| 1. |
- Eussen, Simone J. P. M., et al.
(author)
-
North-south gradients in plasma concentrations of B-vitamins and other components of one-carbon metabolism in Western Europe: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study
- 2013
-
In: British Journal of Nutrition. - 1475-2662 .- 0007-1145. ; 110:2, s. 363-374
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Different lifestyle patterns across Europe may influence plasma concentrations of B-vitamins and one-carbon metabolites and their relation to chronic disease. Comparison of published data on one-carbon metabolites in Western European regions is difficult due to differences in sampling procedures and analytical methods between studies. The present study aimed, to compare plasma concentrations of one-carbon metabolites in Western European regions with one laboratory performing all biochemical analyses. We performed the present study in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort among 5446 presumptively healthy individuals. Quantile regression was used to compare sex-specific median concentrations between Northern (Denmark and Sweden), Central (France, Germany, The Netherlands and United Kingdom) and Southern (Greece, Spain and Italy) European regions. The lowest folate concentrations were observed in Northern Europe (men, 10.4 nmol/l; women, 10.7 nmol/l) and highest concentrations in Central Europe. Cobalamin concentrations were slightly higher in Northern Europe (men, 330 pmol/l; women, 352 pmol/l) compared with Central and Southern Europe, but did not show a clear north-south gradient. Vitamin B-2 concentrations were highest in Northern Europe (men, 22.2 nmol/l; women, 26.0 nmol/l) and decreased towards Southern Europe (P-trend < 0.001). Vitamin B-6 concentrations were highest in Central Europe in men (77.3 nmol/l) and highest in the North among women (70.4 nmol/l), with decreasing concentrations towards Southern Europe in women (P-trend < 0.001). In men, concentrations of serine, glycine and sarcosine increased from the north to south. In women, sarcosine increased from Northern to Southern Europe. These findings may provide relevant information for the study of regional differences of chronic disease incidence in association with lifestyle.
|
|
| 2. |
- Braem, Marieke G. M., et al.
(author)
-
Multiple Miscarriages Are Associated with the Risk of Ovarian Cancer: Results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition
- 2012
-
In: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 7:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- While the risk of ovarian cancer clearly reduces with each full-term pregnancy, the effect of incomplete pregnancies is unclear. We investigated whether incomplete pregnancies (miscarriages and induced abortions) are associated with risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. This observational study was carried out in female participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). A total of 274,442 women were followed from 1992 until 2010. The baseline questionnaire elicited information on miscarriages and induced abortions, reproductive history, and lifestyle-related factors. During a median follow-up of 11.5 years, 1,035 women were diagnosed with incident epithelial ovarian cancer. Despite the lack of an overall association (ever vs. never), risk of ovarian cancer was higher among women with multiple incomplete pregnancies (HR >= 4vs.0: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.20-2.70; number of cases in this category: n = 23). This association was particularly evident for multiple miscarriages (HR >= 4vs.0: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.06-3.73; number of cases in this category: n = 10), with no significant association for multiple induced abortions (HR >= 4vs.0: 1.46, 95% CI: 0.68-3.14; number of cases in this category: n = 7). Our findings suggest that multiple miscarriages are associated with an increased risk of epithelial ovarian cancer, possibly through a shared cluster of etiological factors or a common underlying pathology. These findings should be interpreted with caution as this is the first study to show this association and given the small number of cases in the highest exposure categories.
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
- Hallström, Lena, 1958-, et al.
(author)
-
Nutritional knowledge in European adolescents : results from the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) study
- 2011
-
In: Public Health Nutrition. - 1368-9800 .- 1475-2727. ; 14:12, s. 2083-2091
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To build up sufficient knowledge of a ‘healthy diet’. Here, we report on the assessment of nutritional knowledge using a uniform method in a large sample of adolescents across Europe.Design: A cross-sectional study.Setting: The European multicentre HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) study conducted in 2006–2007 in ten cities in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece (one inland and one island city), Hungary, Italy, Spain and Sweden.Subjects: A total of 3546 adolescents (aged 12,5–17,5 years) completed a validated nutritional knowledge test (NKT). Socio-economic variables and anthropometric data were considered as potential confounders.Results: NKT scores increased with age and girls had higher scores compared with boys (62% v.59 %;P<0,0001). Scores were approximately 10% lower in ‘immigrant’ adolescents or in adolescents with ‘immigrant’ mothers. Misconceptions with respect to the sugar content in food or in beverages were found. Overall, there was no correlation between BMI values and NKT scores. After categorization according to BMI, scores increased significantly with BMI group only in boys. These differences disappeared after controlling for socio-economic status (SES). Smoking status and educational level of the mother influenced the NKT scores significantly in boys, as well as the educational levels of both parents in girls.Conclusions: Nutritional knowledge was modest in our sample. Interventions should be focused on the lower SES segments of the population. They should be initiated at a younger age and should be combined with environmental prevention (e.g. healthy meals in school canteens).
|
|
| 7. |
|
|
| 8. |
- Santaliestra-Pası´as, AM, et al.
(author)
-
Increased sedentary behaviour is associated with unhealthy dietary patterns in European adolescents participating in the HELENA study
- 2014
-
In: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0954-3007 .- 1476-5640. ; 68:3, s. 300-308
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To assess dietary patterns (DPs) in European adolescents and to examine their relationship withseveral indicators of sedentary behaviour.SUBJECTS/METHODS: A multinational cross-sectional study was carried out in 2202 adolescents (45.4% boys) aged 12.5–17.5 years. A self-reported questionnaire with information on sedentary behaviours, separately for weekdays and weekend days, and two non-consecutive 24 h-recalls were used. Principal component analysis was used to obtain DPs, and linear regression examined the association between DPs scores and sedentary behaviour.RESULTS: Four DPs for boys (‘plant based’, ‘snacking’, ‘breakfast’ and ‘health conscious’) and five DPs for girls (‘confectionary and snacking’, ‘plant based’, ‘breakfast’, ‘animal protein’ and ‘health conscious’) were obtained. Boys who spent 44 h/day watching television (TV) had lower adherence to the ‘plant based’, ‘breakfast’ and ‘health conscious’ DPs, and higher adherence to the ‘snacking’ DP. Higher computer use and internet use for recreational reason were associated with higher adherence to the ‘snacking’ DP. In girls, TV viewing and using internet for recreational reasons for 44 h/day was associated with higher adherence to the ‘confectionary and snacking’ and lower adherence with ‘health conscious’ DP. Also, studying between 2 and 4 h during weekend days was associated with lower adherence to the ‘snacking’ and with higher adherence to the ‘plant based’ and ‘breakfast’ DPs.CONCLUSION: Adolescents’ DPs are related with the time spent in several sedentary behaviours. Such findings may help to generate interventions focusing on decreasing unhealthy dietary habits and specific sedentary behaviours.
|
|
