Predictors of stakeholders’ intention to adopt nutrigenomics

Habits, Health and Environment in the Purchase of Bakery Products: Consumption Preferences and Sustainable Inclinations before and during COVID-19

The aim of the research is to investigate whether purchasing decisions about bakery products (bread, snacks and biscuits) are influenced by concerns about health, climate change, biodiversity loss and food waste. The exploratory survey was carried out in two successive moments before and during the health emergency from COVID-19. Before the health emergency, face-to-face interviews were carried out using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed by factor analysis, reliability tests and descriptive analysis. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the research hypotheses. The results of the modeling analysis of the structural equations highlighted that health and the environment represent an important background in the consumer experience of the respondents and influence the attitude and intention to purchase safe and environmentally friendly bakery products. Furthermore, the results suggest that informed, modern and aware consumers have direct and indirect effects on the intentions to adopt sustainable attitudes. On the contrary, the perception relating to the shops where consumers buy bakery products does not always show a significant influence on the propensity for sustainability. During the health emergency, the interviews were conducted online. Families confined to their homes, buying less in stores, have prepared many baked goods manually at home. The descriptive analysis of this group of consumers shows a growing attention to points of sale and the tendency to use online shopping. Furthermore, the changes in the type of purchases and the importance attributed to the need to reduce food waste emerge.

Research gaps and opportunities in precision nutrition: an NIH workshop report

Precision nutrition is an emerging concept that aims to develop nutrition recommendations tailored to different people's circumstances and biological characteristics. Responses to dietary change and the resulting health outcomes from consuming different diets may vary significantly between people based on interactions between their genetic backgrounds, physiology, microbiome, underlying health status, behaviors, social influences, and environmental exposures. On 11-12 January 2021, the National Institutes of Health convened a workshop entitled "Precision Nutrition: Research Gaps and Opportunities" to bring together experts to discuss the issues involved in better understanding and addressing precision nutrition. The workshop proceeded in 3 parts: part I covered many aspects of genetics and physiology that mediate the links between nutrient intake and health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer disease, and cancer; part II reviewed potential contributors to interindividual variability in dietary exposures and responses such as baseline nutritional status, circadian rhythm/sleep, environmental exposures, sensory properties of food, stress, inflammation, and the social determinants of health; part III presented the need for systems approaches, with new methods and technologies that can facilitate the study and implementation of precision nutrition, and workforce development needed to create a new generation of researchers. The workshop concluded that much research will be needed before more precise nutrition recommendations can be achieved. This includes better understanding and accounting for variables such as age, sex, ethnicity, medical history, genetics, and social and environmental factors. The advent of new methods and technologies and the availability of considerably more data bring tremendous opportunity. However, the field must proceed with appropriate levels of caution and make sure the factors listed above are all considered, and systems approaches and methods are incorporated. It will be important to develop and train an expanded workforce with the goal of reducing health disparities and improving precision nutritional advice for all Americans.

Implementation of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Research and Training Activities for Developing Precision Nutrition Strategies in Malaysia

Nutritional epidemiological studies show a triple burden of malnutrition with disparate prevalence across the coexisting ethnicities in Malaysia. To tackle malnutrition and related conditions in Malaysia, research in the new and evolving field of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics is essential. As part of the Gene-Nutrient Interactions (GeNuIne) Collaboration, the Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Research and Training Unit (N2RTU) aims to solve the malnutrition paradox. This review discusses and presents a conceptual framework that shows the pathway to implementing and strengthening precision nutrition strategies in Malaysia. The framework is divided into: (1) Research and (2) Training and Resource Development. The first arm collects data from genetics, genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, gut microbiome, and phenotypic and lifestyle factors to conduct nutrigenetic, nutrigenomic, and nutri-epigenetic studies. The second arm is focused on training and resource development to improve the capacity of the stakeholders (academia, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the food industry) to utilise the findings generated by research in their respective fields. Finally, the N2RTU framework foresees its applications in artificial intelligence and the implementation of precision nutrition through the action of stakeholders.

Determinants of stakeholders' attitudes and intentions toward supporting the use of Wolbachia-infected Aedes mosquitoes for dengue control

BACKGROUND

A recent approach in controlling dengue is by using the Wolbachia-infected Aedes mosquito (WiAM). The approach has been reported to be more effective than traditional methods, such as fogging. Therefore, it is imperative to assess the factors predicting its acceptance among stakeholders before implementing this technology more widely in Malaysia.

METHODS

The survey data were collected from two primary stakeholder groups using a stratified random sampling technique. The two primary stakeholder groups were scientists (n = 202) and the public (n = 197) in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia, a hot spot area known for the high rate of dengue cases. The respondents answered questions on a seven-point Likert scale survey regarding trust in key players, attitudes toward nature versus materialism, religiosity, perceived benefits, perceived risks, attitudes, and intentions. The data were analyzed using Smart Partial Least Square (SmartPLS) software (version 3.2.6) to determine the predictors influencing attitudes and intentions to support the use of WiAM technology.

RESULTS

The results indicated a strong positive relationship between attitudes and intentions to support the use of WiAM (β = 0.676, p < 0.001). The most important significant predictor for attitudes was perceived benefits (β = 0.493, p < 0.001), followed by perceived risks (β = - 0.080, p = 0.048). Trust in key players, attitudes toward nature versus material, and religiosity had indirect relationships with attitudes through the perceived benefits and risks.

CONCLUSIONS

The identified predictors can serve as indicators for the decision-making process regarding WiAM implementation in Malaysia and other developing countries with similar demographics and cultures.

Consumers' Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Personalised Nutrition

INTRODUCTION

Personalised nutrition (PN) has great potential for disease prevention, particularly if coupled with the power and accessibility of mobile technology. However, success of PN interventions will depend on the willingness of users to subscribe. This study investigates the factors associated with potential users' perceived value of PN and heterogeneity in these values.

METHODS

A discrete choice experiment was carried out in a representative sample (N = 429 valid responses) from the adult population in Spain. The results were analysed in line with McFadden's Random Utility Theory, using conditional and mixed logit models in addition to a latent class logit model.

RESULTS

The conditional and mixed logit models revealed the existence of a significant preference and willingness to pay for personalised nutrition, but the effect on average was not large for the highest level of personalisation. The latent class logit revealed four classes of respondent: those who would be likely to pay for a high level of personalised nutrition service, those who would use it if it were heavily subsidised, those who would use only a basic nutrition service, and those who would not be willing to engage. These results could be useful for the design and targeting of effective personalised nutrition services.

CONCLUSIONS

Over half of adults currently perceive some individual benefit in a high level of PN, which may justify some degree of public subsidy in investment and delivery of such a service.