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Biomedical subjects

H Smiciklas-Wright

Publications and source records attributed to H Smiciklas-Wright.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Iron nutrition in rural home bound elderly persons.

The objective of this study was to describe the iron status of a sample of rural elderly home-delivered meals recipients as determined by a relatively non-invasive capillary blood sampling system. Fifty-six persons were assessed in their homes. The incidence of iron deficiency was considerable and was similar to incidences reported in other elderly populations. Females were at higher risk for iron deficiency than males despite a similar low dietary iron intake of 10-11 mg/day in both genders. Data were collected on drug use, general health conditions and other variables that may alter iron status in the elderly but they had no significant statistical effects in this study. We interpret this data on a high prevalence of iron deficiency in females as suggestive that they are at considerable risk of iron deficiency due to a lifelong poorer iron status than men.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1996

The dietary intake of children with IDDM.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the dietary intake of children with IDDM and to determine whether the intake meets the current nutritional recommendations for children with IDDM. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 66 children with IDDM who were < 10 years of age were recruited from two suburban Pennsylvania hospitals. To collect dietary intake data, subjects were asked, via telephone interview, to complete three random-day 24-h dietary recalls. Data were analyzed for the content of nutrients and other food components by a computerized database program. Intakes were expressed as a 3-day average intake for each subject. RESULTS: Overall mean intake of protein and cholesterol approximated the current recommendations. The mean intake of saturated fat exceeded recommendations, while fiber intake was less than the recommended level. Many of the children consumed levels of saturated fat well above recommendations. Energy, vitamin, and mineral intakes were adequate for the overall sample. However, from 10 to 40% of the sample had an inadequate intake of vitamin D, vitamin E, and zinc. The percentage of those with inadequate intakes of these nutrients decreased with age. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that, on average, among this sample of children with IDDM aged < 10 years, adherence to the current nutritional recommendations for children with IDDM was adequate, but some individual children had intakes that were not consistent with the recommendations for optimal management of IDDM.

Child↗
PubMed1995

Nutrient intake of nursing-home residents receiving pureed foods or a regular diet.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate (1) the nutrient content of menus planned for regular consistency meals and pureed meals in a long-term care facility and (2) to assess nutrient intakes of women consuming these meals. DESIGN: A descriptive survey. SETTING: A nursing home facility in central Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-one female nursing home residents were chosen randomly. Thirty-one received a regular diet and 20 received a pureed diet. MEASUREMENTS: Demographic and health variables were collected from medical records. Nutrient variables were calculated for regular and pureed consistency meals, as served. Nutrient intake data for each woman were based on seven consecutive days of food intake and nutrient supplement use. MAIN RESULTS: Energy and nutrient values for regular diet menus (i.e., food served) were higher than for pureed menus, but both had values exceeding recommended allowances for most nutrients. Average energy and nutrient intakes were similar for both groups of women (t test, P < 0.05). Data showed that many women in both groups had lower than the recommended intakes of iron, zinc, calcium, and Vitamin D. CONCLUSIONS: Both regular and pureed consistency diets provided to residents met current recommended allowances. Diet consistency did not affect nutrient intakes. Intakes were adequate overall; however, a low intake of the same nutrients generally occurred in both groups.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Variations in plasma zinc in older men and women.

The study evaluated the biological and analytical variance in plasma zinc from 36 adults 60-88 yr of age. Blood samples were taken by finger-prick from each subject on d 1, 2, 3, 8, and 15. Days 1, 2, and 3 were selected to describe daily variation; 1, 8, and 15 were selected to describe weekly variation. Plasma Zn was analyzed by flame atomic absorption using a microinjection technique. Variation was partitioned into analytical, intraindividual, and interindividual components using analysis of variance. The interindividual variability was generally greater than the intraindividual variability. The variability for plasma zinc was about 30% and was substantially greater than reported for younger populations. This variability could not be attributed to the covariates examined, including zinc intake from food and supplements, serum albumin, and C-reactive protein. The variability would affect the accuracy of plasma zinc status based on a blood sample collected on a single day. With the microtechnique used in this study, 8 sample days would be needed to estimate plasma Zn with 95% confidence level and 20% level of accuracy.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1994

Characterizing nutrient intakes of adolescents by sociodemographic factors.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to provide a description of the current dietary intake of a large sample of U.S. adolescents and to identify sociodemographic risk factors for nutrient intakes that did not meet recommended levels. METHODS: The 1987-88 USDA Nationwide Food Consumption Survey was used to assess the nutrient intake of 933 adolescents aged 11 to 18 years. Analysis of covariance was used to determine the effect of the following on the nutrient intakes of males and females: household income and size, race, geographic region, degree of urbanization, and head of household status. Subject age was entered as a control variable. RESULTS: Vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, and zinc were the nutrients most often consumed below recommended levels. In addition the females consumed low levels of phosphorus and iron. Percent calories from total fat and saturated fat and mean sodium intakes were above recommended levels for the majority of the sample. Females were more likely to meet cholesterol recommendations than males. Race and region affected the most nutrient intake variables. For the females, living in the south was a significant predictor for low intakes of several essential vitamins and minerals. CONCLUSIONS: On average, the adolescents consumed diets that were low in several essential vitamins and minerals and high in some nutrients related to increased incidence of chronic disease. There were groups of teens who had dietary patterns that placed them at especially high risk, in particular the black and Southern females.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The quality of survey data obtained from elderly adults.

