BMC NutritionPub Date : 2025-07-12DOI: 10.1186/s40795-025-01117-y
Bridve Sivakumar, Maria Ricupero, Anisha Mahajan, Katherine Jefferson, John Wenger, Jillianne Code, Alex Theodorou, JoAnne Arcand
{"title":"A mobile app intervention to support nutrition education for heart failure management: co-design, development and user-testing.","authors":"Bridve Sivakumar, Maria Ricupero, Anisha Mahajan, Katherine Jefferson, John Wenger, Jillianne Code, Alex Theodorou, JoAnne Arcand","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01117-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01117-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mobile apps show promise in supporting patients with heart failure (HF) in adhering to dietary guidelines for sodium and fluid. Though numerous apps to support HF management exist, only a few have dedicated features to support dietary adherence.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To describe the process and outcomes from the development and testing of Sodium Navigator<sup>HF</sup>, a mobile app intervention to engage patients with HF in dietary education and adherence.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Background research in app development, behaviour change, nutrition and qualitative interviews with patients and healthcare providers informed app content and design. Weekly team meetings were held to establish learning objectives, content, and features of the app until a prototype was developed and approved by the research team. Using a quasi-experimental mixed-methods design, patients with HF (≥ 18 years) evaluated the prototype via one-on-one online user-testing sessions. App engagement, satisfaction, and usability were measured using a 12-question patient-reported Likert-scale questionnaire. Participant feedback on app content and features was gathered using qualitative interviews.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Six educational modules (dietary sodium recommendations, contributors of sodium in the diet, nutrition labelling, lowering dietary sodium, fluid restriction and goal setting), ten behaviour change techniques (e.g., feedback on behaviour, social support) and gamified components (i.e., avatar, point-system) were integrated into the app. Participants with HF (n = 10, 56±15 years, 80% women) enjoyed using the app (90%), strongly agreed that the information was meaningful and useful for their general health (80%) and was easy to use (70%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Results demonstrate the potential of Sodium Navigator<sup>HF</sup> to support patients with dietary education and adherence for HF management.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"139"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12255088/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144620829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dietary inflammatory index and its association with hematological inflammatory markers: a cross-sectional analysis in healthy and depressed individuals.","authors":"Farzam Kamrani, Mobina Imannezhad, Amirhossein Ataei Kachouei, Seyyed Reza Sobhani, Zahra Khorasanchi","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01118-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01118-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Previous research has mainly focused on the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and its impact on serum inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP). Regarding the established connection between inflammation and depression, this study aims to examine the relationship between DII and hematological inflammatory markers in both depressed and healthy individuals separately.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study involved 4567 participants from the PERSIAN Organizational Cohort Study in Mashhad (POCM), with 3226 classified as healthy and 429 as depressed. Blood samples were collected to analyze hematologic markers. Additionally, the depression, anxiety, and stress scale - 21 (DASS-21) questionnaire was administered to evaluate depression. The study also calculated various hematologic inflammatory markers, including platelet-to- high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio (PHR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-to-HDL ratio (MHR), lymphocyte-to-HDL ratio (LHR), red cell distribution width (RDW)-to-lymphocyte ratio (RLR), RDW-to-platelet ratio (RPR), and granulocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (GLR).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the adjusted model, when healthy individuals move from an anti-inflammatory diet (tertile 1) to a pro-inflammatory one (tertile 3) adherence, the monocyte counts and LHR decreased by 25.1% [OR: 0.749 (0.578-0.972)] and 11% [OR: 0.89 (0.012-0.684)], respectively. However, the MHR level increases by 12.9% [OR: 1.129 (1.000, 1.275)].</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In healthy individuals, a pro-inflammatory diet has been observed to decrease monocyte and LHR levels while increasing MHR. However, in individuals with depression, no correlation between these markers was found, which is a significant discovery. It is recommended that future studies with a larger sample size of individuals with depression be conducted to validate these results.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"137"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12243419/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144601789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC NutritionPub Date : 2025-07-07DOI: 10.1186/s40795-025-01108-z
Tia D Jeffery, Xuejing Duan, Azam Ardakani, Sapna Batheja, Gifty N Stevinson, Lillie Monroe-Lord
