Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Food Toxicity And Safety, Peter Williams

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

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 …

The Impact Of Complex Survey Design On Prevalence Estimates Of Intakes Of Food Groups In The Australian National Children's Nutrition And Physical Activity Survey, Sandy Burden, Yasmine Probst, David G. Steel, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Poor Food And Nutrient Intake Among Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Rural Australian Children, Josephine D. Gwynn, Victoria M. Flood, Catherine A. D'Este, John R. Attia, Nicole Turner, Janine Cochrane, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie, John H. Wiggers

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to describe the food and nutrient intake of a population of rural Australian children particularly Indigenous children. Participants were aged 10 to 12 years, and living in areas of relative socio-economic disadvantage on the north coast of New South Wales. METHODS: In this descriptive cross-sectional study 215 children with a mean age of 11.30 (SD 0.04) years (including 82 Indigenous children and 93 boys) completed three 24-hour food recalls (including 1 weekend day), over an average of two weeks in the Australian summer of late 2005. RESULTS: A high proportion of children consumed …

Association Between Food Marketing Exposure And Adolescents' Food Choices And Eating Behaviors, Maree Scully, Melanie Wakefield, Philippa Niven, Kathy Chapman, David Crawford, Iain S. Pratt, Louise A. Baur, Victoria Flood, Belinda Morley

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The present study examined associations between food marketing exposure and adolescents’ food choices and reported consumption of energy-dense and nutrient-poor (EDNP) foods. A cross-sectional survey of 12,188 Australian secondary students aged 12–17 years was conducted, using a web-based self-report questionnaire. Measures included students’ level of exposure to commercial television and non-broadcast types of food marketing, whether they had tried a new product or requested a product they had seen advertised, and their reported consumption of fast food, sugary drinks and sweet and salty snacks. Results indicated greater exposure to commercial television, print/transport/school food marketing and digital food marketing were all …

Branded Food References In Children's Magazines: 'Advertisements' Are The Tip Of The Iceberg, Sandra C. Jones, Parri Gregory, Lisa K. Kervin

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: While children's magazines 'blur the lines' between editorial content and advertising, this medium has escaped the calls for government restrictions that are currently associated with food advertisements aired during children's television programming. The aim of this study was to address significant gaps in the evidence base in relation to commercial food messages in children's magazines by systematically investigating the nature and extent of food advertising and promotions over a 12-month period. Method: All issues of Australian children's magazines published in the calendar year 2009 were examined for references to foods or beverages. Results: Approximately 16% of the 1678 food …

Novel Digital Food Photos Resource Enhances Knowledge Of Nutrition And Dietetics Students, Karen Walton, Anne Mcmahon, Chris Brewer, Joanna Baker, Janaye Fish, Fiona Manning, Sara Grafenauer, Meredith Kennedy, Yasmine Probst

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A robust knowledge of food composition, the Australian food supply and cooking methods is integral to dietetics practice. Students learn these concepts across a variety of subjects, however a new dietetics subject in 2009 and a faculty based learning and teaching grant provided a timely opportunity to develop innovative new digital resources for students to enhance their food composition knowledge. One-hundred and sixty high quality digital food photographs were developed and nutrient composition data were added, before making the resource accessible to students via their eLearning sites. The primary aim of this study was to assess the views and experiences …

Reporting Of Dietary Assessment Methods And Use Of Information Technology In Food-Based Randomised Controlled Trials, Yasmine Probst

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The range of randomised controlled trials reported in the scientific literature is extensive. A systematic literature review was conducted with the aim of determining how dietary assessment methods were reported and the use of assisted technologies. OVID (Medline, PreMedline, PsychINFO, Cochrane, ERIC and Cynahl) and ScienceDirect databases 2000- 2010 were searched for food-based parallel randomised controlled trials in humans. Studies relating to drug testing, vitamin or mineral supplements, enteral or parenteral nutrition and behavioural/educational interventions were excluded. Meal replacement studies were included. A total of 1364 abstracts were reviews and 347 studies identified. Additional articles referred to in the methods …

Food And Nutrition Security In The Australia-New Zealand Region: Impact Of Climate Change, Linda C. Tapsell, Yasmine Probst, Mark Lawrence, Sharon Friel, Victoria M. Flood, Anne Therese Mcmahon, Rosalind Butler

