Fruit consumption of boys (8–11 years) is related to preference for sour taste

The present study investigated whether the most preferred balance between sweet and sour taste of children (n=50, 9.2±0.9 yrs of age) are related to their consumption of fruit. Taste preferences were measured with a rank-by-elimination procedure with seven sweet orangeades that differed in added citric acid (i.e. 0.009−0.065 M). Fruit consumption was assessed with a questionnaire that was completed by the children's parents. Results showed that boys' but not girls' most preferred balance between sweet and sour taste was positively correlated with their consumption of fruit: that is, the more added citric acid was preferred the more fruit was consumed. We conclude that preference for high concentrations of citric acid in a sweet context may be associated with the consumption of fruit in boys. In girls, the optimal balance between sweet and sour taste seems to be of less importance; their consumption of fruit may be more influenced by their parents, availability and health related motives.

Prevalence and cost of musculoskeletal disorders: a population-based, public hospital system healthcare consumption approach.

Objective: To use a population-level, public-hospital approach to compare the prevalence and cost of musculoskeletal diseases (MSD) with other clinical specialties.

Methods: A healthcare utilization survey of 4 million individual records over 4 years, from all major public hospitals in the state of Victoria (estimated population 4.8 million residents in 2000/01) from 1997/98 to 2000/01. Main outcome measures were inpatient episodes of care, bed-days, and outpatient clinic encounters. MSD was defined as the combination of orthopedics and rheumatology.

Results: After obstetrics, MSD was the most frequent outpatient service, with orthopedics accounting for 9.9% of all visits in 2000/01. The proportion of MSD outpatient encounters (on average 11.6% of the total) was constant over the study period. Among 26 medical specialties, MSD had the sixth highest number of inpatient episodes (6.2% in 2000/01), following renal dialysis (14.6%), general surgery (8.2%), obstetrics (7.6%), gastroenterology (7.1%), and general medicine (6.7%). MSD was the fifth highest consumer of bed-days, occupying on average 7.7% of all beds per annum in the period 1997/98 to 2000/01, behind psychiatry (10.1%), respiratory medicine (8.5%), rehabilitation (8.3%), and general medicine (7.8%). MSD was the third most-costly discipline in 2000/01, with total costs of over A dollars 169 million (9.7% of total inpatient costs that year), behind respiratory medicine (11.6%) and general surgery (11.5%).

Conclusion: Compared to other diseases, MSD consumes a substantial proportion of healthcare resources in Victorian public hospitals. These data have important implications for allocation of healthcare resources, clinical care pathways, and prevention strategies.

Habitual fish consumption does not prevent a decrease in LCPUFA status in pregnant women (the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study)

Information on the status of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) in pregnancy and breast milk in very high fish-eating populations is limited. The aim of this study was to examine dietary intake and changes in fatty acid status in a population of pregnant women in the Republic of Seychelles. Serum docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) decreased significantly between 28-week gestation and delivery (n=196). DHA status did not correlate significantly with length of gestation and was not associated with self-reported fish intake, which was high at 527 g/week. In breast milk, the ratio of DHA to arachidonic acid (AA) was consistent with those observed in other high fish-eating populations. Overall the data suggest that high exposure to LCPUFAs from habitual fish consumption does not prevent the documented decrease in LCPUFA status in pregnancy that occurs as a result of foetal accretion in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Takeaway food consumption and its associations with diet quality and abdominal obesity : a cross-sectional study of young adults

Background : Few studies have investigated the associations of takeaway food consumption with overall diet quality and abdominal obesity. Young adults are high consumers of takeaway food so we aimed to examine these associations in a national study of young Australian adults.

Methods : A national sample of 1,277 men and 1,585 women aged 26–36 completed a self-administered questionnaire on demographic and lifestyle factors, a 127 item food frequency questionnaire, usual daily frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption and usual weekly frequency of takeaway food consumption. Dietary intake was compared with the dietary recommendations from the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Waist circumference was measured for 1,065 men and 1,129 women. Moderate abdominal obesity was defined as ≥ 94 cm for men and ≥ 80 cm for women. Prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated using log binomial regression. Takeaway food consumption was dichotomised, with once a week or less as the reference group.

