PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F E Thompson

Publications and source records attributed to F E Thompson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Improving food frequency questionnaires: a qualitative approach using cognitive interviewing.

In an attempt to improve data quality and ease of administration of standard self-administered food frequency questionnaires, various alternative approaches were tried for inquiring about frequency of consumption, portion size, seasonal intake, and food preparation. Evaluation consisted of a cognitive interviewing method in which respondents verbalize their thought process while completing several variations of a questionnaire. Interviewers observed and asked follow-up probe questions to evaluate problems or inconsistencies verbalized by respondents. Consensus and judgment by interviewers and observers suggested several problematic features of food frequency questionnaires: formatting of questions about frequency and portion size; computing average frequencies for aggregated food items or for foods eaten seasonally; comprehension of many items; and ordering of foods. These findings led to cognitive refinement and innovations, which included detailed questions regarding preparation or use of low-fat varieties or other alternatives to help better describe specifics of intake for some foods; questions on seasonal intake for several foods; inclusion of portion size ranges; and additional response categories for frequency of intake. Cognitive interviewing is an important step in pinpointing cognitive problems in dietary questionnaires.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Measles immunization of 2-year-olds in a rural southern state.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the measles vaccine coverage of 2-year-old children living in Mississippi during the national measles epidemic of 1989 and 1990. DESIGN: Survey of 2-year-olds randomly selected from the 1987 birth cohort. The status of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination was determined by medical record reviews and family contacts. SETTING: A predominantly rural state in the southeastern United States with a large black minority population (35%) and a low per capital income ($9827 to $12,899). Approximately 80% of MMR immunizations are given by public health service nurses working in nine health districts. SUBJECTS: A total of 2450 preschool-aged children representing 6% of the 1987 birth cohort (n = 41,279). Three hundred forty-one children were considered ineligible, leaving 2109 in the final sample. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Confirmed vaccination by the age of 2 years. Rates of immunization were calculated for the entire state, its health districts, and subgroups based on population density, per capita income, type of clinic visited, and race. RESULTS: The statewide immunization rate was 87% (95% confidence interval, 86% to 88%). Among the nine health districts, rates varied from 79% to 97% (median, 88%). They were similar for white and black children in each health district and within the state as a whole. The level of vaccine coverage was significantly higher in districts with lower population densities (89% vs 85%, P = .02) and in those with higher per capita incomes (89% vs 86%, P = .03). There were four minor outbreaks of measles during 1989 and 1990; half of the cases occurred in unimmunized children too young to receive the MMR vaccine. CONCLUSION: A high rate of measles immunization is attainable among 2-year-olds living in a rural state with a large black minority population and limited economic resources.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1994

"Eat for Health": a supermarket intervention for nutrition and cancer risk reduction.

OBJECTIVES: The results of an evaluation of "Eat for Health," a supermarket nutrition intervention, are presented. The study tested whether such a program could be successfully carried out and whether it could effect changes in knowledge, attitudes, and food purchasing behavior in line with nutrition and cancer risk reduction guidelines. METHODS: The evaluation consisted of an in-store monitoring element, an in-store and telephone consumer survey, and an analysis of sales data on selected foods. A matched-pair design, using a total of 40 stores in the intervention and comparison groups, was used. RESULTS: The intervention was successfully implemented and had limited success in changing some food purchasing behaviors. There appeared to be no effect on knowledge and attitudes except for increased awareness of a link between diet and cancer and of the program itself. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the intervention's success, limitations of the consumer survey and sales data analyses and the continuing diffusion of nutrition messages throughout society make it difficult to specify the impact of this program on consumer nutrition knowledge and behaviors.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Dietary sources of fats and cholesterol in US children aged 2 through 5 years.