{"title":"Patterns of US citizenship status vs. diet quality among adults of African descent.","authors":"Tia D Jeffery, Xuejing Duan, Azam Ardakani, Sapna Batheja, Gifty N Stevinson, Lillie Monroe-Lord","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01108-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01108-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>With the substantial growth rate of the Black immigrant population in the US, the impact of colonization on the diets of Black Americans and disproportionately high rates of chronic diseases among individuals with African descent, studies should place more emphasis on ethnicity when investigating nutrition-related risk factors. This study examined the relationship between variations in citizenship level and diet quality among adult subjects with African descent.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed data from 1,198 adults with African descent in NHANES 2015-2016. A 'citizenship level' scale was developed using principal component analysis, incorporating years lived in the US, country of birth, and citizenship status. Diet quality was assessed using HEI scores. Associations between citizenship level, sex, age, income, and diet quality (poor, moderate, or good) were examined using a Monte Carlo simulation of Fisher's exact tests. Linear regression models were employed to examine the relationship between citizenship level and continuous HEI scores, adjusting for sex, age, and income, with stratified analyses conducted for each demographic subgroup.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fisher's exact tests revealed that the level of US citizenship, sex, age, and income level were all significantly associated with the categorical level of diet quality (HEI). Linear regression analysis demonstrated that a lower level of US citizenship was significantly associated with higher HEI scores, indicative of better diet quality (p < 0.001), even after adjusting for sex, age, and income. This relationship persisted across most demographic subgroups but appeared stronger among males and those in the lowest income bracket. The relationship was also significant for younger adults but not for adults aged 65 and older.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Studies suggest a need for more inclusive and culturally tailored nutrition interventions. To minimize the negative impact of colonization and US assimilation on diet quality, future studies should consider stratifying groups based on the heterogeneity of this population and interventions that utilize traditional dietary patterns of the African diaspora as tools to improve the quality of life among people of African descent.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"136"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12235984/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144585069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC NutritionPub Date : 2025-07-07DOI: 10.1186/s40795-025-01114-1
Raghad S Alzahrani, Taif F Alkhatabi, Abdulaziz F Bokhari, Wed M Ismail, Abdullah S Alyamani, Ali S Alsudais, Bassam AlRajhi, Dakheelallah M Almutairi
{"title":"Efficacy of Omega-3 supplementation in olfactory dysfunction: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.","authors":"Raghad S Alzahrani, Taif F Alkhatabi, Abdulaziz F Bokhari, Wed M Ismail, Abdullah S Alyamani, Ali S Alsudais, Bassam AlRajhi, Dakheelallah M Almutairi","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01114-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01114-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Olfactory dysfunction (OD) significantly impacts patients' quality of life, yet effective treatments are limited. Omega-3 fatty acids have shown promise in improving olfactory function, but further research is needed to evaluate their efficacy.</p><p><strong>Aims/objectives: </strong>This systematic review aimed to assess the effects of omega-3 supplementation on OD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive search identified randomized controlled trials investigating omega-3 supplementation in OD patients. Inclusion criteria involved adult patients receiving omega-3 fatty acids and undergoing olfactory function assessments.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three studies with 175 participants were included. Two studies reported omega-3's protective effect against olfactory loss over three months. However, a trial on COVID-19 patients found no significant improvement in olfactory function.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Omega-3 supplementation, along with olfactory training or nasal rinses, appears to improve olfactory function in OD patients. However, further research is needed to evaluate its standalone efficacy. Omega-3 fatty acids offer a potential therapy for OD, warranting optimization and long-term effects investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"135"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12235982/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144585068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Factors associated with the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in adults.","authors":"Sue-Hsien Chen, Shu-Ching Chen, Yo-Ping Lai, Pin-Hsuan Chen, Kun-Yun Yeh","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01120-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01120-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hypovitaminosis D has a significant negative impact on general health. Although some factors associated with hypovitaminosis D have been previously reported, they have seldom been analyzed simultaneously in community-based research. This study aims to investigate some potential factors associated with serum 25 (OH)D level, representing a vitamin concentration.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study recruiting 4,457 adults, aged over 18 years, was conducted between August 2019 and December 2023. Sociodemographic data were obtained through structured questionnaires, while anthropometric measurements, hemogram results, and biochemical markers were collected from medical records and physical examination findings. A self-reported depression rating score; health beliefs; and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) factors were assessed with questionnaires. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean serum 25(OH)D level was 29.22 ± 10.45 ng/mL. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that serum 25(OH)D levels were positively associated with age (β = 0.258, p < 0.001), male sex (β = 0.164, p < 0.001), high school education level (β = 0.118, p < 0.001), smoking exposure (β = 0.044, p = 0.011), alcohol consumption (β = 0.150, p < 0.001), hemoglobin concentration (β = 0.062, p = 0.001), calcium level (β = 0.047, p = 0.005), and the mental component score of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (β = 0.086, p < 0.001). Conversely, serum 25(OH)D levels were negatively associated with coffee consumption (β = - 0.045, p = 0.002), estimated glomerular filtration rate (β = - 0.105, p < 0.001), blood levels of intact parathyroid hormone (β = - 0.184, p < 0.001), phosphorus (β = - 0.033, p = 0.040), and triglycerides (β = - 0.060, p < 0.001). The overall model explained 29.6% of the variance in serum 25(OH)D levels (R² = 0.296). There were close correlations between sociodemographic factors, anthropometric variables, hemograms, biochemical data, self-reported depression rating scores, health beliefs, and HRQoL factors.