Entretanto, é importante compreender como as pessoas percebem o seu ambiente alimentar para se entender como essa disponibilidade afeta seu consumo em contextos distintos. O objetivo foi avaliar a percepção dos moradores de favelas brasileiras sobre o ambiente alimentar em suas vizinhanças. Estudo qualitativo, em que foram realizados grupos focais online guiados por um roteiro para reunir discursos coletivos sobre o acesso aos alimentos em favelas brasileiras. O convite ocorreu por meio das redes sociais e do contato com líderes comunitários e organizações não governamentais que atuam em favelas, por meio da técnica de amostragem "bola de neve". Para a análise, foi utilizada a abordagem grounded theory (teoria fundamentada) e, como técnica, foi empregada a análise de redes temáticas. O acesso aos alimentos por moradores de favelas é permeado pela falta de recursos e elementos fundamentais para uma alimentação adequada e saudável, como: a falta de informação sobre alimentação; a renda insuficiente; e a baixa disponibilidade de estabelecimentos que comercializam alimentos saudáveis a preços acessíveis. São necessários programas e políticas públicas que incentivem a ampliação de equipamentos de segurança alimentar e nutricional, como hortas e feiras, e que aumentem a oferta de alimentos saudáveis com valores baixos nas favelas. Também são necessárias ações que abordem a complexidade das barreiras enfrentadas por moradores de favelas para ter acesso aos alimentos saudáveis.

Abstract Food availability in the territory can influence food consumption by the population. However, it is important to understand how people perceive their food environment to see how food availability affects consumption in different contexts. This study aimed to assess the perception of the food environment by Brazilian slum residents in their neighborhoods. This is a qualitative study, with online focus groups guided by a script in order to gather collective discourses about access to food in Brazilian slums. The invitation to participate in this study was made through social media, and community leaders and nongovernmental organizations with actions in slums were contacted using the snowball sampling technique. Grounded theory analysis was applied with the technique of thematic networks. Access to food for slum residents involves lack of resources and essential elements for an adequate and healthy diet, such as lack of information about food, low income, and low availability of stores that sell healthy food at affordable prices. Public programs and policies are required to encourage the expansion of food and nutritional security resources, such as vegetable gardens and markets, to increase the supply and sell healthy food at affordable prices in slums. Actions are also required to address the complexity of obstacles faced by slum residents in the access to healthy foods.

Resumen La disponibilidad de venta de alimentos en el territorio puede influir en el consumo alimentario de la población. Sin embargo, es importante comprender la manera en que las personas perciben su entorno alimentario para comprender cómo esta disponibilidad afecta su consumo en diferentes contextos. El objetivo fue evaluar la percepción de los residentes de favelas brasileñas sobre el entorno alimentario en sus vecindarios. Estudio cualitativo, en el que se formaron grupos focales en línea orientados por un guion con el objetivo de reunir discursos colectivos sobre el acceso a los alimentos en favelas brasileñas. La invitación se dio por medio de las redes sociales y mediante el contacto con líderes comunitarios y organizaciones no gubernamentales que trabajan en favelas, utilizando la técnica de muestreo "bola de nieve". Para el análisis, se utilizó el enfoque de la grounded theory (teoría fundamentada) y, como técnica, se empleó el análisis de redes temáticas. El acceso a los alimentos de los habitantes de las favelas está permeado por la falta de recursos y elementos fundamentales para una alimentación adecuada y sana, tales como: la falta de información sobre la alimentación, los bajos ingresos y la poca disponibilidad de establecimientos que vendan alimentos sanos a precios asequibles. Se necesitan programas y políticas públicas para fomentar la ampliación de equipos de seguridad alimentaria y nutricional, como huertas y mercadillos, que aumenten la oferta y vendan alimentos sanos a precios asequibles en las favelas. También se necesitan acciones para abordar la complejidad de las barreras que enfrentan los residentes de las favelas para acceder a alimentos sanos.

