Biomedical subjects

E Bere

Publications and source records attributed to E Bere.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Wild berries: a good source of omega-3.

It has been reported that some wild green vegetables are good sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, an essential omega-3 fatty acid). Using available data from the Norwegian food composition table, the present study shows that three common Nordic berries (blueberry, cloudberry and cowberry) on average contain 0.7 g of fat (=21% of total energy) and 0.25 g ALA (=36% of total fat) per 100 g, which is quite similar to what has been reported for the ALA-rich wild green vegetables. In addition, this study shows that a hypothetical replacement of 5% of Norwegian 8th grade girls' diet, with a similar energy amount of wild berries, would significantly improve the diet - also improve intake of nutrients not commonly associated with berries.

Fatty Acids, Omega-3↗

PubMed2005

Outcome and process evaluation of a Norwegian school-randomized fruit and vegetable intervention: Fruits and Vegetables Make the Marks (FVMM).

This study reports the effect of the Fruits and Vegetables Make the Marks intervention, a school-based fruit and vegetable intervention consisting of a home economics classroom component and parental involvement and encouraged participation in the Norwegian School Fruit Programme, all delivered during the school year of 2001-02. Nine randomly chosen schools received the intervention and 10 schools served as control schools. Participating pupils completed questionnaires at baseline (September 2001), at Follow-up 1 (May-June 2002) and at Follow-up 2 (May 2003). A total of 369 pupils (69%; mean age, 11.3 years at baseline) participated in all three surveys. No effect of the intervention was found for intake of fruit and vegetables eaten at school or all day, neither at Follow-up 1 nor at Follow-up 2. On analysing the effects on potential mediators, significant differences between intervention and control groups were found for Awareness of the five-a-day recommendations only. The intervention programme was rated as very good by the teachers, and the pupils reported that they enjoyed it. However, the intervention failed to change fruit and vegetable intake, probably because it did not succeed in changing the pupils' preferences for or the accessibility of fruit and vegetables--the two strongest correlates of children's fruit and vegetable intake.

Child↗

PubMed2005

Free school fruit--sustained effect 1 year later.

This study reports the effect of a school-randomized fruit and vegetable intervention consisting of a subscription to the Norwegian School Fruit Programme at no parental cost, and the Fruit and Vegetables Make the Marks (FVMM) educational programme, both delivered in the school year of 2001-02. Nine randomly chosen schools received the intervention and 10 schools served as control schools. Participating pupils completed questionnaires at baseline (September 2001), at Follow-up 1 (May-June 2002) and at Follow-up 2 (May 2003). A total of 517 pupils (84%; mean age, 11.3 years at baseline) participated in all three surveys. At both Follow-up 1 and Follow-up 2, strong intervention effects were observed for all-day fruit and vegetable intake (effect sizes were 0.6 and 0.5 portions, respectively). The sustained effect at Follow-up 2, 1 year after the end of the intervention, can partly be explained by greater participation rates in the School Fruit Programme (standard paid subscription). We conclude that the effects observed are most likely due to the no-cost subscription and not due to the FVMM educational programme, and that providing pupils with a piece of fruit or a vegetable at school at no cost for the parents is an effective strategy to increase school children's intake of fruit and vegetables. The effect is also sustained 1 year after the end of the no-cost subscription, providing increased health benefits.

Cohort Studies↗

PubMed2004

Validity and reproducibility of self-reported intake of fruit and vegetable among 6th graders.

OBJECTIVE: Reproducible and valid methods for measuring fruit and vegetable consumption among young school children are urgently needed. The aim of this study was to test the reproducibility and the validity of a newly developed questionnaire on the intake of fruit and vegetable among Norwegian 6th graders. The questionnaire consisted of a 24-h recall part and a food frequency part. DESIGN: A total of 114 pupils completed the questionnaire two times 14 days apart, and another 85 pupils completed the questionnaire and 7-day food diaries. SUBJECTS: Pupils of 6th grade with a mean age of 11.9 y. RESULTS: Spearman correlation coefficients between the frequency part of the questionnaire administered two times varied from 0.62 for fruit to 0.83 for potato, and no difference was seen between the average intakes from the two 24-h recalls. The 24-h recall part of the questionnaire gave higher estimates for the average intake of fruit and juice compared to the 7-day record, while no difference was observed for vegetable intake. Spearman correlation coefficients between the frequency part and the records varied from 0.21 for fruit and potato to 0.32 for the total intake of fruit and vegetable. CONCLUSION: Both the 24-h recall and the frequency part gave a consistent response on separate occasions over the test-retest study period. The 6th graders were capable of recording yesterday's intake of vegetable, but overestimated the intake of fruit and juice. The ability to rank subjects based on the frequency part was rather low.

Child↗