Multiple Sociodemographic and SocioenvironmentalCharacteristics Are Correlated with Major Patternsof Dietary Intake in AdolescentsThis study examined socio-demographic and socio-environmentalcorrelates of habitual dietary patterns. Data for this cross-sec-tional/prospective analysis were drawn from Project EAT (EatingAmong Teens), a population-based study. Subjects were 4,746adolescents from whom data was collected in 1998-1999, 2,516 ofwhom were resurveyed in 2003-2004. Dietary intake was as-sessed using the Youth/Adolescent Food Frequency Question-naire. Factor analysis identified 4 dietary patterns at Time 1 andTime 2. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship ofTime 1 socio-economic status and race on factor scores for eachdietary pattern, and then of Time 1 socio-environmental charac-teristics (adjusted for SES and race) on these factor scores. Mul-tiple correlates of dietary patterns were identified. The authorsrecommend that health professionals target these factors to im-prove the dietary quality of habitual eating practices in adoles-cents by encouraging parents to decrease home availability ofunhealthy food, while increasing availability of healthy food, fam-ily meal frequency, and parental support for healthy eating.

See pages 230-240.

Major Habitual Dietary Patterns Are Associated withAcute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiovascular RiskMarkers in a Southern European PopulationThis study assessed the association of a posteriori dietary pat-terns with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and cardiovascularrisk markers in the general adult population of Porto, Portugal. Apopulation-based case-control study was conducted and informa-tion was collected by trained interviewers. Diet was assessed witha validated 82-item food frequency questionnaire. Cases were 820patients consecutively hospitalized for an incident non-fatal AMIand controls were 2,196 individuals free of previous AMI selectedfrom the hospitals’ catchment area. The authors found that adietary pattern with lower fruit and vegetable intakes in women,and a pattern characterized by higher consumption of red meatand alcohol (and lower of dairy products and vegetables) in bothsexes, were associated with an increased risk of AMI and adversecardiovascular risk profiles.

See pages 241-250.

Salty-Snack Eating, Television or Video-Game Viewing,and Asthma Symptoms among 10- to 12-Year-OldChildren: The PANACEA StudyThe aim of this study was to evaluate the association of salty-snack eating and television/video-game viewing with childhoodasthma symptoms. Participants were 700 children 10 to 12 yearsold from 18 schools in the greater Athens, Greece area. Childrenand their parents completed questionnaires, which evaluated,among other things, dietary habits. Adherence to the Mediterra-

nean diet was evaluated using KIDMED(Mediterranean Diet Quality Index forChildren and Adolescents) score. Salty-snack consumption was found to bepositively associated with the hours oftelevision/video-game viewing and in-versely with the KIDMED score. Con-sumption of salty snacks was also asso-ciated with a 4.8-times higher likelihoodof having asthma symptoms, irrespec-tive of potential confounders. Based onthese results, the authors conclude thatfuture interventions and public healthmessages should be focused on changingthese behaviors from the early stagesof life.

See pages 251-257.

Diet and Asthma: NutritionImplications from Preventionto TreatmentIn Western countries there has been amarked increase in asthma prevalencesuch that it has become a public healthconcern. It has been hypothesized thatthe increase may be due to changingantioxidant intake, increasing dietaryratio of n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fattyacids (PUFAs), and vitamin D deficiency(and supplementation). Observationalstudies have reported associations be-tween asthma and dietary antioxidants(vitamin E, vitamin C, carotenoids, se-lenium, polyphenols, and fruit), PUFAs,and vitamin D. However, supplement-ing the diets of adults with asthma withantioxidants and n-3 PUFA has mini-mal, if any, clinical benefit. Currentlythere is insufficient evidence to supportthe use of nutrient supplements to com-plement conventional treatment; how-ever, results of ongoing studies areawaited, and additional research is re-quired, particularly in children. Al-though two intervention studies suggestthat dietary PUFA manipulation duringpregnancy may be advantageous, fur-ther trials are needed to establishwhether modification of maternal nutri-ent intake during pregnancy can beused as a healthy, low-cost, publichealth measure to reduce the preva-lence of childhood asthma.

See pages 258-268.

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