Challenges for obesity prevention: Study of the consumers' food environment around public schools in a small municipality / Desafios para a prevenção da obesidade: estudo do ambiente alimentar do consumidor no entorno de escolas públicas de um município de pequeno porte

ABSTRACT Objective Evaluate the consumer's food environment in food retailers around public schools in the municipality of Governador Celso Ramos, state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. Methods A survey was carried out in the surroundings of three public schools, from March to May 2022. Food retailers located in a pre-established 800m buffer zone were identified. A location system device recorded latitude and longitude. An audit of the establishments was performed using a specific validated instrument for auditing the consumer food environment (AUDITNOVA). These establishments were grouped into: Group 1 - predominantly selling fresh foods, Group 2 - mixed establishments, and Group 3 - predominantly selling ultra-processed foods. These establishments were assessed using a Consumer Food Environment Healthiness Score evaluation system. The data were analyzed using the statistical software Stata version 16.0. Results The study audited 21 establishments, 47.6% of which were small neighborhood food markets, 23.8% bakeries, 14.3% butchers/fishmongers, 9.5% grocery stores and 4.8% supermarkets. It was found that privately-owned vegetable markets had a higher availability of fresh and minimally processed food categories, while the lowest scores for this category were found in bakeries. Regarding ultra-processed foods, the most commonly found items were sugary beverages and candies, chocolates, and filled cookies. Conclusion More audit studies ought to be carried out in the surroundings of schools to broaden the understanding of the relationship between access, availability, prices and food advertisement in order to support the construction of strategies aimed at preventing obesity in the population.

RESUMO Objetivo Avaliar o ambiente alimentar do consumidor em estabelecimentos de comercialização de alimentos no entorno de escolas públicas no município de Governador Celso Ramos, estado de Santa Catarina, no Sul do Brasil. Métodos Foi realizada, entre março e maio de 2022, no entorno de três escolas públicas, auditoria nos comércios varejistas localizados em uma zona pré-estabelecida de 800m. Um equipamento com sistema de localização realizou o registro da latitude e longitude. Esta auditoria foi realizada utilizando um instrumento validado próprio para auditoria do ambiente alimentar do consumidor (AUDITNOVA). Estes foram agrupados em Grupo 1 - com venda predominante de alimentos in natura; Grupo 2 - estabelecimentos mistos; Grupo 3 - com venda predominante de alimentos ultraprocessados. Os estabelecimentos foram avaliados por um sistema de avaliação de saudabilidade do ambiente alimentar do consumidor. Os dados foram analisados no programa estatístico Stata versão 16.0. Resultados O estudo auditou 21 estabelecimentos, sendo 47,6% mercados de bairro, 23,8% padarias, 14,3% açougues/peixarias, 9,5% sacolões/hortifrutis privados e 4,8% supermercados. Foi identificado que sacolões/hortifrutis privados apresentaram maior oferta de alimentos da categoria in natura e minimamente processados, enquanto os menores scores desta categoria de alimentos foram encontrados em padarias. Em relação aos alimentos ultraprocessados, os alimentos mais presentes foram bebidas açucaradas e balas, chocolates e biscoito recheado. Conclusão Sugere-se a realização de mais estudos de auditoria em comércios varejistas no entorno de escolas para ampliar a compreensão da relação entre o acesso, disponibilidade, preços e propagandas dos alimentos de modo a subsidiar a construção de estratégias que visem a prevenção da obesidade na população.

Diet Quality and Consumption of Healthy and Unhealthy Foods Measured via the Global Diet Quality Score in Relation to Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Apparently Healthy Adults from the Mediterranean Region: The ATTICA Epidemiological Cohort Study (2002-2022).

The Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) is a novel food-based score that assesses both nutrient adequacy and chronic disease risk, by evaluating healthy (GDQS+) and unhealthy foods (GDQS-). The aim of this study was to evaluate the association among GDQS, GDQS+, and GDQS- against the 20-year risk of cardiometabolic outcomes in a Mediterranean population. The sample was n = 2169 initially free of cardiovascular disease (CVD) participants of the ATTICA study (2002-2022) that participated in the 20-year follow-up. The incidence of CVD, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was defined according to WHO-ICD-10 criteria. The GDQS was computed based on previously published instructions. In multivariate analyses, a higher diet quality, per 1/49 of the GDQS, was associated with an 8% [95% Confidence Interval-CI: 6-9%] and 2% [95% CI: 1-3%] lower CVD and T2DM risk, respectively. A higher consumption of healthy foods, per 1/32 of GDQS+, was associated with a 9% [95% CI: 7-11%] and 2% [95% CI: 1-3%] lower CVD and T2DM risk, respectively. Contrarily, a lower consumption of unhealthy foods (GDQS-) was not associated with cardiometabolic events in the adjusted models (all p value< 0.05). In clinical practice or future public health actions to ameliorate dietary habits and prevent CVD and T2DM, more attention should be focused on healthy foods that should be included in our diets.