Results : Consumption of takeaway food twice a week or more was reported by more men (37.9%) than women (17.7%, P < 0.001). Compared with those eating takeaway once a week or less, men eating takeaway twice a week or more were significantly more likely to be single, younger, current smokers and spend more time watching TV and sitting, whereas women were more likely to be in the workforce and spend more time watching TV and sitting. Participants eating takeaway food at least twice a week were less likely (P < 0.05) to meet the dietary recommendation for vegetables, fruit, dairy, extra foods, breads and cereals (men only), lean meat and alternatives (women only) and overall met significantly fewer dietary recommendations (P < 0.001). After adjusting for confounding variables (age, leisure time physical activity, TV viewing and employment status), consuming takeaway food twice a week or more was associated with a 31% higher prevalence of moderate abdominal obesity in men (PR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.61) and a 25% higher prevalence in women (PR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.50).

Conclusion : Eating takeaway food twice a week or more was associated with poorer diet quality and a higher prevalence of moderate abdominal obesity in young men and women.

Family influences on children's physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption

Background : There is evidence of a clustering of healthy dietary patterns and physical activity among young people and also of unhealthy behaviours. The identification of influences on children's health behaviors, particularly clustered health behaviors, at the time at which they develop is imperative for the design of interventions. This study examines associations between parental modelling and support and children's physical activity (PA) and consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV), and combinations of these behaviours.

Methods : In 2002/3 parents of 775 Australian children aged 10–12 years reported how frequently their child ate a variety of fruits and vegetables in the last week. Children wore accelerometers for eight days during waking hours. Parental modelling and parental support (financial and transport) were self-reported. Binary logistic and multinomial logistic regression analyses examined the likelihood of achieving ≥ 2 hours of PA per day (high PA) and of consuming ≥ 5 portions of FV per day (high FV) and combinations of these behaviors (e.g. high PA/low FV), according to parental modelling and support.

Results : Items of parental modelling and support were differentially associated with child behaviours. For example, girls whose parents reported high PA modelling had higher odds of consuming ≥ 5 portions of FV/day (OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.32–2.87, p < 0.001). Boys whose parents reported high financial support for snacks/fast foods had higher odds of having 'high PA/low FV' (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.1–3.7).

Conclusion : Parental modelling of and support for physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption were differentially associated with these behaviours in children across behavioural domains and with combinations of these behaviours. Promoting parents' own healthy eating and physical activity behaviours as well encouraging parental modelling and support of these behaviours in their children may be important strategies to test in future research.

Multivariate granger causality between electricity consumption, exports and GDP : Evidence from a panel of Middle Eastern countries

This paper examines the causal relationship between electricity consumption, exports and gross domestic product (GDP) for a panel of Middle Eastern countries. We find that for the panel as a whole there are statistically significant feedback effects between these variables. A 1 per cent increase in electricity consumption increases GDP by 0.04 per cent, a 1 per cent increase in exports increases GDP by 0.17 per cent and a 1 per cent increase in GDP generates a 0.95 per cent increase in electricity consumption. The policy implications are that for the panel as a whole these countries should invest in electricity infrastructure and step up electricity conservation policies to avoid a reduction in electricity consumption adversely affecting economic growth. Further policy implications are that for the panel as a whole promoting exports, particularly non-oil exports, is a means to promote economic growth and that expansion of exports can be realized without having adverse effects on energy conservation policies.

It's my time to shine : young Australians reflect on past, present and imagined future alcohol consumption

Drawing on interviews about the drinking trajectories of sixty young Victorian drinkers (aged 20-24), this paper outlines patterns of change over time and explores two drinking biographies in depth. For most research participants, drinking alcohol was an enjoyable and integral part of their social lives, but its role changed as they made other transitions in their lives. Most participants considered their early twenties to be a time for heavy alcohol consumption, and most imagined that they would drink less when they were middle-aged.

Recognition of idle resources in time-driven activity-based costing and resource consumption accounting models

Despite its theoretical superiority over traditional volume-based costing models, the Activity-Based Costing (ABC) model has failed to replace traditional volume-based costing models in most organisations. In response to the problems of the model, Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TDABC) and Resource Consumption Accounting (RCA) models have been developed as costing models for next generation cost management systems. A key feature that distinguishes TDABC and RCA models from traditional volume-based costing models and the ABC model is the recognition of idle resources in resource pools.

This paper presents a discussion on implications of recognising idle resources in TDABC and RCA models on developments, maintenance and uses of cost management systems. A hypothetical case is presented to illustrate conversions of an ABC-based costing model to ones that are based on the TDABC and RCA models, and the resulting new allocation of resource costs.