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Diet, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health in Vulnerable Populations

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2019) | Viewed by 41182

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Dr. Paula Skidmore

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Guest Editor

Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
Interests: dietary patterns; chronic disease; children; adolescents; cardiometabolic health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Katherine Black

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Guest Editor

University of Otago, Department of Human Nutrition, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
Interests: nutrition; physical fitness

Dr. Lee Stoner

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Guest Editor

Department of Exercise & Sport Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Interests: lifestyle; cardiometabolic health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the biggest public health burdens worldwide. While CVD usually occurs in middle age, increasing evidence shows that the pathophysiological processes underlying CVD, such as changes to functional and structural characteristics of arteries begin during the first decade of life. It is known that certain vulnerable groups, such as ethnic minority groups, low socio-economic status, and children have different CVD trajectories. These different risk trajectories are associated with factors at the individual, social and environmental level. In particular, these individual, social and environmental factors impact lifestyle behaviors, including diet, physical activity and sedentary behavior.

This Special Issue aims to include original research and up-to-date reviews on the role of diet and other lifestyle factors in cardiometabolic health in populations vulnerable to developing CVD.

Dr. Paula Skidmore
Dr. Katherine Black
Dr. Lee Stoner
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

diet
food choice
lifestyle
cardio-metabolic health

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1352 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Create Our Own Kai: A Randomised Control Trial of a Cooking Intervention with Group Interview Insights into Adolescent Cooking Behaviours

by Sarahmarie Kuroko, Katherine Black, Themis Chryssidis, Rosie Finigan, Callum Hann, Jillian Haszard, Rosalie Jackson, Katherine Mahn, Caleb Robinson, Carla Thomson, Olivia Toldi, Nicholas Scullion and Paula Skidmore

Nutrients 2020, 12(3), 796; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu12030796 - 18 Mar 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4001

Abstract

Cooking is frequently associated with a healthier diet, however few youth cooking intervention studies have used control groups or follow-ups. Additionally, although cooking is associated with better mental well-being among adolescents, this has not been examined experimentally. This randomised controlled trial investigated whether a five-day intensive holiday cooking program, followed by six weeks of weekly meal kits with Facebook support groups, affected the cooking-related outcomes, diet quality and mental well-being among adolescents, with a 12-month follow-up. Adolescents aged 12–15 years (intervention: n = 91, 60% female; control: n = 27, 78% female) completed baseline, post-intervention and 12-month follow-up anthropometric measures, and questionnaire measures of mental well-being, diet quality and cooking attitudes, self-efficacy and behaviours. The intervention group’s post-intervention outcomes improved significantly more for mental well-being, diet quality, helping make dinner, cooking self-efficacy and positive cooking attitude, however body mass index (BMI) z-scores also increased. Differences were maintained at 12 months for self-efficacy only. Group interviews showed that participants’ cooking behaviours were strongly influenced by family factors. Adolescent cooking interventions may have many short-term benefits, however cooking self-efficacy appears most responsive and stable over time. Effects on BMI need further investigation. Family factors influence whether and what adolescents cook post-intervention. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health in Vulnerable Populations)

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14 pages, 536 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Food Consumption Patterns and Body Composition in Children: Moderating Effects of Prop Taster Status

by Lee Stoner, Nicholas Castro, Anna Kucharska-Newton, Abbie E. Smith-Ryan, Sally Lark, Michelle A. Williams, James Faulkner and Paula Skidmore

Nutrients 2019, 11(9), 2037; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu11092037 - 31 Aug 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4122

Abstract

This cross-sectional study determined whether 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) taster status moderates the relationship between food consumption patterns and body composition in children. Children were recruited (n = 342, 50% female, 8–10 y) from across New Zealand. Using a food frequency questionnaire, these food consumption patterns were derived: Processed Foods, Fruit and Vegetables, and Breakfast Foods. Body composition variables included: body fat (%), fat mass (kg), fat mass index (FMI, kg/m²), body mass index (kg/m²) and waist to height ratio (W:Ht). Following adjustment for confounders, Processed Foods were positively associated with %fat (p = 0.015), fat mass (p = 0.004) and FMI (p = 0.016). Taste test strips determined PROP status. For Breakfast Foods, there were small negative associations with all body composition variables (p ≤ 0.001 to 0.037). The population sample was also stratified by PROP taster status. For the non-tasters, there were small to moderate negative associations between Breakfast Foods and each body composition variable (p = 0.003–0.045) except W:Ht (p = 0.112), and these relationships were stronger for girls compared to boys. For the tasters, there were small to moderate positive associations between Processed Foods with %fat (p = 0.030), fat mass (p ≤ 0.001) and FMI (p = 0.014). In conclusion, sensitivity to bitterness may moderate the relationship between food consumption patterns and body composition in children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health in Vulnerable Populations)

