Nutrition

The toolkit for nutrition is available here: http://www.newhealth.govt.nz/toolkits/nutrition.htm

Here are links to resources on nutrition:

• New Zealand
• Maori and Pacific
• International
• NZ Links and other resources
  

New Zealand

• Three related NZ Conferences: see info here and here
• Laugesen, M.3, Swinburn, B. ‘The New Zealand food supply and diet — trends 1961-95 and comparison with other OECD countries’. NZ Med J 113, 311-315, 2000.
• Swinburn, B.A. Wright, H. RAZA, F. Morely-John, J. ‘The Hot Chips Project’ . Report to the Ministry of Health 2000.
• Stewart, K. (1998). Co-ordination of metabolism and nutritional status: Defining an acute signalling pathway using a lactational model
  

Maori and Pacific

• see Food Research below
• Trends in body size, diet and food availability in the Cook Islands in the second half of the 20th century: Stanley J. Ulijaszek, Economics and Human Biology, January 2003, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 123-137(15)
  Available online and click on proceed
  Abstract
  The body size of adult Cook Islanders on Rarotonga for the years 1952, 1966 and 1996 has been increasing. The rate of increase in stature of women aged 20–39 years was 0.5 cm per decade across the period 1952–1966, and 0.8 cm per decade for the period 1966–1996. The rate of increase of weight in the 20–29 years age group was 0.6 kg per decade in period 1, and 7.3 kg per decade in period 2. In the age group 30–39 years, the rates were 3.2 kg per decade and 5.1 kg per decade respectively. Changing food availability for the period 1961–2000 is used to compare estimates of dietary energy availability with estimates of physiological energy requirements. There has been reduced availability of traditional staples, a likely reduction in consumption of fish, increased consumption of meat, and a decline in the availability of dietary fats and oils. Daily per capita energy intakes in 1952 and 1966 greatly exceed an hypothetical physiological maximum value for energy expenditure, suggesting a large positive energy balance in 1952 and an even greater one in 1966, both predisposing to weight gain. Although daily per capita energy availability in 1996 is similar to the hypothetical physiological maximum value for energy expenditure, it exceeds the measured level of energy expenditure at that time. It is speculated that excessive energy intake relative to requirement is more likely to predispose to positive energy balance and weight gain than decline in energy expenditure, although to a lower extent than in 1966 and 1952.
• Pipi, K., Moewaka Barnes H., Spinola, C. (1994) Te Kai o Te Hauora: Healthy Lifestyles: Focus on Food and Nutrition Project Evaluation. 40pp plus appendices, November. Auckland: Alcohol & Public Health Research Unit.
• Nutrition, healthy lifestyles and physical activity for tamariki, rangatahi, pakeke and kamautua Rangatahi food choices
• Durie, M.//Fitzgerald, E. (2000). Lifestyle, nutritional patterns and opportunties for Maori health gain. May 11, Maori nutritional forum, Waitangi.
• Fitzgerald, E. (2000). Lifestyle, nutritional patterns and opportunities for Maori health gains. Maori national nutrition hui, May 11, Maori National Nutritionists, Waitangi.
• 2001 Amosa T, Rush E, Plank L.  Frequency of eating occasions reported by young New Zealand Polynesian and European women. Pac Health Dialog. 2001 Mar;8(1):59-65.
• 2001 Rush E, Hedges R, Alsbersberg B, Qionibaravi D, Laulu M. Staple food intake in a rural village in Verata, Fiji. Pac Health Dialog. 2001 Mar;8(1):44-6.
• 1999 Rush EC, Plank LD & Coward WA. Expired 13CO2 and Metabolic Fuel Mix in Young New Zealand Polynesian and Caucasian Women. Journal of Human Ecology 10; 1-5.
• 1999 Rush EC, Plank LD & Coward WA.  Total energy expenditure and physical activity in NZ European and Polynesian Women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 69:43-48
• 1998 Rush EC, Plank LD, & Robinson SM. Estimation of body fat in Caucasian and Polynesian women from anthropometric measurements. Applied Radiation and Isotopes. 49:749-750.
• 1997 Gonelevu S, Rush E & Laulu M. Fruit, vegetable and cereal intake of Polynesian and European women in Auckland. Pacific Health Dialog. 4(2): 11-19.
• 1997 Rush EC, Plank LD, Laulu MS, & Robinson SM Prediction of total body fat from anthropometric measurements: comparison of Caucasian and Polynesian young women.  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 66:2-7.
• 1997 Rush EC, Plank LD, & Robinson SM. Resting metabolic rate in young Polynesian and Caucasian women.  International Journal of Obesity. 21:1071-1075.
• 1997 Rush EC.  Energy expenditure and metabolism in Caucasian and Polynesian women.  PhD Thesis.  University of Auckland.
  

