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Andrea Carlson

Publications and source records attributed to Andrea Carlson.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Simple measures of dietary variety are associated with improved dietary quality.

The objective of this study was to identify a measure of dietary variety that was associated with improved dietary quality and easily understood by consumers. Dietary quality was measured by nutrient adequacy and intakes of added sugars, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. We developed four definitions of dietary variety: (a) a count of basic commodities consumed; (b) a count of food codes reported; (c) a count of five Food Guide Pyramid (FGP) food groups consumed; and (d) a count of 22 FGP subgroups consumed. The analysis sample included 4,964 men and 4,797 women aged 19 years and older who participated in the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals 1994-96. For each day of dietary data, we examined associations of each type of dietary variety with several measures of dietary quality using Spearman's correlations and multivariate linear regression models. After adjusting for energy intake and the number of FGP food group servings, all types of dietary variety were positively associated with mean nutrient adequacy across 15 nutrients, but associations were strongest for commodity-based variety and for 22 FGP subgroup consumption variety. Likewise, all variety measures were inversely associated with intakes of added sugars and saturated fat, with commodity-based variety and 22 FGP subgroup variety the strongest. We conclude that variety measured using 22 FGP subgroups is preferable because it is a good predictor of dietary quality, is relatively simple to calculate, and is easy to explain to consumers.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Dietary variety increases the probability of nutrient adequacy among adults.

Despite guidance to consume a variety of foods, the role of dietary variety in ensuring nutrient adequacy is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether a commodity-based measure of dietary variety was associated with the probability of nutrient adequacy after adjusting for energy and food group intakes. Subjects were 4969 men and 4800 women >/= 19 y old who participated in the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes for Individuals 1994-1996. Using 24-h recall data, the mean probability of adequacy across 15 nutrients was calculated using the Dietary Reference Intakes. Dietary variety was defined using a commodity-based method similar to that used for the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Associations were examined in gender-specific multivariate regression models. Energy intake was a strong predictor of the mean probability of adequacy in models controlled for age, BMI, education level, and ethnicity (model R(2) = 0.60 and 0.54 for men and women, respectively). Adding the number of servings from each of the 5 Food Guide Pyramid (FGP) groups to the models significantly improved the model fit (R(2) = 0.69 and 0.66 for men and women). Adding dietary variety again significantly improved the model fit for both men and women (R(2) = 0.73 and 0.70, respectively). Variety counts within the dairy and grain groups were most strongly associated with improved nutrient adequacy. Dietary variety as defined by the HEI contributes an additional component of dietary quality that is not captured by FGP servings or energy intake.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Influence of age and tic disorders on obsessive-compulsive disorder in a pediatric sample.

BACKGROUND: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous disorder with emerging data suggesting that age of onset and/or the presence of tics may define clinically important subgroups. OBJECTIVE: This study set out to evaluate the impact of age and tic disorders on the symptom profile in a pediatric sample of patients with OCD ascertained from a specialty clinic. METHODS: Eighty children with OCD (50 boys, 30 girls) were assessed for symptom type, severity, age of onset, presence of a tic disorder, and functional status. Each child's most impairing obsessions and compulsions were identified and compared by age category (above and below the age of 11 years) and according to the presence or absence of a tic disorder. RESULTS: The mean age of the sample was 11.1 +/- 3.19 years (range 4-18 years). The most common obsessions reported were contamination and worries about harm. Common compulsions included washing and rituals to prevent harm. The only significant differences across age groups were the percentage of religious worries and slightly higher severity of obsessions in the adolescent age group (p < 0.05). The presence of tics was associated with increased frequency of repetitive behavior unrelated to harm avoidance (p < 0.05). Children without a history of tics were more likely to describe incidents of contamination, washing, and repetitive request for reassurance (p < 0.05 for each). CONCLUSION: In this convenient sample of clinically ascertained children, there were few phenotypic differences in children above or below the age of 11 years. Differences in the distribution of OCD symptoms according to the presence or absence of tics, which has been documented in adult samples, were evident in this sample.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

An approach to dialysis for ethylene glycol intoxication.

Eleven cases of ethylene glycol ingestion were retrospectively analyzed for presentation, treatment, and outcome. Patients were grouped according to the time it took to receive medical attention, and whether or not they received I continuous hemodialysis (CHD) versus intermittent hemodialysis (IHD). Six patients presented within 12 h of exposure (Group 1), whereas 5 patients presented later (Group 2; range 48-120 h). Comparisons were made for age, ethylene glycol level, anion gap, osmolar gap, pH, admission creatinine level, time from ingestion to presentation, total time spent on hemodialysis, number of dialysis treatments, recovery time, recovery creatinine, hospital length of stay, and status. Significant differences were observed for ethylene glycol level, osmolar gap, and presentation time. Ten of the 11 patients received single pass hemodialysis, and 5 of these received I CHD. Of the 5 patients who received CHD versus the 5 patients who received IHD, none developed complications (p=0.004). Patients who presented within 10 h of exposure had fewer complications than those who presented > 12 h after exposure Timely CHD is superior to IHD in treating ethylene glycol intoxication. An adeQuate time course of hemodialysis can be approximated using the ethylene gycol index, and may eliminate reliance on ethylene glycol levels in determining adequate endpoints of dialysis in treating poisoned patients.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Food source makes a difference in diet quality.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between diet quality and source of food among U.S. adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional sample of adults who participated in the 1994-1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals divided into clusters based on their food source. SETTING: In-person interviews conducted nationwide. PARTICIPANTS: A national sample of 9407 adults over 18 years of age. METHOD: Data gathered from the interviews consisted of two 24-hour dietary recalls; self-reported demographic characteristics; body mass index (BMI); and health behaviors such as physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score and the percentage of total grams of food consumed from each source. ANALYSIS: Multivariate linear regression evaluated the association between food source pattern determined by cluster analysis, and HEI scores, while controlling for demographic characteristics, BMI, and health behaviors. RESULTS: Ten primary food source patterns were identified from the clusters. The food source clusters were statistically significant in predicting HEI score and were stronger predictors than most demographic and health behaviors included. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: The success of cluster analysis in identifying food source patterns and associating them with diet quality suggests that identifying an individual's food source pattern may be more predictive of diet quality than demographic characteristics, and other health behaviors.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Development of food group composites and nutrient profiles for the MyPyramid Food Guidance System.

OBJECTIVE: To identify food selections in each MyPyramid food group or subgroup reflective of typical consumption patterns by Americans, and the nutrient intake that can be expected from consuming a specified amount of these foods from each group, in a low-fat and no-added-sugars form. DESIGN: An analytical process to identify food consumption choices within each food group and subgroup using national food consumption surveys, and to identify the expected nutrient content of each group using food composition databases. VARIABLES MEASURED: Relative consumption of foods within each food group; nutrient content for each food group and subgroup (energy plus 27 nutrients). ANALYSIS: Disaggregated foods from consumption surveys into component ingredients. Combined similar ingredients into "item clusters" and determined relative consumption of each. Calculated a consumption-weighted nutrient profile for each food group. RESULTS: Consumption-weighted food intake selections and nutrient profiles were developed for all MyPyramid food groups and subgroups. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This analytical process derived food group and subgroup composites which estimate typical food choices within each MyPyramid food group. These were used to assess the adequacy of the MyPyramid food intake patterns as they were being iteratively developed.

Cluster Analysis↗