Feasibility of repeated 24-h dietary recalls combined with a food-recording booklet, using EPIC-Soft, among preschoolers

Background/Objectives: This study evaluates the feasibility among preschoolers of the 224-h dietary recalls (24-HDRs) method combined with a food-recording booklet (FRB), using EPIC-Soft pc-program for the 24-HDR (the software developed to conduct 24-HDRs in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study).
Subjects/Methods: A total of 20 and 25 (4- to 5-year-old) children were recruited, as a convenience sample, through worksites or day or healthcare in Denmark and Spain, respectively. One parent (or both parents together) completed two face-to-face 24- HDR, combined with an optional use of a FRB. Feasibility was evaluated by evaluation questionnaires completed by parents and interviewers.
Results: The face-to-face interviews were primarily conducted with the mothers. The FRB was used by 90% of the participants, and proxy persons, other than the parent, were also involved; involvement of proxy persons seems necessary in a majority of the recalls in both the countries.
Conclusions: The results suggest that 224-HDR with one parent combined with a FRB is feasible for registering preschoolers’ diet. An FRB and/or information from proxy persons, other than the parent, is needed for a majority of the parents. In future studies, it may be beneficial to develop the FRB more like a structured food record (FR), which might, in principle, change the method to a one-day FR method from more than a 24-HDR method. It is recommended then to further investigate the use of EPIC-Soft as a data-entry tool.

First of all, I split the 24 : strategies for mental computation

In this article, the author sets out some goals and classroom activities for the teaching of mental computation. The author also discusses the importance of allowing children to help each other and explains that there is benefit in children listening to mathematical strategies given by other children.

First of all I split the 24 : strategies for mental computation

Goals for mental computation are presented along with some ideas for teaching mental computation in the classroom. The understanding of number and the operations that come from developing mental computation strategies are useful for algebra and children should be encouraged to use more efficient and diverse mental strategies.

Rates of common communicable illnesses in non-anaemic 12-24 month old South Island, New Zealand children

Aims : To describe the incidence of parentally reported illness in otherwise healthy South Island toddlers; characterise the predictors of illness; and determine whether there was a relationship between teething and illness in this population.

Methods : A 20-week randomised controlled trial was conducted on 1-year-old children (n=225) from Otago and Southland between February 2004 and December 2005. Information on symptoms of morbidity, occurrence of teething, and childcare attendance were recorded daily throughout the intervention period. Morbidity symptoms were categorised into respiratory illness (RI), gastrointestinal illness (GII), ear infection, and total illness, and the number and duration of events were determined.

Results : The mean (SD) number of total illnesses was 3.4 (2.3) per 20 weeks, with an average duration of 4.5 days. Episodes of RI were most common (50% of total illness events), and tended to be the longest in duration (mean of 3.7 days). Having siblings aged less than 5 years (23% increase, 95%CI 6%–42%, p=0.007) and attending childcare (72% increase, 95%CI 38%–113%, p<0.001)), were positively associated with the number of total illness events but not duration. In addition, teething was positively associated with total events (OR 1.94, 95%CI 1.45–2.60, p<0.001), RI events (OR 2.03, 95%CI 1.41–2.93, p<0.001) and GII events (OR 1.90, 95%CI 1.36–2.67, p<0.001).

Conclusion : This study has shown that illness (particularly RI) is common in the second year of life. It has also confirmed that attending childcare and having siblings aged under 5 years increases the number of illness events. An association between teething and the occurrence of illness was also seen but the exact nature of this relationship requires verification.

Quantities of foods consumed by 12- to 24-month-old New Zealand children

Aim:  The present study aimed to estimate small, median and large daily quantities of frequently consumed foods and identify which food groups are important sources of key micronutrients for 12- to 24-month-old New Zealand children.

Methods:  A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in three cities in the South Island of New Zealand. Healthy toddlers (n = 188) were randomly selected using multistage sampling. Three non-consecutive 1-day weighed food records were collected from each child and the frequencies and daily quantities of foods and beverages, and important sources of iron and zinc, were determined.

Results:  Fifty percent or more of the children consumed the following foods at least once over 3 days (median gram intake among toddlers who consumed the food): milk (366 g), white bread (29 g), banana (70 g), potato (34 g), cheese (12 g), apple (39 g), ‘Weetbix’ whole-wheat breakfast cereal (16 g), yeast extract spread (‘Marmite’, ‘Vegemite’) (2 g), carrot (17 g) and margarine (4 g). Dairy, cereals and the meat/fish/poultry/eggs/nuts food group were the most important sources of iron and zinc in the toddlers' diets, providing 69.1% of iron and 86.3% of zinc.

