Failure of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation to enhance biosynthesis of docosahexaenoic acid from α-linolenic acid in healthy human volunteers

A rate-limiting step in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) formation from α-linolenic acid (ALA) involves peroxisomal oxidation of 24:6n-3 to DHA. The aim of the study was to determine whether conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) would enhance conversion of ALA to DHA in humans on an ALA-supplemented diet. The subjects (n=8 per group) received daily supplementation of ALA (11g) and either CLA (3.2g) or placebo for 8 weeks. At baseline, 4 and 8 weeks, blood was collected for plasma fatty acid analysis and a number of physiological measures were examined. The ALA-supplemented diet increased plasma levels of ALA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The addition of CLA to the ALA diet resulted in increased plasma levels of CLA, as well as ALA and EPA. Plasma level of DHA was not increased with either the ALA alone or ALA plus CLA supplementation. The results demonstrated that CLA was not effective in enhancing DHA levels in plasma in healthy volunteers.

It's time to determine the cost of a healthy diet in Australia

Economic factors are important determinants of food security. In terms of food access, financial resources determine an individual’s ability to procure food; on the supply side, the cost of food is equally important. The interplay of these two factors, financial resources and cost, is perhaps the most immediate and important determinant of what people do (or do not) put into their shopping trolleys or purchase at the takeaway and ultimately eat – if you cannot afford it you cannot eat it even if you want to!

Measuring food access in Melbourne: access to healthy and fast foods by car, bus and foot in an urban municipality in Melbourne

Access to healthy food can be an important determinant of a healthy diet. This paper describes the assessment of access to healthy and unhealthy foods using a GIS accessibility programme in a large outer municipality of Melbourne. Access to a major supermarket was used as a proxy for access to a healthy diet and fast food outlet as proxy for access to unhealthy food. Our results indicated that most (>80%) residents lived within an 8–10 min car journey of a major supermarket i.e. have good access to a healthy diet. However, more advantaged areas had closer access to supermarkets, conversely less advantaged areas had closer access to fast food outlets. These findings have application for urban planners, public health practitioners and policy makers.

Pregnancy and lactation have no long-term deleterious effect on measures of bone mineral in healthy women: a twin study

BACKGROUND: The long-term effects of pregnancy and lactation on measures of bone mineral in women remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE: We studied whether pregnancy or lactation has deleterious long-term effects on bone mineral in healthy women.

DESIGN: We measured bone mineral density (BMD; g/cm(2)) in women aged > or = 18 y. Analyses were performed on 3 data sets: study 1, 83 female twin pairs (21 monozygous and 62 dizygous) aged (x +/- SD) 42.2 +/- 15.5 y who were discordant for ever having been pregnant beyond 20 wk; study 2, 498 twin pairs aged 42.3 +/- 15.0 y; and study 3, 1354 individual twins, their siblings, and family members.

RESULTS: In study 1, there were no significant within-pair differences in unadjusted BMD or BMD adjusted for age, height, and fat mass at the lumbar spine or total-hip or in total-body bone mineral content (BMC; kg) (paired t tests). In study 2, there was no significant within-pair difference in measures of bone mineral or body composition related to the within-pair difference in number of pregnancies. In study 3, subjects with 1 or 2 (n = 455) and > or = 3 pregnancies (n = 473) had higher adjusted lumbar spine BMD (2.9% and 3.8%, respectively; P = 0.001) and total-body BMC (2.2% and 3.1%; P < 0.001) than did nulliparous women (n = 426). Parous women who breast-fed had higher adjusted total-body BMC (2.6%; P = 0.005), total-hip BMD (3.2%; P = 0.04), and lower fat mass (10.9%; P = 0.01) than did parous non-breast-feeders.

CONCLUSION: We found no long-term detrimental effect of pregnancy or breast-feeding on bone mineral measures.

Healthy eating, activity and obesity prevention: a qualitive study of parent and child perceptions in Australia

Preventative health strategies incorporating the views of target participants have improved the likelihood of success. This qualitative study aimed to elicit child and parent views regarding social and environmental barriers to healthy eating, physical activity and child obesity prevention programmes, acceptable foci, and appropriate modes of delivery. To obtain views across a range of social circumstances three demographically diverse primary schools in Victoria, Australia were selected. Children in Grades 2 (aged 7–8 years) and 5 (aged 10–11 years) participated in focus groups of three to six children. Groups were semi-structured using photo-based activities to initiate discussion. Focus groups with established parent groups were also conducted. Comments were recorded, collated, and themes extracted using grounded theory. 119 children and 17 parents participated. Nine themes emerged: information and awareness, contradiction between knowledge and behaviour, lifestyle balance, local environment, barriers to a healthy lifestyle, contradictory messages, myths, roles of the school and family, and timing and content of prevention strategies for childhood obesity. In conclusion, awareness of food ‘healthiness’ was high however perceptions of the ‘healthiness’ of some sedentary activities that are otherwise of benefit (e.g. reading) were uncertain. The contradictions in messages children receive were reported to be a barrier to a healthy lifestyle. Parent recommendations regarding the timing and content of childhood obesity prevention strategies were consistent with quantitative research. Contradictions in the explicit and implicit messages children receive around diet and physical activity need to be prevented. Consistent promotion of healthy food and activity choices across settings is core to population prevention programmes for childhood obesity.

