[Educational nutritional intervention as an effective tool for changing eating habits and body weight among those who practice physical activities]

Nutrition Knowledge of Elderly Women: Effect of Two Food and Nutrition Education Programs

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effect of two programs of Food and Nutrition Education (FNE) on the Nutrition knowledge of elderly women, Brazil.

METHODS

Randomized field trial. Community-based elderly women over 60 years (n = 36) participated in a twelve-week intervention in either of two FNE programs: Psychopedagogical Program (PP) or Culinary Workshop Program (CWP). There were three moments of data collection in the study; pre-intervention knowledge data); post intervention and follow up (after 6 months upon intervention completion). A questionnaire about knowledge of food and Nutrition was administered at every data collection moment.

RESULTS

In the analysis performed by the Generalized Estimation Equation Models (GEE) there was a significant interaction effect (P = 0.033) in the diabetes block in which the percentage of correct answers in the follow-up moment was higher compared to the pre-intervention moment in the CWP group (65.65% and 45.66%, respectively). In the knowledge blocks: total percentage of correct answers, hypertension, food processing, the evaluation effect was observed, regardless of the intervention performed.

Three blocks of knowledge, including the block of the total percentage of correct answers in knowledge in Nutrition, presented a significant evaluation effect, which suggests that the interventions were important for the gain of knowledge, regardless of the type of intervention performed. Elderly-focused FNE programs should include a methodology that encompasses recreational education activities, and practical activities, such as culinary workshops.

Nutrition Literacy of Portuguese Adults-A Pilot Study

Nutrition is an essential factor in the prevention and treatment of some chronic diseases. For this reason, the population must know about nutrition, healthy food, and dietetics so that the promotion of healthier eating habits can lead to a consequent decrease in chronic disease incidence. That said, the present study aimed to assess nutrition literacy in the Portuguese population. Three hundred thirty participants aged between 18 and 65 years old were included in an observational, quantitative, and cross-sectional research. After the analysis, it was found that the vast majority of the study population (65.2%) had a good level of nutrition literacy. The participants having upper educational qualifications, following a specific diet, presenting an adequate BMI, having family members trained in the field of nutrition, and those who studied or worked in the field of health sciences reported a higher level of nutrition literacy. In conclusion, it seems to be essential to identify the population groups with the lowest nutrition knowledge so that it would be possible to apply personalized measures and to promote better literacy, reducing the prevalence and incidence of diseases and improving quality of life.

Calcium intake improvement after nutritional intervention in paediatric patients with osteogenesis imperfecta

BACKGROUND

In several bone disorders, adequate calcium intake is a coadjuvant intervention to regular treatment. Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a collagen disorder with a range of symptoms, ranging from fractures to minimum trauma, and it is typically treated with bisphosphonates. In the present study, we evaluate the impact of a nutritional intervention (NI) on dietary calcium intake and bone mineral density (BMD) in paediatric patients with OI.

METHODS

A nonrandomised clinical trial was designed with a NI. Dietary calcium intake, anthropometry and clinical features were assessed at baseline, including anthropometry, basal metabolic rate (BMR), BMD. In addition, a food guidance form was developed and sent to patients by mail. After 12 months, clinical features of patients were reassessed and compared with the baseline data.

RESULTS

Fifty-two children and adolescents were enrolled. Significant increases in total calcium intake (mg day^-1 ), percentage of adequate calcium intake (%) and number of cups of milk ingested were observed after NI. We detected a positive correlation between the variation of BMD and milk consumption in patients treated with bisphosphonate.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed an increase in calcium intake in patients with OI. This finding demonstrates the importance of nutrition therapy as part of a multidisciplinary treatment approach for bone health.

NURSING PROTOCOL FOR REMOTE MONITORING OF WOMEN WITH EXCESSIVE WEIGHT

ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the construction and implementation of the nursing protocol for remote monitoring of overweight women. Method: report of experience with 50 women who participated in an intervention study developed in a reference outpatient clinic for obesity in Salvador, Brazil. The steps involved in the development of the protocol consisted of structuring the theoretical content and defining the form of operationalization. Results: the definition of the theoretical content of the protocol was guided by the main guides and guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Scientific Societies and discussion with specialists. A thematic weekly script was developed for phone calls, including content on obesity, its causes and complications, feeding and practicing physical activity for weight control. The protocol was performed in ten weeks, with scheduled weekly connections and duration of five minutes. To guide the team in the operation of telephone calls, a Telephone Call Guide was developed. The information was offered in a flexible way, providing moments for the participant to clarify doubts and to add information, being observed the understanding of the contents. Women noted that monitoring, as well as guiding how they could take better care of themselves, helped to avoid giving up treatment and solving problems with health consultations and procedures. Conclusion: the use of remote nursing monitoring focused on educational actions, has proved to be a tool to support the care of overweight women.

Estratégias de educação alimentar e nutricional na Atenção Primária à Saúde: uma revisão de literatura

RESUMO O presente trabalho objetivou revisar de forma sistemática a produção científica sobre intervenções de educação alimentar e nutricional com indivíduos adultos no campo da Atenção Primária à Saúde no Brasil, no período de 2006 a 2016. Foram selecionados 11 artigos que responderam aos critérios de elegibilidade. Observou-se uma descrição breve das bases teórico-metodológicas, limitando a reprodução das intervenções. As práticas educativas desenvolvidas possuem pouco enfoque na promoção da saúde e uma forte tendência metodológica clássica, sendo necessários estudos qualitativos, com a percepção da autonomia, e que ampliem o uso de metodologias ativas nos processos de intervenção.

Stages of change of behavior in women on a multi-professional program for treatment of obesity

Objective:

to ascertain the effectiveness of an intervention program in relation to anthropometric measurements and stage of readiness for behavioral change in women with excess weight.

Methods:

the intervention group (IG) was made up of 13 women, and the control group (CG), by 20. The intervention lasted 16 weeks, and included the practice of guided physical activity three times a week, and health education once a week. The application of the questionnaire on stage of readiness for behavioral change, and the anthropometric evaluations, were undertaken at two points - before and after the period of intervention. The statistical analysis involved tests of comparison and association.

Results:

in general, at the first point, the participants in the two groups were predisposed to make changes in what they ate and in their physical activity. However, significant difference was only observed in relation to weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and waist-hip ratio and readiness for change among the members of the intervention group.

Conclusion:

the intervention programmed was effective in weight loss, reduction of waist circumference and waist-hip ratio, and in changing behaviors related to the practicing of physical exercise and eating habits.

[Evaluation of the usability of a mobile Digital Food Guide based on user perception]

The use of digital technology in the form of health care apps has been on the increase. In the nutrition area, apps are now available with a view to lead to behavior change, helping individuals to reflect on their food choices and identify weak points in their dietary routine. The article seeks to evaluate user perception regarding the usability of the Digital Food Guide (DFG), which is a mobile smartphone app with guidelines on healthy eating. A cross-sectional study evaluated the user perception of the app using the Likert scale, built with 24 assertions organized in three dimensions of analysis: the DFG as an intuitive and self-explanatory tool; the DFG as a promoter of healthy food choices; and the DFG as a promoter of the transition to the appropriate weight. The instrument was assessed regarding its reliability through the split-half and validity method in two stages. The 22 assertions were validated; the reliability was 0.93; the average of the assertions in each dimension was 3.10; of the 80 respondents, 58.75% considered the implementation of the DFG to be positive. The application has good usability as perceived by users, considering analysis of the dimensions relating to its performance.