Dietary Behaviors That Place Young Adults at Risk for Future Osteoporosis

Nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding osteoporosis prevention and its correlation with their nutritional behaviors

Background

Nurses have good opportunities to communicate with osteoporotic patients and the public as well as convey osteoporosis prevention education to them. Therefore, nurses require specific knowledge, attitude, practice (KAP), and desirable nutritional behaviors for osteoporosis prevention and treatment strategies. Little is known about the KAP for osteoporosis prevention and nutritional behaviors among nurses in Iran.

Purpose

The present study was conducted to evaluate nurses' KAP and nutritional behaviors for osteoporosis prevention.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 195 nurses working in three hospitals in southeastern Iran. Nurses were selected using a stratified random sampling method between April and June 2020. The data collection tools included questionnaires of KAP and nutritional behaviors to prevent osteoporosis.

Findings

According to the findings, nurses' knowledge regarding osteoporosis prevention was high level (20.23 ± 3.79) and their attitude (72.71 ± 6.97), practice (48.25 ± 6.38), and nutritional behavior scores (110.12 ± 13.68) were desirable. In addition, nurses' KAP regarding osteoporosis prevention was correlated with their nutritional behaviors (p = 0.001).

Conclusions

Given the high levels of knowledge, desirable practices, and in Iranian nurses regarding the prevention of osteoporosis, they can play a significant role in changing KAP and nutritional behaviors of people to prevent this disease. To this end, educational and support programs should be implemented in clinical and community settings to develop a healthy lifestyle in the community.

The interplay of Western diet and binge drinking on the onset, progression, and outlook of liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease, the two most prevalent liver diseases worldwide, share a common pathology but have largely been considered disparate diseases. Liver diseases are widely underestimated, but their prevalence is increasing worldwide. The Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) and binge drinking (rapid consumption of alcohol in a short period of time) are two highly prevalent features of standard life in the United States, and both are linked to the development and progression of liver disease. Yet, few studies have been conducted to elucidate their potential interactions. Data shows binge drinking is on the rise in several age groups, and poor dietary trends continue to be prevalent. This review serves to summarize the sparse findings on the hepatic consequences of the combination of binge drinking and consuming a Western diet, while also drawing conclusions on potential future impacts. The data suggest the potential for a looming liver disease epidemic, indicating that more research on its progression as well as its prevention is needed on this critical topic.

Diet Quality of Elite Australian Athletes Evaluated Using the Athlete Diet Index

While athletes’ nutrient intakes have been widely reported, few studies have assessed the diet quality of athletes. This is the first study to evaluate the diet quality of athletes using the purpose-built Athlete Diet Index (ADI). A convenience sample of 165 elite athletes from Australian sporting institutions completed the ADI online, with subsequent automated results provided to their respective accredited sports dietitians (ASDs). At the completion of athlete participation, ASDs (n = 12) responded to a range of survey items using a Likert scale (i.e., 1 = strongly agree to 5 = strongly disagree) to determine the suitability of the ADI in practice. Differences in ADI scores for demographics and sport-specific variables were investigated using independent t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni multiple comparisons. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to assess the association between total scores and demographics. The mean total ADI score was 91.4 ± 12.2 (range 53–117, out of a possible 125). While there was no difference in total scores based on demographics or sport-specific variables; team sport athletes scored higher than individual sport athletes (92.7 vs. 88.5, p < 0.05). Athletes training fewer hours (i.e., 0–11 h/week) scored higher on Dietary Habits sub-scores compared with athletes training more hours (≥12 h/week; p < 0.05), suggesting that athletes who train longer may be at risk of a compromised dietary pattern or less than optimal nutrition practices that support training. Most (75%) ASDs surveyed strongly agreed with the perceived utility of the ADI for screening athletes and identifying areas for nutrition support, confirming its suitability for use in practice.