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9 pages, 225 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Related Risk Complications among Koreans

by Seung-Hoo Lee, Shuting Tao and Hak-Seon Kim

Nutrients 2019, 11(8), 1755; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu11081755 - 30 Jul 2019

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3011

Abstract

There is an increasing number of metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients worldwide, and there is no exception in South Korea. The risk complications of metabolic syndrome have been investigated by many previous research studies, while no data on any current trends of MetS are available. Therefore, the present study investigates the recent prevalence of MetS and its associated risk complications in Korean adults by using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The Survey respondents (n = 4744) were adults over the age of 30, and they had participated in KNHANES 2016, which is a health survey of a national representative sample of non-institutionalized civilian South Koreans. The cross-tabulation analysis was applied to figure out the general characteristics impacting on the prevalence of MetS; furthermore, the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using multivariate logistic regression analysis were presented for the risk complications of MetS. Findings from this study indicated that subjective health status, family structure, age, income level, use of nutrition labelling and gender showed significant connections with the prevalence of MetS. The risk diseases, stroke (OR = 2.174, 95% CI = 1.377–3.433, p < 0.01), myocardial infarction (MI) (OR = 2.667, 95% CI = 1.474–4.824, p < 0.01) and diabetes (OR = 6.533, 95% CI = 4.963, p < 0.001) were explored and verified attributable to the prevalence of MetS. The findings in this study suggest that sociodemographic characteristics-concentrated strategies are vital to prevent the prevalence of MetS in South Korea, and relative risk complications ought to be cautiously dealt with as well. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health in Vulnerable Populations)

10 pages, 251 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Contribution of Diet Quality to Socioeconomic Inequalities in Obesity: A Population-based Study of Swiss Adults

by Carlos de Mestral, Angeline Chatelan, Pedro Marques-Vidal, Silvia Stringhini and Murielle Bochud

Nutrients 2019, 11(7), 1573; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu11071573 - 12 Jul 2019

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4183

Abstract

Socioeconomically disadvantaged people are disproportionally more likely to develop obesity and obesity-related diseases. However, it remains unclear to what extent diet quality contributes to socioeconomic inequalities in obesity. We aimed to assess the role of diet quality in the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity. Data originated from the national nutrition survey, a cross-sectional sample of the adult Swiss population (N = 1860). We used education and income as proxies for SES; calculated the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) as a measure of diet quality; and used body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) as obesity markers. We applied counterfactual mediation modelling to generate odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and the proportion mediated by diet quality. Individuals with less than a tertiary education were two to three times more likely to be obese, regardless of the marker (OR (95% CI): 3.36 (2.01, 5.66) using BMI; 2.44 (1.58, 3.75) using WC; 2.48 (1.63, 3.78) using WHR; and 2.04 (1.43, 2.96) using WHtR). The proportion of the association between educational level and obesity that was mediated by diet quality was 22.1% using BMI, 26.6% using WC, 31.4% using WHtR, and 35.8% using WHR. Similar findings were observed for income. Our findings suggest that diet quality substantially contributes to socioeconomic inequalities in obesity while it does not fully explain them. Focusing efforts on improving the diet quality of disadvantaged groups could help reduce social inequalities in obesity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health in Vulnerable Populations)

11 pages, 854 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cardiovascular Health, Adiposity, and Food Insecurity in an Underserved Population

by Candice A. Myers, Corby K. Martin, Robert L. Newton, Jr., John W. Apolzan, Connie L. Arnold, Terry C. Davis, Eboni G. Price-Haywood and Peter T. Katzmarzyk

Nutrients 2019, 11(6), 1376; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu11061376 - 19 Jun 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3743