Conclusion:  This research provides dietitians, other health professionals, researchers and policy-makers with detailed information on daily quantities of foods and beverages frequently consumed by toddlers that can be used for dietetic counselling, dietary assessment, and to develop food-based dietary guidelines specifically for toddlers.

Dietary salt intake assessed by 24 h urinary sodium excretion in Australian schoolchildren aged 5–13 years

Objective To measure total daily salt intake using 24 h urinary Na excretion within a sample of Victorian schoolchildren aged 5–13 years and to assess discretionary salt use habits of children and parents.

Design Cross-sectional study.

Setting Completed within a convenience sample of independent primary schools (n 9) located in Victoria, Australia.

Subjects Two hundred and sixty children completed a 24 h urine collection over a school (34 %) or non-school day (66 %). Samples deemed incomplete (n 18), an over-collection (n 1) or that were incorrectly processed at the laboratory (n 3) were excluded.

Results The sample comprised 120 boys and 118 girls with a mean age of 9·8 (sd 1·7) years. The average 24 h urinary Na excretion (n 238) was 103 (sd 43) mmol/24 h (salt equivalent 6·0 (sd 2·5) g/d). Daily Na excretion did not differ by sex; boys 105 (sd 46) mmol/24 h (salt equivalent 6·1 (sd 2·7) g/d) and girls 100 (sd 41) mmol/24 h (salt equivalent 5·9 (sd 2·4) g/d; P = 0·38). Sixty-nine per cent of children (n 164) exceeded the recommended daily Upper Limit for Na. Reported discretionary salt use was common: two-thirds of parents reported adding salt during cooking and almost half of children reported adding salt at the table.

Conclusions The majority of children had salt intakes exceeding the recommended daily Upper Limit. Strategies to lower salt intake in children are urgently required, and should include product reformulation of lower-sodium food products combined with interventions targeting discretionary salt use within the home.

Insulin sensitivity not modulated 24 to 78 h after acute resistance exercise in type 2 diabetes patients

Background
The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics, causative pathogens, clinical management and outcomes of patients presenting to a tertiary adult Australian intensive care unit (ICU) with a diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis (NF).
Methods
This retrospective observational study was conducted in a 19-bed, level III, adult ICU in a 450-bed tertiary, regional hospital. Clinical databases were accessed for patients diagnosed with NF and admitted to The Geelong Hospital ICU between 1 February 2000 and 1 June 2011. Information on severity of sepsis, surgical procedures and microbiological results were collected.
Results
Twenty patients with NF were identified. The median age was 52.5 years and 38% were female. The overall mortality rate was 8.3%. Common co-morbidities were diabetes (21%) and heart failure (17%), although 50% of patients had no co-morbidities. Group A Streptococcus was the identified pathogen in 11 (46%) patients, and Streptococcus milleri group in 5 (21%) patients. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was not used in the majority of patients. The initial antibiotics administered were active against subsequently cultured bacteria in 83% of patients. Median time to surgical debridement was 20 h. Diagnosis and management was delayed in the nosocomial group.
Conclusions
This study reports physiological data, aetiology and therapeutic interventions in NF for an adult tertiary hospital. We demonstrate one of the lowest reported mortality rates, with early surgical debridement being achieved in the majority of patients. The main delay was found to be in the diagnosis of NF.

ABC news 24: a study of limited resources and challenging newsgathering

This was a refereed abstract for an international conference. The paper analyses the content of the 24 hour news cycle of the ABC News 24 station.

ABC news 24 and BBC world : a study of limited resources and challenging newsgathering

ABC Australia’s News 24 website proclaims: "ABC News 24 provides around the clock coverage of news events as they break at home and abroad. It’s news when you want it, on your platform - TV, mobile and online." In this article, the stations content is analysed across 24 hours of its programming and compared with the same 24 hours of programming from BBC World. The content is tested for four key values: range of stories; coverage of the big stories; competence in going live to breaking stories; and ability to add value through analysis, debate and context. The examination of the data against these four key values enables an analysis of the nature of the service and assists in assessing whether or not it is providing an enriched and different offering in a busy 24/7 media landscape.

24 tweets per second: a dialogue on Jorge Lorenzo’s On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Jorge Lorenzo Flores Garza’s On the Road by Jack Kerouac had its Australian premiere in July this year at the Walker Street Gallery in Melbourne. It screened as part of the ‘Outside the Outside’ series curated by Dirk de Bruyn and Glenn D’Cruz, and was introduced by Steven McIntyre.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac is the most recent work by Mexican filmmaker Jorge Lorenzo, whose previous 1/48” (2008) was listed in Cahiers du Cinéma’s top 10 most subversive films of all time. Somewhere between a book on a film, and a film of a book, Lorenzo’s work is an exact re-typing of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, made by threading a continuous roll of 35mm negative (like Kerouac’s original scroll) through a Olivetti typewriter.