Publications by authors named "Alanna J Moshfegh"

Background: Older adults with food-related physical functioning limitations often face food insecurity because of challenges that go beyond resource constraints. Difficulties with food acquisition at retailers, and food preparation and consumption are not captured by the United States Department of Agriculture's food security measure.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop a method to assess the overall prevalence of food insecurity regardless of underlying cause using validated measures that capture both food-related physical functioning limitations and resource-constraint food hardships.

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Healthy dietary patterns rich in flavonoids may benefit cognitive performance over time. Among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, the association between flavonoid intake and measures of cognition is unclear. This study sought to identify associations between flavonoid intake and cognitive performance among Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study participants (n = 1947) across three study visits.

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Background: Replacing some animal sources of protein with plant foods is encouraged. Nutrient intake may reflect changes in the protein source. The adequacy of habitual nutrient intake among US adults has not been evaluated by the level of animal protein (AP) intake.

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Background: Current measures of food insecurity focus on economic access to food, but not on the physical aspect of food insecurity that captures the inability to access food or prepare meals. This is particularly relevant among the older adult population who are at a high risk of functional impairments.

Objectives: To develop a short-form physical food security (PFS) tool among older adults using statistical methods based on the Item Response Theory (Rasch) model.

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Background: A person's daily nutrient intake and overall nutritional status are determined by a complex interplay of the types and amounts of foods ingested in combination with the timing and frequency of eating.

Objectives: The aim was to summarize frequency of eating occasion data examined by the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, the macronutrient contributions they provide, and meal frequency relative to dietary quality among the US population (≥2 y), with a focus on sex, age, race/Hispanic origin, and income.

Methods: Demographic and 24-h recall data from the 2013-2016 NHANES were examined.

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National dietary surveillance produces dietary intake data used for various purposes including development and evaluation of national policies in food and nutrition. Since 2000, What We Eat in America, the dietary component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, has collected dietary data and reported on the dietary intake of the US population. Continual innovations are required to improve methods of data collection, quality, and relevance.

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Despite research that suggests flavonoids protect against metabolic syndrome (MetS) and evidence that intake of these compounds differs by race, knowledge about whether flavonoid-MetS associations vary among racial groups is limited. This study sought to estimate usual total flavonoid intake in African American and White adults and assess its sex- and sex/race-specific associations with MetS and its risk factors. Analysis of cross-sectional data from 1837 adults participating in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study were analyzed.

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Background: Dietary recommendations encourage consuming protein from a variety of plant and animal sources. Evaluating the diet of US adults by level of animal protein (AP) intake can inform dietary assessment and nutrition education.

Objectives: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to estimate percentage of total protein intake from animal sources by US adults to compare diet quality, and intake from USDA Food Patterns (FP) groups by quintiles of AP.

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Background: Economic food insecurity tools are used to detect need for assistance in the general population. However, in older adults, food insecurity can also be due to factors other than economic, such as physical inability to shop or cook.

Objectives: We determined: 1) the proportion of older adults in the United States who experience physical and/or economic food insecurity; 2) differences in characteristics, diet quality, chronic conditions, and depression by economic and/or physical food insecurity; and 3) the relation of physical and economic food insecurity with diet quality and with depression.

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Background: Frequent fast food (FF) consumers may make more healthful food choices at eating occasions without FF. However, it is not clear if poor diet quality of frequent FF consumers is a function of FF consumption or less healthful food choices overall.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare diet quality, energy, and nutrient intakes of infrequent FF consumers (INFREQ) with that of frequent FF consumers on an intake day with FF (FREQ-FF) or without FF (FREQ_NO FF).

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Introduction: Establishing healthy dietary intake in pediatric populations is important for prevention of chronic disease across the lifespan. Federal nutrition assistance programs can support the dietary intake of U.S.

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Flavonoids are polyphenolic plant compounds whose biological activities may promote human health. It is worthwhile to examine whether flavonoid intake varies between populations with differing prevalence of diet-related diseases. This study compared flavonoid intakes in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study with nationally representative estimates from What We Eat in America (WWEIA), NHANES stratified by sex, age (30-49, 50-64 years), and poverty status (income <125%, >125% of the 2004 HHS Poverty Guidelines).

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