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Consumers' Salient Beliefs Regarding Dairy Products In The Functional Food Era: A Qualitative Study Using Concepts From The Theory Of Planned Behaviour, Deborah Nolan, Elizabeth Neale, Yasmine Probst, Karen E. Charlton, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Inadequate consumption of dairy products without appropriate dietary substitution may have deleterious health consequences. Social research reveals the factors that may impede compliance with dietary recommendations. This is particularly important given the recent introduction of functional dairy products. One of the challenges for public health professionals is to demonstrate the efficacy of nutrition education in improving attitudes toward nutrient rich foods. The aim of this study was to explore the salient beliefs of adult weight loss trial participants regarding both traditional and functional dairy products and to compare these with a control group not exposed to nutrition education Methods …

Conversion Of Australian Food Composition Data From Ausnut1999 To 2007 In The Clinical Trial Context, Elizabeth P. Neale, Yasmine C. Probst, Rebecca Thorne, Qingsheng Zhang, Jane E. O'Shea, Marijka J. Batterham, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

An Australian food composition database, AUSNUT1999, does not include long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC omega-3 PUFA) data. Measurement of the fatty acid content of diets initially analysed using AUSNUT1999 requires conversion to AUSNUT2007, an updated database inclusive of LC omega-3 PUFA. The aim of this study was to convert clinical trial dietary data from AUSNUT1999 to AUSNUT2007 and measure LC omega-3 PUFA intake. Clinical trial diet history (DH) data was converted from AUSNUT1999 to 2007 using a staged approach. Macronutrient intake from AUSNUT1999 and 2007 were calculated and compared via paired t-tests and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks tests. Mean …

Children's Magazines: Reading Resources Or Food Marketing Tools?, Sandra C. Jones, Amanda Reid

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: Magazines targeted at children under 12 years old are growing in popularity; past studies have asserted that food items are rarely exposed, but methodological issues may have covered the true extent of covert promotion. The primary purpose of the present study was to quantify the nature and extent of the promotion of branded food products in Australian children’s magazines. Design: We conducted a content analysis of possible food promotions in seven top-selling Australian children’s magazines published in 2005. In addition to regular food advertisements, the number of advertisements for premiums, editorials, puzzles or games, competitions and branded non-food promotions …

Regulating The Types Of Foods And Beverages Marketed To Australian Children: How Useful Are Food Industry Commitments?, L Hebden, Lesley King, Bridget P. Kelly, Kathy Chapman, Christine Innes-Hughes, Nilakshi Gunatillaka

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Aim: Any regulation of food marketing to children requires clear definitions of the types of foods considered inappropriate and subject to restrictions. The aim of this research was to examine the commitments made by signatory companies of the Australian Food and Grocery Council’s Responsible Marketing to Children Initiative regarding the types of foods considered appropriate for marketing to children. Methods: Nutrient criteria developed by signatory food companies were examined by comparing (i) thresholds set for negative nutrients (saturated fats, added sugars and sodium) and total energy to two existing nutrient criteria: Healthy Kids Association and the National Heart Foundation Tick, …

Industry Self-Regulation Of Food Marketing To Children: Reading The Fine Print, Lana Hebden, Lesley King, Bridget P. Kelly, Kathy Chapman, Christine Innes-Hughes

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Issue addressed: Despite the evidence showing the negative influences of food marketing on children’s dietary beliefs and behaviours, and risk of adiposity, regulatory action to limit unhealthy food marketing has made little progress within Australia. Our aim was to describe and critically examine the Australian Food and Grocery Council’s (AFGC) approach to self-regulate food marketing to Australian children through the Responsible Marketing to Children Initiative (Initiative). Methods: The Initiative’s core principles and the commitments of the 16 signatory companies (as at December 2009) were assessed in terms of their capacity to limit unhealthy food advertising in media accessed by children. …

Food Fairness Illawarra: Factors Enabling An Effective Coalition To Ensure A Fair Food Future, Deanne Condon-Paoloni, Robyn Tindall, K Tavener-Smith, Jenny Norman, Vanessa John

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Food security, access to appropriate, nutritious food on a regular, reliable basis, is a human right and core to Australia’s future. However, it is increasingly recognised that groups in the Australian community are food insecure, including >6% of Illawarra residents. In recognition of this, Food Fairness Illawarra formed as a community alliance to promote a fair food future for residents. Collaborative community partnerships and coalitions are a core Ottawa Charter strategy for enhancing health. It is important therefore to evaluate the effectiveness of such coalitions in promoting community food security. The effectiveness of Food Fairness Illawarra as a community coalition …

Marketing To Children And Teens On Australian Food Company Web Sites, Amanda Reid, Sandra C. Jones

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Video Recorded Participant Behaviours: The Association Between Food Choices And Observed Behaviours From A Web-Based Diet History Interview, Yasmine C. Probst, K. Deagnoli, M. Batterham, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Automation of dietary assessments allow participant behaviour to be captured by video observation. They also allow clinicians to identify areas which effect reporting accuracy. This observational study describes the differences in behaviour according to the type of foods selected by participants using a dietary assessment website encompassing diet history methodology.