International

• Obesity and Nutrition in Women Throughout Adulthood; Karen H. Morin; Mary A. Stark; Kimberly Searing; Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, December 2004, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 823-832(10)
• Dietary Fat and Fatty Acids and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Women, Jennifer Lin; Shumin M. Zhang; Nancy R. Cook; I-Min Lee; Julie E. Buring, American Journal of Epidemiology, 15 November 2004, vol. 160, no. 10, pp. 1011-1022(12); Oxford University Press
  The authors examined the association of intakes of different types of fat and fatty acids with risk of colorectal cancer using data from the Women’s Health Study, a randomized trial of low-dose aspirin and vitamin E carried out among 39,876 healthy US women aged ge45 years. Among the 37,547 women eligible for the present study, 202 developed colorectal cancer during an average follow-up period of 8.7 years (1993–2003). Intakes of dietary fat and its food sources were assessed at baseline by food frequency questionnaire. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. Total fat intake was not related to colorectal cancer risk, nor were intakes of the different types of fat and major fatty acids. However, the authors observed a positive association between intake of fried foods away from home and colorectal cancer risk (highest quintile vs. lowest: relative risk = 1.86, 95% confidence interval: 1.09, 3.16; p for trend = 0.01). These prospective cohort data provide little support for an association between dietary fat and colorectal cancer risk. However, intake of fried foods and/or other factors related to their intake may be associated with colorectal cancer development. This finding warrants further examination.
• Nutritional Health Messages in Women’s Magazines: A Conflicted Space for Women Readers; Madden H.; Chamberlain K, Journal of Health Psychology, July 2004, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 583-597(15), SAGE Publications
  Media representations of food are ubiquitous in contemporary society, and healthy eating features predominantly in such texts. This study explores the discursive construction of food and healthy eating in texts appearing in popular women’s magazines, and examines the variety of positions and subjectivities offered to women readers of these texts. We find that such texts present quite complex constructions of nutritional health, based on scientific and biomedical discourses of nutrition interwoven with discourses of morality, feminine beauty and mothering. We conclude that these texts offer a conflictual space for women to traverse in efforts to position themselves as good mothers and moral and healthy eaters.
• How feasible are healthy eating and physical activity for young women?, Ball K.1; Crawford D.1; Warren N.1, Public Health Nutrition, May 2004, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 433-441(9)
  Objective: This study investigated young women's perceptions of the feasibility of physical activity and healthy eating behaviours, and how these vary by socio-economic status, domestic characteristics and weight status.
  Design: This population-based study used a mailed questionnaire to investigate perceptions of the feasibility of commonly recommended healthy eating and physical activity behaviours among a sample of young women. The feasibility of 29 physical activity behaviours (e.g. relating to frequency, intensity, duration, domain/setting) and 15 healthy eating behaviours (e.g. relating to location/setting, fruit and vegetable intake, fat/sugar intake) was assessed. Height, weight and sociodemographic details were also obtained.
  Setting: Nation-wide community-based survey.
  Subjects: A total of 445 women aged 18–32 years selected randomly from the Australian electoral roll.
  Results: Most women reported that they either were already engaged in many of the healthy eating behaviours or saw these as highly feasible. Many physical activity behaviours, on the other hand, were perceived as less feasible, particularly among women with children and women who were overweight.
  Conclusions: Health promotion messages and strategies aimed at increasing physical activity and healthy eating are unlikely to succeed unless they take into account perceptions that these behaviours are not feasible. For young women, this may involve promoting more time-effective, flexible ways of achieving recommended physical activity. Messages specifically targeted to women with children, and women who are overweight, are required.
• Gender Differences in Nutritional Risk Among Older Rural Adults; Quandt S.A; Chao D.; Journal of Applied Gerontology, June 2000, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 138-150(13), SAGE Publications
  Older adults are vulnerable to nutrition-related health problems due to health and psychosocial changes that accompany aging. Those in rural communities face additional problems. This study characterizes the nutritional risk of rural older adults using the Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), paying particular attention to gender differences in risk. Data come from face-to-face interviews with a random sample of 638 White rural adults aged 55 and older. Women scored significantly higher on the NRI, indicating greater nutritional risk. Women were more likely to report NRI items related to oral health, special diets, disease interference with eating, gastrointestinal problems, and anemia, whereas men were more likely to report smoking regularly. A comparison with the application of the NRI in other populations indicates that it is sensitive to nutrition-related health conditions that may be more prevalent in rural populations, making it a useful tool for measuring nutritional risk.