Food healthiness judgements among Brazilian and German lay adults.

This study investigated which foods are most saliently judged as healthy and unhealthy in Brazil and Germany and the reasons for these judgements. Dietary guidelines in the two countries differ in that those in Brazil are based on a food processing classification rather than nutrient profiling, whereas dietary guidelines in Germany do not include the processing level of food. In an online study with 355 lay adults (Brazil n = 205, Germany n = 150), we explored which foods are listed as healthy and unhealthy using a free-listing method. The main reasons for these healthiness judgements were then identified with a one or two-word phrase and compared between countries. Saliency analysis was conducted to identify the 15 most salient healthy and unhealthy foods in each country. Principles of content analysis were used to assess the reasons why these 15 items were listed as most salient by the participants. Results showed that both Brazilians and Germans listed mostly natural or minimally processed food (e.g. fruits, vegetables, grains, fish and milk) as healthy, whereas types of convenience and fast food, sweets and other ultra-processed foods (e.g. chocolate, soda, French fries, pizza and hamburger) were the most salient unhealthy items listed in both countries. Differences in culturally relevant items listed in each country are discussed. Further, in both countries, despite differences in their dietary guidelines, food healthiness judgements for the most salient items listed relied heavily on the nutritional content of food, reinforced the 'good/healthy' and 'bad/unhealthy' dichotomy, and were centred on benefits or harms to the body (e.g. prevention or cause of diseases and weight control). The similarity of food healthiness judgements between the two countries, together with their agreement with conventional health claims and dietary guidelines, suggest that lay Brazilian and German adults are knowledgeable about the general concepts of 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' food. Finally, these findings suggest that rather than just providing more nutritional information, policymakers and health professionals need to take into account the multiple psychosocial and environmental determinants of eating in these countries.

Experiences of Food Pantry Stakeholders and Emergency Food Providers in Rural Minnesota Communities.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the experiences influencing food pantry stakeholders' and emergency food providers' ability to meet their shoppers' needs. DESIGN: We conducted 5 focus groups. SETTING: Food pantries in Minnesota in late 2019 and early 2020. PARTICIPANTS: The sample included 37 participants with various roles in the emergency food system. PHENOMENON OF INTEREST: Barriers and challenges facing emergency food providers/stakeholders and practices and resources providers employ. ANALYSIS: We identified major themes using a thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: Participants reported multiple barriers to accessing food pantries, that shopper demographics were changing, and shoppers needed nonfood support, such as personal hygiene items and mental health services. Food pantries required appropriate and sustainable food supplies, additional financial, labor, technical support, and physical infrastructure improvements. Participants described the benefits of their relationship with the University of Minnesota Cooperative Extension, explained how pantries offered healthier foods, highlighted innovative service delivery models, and stressed that their organization connected to many facets of their community. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Food pantries serving rural areas reported meeting community needs by distributing food to their shoppers in an inclusive and health-promoting way but require additional support. These data support nutrition practitioners working to understand the local, place-based context and needs of emergency food providers while building wider and deeper connections between nutrition professionals and the emergency food system.

Distribution of fresh foods in food pantries: challenges and opportunities in Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The charitable food system distributes free food to clients across the U.S., but many nutrition and health-focused efforts encounter barriers to success, which were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the current study was to understand barriers and facilitators to distributing nutritious, fresh foods in food pantries across Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Forty-nine pantry representatives participated in focus groups in October 2021. A codebook was created based on relevant literature, stakeholder interests, and an initial review of the recordings. Transcripts of each group were coded and analyzed using a basic interpretive approach. RESULTS: Pantries distribution of fresh foods was impacted by community partners, food bank policies and practices, and the quality of the donated fresh foods. Physical constraints of pantries limit fresh food storage capacity. The COVID-19 pandemic magnified stressors in the charitable food system which highlighted how community partners might improve fresh food distribution. CONCLUSION: Focus groups with food pantry representatives across Illinois provided key insights that can inform future efforts to facilitate fresh food distribution in the charitable food system. Future studies should evaluate the effects of the suggested initiatives and changes at the food pantry, food bank, and policy levels.