Updating The Dietadvice Website With New Australian Food Composition Data, Yasmine Probst, Holley-Anne Jones, Shannon Lin, S. Burden, David G. Steel, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

DietAdvice is an Australian self-administered dietary assessment website initially developed in 2003- 2005. The website allows patients to enter their dietary information and dieticians to remotely access and interpret the data. DietAdvice is presently being updated with new Australian food composition data. This study aims to describe the update process for moving from 1995 to 2006 food composition data. The database for the website was developed using grouped food data from the NUTTAB 1995 database. All food groups were cross-matched with the food from the NUTTAB 2006 database using the food ID codes. Rules were applied to determine the suitability …

A Valid Two-Item Food Security Questionnaire For Screening Hiv-1 Infected Patients In A Clinical Setting, Jessica Young, Sarangapany Jeganathan, Louise M. Houtzager, Aaron Di Guilmi, Julianita Purnomo

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To validate a two-item food security questionnaire (FSQ) for use in a clinical setting to screen HIV-1 infected patients for food insecurity. Design: The present study was a questionnaire-based survey of forty-nine subjects attending an HIV clinic. Subjects completed a two-item questionnaire and a six-item validated FSQ contemporaneously. Results: A strong correlation was found between the two-item and six-item FSQ (r50?895; 95% CI 0?821, 0?940; P,0?0001). Cronbach’s a coefficient was found to be 0?94 and 0?90 for the two-item and six-item FSQ, respectively. The two-item FSQ yielded a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 75, 100) and …

Action Or Inaction? Food And Nutrition In Australian Local Governments, Heather Yeatman

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To determine the current level of activity of Australian local governments in twenty-nine food and nutrition action areas and whether the level of activity had changed between 1995 and 2007.Design: A cross-sectional study utilising a postal survey was undertaken of all local governments in Australia. The same instrument and protocol were used in 1995 and 2007.Setting: Australian local governments.Results: Local governments in Australia continue to be engaged in food and nutrition activities. This involvement has constricted in range in the last 12 years but higher levels of engagement are reported for several areas. The levels of involvement of local …

Comparison Of Computerised Dietary Assessments With Diet History And Food Record Data At Baseline In An Australian Food-Based Clinical Trial, Yasmine Probst, Virva Sarmas, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Food-based clinical trials are vital to advance the scientific evidence for the impact of food on health. These trials reqUire stringent dietary assessment to substantiate effects. We are evaluating the use of a self-administered computerised dietary assessment (DietAdvice) in a current food based weight loss trial. Objective: This cross sectional study aims to compare data from DietAdvice with diet history (DH) and food record (FR) dietary assessments measured at baseline. Materials and Methods: Baseline data for n=71 overweight (23-60 years, BMI 25-37 kg/m2) participants was utilised. Macronutrient data for matched dietary assessments from n=32 participants was obtained for the …

Gatekeeper Influence On Food Acquisition, Food Preparation And Family Diet, Mike Reid, Anthony Worsley, Felix Mavondo

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The problems associated with overweight and obesity has focused attention on obesogenic, or obesity promoting environments. The home environment, in particular the role of the main food gatekeeper, has come under particular scrutiny for its impact on the family diet (Campbell et al, 2007; Coveney, 2004; Crawford et al, 2007). 326 US and 323 Australian gatekeepers are studied to understand relationships between healthy eating capability, food acquisition and food preparation behaviours, and satisfaction with the household diet. The results suggest that gatekeeper attitudes and perceived control over family diet play a significant role in shaping food-related behaviours and diet satisfaction. …

Smoke And Mirrors: Nutrition Content Claims Used To Market Unhealthy Food, Bridget Kelly, Libby Hattersley, Lesley King, Vicki Flood

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Nutrition content claims are statements that relate to the presence or absence of nutrients, energy or biologically active substances in food. Currently in Australia, food manufacturers are permitted to make nutrition content claims as long as they can substantiate that the food component is present at the claimed levels, that is, that the claim is honest and true. Nutrition content claims can be used by food manufacturers to market food products, whereby positive nutritional attributes are emphasised to exaggerate the nutritional quality or health benefit of the product. In this way, nutrition-related claims can be misleading, with manufacturers able to …

