1
|
Ofir O, Stark AH, Bar-Zeev Y. Promotion of legume intake-Israeli dietitians' knowledge, beliefs and practices. J Public Health (Oxf) 2024; 46:e468-e476. [PMID: 38686928 DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdae055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The health and environmental benefits of legume consumption are reflected in dietary guidelines worldwide. However, legume intake fails to meet recommendations. Dietitians' legume counseling practices can impact consumption patterns. This cross-sectional study assessed Israeli dietitians' knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and practices regarding legume counseling and identified pertinent barriers and facilitators. METHODS An electronic survey among Israeli dietitians (n = 309) was performed. Multivariable logistic regression assessed associations between recommending legumes with participants' socio-demographic and professional characteristics, knowledge, perceptions, attitudes toward legume counseling and personal legume intake. RESULTS Almost half (47.4%) of the participants recommended that 76% or more of their patients increase legume intake. Factors that were associated with recommending legumes were perceptions of fewer barriers to consumption [adjusted OR (aOR) 1.92 (95% CI 1.24-2.96)] and positive attitudes toward legume counseling pertaining to its importance [aOR 1.95 (95% CI 1.12-3.4)]. Negatively associated factors were a low level of personal legume consumption [aOR 0.38 (95% CI 0.15-0.94)] and working in hospitals [aOR 0.43 (95% CI 0.19-0.98)]. CONCLUSIONS Israeli dietitians' recommendations for legume consumption were well below current guidelines. These findings indicate the need for a tailored intervention for nutrition professionals to increase the frequency of legume counseling and overall consumption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Orit Ofir
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, School of Nutritional Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Aliza Hannah Stark
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, School of Nutritional Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Yael Bar-Zeev
- Faculty of Medicine, Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lisciani S, Marconi S, Le Donne C, Camilli E, Aguzzi A, Gabrielli P, Gambelli L, Kunert K, Marais D, Vorster BJ, Alvarado-Ramos K, Reboul E, Cominelli E, Preite C, Sparvoli F, Losa A, Sala T, Botha AM, Ferrari M. Legumes and common beans in sustainable diets: nutritional quality, environmental benefits, spread and use in food preparations. Front Nutr 2024; 11:1385232. [PMID: 38769988 PMCID: PMC11104268 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1385232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, scarcity of available resources, population growth and the widening in the consumption of processed foods and of animal origin have made the current food system unsustainable. High-income countries have shifted towards food consumption patterns which is causing an increasingly process of environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources, with the increased incidence of malnutrition due to excess (obesity and non-communicable disease) and due to chronic food deprivation. An urgent challenge is, therefore, to move towards more healthy and sustainable eating choices and reorientating food production and distribution to obtain a human and planetary health benefit. In this regard, legumes represent a less expensive source of nutrients for low-income countries, and a sustainable healthier option than animal-based proteins in developed countries. Although legumes are the basis of many traditional dishes worldwide, and in recent years they have also been used in the formulation of new food products, their consumption is still scarce. Common beans, which are among the most consumed pulses worldwide, have been the focus of many studies to boost their nutritional properties, to find strategies to facilitate cultivation under biotic/abiotic stress, to increase yield, reduce antinutrients contents and rise the micronutrient level. The versatility of beans could be the key for the increase of their consumption, as it allows to include them in a vast range of food preparations, to create new formulations and to reinvent traditional legume-based recipes with optimal nutritional healthy characteristics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Lisciani
- Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Marconi
- Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Le Donne
- Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Camilli
- Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Rome, Italy
| | - Altero Aguzzi
- Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Gabrielli
- Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Rome, Italy
| | - Loretta Gambelli
- Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Rome, Italy
| | - Karl Kunert
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Diana Marais
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Barend Juan Vorster
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | | | - Eleonora Cominelli
- Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Preite
- Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Sparvoli
- Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Losa
- Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Council for Agricultural and Economics Research, Montanaso Lombardo, Italy
| | - Tea Sala
- Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Council for Agricultural and Economics Research, Montanaso Lombardo, Italy
| | - Anna-Maria Botha
- Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Marika Ferrari
- Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Norton V, Lovegrove JA, Tindall M, Garcia JR, Lignou S. Fibre4life: Investigating older adults dietary fibre preferences and the role of targeted educational materials on modulating future dietary fibre intake. Appetite 2024; 192:107109. [PMID: 37914038 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.107109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The UK has an ever-increasing ageing population; hence, promoting balanced nutrition can have fundamental health and cost benefits. In addition, the majority of older adults' dietary fibre intake is below recommendations and this is despite its well-cited benefits; therefore, more emphasis should be placed on identifying viable age-suitable strategies to overcome the associated dietary fibre-related knowledge gap. Accordingly, one hundred and seventy older adults (65-87 years) were recruited to partake in two survey related studies: (1) initial insights (e.g., dietary fibre-related knowledge, awareness, attitudes and behaviour as well as information preferences) were captured to inform the design of educational materials; and (2) the impact of two targeted educational materials on modulating older adults' future dietary fibre intake was tested. Older adults were willing to learn more about dietary fibre and requested additional information relating to its benefits, recommendations and food-based examples in a clear and accessible format. Therefore, two educational materials (factsheet and practical tips) were developed encompassing key themes. Overall, older adults engaged with the educational materials (regardless of topic and format); thus, demonstrating the potential benefits of this approach going forwards. There was strong agreement with all variables: learning something new, change future dietary fibre intake, format liking, content engaging and share with others as well as the overall experience being cited as useful/helpful. Going forwards, importance should be placed on measuring dietary fibre consumption post engaging with educational materials. In addition, utilising a holistic approach incorporating support from different sources (e.g., health professionals, government, food companies, supermarkets and community) could be fundamental in helping older adults to consume more dietary fibre and subsequently contributing to positive health outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Norton
- Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Harry Nursten Building, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6DZ, United Kingdom
| | - Julie A Lovegrove
- Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Harry Nursten Building, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6DZ, United Kingdom; Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Harry Nursten Building, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6DZ, United Kingdom; Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Reading, PO Box 237, Earley Gate, Reading, RG6 6EU, United Kingdom; Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AA, United Kingdom
| | - Marcus Tindall
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AA, United Kingdom; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Reading, PO Box 220, Reading, RG6 6AX, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Rodriguez Garcia
- Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Harry Nursten Building, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6DZ, United Kingdom
| | - Stella Lignou
- Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Harry Nursten Building, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6DZ, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Didinger C, Bunning M, Thompson H. A Translational Approach to Increase Pulse Intake and Promote Public Health through Developing an Extension Bean Toolkit. Nutrients 2023; 15:4121. [PMID: 37836405 PMCID: PMC10574132 DOI: 10.3390/nu15194121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Practical, affordable solutions need to be implemented to address global challenges confronting human and environmental health. Despite a myriad of benefits for people and the planet, beans and other pulses (e.g., chickpeas, cowpeas, dry peas, lentils) are under-consumed. To better understand consumer concerns and interests, a Food Habits Survey was conducted and the findings were incorporated into the Colorado State University Extension Bean Toolkit. Guided by the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills model, the toolkit included informational social media posts, cooking guidance, and an online class. A convenience sample of participants was recruited through Extension and university networks. After class participation, significant gains in knowledge of pulse nutrition, versatility, and cooking were observed, with an average increase of 1.5 points on a 5-point Likert scale (p < 0.001). Moreover, participants (n = 86) perceived a greater importance of motivators (e.g., nutrition, versatility, environmental benefits) and found barriers (e.g., flatulence, long cooking times, unfamiliarity) to be less discouraging. Most participants reported an intention to eat more pulses, and among those who completed the 1-month follow-up survey, pulse intake frequency increased (p = 0.004). Emphasizing motivating factors while simultaneously mitigating barriers to consumption can help reverse insufficient intake and promote healthy behavior change. Leveraging Extension or similar networks is one way to adopt a translational approach to better reach the public with this information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Didinger
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (C.D.); (M.B.)
| | - Marisa Bunning
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (C.D.); (M.B.)