OBJECTIVES: This study of lipid intakes among preschool children (1) analyzed the contributions of 38 food groups to fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol intakes; (2) estimated the effects of food substitutions on intakes; and (3) examined demographic differences in food group intake and food group sources of these lipids. METHODS: The sample consisted of 547 children, aged 2 to 5 years, from the US Department of Agriculture's 1985 and 1986 Continuing Surveys of Food Intakes by Individuals. Dietary information for 4 nonconsecutive days throughout a year was used. All foods were classified into groups and the lipids contributed from each group were computed. RESULTS: Over 80% of the children consumed more total fat, saturated fats, and cholesterol than is recommended. The major source of total fat and saturated fats was whole milk; the major sources of dietary cholesterol were eggs and whole milk. Children's food consumption patterns differed by region of the country and race/ethnicity, providing opportunities to refine nutrition education interventions and evaluations. CONCLUSIONS: By substituting lower-fat foods for the major sources of saturated fats, significant reductions in preschool children's intakes of saturated fats, fat, and dietary cholesterol could be achieved.

Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗
PubMed1992

Sources of fiber and fat in diets of US women aged 19 to 50: implications for nutrition education and policy.

INTRODUCTION: Many women are not meeting dietary recommendations for fiber and fat intakes. Health educators need to know which foods are major sources of these nutrients. METHODS: This study analyzed the contributions of 27 food groups to fiber, fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol intakes of 2134 women aged 19 to 50 years in USDA's Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, the 1985 and 1986 surveys (CSFII 85-86). RESULTS: Major determinants of fiber intake include frequency of use of certain food groups (vegetables, including potatoes, bread, fruit, soups, ready-to-eat cereal) and choice of particular foods within the larger food groups (e.g., whole grain bread, high fiber cereal). Major determinants of total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol intakes included frequency of use of certain foods (sweet grains, beef, eggs, cheeses/cream, whole milks) and additions to foods (regular salad dressing and butter/margarine). Demographic characteristics were related to various food group consumption parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Information about the relationships between food group and nutrient intake and the effects of household income, race/ethnicity, and region of residence on food group intake indicate opportunities to refine nutritional education programs.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Comparison of two dietary questionnaires validated against multiple dietary records collected during a 1-year period.

The validity of two dietary history questionnaires was examined, one the Health Habits and History Questionnaire (HHHQ) developed by Block et al and the other a questionnaire developed by investigators at the University of Michigan (UM). The reference data consisted of the mean of four 4-day dietary records and recalls collected for 1 year before administration of the questionnaires. The sample of 85 persons included black and white men and women aged 25 to 50 years. The HHHQ was entirely self-administered; the UM questionnaire had both self- and interviewer-administered components. The HHHQ group means were similar to food record estimates for energy and most nutrients, whereas the UM questionnaire produced overestimates for energy and all nutrients examined. Correlations ranged from .31 to .60 (median = .48) for the UM questionnaire and from .42 to .68 (median = .57) for the HHHQ. Use of respondent-reported portion sizes with the HHHQ produced higher correlations than use of investigator-determined "standard" portion sizes (median r = .43 vs .57). Food frequency questionnaires can provide useful nutrient data for individuals as well as groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Characteristics of individuals and long term reproducibility of dietary reports: the Tecumseh Diet Methodology Study.

Food frequency reports in 1967-1969 were compared to frequency reports of the same foods asked retrospectively in 1982-1983 and 1967-1969 for 1184 respondents aged 45-64 years in the Tecumseh Community Health Study. The kappa statistic for concordance of the retrospective and baseline reports was used as a summary measure of the individual's ability to reproduce his or her earlier diet report. Reproducibility was estimated for total diet, represented by 83 foods, and for 9 subsets of foods of epidemiologic interest. In bivariate and multivariate analyses, reproducibility was strongly related to stability of diet; those whose diets changed least over the 15-year period had greatest diet reproducibility. Greater total diet reproducibility was also found among men with higher education, among women of less than 110% desirable weight reporting no special diet and among women reporting no medications. Consistent with current models of memory, the retrospective report of diet was strongly related to the current report of diet. Agreement between the retrospective and baseline diet reports was greater than agreement between the current and baseline diet reports. This indicates that, as a proxy for past diet, the retrospective report of diet is superior to the current report. Similar relationships were found for the 9 subset of foods.

