Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Volunteer Feeding Assistance Program Can Improve Dietary Intakes Of Elderly Patients – A Pilot Study, K. Walton, P. Williams, J. Bracks, Q. Zheng, L. Pond, R. Smoothy, Linda C. Tapsell, M. Batterham, L. Vari

Peter Williams

Malnutrition is prevalent in elderly hospitalised patients and has been associated with longer lengths of stay (LOS), higher rates of complications and increased hospital costs. Feeding assistance has traditionally been the role of nurses, however with an ageing population and an ever-increasing workload there may not be sufficient time to ensure the nutritional care of all patients. A program in which trained volunteers assist, socialise and feed nutritionally vulnerable patients at lunch on weekdays has been initiated in a major suburban hospital in Sydney. The pilot study reported here aimed to evaluate the lunchtime assistance program in terms of dietary …

Validation Of An Australian Electronic Food Frequency Questionnaire To Measure Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake, Monika Swierk, Peter G. Williams, Jennifer Wilcox, Kenneth G. Russell, Barbara J. Meyer

Peter Williams

Objective: To develop and validate a simple non-invasive method that estimates the intakes of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in a healthy adult population. Methods: A new electronic PUFA food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was validated by comparison with a 3-d weighed food record and blood biomarkers (erythrocytes and plasma) using the method of triads model and tested for reproducibility. Healthy subjects were recruited from the local Illawarra Region, New South Wales, Australia. Results: The PUFA FFQ adequately estimated intakes for eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, total long chain omega-3 PUFA, linoleic acid, total omega-6 PUFA, and total PUFA, which …

Validation Of An Australian Electronic Food Frequency Questionnaire To Measure Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake, Monika Swierk, Peter G. Williams, Jennifer Wilcox, Kenneth G. Russell, Barbara J. Meyer

Peter Williams

Objective: To develop and validate a simple non-invasive method that estimates the intakes of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in a healthy adult population. Methods: A new electronic PUFA food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was validated by comparison with a 3-d weighed food record and blood biomarkers (erythrocytes and plasma) using the method of triads model and tested for reproducibility. Healthy subjects were recruited from the local Illawarra Region, New South Wales, Australia. Results: The PUFA FFQ adequately estimated intakes for eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, total long chain omega-3 PUFA, linoleic acid, total omega-6 PUFA, and total PUFA, which …

Health Claims And Food Advertising: Comparison Of Marketing And Nutrition Experts' Ratings Of Magazine Advertisements, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Williams, Linda C. Tapsell, Kelly L. Andrews

Peter Williams

To determine the nature and differences in expert opinion from the fields of nutrition and marketing on the use of health claims in the 30 most frequently appearing Australian magazine food advertisements, a survey was conducted with 28 nutritionists and 21 marketing experts in Australia and New Zealand. The experts assessed the advertisements with respect to the accuracy of the nutrition claims, the tactics and intentions of the advertising strategy and the accessibility of the nutrition information to lay consumers. Of 28 advertisements where a claim was identified, for only one did more than 90% believe the claim to be …

Deviance And Diversity In Dietetics, Peter Williams

Peter Williams

Like all professions, dietetics is concerned with the definition, teaching and assessment of professional behaviour (Gingras, 2009; Arnold, 2002), and while diversity may be welcomed, there are limits to what is regarded as acceptable differences in professional practice. There is a dark side: when difference becomes deviance. The deviance of health professionals may seem particularly damaging, because their clients hold them in positions of trust and tend to be unable to question the professional’s judgement (Gauthier, 2001). A dietitian promising to cure cancer with vitamin supplements would be regarded as deviating from the bounds of professionally acceptable behaviour.

Nutrition Status Of Primary Care Patients With Depression And Anxiety, Adrienne K. Forsyth, Peter G. Williams, Frank P. Deane

Peter Williams

The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutrition status of people referred to a nutrition and physical activity program for the management of mental health in a general practice.