Policy interventions implemented through sporting organisations for promoting healthy behaviour change (review)

Background
Sporting organisations provide an important setting for health promotion strategies that involve policies, communication of healthy messages and creation of health promoting environments. The introduction of policy interventions within sporting organisations is one strategy to target high risk behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption, excess sun exposure, unhealthy eating and discrimination.

Objectives
To review all controlled evaluation studies of policy interventions organised through sporting settings to increase healthy behaviour (related to smoking, alcohol, healthy eating, sun protection, discrimination, safety and access).

Search strategy
We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsyclNFO, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Sociological Abstracts, Dissertation Abstracts, freely available online health promotion and sports-related databases hosted by leading agencies, and the internet using sport and policy-related key words. We identified further studies in the bibliographies of articles and by contacting authors of key articles in the area.

Selection criteria
We aimed to identify research that had used study designs that incorporated an evaluated intervention and comparison. Uncontrolled studies, meeting other inclusion criteria, were to be reported in an annex to the review.
Types of studies: Studies in which sporting organisations were allocated to a policy intervention or control/comparison group. No minimum follow-up required.
Types of participants: People of all ages.
Types of interventions: Any policy intervention implemented through sporting organisations to instigate and/or sustain healthy behaviour change, intention to change behaviour, or changes in attitudes, knowledge or awareness of healthy behaviour. Policies must address any of the following: smoking, alcohol, healthy eating, sun protection, access for disadvantaged groups, physical safety (not including injuries), and social and emotional health (e.g.. anti-vilification, anti-discrimination).
Types of outcome measures: Behaviour change, intention to change behaviour, change in attitudes, knowledge or awareness of healthy behaviour, and policy presence.

Data collection and analysis
We assessed whether identified citations were controlled evaluation studies and investigated the use of policy implemented in sporting settings. Abstracts were independently inspected by two reviewers and full papers were obtained where necessary. As no controlled evaluation studies were located, no data collection or analysis was undertaken. No uncontrolled studies meeting other inclusion criteria were identified and therefore no annex is presented.

Main results
No rigorous studies were located to test the effectiveness of policy interventions organised through sporting organisations to increase healthy behaviours, attitudes, knowledge or inclusion of health oriented policies within the organisarions.

Authors' conclusions
We were unable to find any controlled studies to guide the use of policy interventions used in sporting settings. The search process revealed a number of case studies with anecdotal reporting of outcomes. We strongly recommend that rigorous evaluation techniques are employed more commonly in this field to illuminate the impact of health promoting policy on outcomes, and the contexts and processes which are likely ro be effective in reducing harmful behaviours.

Family average income and body mass index above the healthy weight range among urban and rural resicents in regional Mainland China

Objective: To explore the relationship between family average income (FAI; an index of socio-economic status) and body mass index (BMI; a widely used, inexpensive indicator of weight status) above the healthy weight range in a region of Mainland China. Design: Population-based cross-sectional study, conducted between October 1999 and March 2000 on a sample of regular local residents aged 35 years or older who were selected by random cluster sampling. Setting: Forty-five administrative villages selected from three urban districts and two rural counties of Nanjing municipality, Mainland China, with a regional population of 5.6 million. Subjects: In total, 29 340 subjects participated; 67.7% from urban and 32.3% from rural areas; 49.8% male and 50.2% female. The response rate among eligible participants was 90.1%. Results: The proportion of participants classified as overweight was 30.5%, while 7.8% were identified as obese. After adjusting for possible confounding variables (age, gender, area of residence, educational level, occupational and leisure-time physical activity, daily vegetable consumption and frequency of red meat intake), urban participants were more likely to be overweight or obese relative to their rural counterparts, more women than men were obese, and participants in the lowest FAI tertile were the least likely to be above the healthy weight range. Conclusions: The proportion of adults with BMI above the healthy weight range was positively related to having a higher socio-economic status (indexed by FAI) in a regional Chinese population.

Relationship between platelet phospholipid FA and mean platelet volume in healthy men