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study identified several key variables associated with serum 25(OH)D levels in adults. These findings provide important targets for designing health education programs aimed at reducing the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency. Future community-based research should consider incorporating additional determinants of vitamin D status, including quantified sunlight exposure, dietary intake of vitamin D-rich foods, and supplementation patterns. Accounting for these broader lifestyle and environmental factors may enable subsequent studies to generate more robust insights into the multifactorial nature of vitamin D regulation and inform more effective public health strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"132"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12228237/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144567947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC NutritionPub Date : 2025-07-05DOI: 10.1186/s40795-025-01122-1
E Carrillo-Álvarez, J Muñoz-Martínez, I Cussó-Parcerisas, I Palma-Linares, M G Casucci, K Gunes
{"title":"Nutritional adequacy of charitable food aid packages to the needs of different household-types: a case study in Spain.","authors":"E Carrillo-Álvarez, J Muñoz-Martínez, I Cussó-Parcerisas, I Palma-Linares, M G Casucci, K Gunes","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01122-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01122-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"133"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12228324/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144567948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC NutritionPub Date : 2025-07-05DOI: 10.1186/s40795-025-01123-0
Masoumeh Atefi, Hamid Vahedi, Mina Darand, Mohammad Hassan Entezari
{"title":"Sesame oil improves biomarkers of glycemic control in women with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial.","authors":"Masoumeh Atefi, Hamid Vahedi, Mina Darand, Mohammad Hassan Entezari","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01123-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01123-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>This study aimed to investigate whether sesame oil (SO) consumption could improve biomarkers of glycemic control, inflammation, and oxidative stress in women with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This randomized, double-blind, controlled trial included 60 women with MASLD (aged 20-50 years, body mass index (BMI) 25-40 kg/m²) assigned to either SO or sunflower oil (SFO) group (n = 30 each), who consumed 30 g/day for 12 weeks alongside a 500 kcal/day calorie-restricted diet. Serum fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting serum insulin (FSI), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β), quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured at the pre- and post-intervention phases.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared with the control, SO supplementation led to significant improvements in FBG (mean difference: -18.2 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval (CI): -25.0 to -11.4; Cohen's d = 0.84), FSI (-3.2 µIU/mL; 95% CI: -4.5 to -1.9; d = 0.76), HOMA-IR (-1.4; 95% CI: -2.0 to -0.8; d = 0.81), HOMA-β (+ 15.6; 95% CI: +7.4 to + 23.8; d = 0.67), and QUICKI (+ 0.07; 95% CI: +0.03 to + 0.11; d = 0.72) (p < 0.05 for all). The reductions in hs-CRP (-0.05 mg/dL; 95% CI: -0.15 to + 0.05; d = 0.12) and MDA (-0.6 µmol/L; 95% CI: -1.4 to + 0.2; d = 0.28) were not significant (p > 0.05). Both groups presented significant weight loss, with no significant difference between them (p > 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>SO consumption significantly improved glycemic control biomarkers in women with MASLD, suggesting potential metabolic benefits beyond weight loss.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (code: IR.MUI.</p><p><strong>Research: </strong>REC.1399.548), and it is registered at https://www.irct.ir/trial/52288 , IRCT20140208016529N6, Registration Date: 2020-12-12).</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"134"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12228151/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144567949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Type 2 diabetes mellitus with chronic kidney disease benefits from long-term restriction of dietary protein intake: a 10-year retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Danfeng Liu, Qiuling Li, Runli Jia, Weiting He, Xuan Zhao, Mengting Pan, Xiaojie Chen, Yanhui Wang, Yaxi Zhu, Hanchen Hou, Jianteng Xie, Wenjian Wang","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01119-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01119-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to investigate the relationship between long-term dietary protein intake (DPI) restriction and clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective study in both T2DM with CKD cohort from eight centers, with a follow-up period from January 2014 to September 2023 and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset. DPI was evaluated based on the serum urea creatinine ratio (sUCR). The primary outcomes included initiation of dialysis, progression to end-stage renal disease, renal transplant, serum creatinine doubling, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the T2DM with CKD cohort, 820 patients were selected from a total of 856 and categorized into three groups, propensity score matching at a 1:1:1 ratio, according to their DPI<sub>sUCR</sub> levels. The median follow-up time was 32.94 months. Patients on a restricted protein diet (DPI<sub>sUCR</sub> ≤ 1.0 g/kg·d) showed improved prognosis and delayed progression to primary endpoints. In CKD stages 3-4, patients with DPI<sub>sUCR</sub> < 0.8 g/kg·d exhibited significantly improves prognosis. Similarly, in the NHANES cohort, 1723 patients were classified into 3 groups, with a median follow-up time of 87.19 months. A restricted protein diet (DPI<sub>sUCR</sub> ≤ 1.0 g/kg·d) markedly improved prognosis and reduced mortality.