Dietary Validation Of A New Australian Food-Frequency Questionnaire That Estimates Long-Chain N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Bethany L. Sullivan, Janelle Brown, Peter Williams, Barbara Meyer

Peter Williams

Currently, there is no FFQ designed to capture the intakes of the long-chain (LC) n-3 PUFA. The objectives of this study were to validate a new LC n-3 PUFA FFQ by comparison with 3 d weighed food records (FR) and to determine its reproducibility assessed 4 to 6 weeks apart. Healthy male and female subjects (n 53) were recruited from Wollongong and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The FFQ and FR were analysed for LC n-3 PUFA intakes using a nutrient analysis software package and these intakes were compared using Wilcoxon signed rank tests and Spearman correlation coefficients. Bland–Altman analysis …

Plate Waste In Hospitals And Strategies For Change, Peter G. Williams, Karen Walton

Peter Williams

Plate waste in hospitals refers to the served food that remains uneaten by patients. High levels of plate waste contribute to malnutrition-related complications in hospital, and there are also financial and environmental costs. Plate waste is typically measured by weighing food or by visual estimation of the amount of food remaining on the plate, with results presented as the percentage by weight of the served food, or by calculating the protein, energy or monetary value of the waste. Results from 32 studies in hospitals show a median plate waste of 30% by weight (range: 6-65%), much higher than in other …

Health Benefits Of Herbs And Spices: The Past, The Present, The Future, Linda C. Tapsell, Ian Hemphill, Lynne Cobiac, David R. Sullivan, Michael Fenech, Craig S. Patch, Steven Roodenrys, Jennifer B. Keogh, Peter M. Clifton, Peter G. Williams, Virginia A. Fazio, Karen E. Inge

Peter Williams

The purpose of this supplement is to provide medical and health professionals with a review of the health benefits of herbs and spices. The University of Wollongong, partner organisation of the National Centre of Excellence in Functional Foods, managed the development of the supplement through a committee comprising Professor Linda Tapsell, Dr Craig Patch and Ms Virginia Fazio. Key academics and clinicians with expertise in health and nutrition were invited to review the health aspects of predominantly culinary herbs and spices, using scientific search strategies and National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines for assessing levels of evidence. The resulting …

Food Toxicity And Safety, Peter Williams

Peter Williams

Key Points

• Despite the many potential health risks associated with foods, in practice the degree of risk associated with the modern food supply is extremely low.

• By far the most important hazards of significance are those from biological agents: pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi and a few toxic seafoods.

• Trends to larger-scale production, longer distribution chains in the food supply, increased eating away from the home and the emergence of new pathogens means foodborne illness continues to be a significant public health issue.

• The assessment of the safety of food additives is led internationally by JECFA, but …

Simulation In Dietetic Education In Australia, Peter Williams, Eleanor Beck

Peter Williams

In 2011 the Dietitians Association of Australia conducted a survey of simulated learning experiences in all universities offering dietetic course in Australia. A total of 35 SLEs currently used were identified: 14 paper-based, 15 physical-based and 6 computer or video based.

Front Of Pack Daily Intake Labelling On Australian Packaged Foods: Introduction And Use 2007-2009, P Williams, R Duncan, K De Agnoli, A Hull, A Owers, T Wang

Peter Williams

This study aimed to measure the extent of use of front-of-pack daily intake (DI) labelling across food categories in Australian supermarkets, and assess the level of compliance with the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) guidelines. Surveys of six supermarkets in the Illawarra region of New South Wales were conducted twice a year in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The number of products with DI labelling increased from 58 in February 2007 to 1939 in August 2009 and appears to be growing strongly. The greatest number of products with the labelling are in the biscuits and crackers, cooking sauces, breakfast cereals, …

Regulatory Issues And Functional Health Claims For Bioactive Dairy Compounds, P. Roupas, P. G. Williams, C. Margetts

Peter Williams

Dairy foods and ingredients have a natural advantage over new/novel foods, from a regulatory viewpoint, because they are generally considered as “traditional” foods, that is, there is a long history of human consumption. However, the regulatory landscape on adding bioactive ingredients, whether from dairy streams or from non-dairy sources, into dairy foods is rapidly evolving, and the dairy industry will need to be aware of potential regulatory challenges, within the countries they wish to market their products.

