Nutrition
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Mobile nutrition applications (apps) provide a simple way for individuals to record their diet, but the validity and inherent errors need to be carefully evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and clarify the sources of measurement errors of image-assisted mobile nutrition apps. ⋯ Mitigating errors significantly improved the accuracy of the Formosa FoodApp, indicating its validity and reliability as a self-reporting mobile-based dietary assessment tool. Dietitians and health professionals should be mindful of potential errors associated with self-reporting nutrition apps, and manual data cleaning is vital to obtain reliable nutrient intake data.
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Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is influenced by body composition quantity and quality in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and obesity. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) provides a noninvasive quantitative and qualitative body composition assessment. The aim of this study was to determine the role of phase angle (PhA), a BIA-measure of skeletal muscle quality and body cell mass, on CRF in patients with obesity and HFpEF. ⋯ In patients with obesity and HFpEF, a greater PhA is an independent predictor for favorable CRF.
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Despite the growing food insecurity crisis in the United States, limited evidence exists about the effects of food insecurity on the unmet health care needs of peripartum (pregnant and postpartum) women. The aim of this study was to examine the association between food insecurity and delayed or forgone health care among peripartum women in the United States from 2019 to 2021. ⋯ This study demonstrated a positive association between food insecurity and cost-related unmet health care needs among peripartum women. Future empirical studies are needed to assess the effects of peripartum health care interventions targeting food insecurity on reducing health care access disparities associated with costs and improving peripartum health outcomes.
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Child anemia is a severe public health concern in low- and middle-income countries. Identifying anemia change over time, its spatial heterogeneity, and the influencing factors is critical to monitoring and prioritizing successful interventions. This analysis uses nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys administrated in 11 East African countries, which included 149 864 children. ⋯ Nutrition, genetic hemoglobin disorders, physical environment, poverty, and maternal and community characteristics influence child anemia. Multisectorial interventions that improve maternal and child nutrition are needed. These analyses support the design and prioritization of interventions in high-risk areas and communities.
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Frailty is a geriatric syndrome associated with adverse outcomes. Malnutrition and sarcopenia are conditions intertwined with frailty. Phase angle (PhA), used to evaluate nutritional status and sarcopenia, shows the cell membrane integrity and is closely related to clinical outcomes and mortality in many chronic conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between PhA and frailty in community-dwelling older adults. ⋯ PhA calculated with bioelectrical impedance analysis was significantly associated with frailty. Further research with large samples is needed to determine whether PhA demonstrates potential utility as a biomarker for frailty.