| | - Henry Thompson
- Cancer Prevention Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Association between overall dietary quality and constipation in American adults: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1971. [PMID: 36303148 PMCID: PMC9615246 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14360-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Constipation seriously affects people’s life quality, and dietary adjustment has been one of the effective methods. Overall dietary quality has been reported to be associated with some diseases, while its association with constipation has not been reported. This study aims to explore the association between overall dietary quality and constipation. Methods A cross-sectional study was designed and data were extracted from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Overall dietary quality was assessed by healthy eating index-2015 (HEI-2015), and constipation was defined by either stool consistency or stool frequency. The association between overall dietary quality or components of HEI-2015 and constipation was assessed using logistic regression, with results expressed as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Subgroup analysis was conducted according to age and gender. Results A total of 13,945 participants were eligible, with 1,407 in constipation group and 12,538 in non-constipation group. Results showed that higher adherence to HEI-2015 was associated with reduced odds of constipation (OR: 0.98, 95%CI: 0.98–0.99) after adjusting potential confounders. Further, we found higher intake of total fruits, whole fruits, total vegetables, greens and beans, whole grains, total protein foods, seafood and plant proteins, and higher fatty acids ratio decreased the odds of constipation, while higher intake of sodium increased the odds (all P < 0.05). We also found negative association between HEI-2015 and constipation in participants with male sex, female sex, age ≥ 65 years, and age < 65 years (all P < 0.05). Conclusion We found higher adherence to HEI-2015 decreased the odds of constipation, suggesting that increasing HEI-2015 adherence may be one of effective methods to alleviate constipation. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-14360-w.
Collapse
|
6
|
Perception of Older Adults about Health-Related Functionality of Foods Compared with Other Age Groups. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12072748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The proportion of older adults in the population is significantly growing in the EU, therefore, wellbeing of the older population has become a social challenge. Functional foodstuffs are food products with nutritional composition that may reduce the risk of diet-related diseases or enhance physiological functions. Therefore, they could play an important role in prevention and mitigation of health-related problems, and in promotion of healthy ageing. The aim of this study is to present the impact of age on consumer preferences about functionality of foods, covering attitude aspects, nutrition claims, possible carriers, some particular health problems and expectations about sustainable production. The results are based on a representative quantitative survey. Findings highlight statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences in preferences of older adults compared to other age segments. They generally accept functional foods, especially when functionality is attached to increased vitamin, protein, and fiber content. Older adults also prefer products with lower salt and sugar content, which were less relevant for other age groups. Products of fruit and vegetable origin are distinguished as carriers of functional traits. Compared to other segments, older adults accept products of animal origin (especially milk products) and even breakfast products on a higher level. The paper provides details about particular health issues that could be addressed by functional foods based on actual consumer concerns.
Collapse
|
7
|
Food Behaviors, Health, and Bean Nutrition Awareness among Low-Income Men: A Pilot Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17031039. [PMID: 32041328 PMCID: PMC7037492 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17031039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Bean consumption is known to lower blood cholesterol and postprandial blood glucose. With higher chronic disease risk, low-income men could theoretically benefit from increased bean intakes. The study objective was to explore low-income men’s food behaviors, bean health benefit awareness, and bean consumption practices and preferences. Seventy-one low-income men aged 18–65 years (µ 41 ± 12.7; 53% white, 16% black, 31% Hispanic) completed a survey on health risks, food behaviors, bean health knowledge, attitudes toward dry and canned beans, and bean preferences. Eighty-seven percent had one or more health risk factors of physical inactivity, smoking, or obesity. Most men compared food prices, and thought about healthy food choices for their families, but few planned meals or read nutrition facts labels. White men had significantly higher bean health benefit knowledge than black or Hispanic men (p < 0.01). Most men liked the taste of beans, disagreed dry beans took too long to prepare, and 79% ate them at least 2–3 times per month. Forty-nine percent agreed beans caused intestinal gas. Improving men’s awareness of the health benefits of beans as well as leveraging existing positive attitudes may be useful approaches to increase bean consumption among low-income and minority male populations.
Collapse
|
8
|
Thompson HJ. Dietary Bean Consumption and Human Health. Nutrients 2019; 11:nu11123074. [PMID: 31861044 PMCID: PMC6949954 DOI: 10.3390/nu11123074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Henry J Thompson
- Cancer Prevention Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| |
Collapse
|