Australian Red Meat Consumption - Implications Of Changes Over 20 Years On Nutrient Composition, Peter Williams, Veronique Droulez

Peter Williams

Trimming fat off meat is recommended for reducing intake of saturated fat. This paper reviews trends over 20 years that have influenced the red meat supply in response to consumer and health professional demands for lean meat, drawing on published survey data, marketing information, analysis of meat content and qualitative research commission by Meat and Livestock Australia. Separable fat is the greatest determinant of the saturated fat in Australian red meat, and changes in processing and butchering practices have combined to produce red meat today with significantly lower saturated fat. Nutrient analyses in 2002 showed that the separable fat on …

Performance Of Body Mass Index In Predicting Diabetes And Hypertension In The Eastern Province Of Saudi Arabia, Ali M. Almajwal, Nadira A. Al-Baghli, Marijka J. Batterham, Peter G. Williams, Khalid A. Al-Turki, Aqeel J. Al-Ghamdi

Peter Williams

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: BMI is the most widely used measure to diagnose obesity but its accuracy and usefulness in Saudi subjects is unknown. This study aimed to assess the validity of standard BMI cut-point values in the Saudi population. SUBJECTS/ METHODS: 197,681 adults participated in a cross-sectional study to detect diabetes and hypertension in the Saudi Eastern province in 2004/5, with blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, height and weight measurements taken. Sensitivities, specificities, areas under the curves, predictive values, likelihood ratios, false positive, false negatives and total misclassification ratios were calculated for various BMI values determined from receiver operating characteristic …

Australian Red Meat Consumption – Predominantly Lean In Response To Public Health And Consumer Demand, P. G. Williams, V. Droulez

Peter Williams

Introduction and Methods: Trimming fat off meat is recommended for reducing intake of saturated fat. This paper reviews trends over the past 20 years that have influenced the red meat supply in response to consumer and health professional demands for lean meat, drawing on published survey data, marketing information, analyses of meat content and qualitative research commissioned by Meat and Livestock Australia. Results and Discussion: Separable fat is the greatest determinant of the saturated fat in Australian red meat, and changes in the processing and butchering practices have combined to produce red meat today with significantly lower separable fat. Nutrient …

Current Dietetic Practices Of Obesity Management In Saudi Arabia And Comparison With Australian Practices And Best Practice Criteria, A. Almajwal, P. Williams, Marijka Batterham

Peter Williams

Objective: To describe the dietetic practices of the treatment of obesity in Saudi Arabia and compare this with best practice criteria and the practice in Australia. Methods: Anonymous questionnaires were completed by dietitians in Saudi Arabia. The topics included barriers to obesity management, demand and level of service and strategies and approaches used for weight management. Best practice scores were based on those used to assess Australian dietitians. Results: 253 dietitians participated in the survey. Of these, 175 (69 %) were involved in the management of obesity. The best practice score for Australian dietitians was slightly but significantly greater than …

Trends In The Affordability Of The Illawarra Healthy Food Basket 2000-2007, P. G. Williams, A. Hull, M. Kontos

Peter Williams

Aims
The Illawarra Healthy Food Basket (IHFB) was developed as one measure to monitor the affordability of healthy eating in Australia. It consists of 57 items selected to meet the nutritional requirements of a reference family of five. The basket was first costed in the Illawarra region of Australia in 2000 and again in 2001 and 2003. This study aimed to repeat the costing of the basket in 2005 and 2007 and to assess the trends in affordability since 2000.
Methods
Costing was carried out in the same five suburbs as previous surveys, utilising a large supermarket, greengrocer and butcher …

