Bmc Med
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Persistent effect of salt reduction in schoolchildren and their families: 1-year follow-up after an application-based cluster randomized controlled trial.
A 12-month cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) demonstrated the effectiveness of an application-based education program in reducing the salt intake and systolic blood pressure (SBP) of schoolchildren's adult family members. This study aimed to assess whether the effect at 12 months persisted at 24 months. ⋯ The effect of the education program on adults' salt intake faded, but the SBP lowering effect and the improvement of KAP score remained 12 months after the completion of the RCT. Continuous efforts are needed to maintain the salt reduction effects in real-world settings.
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Hospitals fulfill an important exemplary role in promoting health and well-being. It is therefore crucial to have a supportive food environment that stimulates healthy and sustainable food choices of patients, staff, and visitors. This qualitative study aimed to identify factors influencing the implementation of long-lasting actions to enhance the healthiness and sustainability of the food environment in the hospital setting in the Netherlands, from the perspective of different stakeholders. ⋯ The results revealed an interplay of perceived factors that influence the enhancement of a healthy and sustainable food environment and underscored the importance of addressing various facilitators and barriers across multiple domains within and outside the hospital setting. To ensure successful integration of a healthy and sustainable food environment in hospitals, throughout the entire organization it is crucial to engage diverse stakeholders at all levels and address their barriers with tailored implementation strategies. We suggest verification of our findings in more hospitals.
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Chile's Food Labelling Law was implemented in three phases with increasingly stricter limits. After initial implementation, sugars and sodium decreased in packaged foods, with no significant changes for saturated fats. It is unclear whether full implementation is linked with further reformulation or if producers reversed changes due to consumers' preferences. This study examines changes in the proportion of "high in" products and the nutrient content of packaged foods during the Law's three phases. ⋯ After fully implementing Chile's law, the proportion of "high in" products and the content of critical nutrients decreased in all food and beverage categories. The largest changes occurred for sodium in savory foods and sugars in sweet foods/beverages. Stricter regulatory limits were associated with decreases in critical nutrient content over time.
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to brain alterations, but the specific regions affected and the causal associations between these changes remain unclear. ⋯ Nerve fiber damage and imbalances in neuronal activity across multiple brain regions caused by hypoxia, particularly the frontal lobe, underlie the structural and the functional connectivity impairments in OSA.
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Lifestyle choices, such as dietary patterns and sleep duration, significantly impact the health of the digestive system and may influence the risk of mortality from digestive system cancer. ⋯ Aberrant sleep durations may increase the risk of mortality from digestive system cancer, potentially through smoking, higher BMI, and type 2 diabetes. However, aberrant sleep durations do not seem to reduce the protective effects of a healthy dietary pattern.