Abstract

This study investigated associations between cardiovascular health (CVH), adiposity, and food insecurity by race, sex, and health literacy in a sample of 800 underserved patients with obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m²). CVH was assessed using American Heart Association Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) and adiposity was estimated using BMI and waist circumference (WC). Mixed models including interaction terms between food insecurity and sex, race, and health literacy were analyzed for LS7, BMI, and WC. Stratified models were analyzed as indicated by significant interactions. Mean BMI and WC were 37.3 kg/m² (4.6 SD) and 113.5 cm (12.4 SD), respectively. Among patients, 31% were food insecure and 31% had low health literacy. There were significant positive associations between food insecurity and BMI (p = 0.03) and WC (p = 0.03) in the overall sample. In sex-stratified models, women who were food insecure had higher BMI (p = 0.02) and WC (p = 0.007) than their food secure counterparts. Further, food insecure patients with better health literacy had greater BMI (p = 0.004) and WC (p = 0.007) than their food secure counterparts. Results suggest that adiposity is a greater burden in food insecure patients, which may be an important consideration for obesity treatment in underserved populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health in Vulnerable Populations)

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11 pages, 395 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Associations between Macronutrient Intakes and Obesity/Metabolic Risk Phenotypes: Findings of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

by Ha-Na Kim and Sang-Wook Song

Nutrients 2019, 11(3), 628; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu11030628 - 14 Mar 2019

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3586

Abstract

Obesity is a risk factor for many health issues, as are metabolic abnormalities. However, few studies have addressed the associations between obesity/metabolic risk phenotypes and dietary macronutrient intakes (carbohydrate, protein, and fat). Therefore, this study examined the associations between macronutrient intakes and obesity/metabolic risk phenotypes in a Korean population. We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional survey of Korean civilians, conducted in 2014 and 2016, and data on a total of 7374 participants were analyzed. Macronutrient intakes were defined as the proportions of energy derived from carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Those exhibiting obesity/metabolic risk phenotypes (or not) were divided into four groups: normal weight without metabolic abnormalities; obese without metabolic abnormalities; normal weight with metabolic abnormalities; and obese with metabolic abnormalities. After adjusting for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, extent of physical activity, household income, and daily fiber intake, no association was found between the proportions of carbohydrate, protein, or fat intakes and obesity/metabolic risk phenotypes except for a positive association between metabolically healthy but obese status and low protein intake in females. Further studies are required to evaluate the effects of macronutrient intakes on obesity/metabolic risk phenotypes and associated health outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health in Vulnerable Populations)

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18 pages, 933 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thromboxane-Dependent Platelet Activation in Obese Subjects with Prediabetes or Early Type 2 Diabetes: Effects of Liraglutide- or Lifestyle Changes-Induced Weight Loss

by Paola Simeone, Rossella Liani, Romina Tripaldi, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Maria Teresa Guagnano, Armando Tartaro, Riccardo C. Bonadonna, Virginia Federico, Francesco Cipollone, Agostino Consoli and Francesca Santilli

Nutrients 2018, 10(12), 1872; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu10121872 - 02 Dec 2018

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6399

Abstract

Thromboxane (TX)-dependent platelet activation and lipid peroxidation, as reflected in vivo by the urinary excretion of 11-dehydro-TXB₂ and 8-iso-prostaglandin (PG)F_2α, play a key role in atherothrombosis in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) since the earlier stages. Thirty-five metformin-treated obese subjects with prediabetes or newly-diagnosed T2DM were randomized to the glucagon-like peptide receptor agonist (GLP-RA) liraglutide (1.8 mg/day) or lifestyle counseling until achieving a comparable weight loss (−7% of initial body weight), to assess whether changes in subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) adipose tissue distribution (MRI), insulin sensitivity (Matsuda Index) and beta-cell performance (multiple sampling OGTT beta-index), with either intervention, might affect TX-dependent platelet activation, lipid peroxidation and inflammation. At baseline, Ln-8-iso-PGF_2α (Beta = 0.31, p = 0.0088), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (Beta = 2.64, p = 0.0011) Ln-TNF-α (Beta = 0.58, p = 0.0075) and SAT (Beta = 0.14, p = 0.044) were significant independent predictors of 11-dehydro-TXB₂. After achievement of the weight loss target, a comparable reduction in U-11-dehydro-TXB₂ (between-group p = 0.679) and 8-iso-PGF-_2α (p = 0.985) was observed in both arms in parallel with a comparable improvement in glycemic control, insulin sensitivity, SAT, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). In obese patients with initial impairment of glucose metabolism, the extent of platelet activation is related to systemic inflammation, isoprostane formation and degree of glycemic control and abdominal SAT. Successful weight loss, achieved with either lifestyle changes or an incretin-based therapy, is associated with a significant reduction in lipid peroxidation and platelet activation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health in Vulnerable Populations)