Increased mean platelet volume (MPV) has been suggested as an independent risk factor for acute myocardial infarction and the increased reactivity of large platelets. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between platelet phospholipid (PL) PUFA composition and MPV in 139 free-living healthy men ages 20-55 yr (vegans, n = 18; ovolacto vegetarians, n = 43; moderate meat-eaters, n = 60; and high meateaters, n = 18). Each subject completed a semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire and gave a blood sample. Platelet PL FA composition and MPV were determined by standard methods. MPV was significantly greater in the vegans than in the ovolacto vegetarian, moderate, or high meat-eater groups (P < 0.01). Both vegan and ovolacto vegetarian groups had significantly higher platelet PL 18:2n-6 and 22:4n-6, and lower 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 compared with the moderate and high meat-eater groups. The vegans demonstrated a significant reduction in 20:4n-6 and 22:5n-3 compared with the ovolacto vegetarian, high meat-eater, and moderate meat-eater groups. Bivariate analysis results showed that MPV was significantly positively correlated with platelet PL 18:2n-6 (P = 0.048) and negatively correlated with 20:3n-6 (P = 0.02), 20:5n-3 (P = 0.005), and 22:5n-3 (P< 0.0001), respectively. In a multiple linear regression analysis, after controlling for potential confounding factors such as dietary group, age, exercise, body mass index, and dietary polyunsaturated and saturated fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, and fiber intake, the MPV was still strongly negatively correlated with platelet PL 20:3n-6 (P = 0.003) and 22:5n-3 (P = 0.001). The present data suggest that 22:5n-3 and 20:3n-6 may play a role in the structural function of the platelet membrane.

Plasma coagulation factor VII activity and its corrlates in healthy men

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the plasma coagulation factor VII activity and its correlates in healthy Australian men.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Setting: Free living subjects.
Subjects: A total of 139 healthy Australian males aged 20–55 y with widely varying intakes of individual fatty acids.
Outcome measures: The concentration of phospholipid fatty acids and the parameters of biochemistry were analysed by standard methods. Citrated plasma factor VII activity was measured by using the ACL 200 system with commercially available kits.
Results: In the stepwise multiple regression, controlled for age, body mass index and dietary groups, the two most important variables of factor VII activity were selected in the forward entry model with R2¼0.474 and Po0.0001 from 19 independent variables, which were significantly correlated with plasma factor VII activity in age-adjusted bivariate analysis where significance was considered at Po0.01. Plasma factor VII activity was strongly negatively correlated with prothrombin time (PT) (Std. Coeff. -0.550), and significantly positively correlated with plasma phospholipid (PL) stearic acid (Std. Coeff. 0.285).
Conclusions: Increased factor VII activity was associated with shortening of PT. All types of fatty-acid concentrations of PLs were
significantly positively correlated with factor VII activity; however, stearic acid was more potent than other fatty acids in healthy Australian men.
Sponsorship: Meat Research Corporation of Australia.

A significant inverse relationship between concentrations of plasma hoocysteine and phospholipid docosahexaenoic acid in healthy male subjects

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of a relationship between plasma homocysteine (Hcy) and phospholipid FA (PUFA) in healthy Australian males. One hundred thirty six healthy male subjects aged 20–55 yr were recruited from the Melbourne metropolitan area. Each volunteer completed a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and gave a blood sample. Plasma Hcy concentrations were determined by an established HPLC method; the plasma phospholipid FA were determined by standard methods. Plasma Hcy concentration was significantly negatively correlated with plasma phospholipid concentration of the PUFA 20∶5n−3 (r=−0.226, P=0.009), 22∶5n−3 (r=−0.182, P=0.036), 22∶6n−3 (r=−0.286, P=0.001), total n−3 (r=−0.270, P=0.002) and the ratio n−3/n−6 PUFA (r=−0.265, P=0.002), and significantly positively correlated with 20∶4n−6 (r=0.180, P=0.037). In the partial correlation analysis, after controlling for serum vitamin B12 and folate concentration, plasma Hcy was significantly negatively correlated with the plasma phospholipid concentration of 22∶6n−3 (r=−0.205, P=0.019), total n−3 (r=−0.182, P=0.038) and the ratio n−3/n−6 PUFA (r=−0.174, P=0.048). Evidence indicates that an increased concentration of n−3 PUFA in tissues has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular health. Our findings provide further evidence that increased consumption of dietary n−3 PUFA increases the concentration of n−3 PUFA in plasma phospholipid, which is associated with a protective effect on cardiovascular diseases and lower plasma Hcy levels. The mechanism that might explain the association between plasma 22∶6n−3 and Hcy levels is not clear.

Healthy parks, healthy people : the health benefits of contact with nature in a park context : a review of current literature

This review identifies significant research that has not previously been compiled. It will provide key information for decision making by park managers, forming the basis of a program of future research to overcome the limited knowledge in this area. It is part of stage two of this project, funded by the International Park Strategic Partners Group. It builds on an earlier review (completed early in 2002 with funding provided by Parks Victoria) by addressing the health and wellbeing benefits of contact with nature in a parks context, at an individual and community level.

Healthy parks healthy people : annotated bibliography

This annotated bibliography is part of a joint initiative between Parks Victoria, the International Park Strategic Partners Group, and Deakin University. All organisations recognise the significance of the health and wellbeing benefits from interacting with nature in park settings, the implications for public health, and the lack of collated information on this topic. This document brings together significant research on the health benefits of interacting with nature, not previously compiled, to provide park managers with key references to guide decision-making, and future park planning. Criteria for inclusion included significance of the work, and relevance to either the health benefits of contact with nature or implications for park management and planning. Funding was provided by the International Park Strategic Partners Group.