• Factors associated with dental anxiety and attendance in middle-aged and elderly women: Hägglin C.; Hakeberg M.; Ahlqwist M.; Sullivan M.; Berggren U.; Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 1 December 2000, vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 451-460(10)
  The aim of this study was to analyze the association between dental anxiety, dental attendance, health status and social factors. Our previous studies have shown that dental anxiety declines with age and is associated with poor oral health. In addition, correlations between dental anxiety, dental utilization and dental status have been revealed. However, the association of these factors with general health and social factors has not been analyzed in our previous studies. In a study of women's health in Göteborg, Sweden in 1992, 1017 urban women aged 38 to 84 years took part in a series of investigations including clinical examinations, interviews and questionnaires. In addition to descriptive and simple inference statistics, a two-part multiple logistic regression model was utilized to investigate dental anxiety and dental utilization. Dental fear was less prevalent among older women, dentate or not, although 10% of females 62 years of age and older still reported high dental anxiety (DASge12). 94% of the younger (le62 yr) and 76% of the older (ge70 yr) women reported regular dental attendance. When separating all women into dentate and edentulous groups, 94% of the dentate and 11% of the edentulous respondents reported regular dental care. Due to the large difference in dental attendance between dentate and edentulous women, these groups were analyzed separately. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the following factors were associated with irregular dental utilization among dentate women: high dental anxiety, fewer teeth and restorations, more caries, poorer chewing ability and dissatisfaction with dental esthetics. In the multiple regression for dental anxiety, high fear was shown to be associated with irregular dental care, age (younger), fewer teeth, dissatisfaction with dental esthetics and lower scores on the SF-36 mental health scale. A separate analysis showed that individuals with high fear and regular, as opposed to irregular, dental attendance had more teeth at a statistically significant level, which were less often decayed and more often restored. In spite of the group with high fear and irregular attendance having fewer teeth, their level of decay was seven times higher. Overall, the results indicate a strong association between dental fear and dental attendance. Weak associations were found among socio-economic, dental health and general health factors.
• The role of nutrition and nutritional supplements in women's health - a review of the clinical, epidemiological, and mechanistic evidence, Seibel M.M.; Fertility and Sterility, October 1999, vol. 72, no. 4, pp. 579-591(13)
  Objective: To review the current literature on nutrition to provide a basis for counseling patients.
  Design: Literature review. Full document available online - and click on proceed
  Result(s): Studies on nutrition and nutritional supplements in women’s health are found primarily in literature not typically read by reproductive endocrinologists and gynecologist/obstetricians. A surprising number of people do not receive the vitamins and minerals that they need. Soy and soy isoflavones should be considered an important part of the diet.
  Conclusion(s): A better understanding of nutrition and nutritional supplements may reduce or prevent illness, saving the health care system millions of dollars each year.
• Determinants of Gender differences in Dietary Behavior, Turrell G., Nutrition Research, July 1997, vol. 17, no. 7, pp. 1105-1120(16)
  Paper available on line and click on proceed
  Abstract
  Population-based food and nutrition studies consistently demonstrate that women are significantly more likely than men to comply with dietary guideline recommendations. To date however, the precise reasons for this difference are not clear. This paper examines this issue using data collected from a representative sample of men and women (n=330) living in Brisbane City (Australia). A general linear modelling analysis shows that women's greater compliance with dietary guideline food behaviors is due in part to their greater liking for the taste of healthy foods, they were more likely to believe that dietary guideline food was better for their health, and they were more knowledgeable about food and nutrition. Women were also more likely to report a heightened concern about their physical and personal appearance, although this factor made no independent contribution to dietary guideline compliance. The model developed in this study explained approximately 30 percent of the variation in food behavior. At the study's completion, men and women still differed significantly in their food behaviors, indicating that other important explanatory factors remain to be identified. © 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.
• www.anac-au.org
  This is the site of the Australian Nutrition Advisory Council (ANAC) which is a not for profit association convened by Sanitarium Health Food company. This site allows you to subscribe a regular email bulletins as well as download publications about food for cancer prevention.
  