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13 pages, 552 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sleep Duration and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Are Associated with Obesity Independent of Diet and Physical Activity

by Andrea Maugeri, Jose R. Medina-Inojosa, Sarka Kunzova, Antonella Agodi, Martina Barchitta, Ondrej Sochor, Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, Yonas E. Geda and Manlio Vinciguerra

Nutrients 2018, 10(9), 1219; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu10091219 - 03 Sep 2018

Cited by 44 | Viewed by 7144

Abstract

In the European Union, Czech Republic ranks 3rd and 6th for the incidence of obesity and cardiovascular diseases, respectively. Worldwide, short sleep duration and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) characterize obese subjects, which in turn exhibit scarce physical activity and unhealthy diet. We aimed to understand the relationship between irregular sleep patterns, obesity and lifestyle factors, such as diet and physical activity, in a vulnerable Czech population. 1482 members of the Kardiovize cohort, a random sample of the Czech urban population, were included in a cross-sectional study. Exposure variables included self-reported sleep duration and EDS, assessed by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Primary outcomes were BMI and waist-to-hip ratio or prevalence of obesity and central obesity. Covariates included physical activity and diet. Associations and interactions between variables were evaluated using logistic regression analyses. After adjustment for covariates, short sleep duration (<7 h) was associated with greater odds of overweight (BMI > 25; OR = 1.42; 95%CI = 1.06–1.90; p = 0.020) and obesity (BMI > 30; OR = 1.40; 95%CI = 1.02–1.94; p = 0.047), while EDS was associated with greater odds of central obesity (OR = 1.72; 95%CI = 1.06–2.79; p = 0.030), independent of diet and physical activity. However, due to the cross-sectional nature of our study, further prospective, large-scale studies are needed to evaluate the etiological link and causality between sleep disturbances and obesity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health in Vulnerable Populations)

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13 pages, 1234 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dietary Patterns, Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Fitness in 9–11-Year-Old Children from Dunedin, New Zealand

by Pouya Saeedi, Katherine E. Black, Jillian J. Haszard, Sheila Skeaff, Lee Stoner, Brittany Davidson, Harriet A. L. Harrex, Kim Meredith-Jones, Robin Quigg, Jyh Eiin Wong and Paula M. L. Skidmore

Nutrients 2018, 10(7), 887; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu10070887 - 10 Jul 2018

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4369

Abstract

Research shows that cardiorespiratory (CRF) and muscular fitness in childhood are associated with a healthier cardiovascular profile in adulthood. Identifying factors associated with measures of fitness in childhood could allow for strategies to optimize cardiovascular health throughout the lifecourse. The aim of this study was to examine the association between dietary patterns and both CRF and muscular fitness in 9–11-year-olds. In this study of 398 children, CRF and muscular fitness were assessed using a 20-m shuttle run test and digital hand dynamometer, respectively. Dietary patterns were derived using principal component analysis. Mixed effects linear regression models were used to assess associations between dietary patterns and CRF and muscular fitness. Most children had healthy CRF (99%, FITNESSGRAM) and mean ± SD muscular fitness was 15.2 ± 3.3 kg. Two dietary patterns were identified; “Snacks” and “Fruit and Vegetables”. There were no significant associations between either of the dietary patterns and CRF. Statistically significant but not clinically meaningful associations were seen between dietary patterns and muscular fitness. In an almost exclusively fit cohort, food choice is not meaningfully related to measures of fitness. Further research to investigate diet-fitness relationships in children with lower fitness levels can identify key populations for potential investments in health-promoting behaviors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health in Vulnerable Populations)

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