Body Weight↗
PubMed1990

Dependency on soup kitchens in urban areas of New York State.

We studied the dependency of persons on soup kitchens in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Westchester County, New York. Seventeen percent of the meal recipients were homeless, 62 percent lived in apartments or houses, 20 percent were working, 40 percent were women, and 17 percent had a child in their household. Fifty-nine percent started eating at the soup kitchen more than a year ago, and 51 percent ate five or more meals at soup kitchens in the last week. Most reported they came to the soup kitchen because of economic problems or lack of food; 93 percent had incomes below the poverty threshold. Most used some government food program; 48 percent received food stamps. Utilization of soup kitchens and other programs differed between men and women and between households with and without children.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Comparison of surrogate and subject reports of dietary practices, smoking habits and weight among married couples in the Tecumseh Diet Methodology Study.

Agreement between surrogate and subject reports of current food frequencies and other eating habits, smoking behavior and weight was assessed in 1982-1983 for 180 husbands and wives, aged 45 through 64 years. Agreement was measured by per cent exact agreement and weighted kappa for frequencies of 30 itemized foods or food groups, and for surrogate- and subject-based quintiles of frequencies of eight broad food groups and of vitamin A and C consumption indexes. Surrogate and subject mean frequencies were generally similar, but at the individual level of analysis, agreement varied widely. Agreement was greatest, among the food items and groups, for alcoholic beverages, and among the other items, for smoking status. Extreme misclassification by quintile was very small, but only 40% of persons self-classified in either extreme quintile were similarly classified by their spouses. This level of misclassification may result in the dilution of real relationships between diet and health.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Comparison of estimated nutrient intakes by food frequency and dietary records in adults.

Sixteen days of dietary recall and records collected over 1 year for 228 respondents were compared with an estimate of "usual" diet based on a 116-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for the study year. Respondents were white and black men and women aged 24 to 51. Mean energy values for the total group were 2,111 kcal for the recall/records and 2,766 kcal for the FFQ, a 31% difference. The mean food energy and nutrient values obtained by the FFQ were consistently and significantly higher than the mean recall/record values for all four race-sex groups, although the degree of difference varied by nutrient, food group, and demographic characteristics of the respondents. For the nutrients compared, the smallest difference between methods was for protein--27% for the total group. The greatest difference was for vitamin A--123% for the total sample. Sex-race specific correlation coefficients between methods were relatively high for calcium, vitamin C, and iron.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Correspondence between perceptions of change in diet and 15-year change in diet reports in the Tecumseh Diet Methodology Study.

As part of an effort to assess the most reliable method of obtaining information about long-term dietary intake, a study was conducted of the correspondence between perception of change in diet and measured change in reported diet from 1967 to 1982. Respondents were 1,201 men and women participants in the Tecumseh Food Frequency Study of 1967-1969 who were 45-64 years of age in 1982-1983, the time of the Diet Methodology Study. Perceptions of change were obtained by asking respondents directly if they thought they currently ate each of 12 food groups more often, less often, or as often as they did during the year of their earlier interview. Measured change was obtained by subtracting each respondent's baseline frequency for each of the 12 food groups from his or her current frequency. For 10 of the 12 food groups, correspondence was found between perception of change and measured change; fats and oils added at the table and meat were the exceptions. Significant linear relationships were found between perceptions and measured change for all food groups except fats and oils. However, greatly varying coefficients were associated with terms such as more often or as often as before, thereby limiting the potential utility of combining perceptions of change with current frequencies to obtain a reliable measure of baseline frequencies.

Data Collection↗
PubMed1988

Counting calories: partitioning energy intake estimates from a food frequency questionnaire.