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our data provide the strong evidence that T2DM patients with CKD benefits from long-term restriction of DPI<sub>sUCR</sub> ≤ 1.0 g/kg·d by improving composite endpoints. In T2DM patients with CKD at stages 3-4, an intensive restriction of DPI<sub>sUCR</sub> (< 0.8 g/kg·d) significantly improved composite endpoint.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial number: </strong>Not applicable.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"131"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12228252/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144567950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC NutritionPub Date : 2025-07-04DOI: 10.1186/s40795-025-01116-z
Harleen Ghuttora, Lorena Kembel, Heidi Piovoso, Adrienne L Feasel, Julia MacLaren, April Matsuno, Tanis Fenton, Catherine B Chan, Gregory A Kline, Emma O Billington
{"title":"Barriers and facilitators to following dietary recommendations for bone health: a qualitative study.","authors":"Harleen Ghuttora, Lorena Kembel, Heidi Piovoso, Adrienne L Feasel, Julia MacLaren, April Matsuno, Tanis Fenton, Catherine B Chan, Gregory A Kline, Emma O Billington","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01116-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01116-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>An estimated one in two women and one in five men will experience a low-trauma fracture after age 50. Diet is an important mediator of bone health but individuals with or at risk of osteoporosis do not always meet recommended intake of specific nutrients (protein, calcium, vitamin D) and whole foods. We aimed to identify barriers and facilitating factors to following dietary recommendations for bone health among adults with or at risk of osteoporosis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Adults aged ≥ 45 years who had been referred to a specialty osteoporosis clinic were recruited to participate in 4 virtual focus groups exploring barriers and facilitators to following dietary recommendations for bone health. Interest in a practical, bone-health focused Culinary Medicine program was also assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 29 individuals were enrolled, 26 completed a pre-survey which asked about demographics and dietary habits, and 24 (age range 56-89 years, 21 female) attended one of four virtual focus groups. Principle barriers to following dietary recommendations for bone health highlighted by the focus group participants were: (1) living alone and cooking for one, (2) low motivation to prepare meals, and (3) dietary restrictions. Principal facilitators were: (1) preparing meals in advance, (2) online grocery shopping, and (3) engaging in exercise. Focus group participants expressed enthusiasm about participating in a Culinary Medicine program for bone health.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings indicate that adults with or at risk of osteoporosis face multiple barriers to adhering with dietary recommendations. Bone-focused Culinary Medicine programming merits further study as a possible method of overcoming these barriers.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"122"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231616/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144565331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC NutritionPub Date : 2025-07-04DOI: 10.1186/s40795-025-01087-1
Wioleta Faruga-Lewicka, Wiktoria Staśkiewicz-Bartecka, Marek Kardas
{"title":"Diet and risk of orthorexia nervosa among female post-graduate students in health-related and non-health-related fields.","authors":"Wioleta Faruga-Lewicka, Wiktoria Staśkiewicz-Bartecka, Marek Kardas","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01087-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01087-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The purpose of this study was to examine the dietary habits of female students during their college reunion and evaluate their risk of orthorexia nervosa in both health-related and non-health-related fields of study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was conducted using the Computer-Assisted Web Interview method. A survey questionnaire was used to conduct the study, which was developed based on a Questionnaire of Eating Behavior and ORTO-15, a questionnaire used tool to assess the risk of orthorexia nervosa. After taking into account the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 388 female students participated in the study (the average age 25.02 ± 5.11).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Polish female students eat an average of 2-3 meals a day during their college reunion and snack in between, reaching most often for fruits and sweets. At breakfast, they most often reach for coffee, bread, and meat products. A lunch consists of potatoes, meat, and vegetable salads, and a dinner of coffee, tea, bread, and cheese. Polish female students drink about 1 L of water a day and 1-2 coffees during their college reunion. In a survey on the risk of orthorexia nervosa, there were no significant differences between health-related female students and non-health-related students (p = 0.69). The nutritional status of most female extramural students was normal.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study found no differences in the risk of orthorexia or in eating habits between female students in health-related and non-health-related fields.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>The study was approved by the Bioethics Committee of the Silesian Medical University in Katowice (BNW/NWN/0052/KB1/44/I/23) in light of the Law of December 5, 1996, on the Profession of Physician and Dentist, which includes a definition of medical experimentation.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"123"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12232053/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144565333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}