Validity Of Carbohydrate, Glycaemic Index And Glycaemic Load Data Obtained Using A Semi-Quantitative Food-Frequency Questionnaire, Alan Winston Barclay, Victoria Mary Flood, Jennie Cecile Brand-Miller, Paul Mitchell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To assess the ability of a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to rank Australians according to their intake of total carbohydrate, sugar, starch, fibre, glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL). Design: Cross-sectional sample from a population cohort. Setting: Two postcode areas west of Sydney, Australia. Subjects: From 1992 to 1994, a total of 2868 older Australians provided dietary data using a 145-item Willett-derived FFQ. A representative sub-sample of 78 subjects completed three 4-day weighed food records (WFRs). Pearson and Spearman correlations, Bland–Altman plots and weighted kappa values were calculated. Results: Compared with the WFR, the FFQ provided higher mean estimates …

The Commercial Food Landscape: Outdoor Food Advertising Around Primary Schools In Australia, Bridget P. Kelly, Michelle Cretikos, Kris Rogers, Lesley King

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: Food marketing is linked to childhood obesity through its influence on children’s food preferences, purchase requests and food consumption. We aimed to describe the volume and nature of outdoor food advertisements and factors associated with outdoor food advertising in the area surrounding Australian primary schools. Methods: Forty primary schools in Sydney and Wollongong were selected using random sampling within population density and socio-economic strata. The area within a 500m radius of each school was scanned and advertisements coded according to pre-defined criteria, including: food or non-food product advertisement, distance from the school, size and location. Food advertisements were further …

Water Shortage In Australian Fast Food Outlets, Lesley King, Bridget P. Kelly, Joey Ho, Libby Hattersley

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Variation Of The Omega-3 Content Of Australian Food Products, Yasmine Probst, Rebecca L. Thorne, Jane E. O'Shea, Holley-Anne Jones, Riikka Karkkainen, Sophie Guenon, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract from the 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Nutrition Society of Australia, 30 November - 3 December 2008, Glenelg, Australia.

Food, Health And Nutrition: Where Does Chicken Fit?, Karen E. Charlton, Yasmine Probst, Linda C. Tapsell, Patrick J. Blackall

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The link between diet and health is important, given the prevalence of diet related disease, including obesity, in the Australian population. Consumers need to be able to discriminate between foods based on the nutritional contribution of each to a healthy diet. They also need to be able to discriminate between foods in a broader context, considering issues such as food safety, how the food is produced and the environmental consequences of its production. This review outlines the position of chicken in the Australian diet from a health, consumer and environmental perspective. Chicken can contribute to a healthy eating pattern. It …

Social Ideological Influences On Reported Food Consumption And Bmi, Wei C. Wang, Anthony Worsley, Everada G. Cunningham

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between ideological beliefs, perceptions of the importance of health behaviours, health attitudes, food consumption, and Body Mass Index (BMI). A behavioural model was hypothesized based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975).

Methods

A survey was conducted among shoppers aged between 40 and 70 years at Eastland Shopping Centre, Melbourne, Australia. The hypothesized model was tested with this empirical data (n = 410) for younger (n = 151) and older (n = 259) age groups using structural equation modelling.

Results

The findings generally support …

Constraints On Food Choices Of Women In The Uk With Lower Educational Attainment, Mary Barker, Wendy T. Lawrence, Timothy C. Skinner, Cheryl O. Haslam, Sian M. Robinson, Hazel M. Inskip, Barrie M. Margetts, Alan A. Jackson, David J. P. Barker, Cyrus Cooper

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: Women of lower educational attainment have less balanced and varied diets than women of higher educational attainment. The diets of women are vital to the long-term health of their offspring. The present study aimed to identify factors that influence the food choices of women with lower educational attainment and how women could be helped to improve those choices. Design: We conducted eight focus group discussions with women of lower educational attainment to identify these factors. We contrasted the results of these discussions with those from three focus group discussions with women of higher educational attainment. Setting: …

A Food-Based Dietary Strategy Lowers Blood Pressure In A Low Socio-Economic Setting: A Randomised Study In South Africa, Karen E. Charlton, Naomi Levitt, Krisela Steyn, Deborah Jonathan, Nomonde Gwebushe, Nasheeta Peer, Katja Rossouw, Theresa Gogela, Carl J. Lombard

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective To assess the impact of a food-based intervention on blood pressure (BP) in free-living South African men and women aged 50–75 years, with drug-treated mild-to-moderate hypertension.

Methods A double-blind controlled trial was undertaken in eighty drug-treated mild-to-moderate hypertensive subjects randomised to an intervention (n 40) or control (n 40) arm. The intervention was 8-week provision of six food items with a modified cation content (salt replacement (SOLO™), bread, margarine, stock cubes, soup mix and a flavour enhancer) and 500 ml of maas (fermented milk)/d. The control diet provided the same quantities of the targeted foods but of …