Eating Inside: Food Service Experiences In Three Australian Prisons, P. G. Williams, K. Walton, N. Ainsworth, C. Wirtz

Peter Williams

This study evaluated the menus and food service experience of inmates in three correctional centres in Sydney (one minimum security, one high security, and one for women). Menus were evaluated against recommended dietary intakes, dietary guidelines and nutrition policy statements. Menus generally provided a well varied selection of foods which met the majority of individual nutritional requirements and dietary guidelines - assuming all food provided was consumed. Focus groups and interviews with 35 inmates explored their attitudes about and experiences of the foodservice provision. Sixteen key themes of concern were identified, including: • Complaints about food quality, lack of choice, …

Australian Consumer Attitudes To Health Claim - Food Product Compatibility For Functional Foods, P. G. Williams, L. Ridges, M. Batterham, B. Ripper, M. C. Hung

Peter Williams

This study with Australian consumers investigated how appealing different health claims combined with particular food carriers were to Australian consumers, and compared the results of a similar study with Dutch consumers. 149 shoppers considered up to 30 different food concepts, rating how ‘attractive’, ‘believable’, and ‘new and different’ they found each concept and their ‘intention to try’. Each variable was significantly related to intention to try (p<0.001) and together explained 56% of the intention score. Claims and carriers independently had a significant effect on ratings of attractiveness and intention to try but, unlike the Dutch study, the carrier was a more important predictor of intention to purchase than the claim. Implications for regulation of health claims for food are discussed.

Survey Of Health Claims For Australian Foods Made On Internet Sites, H. Dragicevich, P. G. Williams, L. Ridges

Peter Williams

Aim: Australia and New Zealand are currently preparing a new food standard code, which will allow the use of health claims on food products and in associated advertising. The aim of this study was to obtain preliminary information about the current use of health claims on the Internet and the level of compliance of these claims with existing regulations. Methods: From August to October 2005 a survey was conducted of 1068 websites associated with the top 20 food processing companies in Australia, and an additional 683 websites for food products found to carry health claims in previous studies of product …

Nutritional Composition Of Red Meat, P. G. Williams

Peter Williams

Lean red meats are: • An excellent source of high biological value protein, vitamin B12, niacin, vitamin B6, iron, zinc and phosphorus • A source of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, selenium and possibly also vitamin D • Mostly low in fat and sodium • Sources of a range of endogenous antioxidants and other bioactive substances including taurine, carnitine, carnosine, ubiquinone, glutathione and creatine.

Food Fears: A National Survey On The Attitudes Of Australian Adults About The Safety And Quality Of Food, P. G. Williams, E. Stirling, N. Keynes

Peter Williams

A national telephone survey of a representative sample of 1200 Australian adults was conducted in March 2002 in order to identify the factors of greatest concern to consumers in relation to the safety and quality of food, to measure recent trends in views about hazards in the food supply, to explore beliefs about the safety of additives and to discover whether consumers use food labels to check for ingredients of concern. Forty five percent of Australians responded that they were more concerned about the safety and quality of food than they were five years previously, while only 5% were less …

Composition Of Australian Red Meat 2002. 2. Fatty Acid Profile, V. Droulez, P. G. Williams, G. Levy, T. Stobaus, A. Sinclair

Peter Williams

Australian retail samples of nine beef, six lamb, four veal and two mutton cuts were purchased from 10 retail outlets (butchers and supermarkets) in different socio-economic areas of Sydney and Melbourne. The lean and fat components were analysed for contents of total and individual fatty acids. The content of total fatty acids was less than 5g/100g edible meat in the lean component of all cuts analysed. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids comprised, on average, 40% and 42% respectively of total fatty acids in the lean component of red meat cuts. The saturated fatty acid content of the lean component of …