NZ Links and other resources

• NZ FOOD : NZ PEOPLE published August 1999
  The key results of the 1997 National Nutrition Survey were released in the report NZ Food : NZ People. This report was the culmination of three years work by the LINZ¨ Research Unit from development to analysis. Data was collected in the homes of over 4500 New Zealanders. A fully computerised method was used to collect all information including the 24hour diet recall data. These data were adjusted using C-SIDE software to determine usual daily intakes, a first for a national survey.LINZ¨ is currently undertaking further analysis of the survey data. Enquiries regarding availability of these analyses and any subsequent studies can be made via email with LINZ¨. The full report can be downloaded here.
• Grant No. 945
  Fatty acid status of New Zealand
  Dr Murray Skeaff Monitoring the amount and type of fat consumed by New Zealanders is important because dietary fat plays an important role in determining individual and population risk of heart disease. Recent advances in measuring blood levels of fat (i.e. biomarkers) have opened up new and more sensitive methods for monitoring the population's fat intake. The present research is designed to analyse the fat composition of blood samples collected during the recently completed National Nutrition Survey. These results will be invaluable in learning whether New Zealanders are responding to public health education programmes to reduce and change the type of fat they consume. To date we have completed the analysis of about 30% of all sample collected during the National Nutrition Survey.
• Grant No. 1016
  A tailored intervention to increase New Zealanders' fruit and vegetable consumption.
  Dr Caroline Horwath Low fruit/vegetable intake is associated with increased health risks (1,2). To complement environmental and policy interventions, NZ urgently needs effective behavioural interventions enabling individuals to make healthy food choices. Access and adequate finances alone do not ensure healthy eating. This project will develop and evaluate a health communication programme aimed at increasing fruit/veg consumption. It will be based on those strategies most effective in promoting dietary change: tailoring messages to the specific needs of individuals and key behavioural determinants; focussing on motivators and reinforcers relevant to each individual, and involving personalised self-evaluation techniques. Computer-generation of messages will ensure wide access.
• Food Research
  • Influences on Teenage Food Choices
  • The Samoan study, 1995-6
  • The Pakeha study, 1994-5
  • The Maori study, current project
  • Fruit and Vegetables, 1996
  • Televised Food Advertising for Children, 1996
  • Food Prices
  • Food Balance Sheet
  • Pesticide Residues in Food
  • Community Gardening, 1994
    

From Women's Health Action publications

• Milk good for girls - WHW April 1998