Differences in energy estimates between a food frequency questionnaire and a multi-day dietary record can be partitioned into distinct components due to differences in reported frequency of consumption and in reported serving size, and to differences in nutrient composition between the questionnaire standards and the foods reported on the records. The effect of each component on the relative validity of the questionnaire can be assessed by examining its contribution to the differences between the two methods in estimated group intake and in the relative ranking of individual respondents. This methodology was used for the 1984-1985 University of Michigan Food Frequency Study, in which the estimated energy intake from a quantitative food frequency questionnaire was compared with that from 16 days of food records collected over the course of a year from 228 white and black men and women aged 24-51 years. For all race-sex subgroups, mean energy intake estimated from the questionnaire was significantly greater than mean intake estimated from the record. Within race-sex subgroups, the correlations between estimates from the two methods were low, and agreement in classification by tertiles was poor. The differences in group mean energy intake between the methods were due to the effects of discrepancies in both serving size and frequency of consumption. However, the low correlations and poor agreement in classification for individual respondents were due principally to the effect of discrepancies in frequency. These results suggest that improving the accuracy of frequency estimation is a key element in increasing the relative validity of food frequency questionnaires used for epidemiologic research.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Comparison of arm and leg ergometry in patients with moderate chronic obstructive lung disease.

Exercise testing is traditionally performed with leg exercise on either a treadmill or a bicycle ergometer. Many of these tests are terminated before dyspnoea occurs because of leg fatigue, arthritic pain, or claudication. A study was carried out to determine whether arm ergometry testing might serve as an alternative method to leg testing in eight patients with chronic obstructive lung disease. The patients had mild to moderate dyspnoea on exertion and required bronchodilator treatment. They had smoked an average of 62 pack years and had a mean FEV1 of 1.88 l. Arm and leg ergometry yielded similar levels of maximum ventilation (arm 47.2, leg 48.6 l/min), maximum heart rates (126 v 124 beats/min), maximum tidal volume (1.5 v 1.6 l), and respiratory rate (30 v 29 breaths/min); but maximum oxygen consumption (1120 v 966 ml/min), maximum power output (62 v 26 w), and oxygen pulse (9.1 v 7.8 ml/beat) were all higher with leg than with arm ergometry. In addition, ventilation and heart rate at a given level of oxygen consumption were higher for arm than for leg work during both submaximal and maximal exercise. It is concluded that arm ergometry offers an alternative testing method to leg testing in patients with moderate chronic obstructive lung disease.

Arm↗
PubMed1988

Within month variability in use of soup kitchens in New York State. p4.

This paper describes the variation in use of soup kitchens throughout the month using data from the New York State Nutritional Surveillance Program. Excluding November, December, and May, when holiday meals created a different pattern of use, number of meals served in soup kitchens generally increased toward the end of the month, averaging 43 per cent higher for Upstate and 14 per cent higher for New York City in the last week as compared to the first week of the month. The overall increase throughout the month and difference in the magnitude of increase between Upstate and New York City corresponds to the timing of income maintenance benefits distribution. Distribution of most public assistance benefits occurs at the beginning of each month in Upstate, whereas it is staggered in New York City throughout the month.

Food Services↗
PubMed1987

Dietary vitamin A and lung cancer: results of a case-control study among chemical workers.

A nested case-control study conducted among a cohort of chemical manufacturing employees provided an opportunity to test the hypothesis that lung cancer risk is inversely related to dietary intake of vitamin A. Eligible for study were 308 former male employees who had died of lung cancer between 1940 and 1980. Two control groups, one a decedent and the other a "living" series, were individually matched to the cases one-for-one. Interviews were completed with 734 subjects or their next-of-kin and included a food frequency list. A vitamin A index was developed for each subject based on the frequency of consumption of 29 food items. After adjustment for a number of potentially confounding variables (e.g., smoking, educational level, and use of vitamin supplements), there was evidence that vitamin A intake was inversely associated with lung cancer risk. The effect was most pronounced in the comparisons with the "living" controls and appeared strongest among cigarette smokers. Subjects in the lowest tertile of vitamin A intake had approximately twice the risk of lung cancer as those in the highest. Analyses of an index of carotenoids and of individual food items suggested that plant sources of vitamin A may play a more important role in producing the effect than do animal sources.

Adult↗