The quality of survey data obtained from elderly adults has important implications for nutrition status assessment, policy decisions and program development. Self-reported information by adults of all ages is subject to inaccuracies. Accuracy of data obtained from older respondents may be lower than that of younger respondents. Errors made by older adults are largely due to misinterpretation of the questions asked, motivations related to participation and reporting of information, and changes in memory associated with aging and other factors which may impact respondent accuracy. Cooperative efforts by cognitive psychologists, survey researchers and nutritionists are necessary for improving both questionnaire design and the accuracy of information obtained.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

Cheese acceptance and dairy product consumption in an older population.

This study examined the acceptability of cheese products in a population of older adults in relation to their consumption of dairy products. The majority of the subjects liked hard cheeses (Cheddar, Provolone and Swiss) more than soft, ripened cheeses (Brie and blue cheese), and showed no significant difference in preference between regular and lowfat or fat-free processed cheese. A positive correlation was found between hedonic ratings and frequency of consumption across the five cheeses evaluated in the study. Almost one-half of the participants considered cheese to be a high calorie, high fat and high cholesterol food. This study suggests that lowfat or fat-free cheese products in the form of mild, hard or processed cheeses could successfully be incorporated in the diet of older adults to implement current dietary guidelines for fat and calcium consumption.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Time and cost analysis of a computer-assisted telephone interview system to collect dietary recalls.

This study, conducted in 1991, examined the time requirements and costs of obtaining 24-hour dietary recalls via telephone interviews using the University of Minnesota's microcomputer Nutrient Data System to conduct the interviews and compute the nutrient composition of the diets. The subjects were 156 hypercholesterolemic children (aged 4-10 years) and 102 hypercholesterolemic adults (aged 21-65 years), who were participating in ongoing cholesterol education programs. A total of 391 recalls were completed with the children and 278 with the adults. For each completed interview, 3.5 and 2.8 attempts were required, respectively. Evenings were the most productive time for completing interviews. All tasks associated with completing the interviews (attempts to call, interviews per se, and postinterview procedures) required an average of 39.7 and 35.5 minutes per completed interview with the children and adults, respectively. About half of these total times were actually devoted to conducting the interview. The costs per completed interview were $9.22 for the children versus $6.99 for the adults. This difference reflects the greater number of attempts required to reach the children, the longer duration of their interviews, and the higher intrastate toll rates for calls to them as compared with the interstate rates for calls to the adults.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Maternal employment and the quality of young children's diets: empirical evidence based on the 1987-1988 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey.

Data from 442 children, aged 2 to 5, who were participants in the 1987-1988 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey, were examined to determine the effect of maternal employment on the quality of their diets. Diet quality was assessed by examining nutrient adequacy and nutrient overconsumption using the 3-day average of one 24-hour recall and 2 days of written diet records. To assess dietary adequacy, a mean adequacy ratio of the four nutrients (zinc, vitamin E, iron, and calcium) for which 30% or more of the children fell below 77% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances was constructed. Percent calories from fat and saturated fat, and intake of cholesterol and sodium were examined to assess overconsumption. Multiple correlation regression analysis was used to control for household income, maternal education and age, child's age, race, number of siblings aged 5 or younger, presence of male head of household, and number of meals eaten away from home. Maternal employment did not contribute significantly to the variation in any of the dietary variables. Although a number of dietary problems existed among the sample children, the variation in intakes of these nutrients was not directly related to maternal employment status.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1991

Inaccuracies in self-reported weights and heights of a sample of sixth-grade children.

We collected self-reported weights and heights of 806 sixth-graders in Pennsylvania and compared these values with measures of the children obtained by trained personnel who used standard clinical scales and rigid stadiometers. Approximately 10% of the children either were unable to specify a value for weight, height, or both or reported values of a magnitude indicating that they could not quantitatively conceptualize these measurements. Of the remaining 90%, both boys and girls tended to underreport their weight. Underreporting weight was more pronounced among girls than among boys; for both sexes, the degree of underreporting was much greater among taller, heavier children than among shorter, lighter children. Deviation between self-reported and measured height was substantial for many individuals, but there was no consistent trend toward underreporting or overreporting. These findings indicate that children's self-reported weight data may have a systematic bias, particularly if a large proportion of the sample is over-weight; height data may have considerable random error. We, therefore, conclude that self-reported weights and heights of children may be subject to errors that could confound results if used in clinical or research efforts.