Serve Sizes Of Grain Based Foods In Australia, P. G. Williams, B. Gibson, N. Smith

Peter Williams

A survey was conducted of the recommended serve sizes used on the labelling of 807 grain based foods sold in Sydney stores in 2000. These values were compared with the serve sizes used in a variety of food selection guides, including the Australian Guide to Health Eating (AGHE). In most food categories there was a great deal of variation in the serve sizes recommended, sometimes up to 20 fold. The most consistent recommendations were for sliced breads, with most manufacturers recommending two slices as a serve, and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals (one cup). The median values for cereal products were mostly …

Food Service Trends In New South Wales Hospitals, 1993-2001, R. Mibey, P. G. Williams

Peter Williams

A survey of the food service departments in 93 hospitals throughout NSW Australia (covering 51% of hospital beds in the state) was conducted using a mailed questionnaire and the results compared with those from similar surveys conducted in 1986 and 1993. Over the past eight years there has been a significant increase in the proportion of hospitals using cook-chill food service production systems, from 18% in 1993 to 42% in 2001 (p<0.001). Hospitals with cook-chill systems had lower staff ratios than those with cook-fresh systems (8.3 vs 6.4 beds/full time equivalent staff; p<0.05), but there was no significant …

The Illawarra Healthy Food Price Index. 1. Development Of The Food Basket, P. G. Williams, M. Reid, K. Shaw

Peter Williams

Objective To define a basket of foods that could be used to monitor trends in the affordability of healthy food in the Illawarra region. Design A reference family of five was defined reflecting the population of the Illawarra region. A draft basket of foods was selected based on recommendations of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE), and using information on typical eating patterns from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey and data from local supermarket sales. Products were chosen to conform where possible to the National Heart Foundation guidelines for acceptability in the Pick the Tick food approval program. Seven …

Nutrient Function, Health And Related Claims On Packaged Australian Food Products - Prevalence And Compliance With Regulations, P. G. Williams, H. Yeatman, Leisa Ridges, A. Houston, J. Rafferty, A. Roesler, M. Sobierajski, B. Spratt

Peter Williams

Australia and New Zealand are currently reviewing the regulations governing nutrition function, health and related claims on foods. Health claims currently are not permitted on food labels, with one exception. The aim of this study was to describe the use of such claims on packaged food for sale in Australia (excluding nutrient content claims) prior to any changes to the regulations, and measure compliance with existing regulations. A survey was conducted of the labelling of 7850 products (including multiple pack sizes of individual foods) in 47 different food categories on sale in New South Wales in 2003. A total of …

Overweight Consumers' Salient Beliefs On Omega-3-Enriched Functional Foods In Australia's Illawarra Region, C. Patch, Linda C. Tapsell, P. G. Williams

Peter Williams

Objective: To determine consumer salient beliefs toward functional foods enriched with omega-3 fatty acids. Design: Focus group interviews with adult consumers using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a theoretical framework. Setting: Community-based residents living in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. Participants: Forty-two overweight participants (29 female; 13 male) aged 30-80y recruited by advertisement and attending one of six focus groups which were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Analysis: Content analysis was carried out and sub-categories were developed to capture the emerging themes according to the TPB model. Results: Most participants were aware of a range of …

The Illawarra Healthy Food Price Index. 2. Pricing Methods And Index Trends From 2000-2003, P. G. Williams, Y. James, J. Kwan

Peter Williams

Objective To develop a method to monitor trends in the cost of the Illawarra Healthy Food Basket (IHFB) and report trends from 2000 to 2003. Design Detailed instructions for the method of pricing the IHFB were developed and tested. The price of the IHFB was collected each year in September at a major supermarket, green grocer and butcher in five Illawarra suburbs, representing a range of socio-economic locations. Data on welfare payments available to the reference family, assuming all members were unemployed, were collected from staff of Centrelink. Main outcome measures The average weekly cost of the IHFB, the Illawarra …