The Relationship between Orthorexia Nervosa and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is characterized by an intense avoidance of foods considered unhealthy, obsession with healthy eating behaviors, and pathological fixation on healthy foods. Although there are still debates in the literature about the psychological factors and symptoms of ON, it should be noted that many of the symptoms share common features with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between ON and OCD with its subtypes. In this framework, the cross-sectional study was conducted with an opportunistic sample of 587 participants (86% women and 14% men), with an average age of 29.32 (s.d. = 11.29; age range = 15-74). Our work showed that almost all OCD subtypes were largely correlated with ON. The lowest correlation was for "Checking" and the highest for "Obsession". Overall, the OCD subtypes (i.e., Indecisiveness, Just Right, Obsession, and Hoarding) were more strongly associated with ON measures, while subtypes Checking and Contamination, although positively associated, had lower correlation coefficients.

Availability of healthy foods, fruit and vegetable consumption, and cognition among urban older adults.

BACKGROUND: . Although prior studies have examined the associations between neighborhood characteristics and cognitive health, little is known about whether local food environments, which are critical for individuals' daily living, are associated with late-life cognition. Further, little is known about how local environments may shape individuals' health-related behaviors and impact cognitive health. The aim of this study is to examine whether objective and subjective measures of healthy food availability are associated with ambulatory cognitive performance and whether behavioral and cardiovascular factors mediate these associations among urban older adults. METHODS: . The sample consisted of systematically recruited, community-dwelling older adults (N = 315, mean age = 77.5, range = 70-91) from the Einstein Aging Study. Objective availability of healthy foods was defined as density of healthy food stores. Subjective availability of healthy foods and fruit/vegetable consumption were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. Cognitive performance was assessed using smartphone-administered cognitive tasks that measured processing speed, short-term memory binding, and spatial working memory performance 6 times a day for 14 days. RESULTS: . Results from multilevel models showed that subjective availability of healthy foods, but not objective food environments, was associated with better processing speed (estimate= -0.176, p = .003) and more accurate memory binding performance (estimate = 0.042, p = .012). Further, 14~16% of the effects of subjective availability of healthy foods on cognition were mediated through fruit and vegetable consumption. CONCLUSIONS: . Local food environments seem to be important for individuals' dietary behavior and cognitive health. Specifically, subjective measures of food environments may better reflect individuals' experiences regarding their local food environments not captured by objective measures. Future policy and intervention strategies will need to include both objective and subjective food environment measures in identifying impactful target for intervention and evaluating effectiveness of policy changes.

Determination of selected glucocorticoids in healthy foods by ultra-performance convergence chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry.

The presence of glucocorticoids in healthy foods has recently become a topic of concern because of their side effects. In this study, we developed a method based on ultra-performance convergence chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPC2-MS/MS) to detect 63 glucocorticoids in healthy foods. The analysis conditions were optimized, and the method was validated. We further compared the results of this method with those of the RPLC-MS/MS method. Glucocorticoids were separated on an Acquity Torus 2-picolylamine column (100 mm × 3.0 mm, 1.7 µm) and detected via MS/MS. CO2 and methanol (containing 0.1% formic acid) were used as mobile phases. The method demonstrated good linear relationships between 1 and 200 µg·L-1 (R2 ≥ 0.996). The limits of detection in different types of samples were 0.3-1.5 µg·kg-1 (S/N = 3). The average recoveries (n = 9) and RSDs in different types of samples were 76.6-118.2% and 1.1-13.1%, respectively. The matrix effect, calculated as the ratio between calibration curves built in matrix and pure solvent, was less than 0.21 for both a fish oil and a protein powder. This method exhibited better selectivity and resolution than RPLC-MS/MS method. Lastly, it could realize the baseline separation of 31 isomers of 13 groups, including four groups of eight epimers. This study provides new technical support for assessing the risk of exposure to glucocorticoids in healthy foods.