Bias↗
PubMed1990

Nutritional assessment of homebound rural elderly.

Approximately one quarter of Americans aged 65 and older live in rural areas. Homebound rural elderly are a hard to reach, often poor and frail population. Failure to include homebound rural elderly in nutritional studies may bias representativeness of samples of elderly persons. This paper discusses some challenges in recruiting homebound older persons to participate in nutritional studies and in establishing quality control procedures in a field setting.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Work-site health promotion: the effects of a goal-setting program on nutrition-related behaviors.

A Goal Attainment Scaling procedure was used to quantify and evaluate change in nutrition-related behaviors of participants in a work-site wellness program. Goal Attainment Scaling is a procedure for quantifying change over time, in five categories varying from "less than expected" success to "more than expected" success. The sample consisted of 60 enlisted military personnel who had indicated, on a screening questionnaire, their desire to improve dietary practices. The subjects were assigned to three groups but remained unaware throughout the study that nutrition was being investigated. The Goal-Setting/Goal Attainment group (GSGA, no. = 19) received a full 8-week health promotion program, based on goal-setting, fitness information, and skill development (12 sessions). The Goal-Setting group (GS, no. = 19) received only the part of the program that focused on setting goals (two sessions). The control group (no. = 22) received no instruction. Results from analysis of variance indicated that GSGA had significantly higher "Change Scores" in nutrition-related behaviors than the control group (p less than .05); "Change Scores" reflect degree of dietary improvement. Frequency data indicate that dietary improvements were sustained for 84% of the GSGA members, 64% of the GS members, and 37% in the control group. These findings suggest goal-setting skills enhance individuals' capabilities for making and maintaining improvements in nutrition-related behaviors.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Accuracy of food portion estimation by overweight and normal-weight subjects.

We found no definitive differences in the ability of overweight and normal-weight subjects to accurately estimate food portions. Therefore, our data do not support conclusions by others that overweight subjects are significantly less accurate than the normal-weight subjects in their estimates. However, our overweight sample included only 50% obese and was homogeneous as to education, income, and ethnicity. Nevertheless, we found serious errors in food portion estimation by all subjects. Moreover, our data support the findings of Rapp, which show inaccurate portion estimation even when subjects were actively involved in a diet counseling program. And, in general, our data support researchers who have concluded that inaccurate estimation of portion size is a major problem. If the results hold true across populations, the magnitude of errors could have a profound effect on the accuracy of our food composition data for therapeutic or monitoring purposes and requires creative modification of methods taught for monitoring and reporting food intake.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Postpartum weight change: how much of the weight gained in pregnancy will be lost after delivery?

In a large sample (N = 7116) of women who had two pregnancies within six years, the 50th percentile of weight gain between pregnancies was 2 lb (0.9 kg). Weight gain in pregnancy, week of registration, cigarette smoking, race, percent of ideal body weight, complications of pregnancy, and marital status in the first pregnancy, as well as breast-feeding in the hospital and interval between the two pregnancies, correlated significantly with interpregnancy weight change, and explained 24% of the variance (P less than .0001). Weight gain in the first pregnancy alone explained 21% of the variance in weight change between pregnancies. After adjustment for the effects of other variables on weight change, weight gains in pregnancy of 20 lb (9.1 kg) or more were statistically significant (P less than .05); the more weight a woman gained above 20 lb (9.1 kg), the more she retained by the start of her next pregnancy.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1987

The effects of variety in food choices on dietary quality.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of overall dietary variety, variety among major food groups, and variety within major food groups on dietary quality. Nutritional adequacy, one aspect of dietary quality, was measured by a Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR)--an index of the percent of recommended intake for 11 nutrients. Other dietary quality measures included the percent of calories from fat and sugar and total intakes of energy, cholesterol, and sodium. A study sample of 3,701 individuals was selected from USDA's 1977-78 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey, excluding pregnant and lactating women and children under 1 year of age. Multiple regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships between each type of variety and each diet quality measure, controlling for age, sex, the number of foods, and all of their two-way interactions with variety. The variety terms added a significant increment to the variation in MAR that was explained by each of the models. Variety among five major food groups explained as much of the variation in MAR as did variety within those groups. Thus, dietary variety might best be defined as simply including foods from each of the major groups. Increases in this type of variety were associated with greater increases in MARs for females than for males and for persons with lower vs. higher numbers of foods. None of the types of variety could account for a sizeable proportion of the variation in the intakes of energy, fat, sugar, sodium, or cholesterol. That is, those measures were not related in any appreciable way to variety per se--either to the expansion or to the restriction of food choices. The key to limiting the intake of those constituents may be to selectively alter the scope of food choices to include more of some foods and less of others.

Adult↗