Maternal dietary patterns and placental outcomes among pregnant women in Los Angeles.

Introduction: Epidemiological studies have linked prenatal maternal diet to fetal growth, but whether diet affects placental outcomes is poorly understood.

Methods: We collected past month dietary intake from 148 women in mid-pregnancy enrolled at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) antenatal clinics from 2016 to 2019. We employed the food frequency Diet History Questionnaire II and generated the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), the Alternate Healthy Eating Index for Pregnancy (AHEI-P), and the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED).

Increasing the Consumption of Environmentally Friendly Foods in a University Dining Hall Using Menu Item Placement.

Creating a decision-making environment that promotes sustainable food choices is a priority for both the individual and society. This study aimed at encouraging plant-based menu choices by re-ordering the menu according to the carbon footprint values. The project was conducted in a grab-and-go eatery at a large United States public university, where students could order their meals choosing among different menu options that were customizable with various ingredients.

Modern Diets and the Health of Our Planet: An Investigation into the Environmental Impacts of Food Choices.

Popular modern diets are often seen as a panacea for improving health and promoting weight reduction. While there is a large body of literature reporting the health benefits of popular diets, few studies have described their planetary benefits. Our investigation aims to evaluate the simultaneous impacts of six popular diets within the United States on both human and planetary health.

Exercise Preferences for a Workplace Wellness Program to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk and Increase Work Productivity.

Objective: Workplace wellness programs can reduce cardiovascular risk and improve worker productivity; however, recruitment and adherence remain a challenge. Tailoring programs based on employee exercise preferences may address these concerns.

Methods: A total of 458 UCLA adult employees who responded to UCLA Bruin marketing e-mail completed a battery of questions regarding their exercise preferences (eg, preferred duration, intensity, type).

Lean Mass Improvement from Nutrition Education and Protein Supplementation among Rural Indian Women Living with HIV/AIDS: Results from Cluster Randomized Factorial Trial at 18-Month Follow-Up.

Loss of lean muscle mass impairs immunity and increases mortality risk among individuals with HIV/AIDS. We evaluated the relative contributions of protein supplementation and nutrition education on body composition among 600 women living with HIV/AIDS in rural Andhra Pradesh, India. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled 2 × 2 factorial trial lasting six months with follow up at twelve and eighteen months.

The risk of childhood brain tumors associated with delivery interventions: A Danish matched case-control study.

Background: Head trauma has been associated with increased brain tumor risk in adults. Instrument assisted delivery can be a cause of head trauma in newborns. The goal of this study was to determine if instrument-assisted deliveries influenced the odds of childhood brain tumors in Denmark.

Nutritional status and its determinants among community-dwelling older adults in Jordan.

Background: The elderly population of Jordan is growing, due to the low mortality rate, high total fertility rate, and the high rate of forced migration from neighboring countries to Jordan in recent years. However, the prevalence of chronic illnesses associated with other comorbidities among the elderly population in Jordan is high. Maintaining a good nutritional status is essential for maintaining general health and well-being among older people.

The Effect of Community-Based Nutritional Interventions on Children of Women Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Rural India: A 2 × 2 Factorial Intervention Trial.

Background: Malnutrition is a common clinical concern among children in low-income communities affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We examined the effect of a community-based nutritional intervention on anthropometric and clinical outcomes of children of women living with HIV in rural India.

Methods: We assigned women living with HIV and their child (oldest 3-8 years) to 1 of 4 programs: (1) community-based HIV care program, (2) program 1 + nutrition education, (3) program 1 + food supplement, and (4) all elements of programs 1-3.

Hass Avocado Inclusion in a Weight-Loss Diet Supported Weight Loss and Altered Gut Microbiota: A 12-Week Randomized, Parallel-Controlled Trial.

Background: Avocados contain fiber, lutein, and vitamin E, and they are a rich source of MUFAs. The effect of including an avocado daily as part of a hypocaloric weight-loss diet on weight loss is not known.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of daily avocado consumption as part of a hypocaloric diet on weight loss, body composition, satiety, biomarkers of inflammation, and intestinal microbiota composition.

Mixed Spices at Culinary Doses Have Prebiotic Effects in Healthy Adults: A Pilot Study.

Spices were used as food preservatives prior to the advent of refrigeration, suggesting the possibility of effects on microbiota. Previous studies have shown prebiotic activities in animals and in vitro, but there has not been a demonstration of prebiotic or postbiotic effects at culinary doses in humans. In this randomized placebo-controlled study, we determined in twenty-nine healthy adults the effects on the gut microbiota of the consumption daily of capsules containing 5 g of mixed spices at culinary doses by comparison to a matched control group consuming a maltodextrin placebo capsule.

Effects of branched-chain amino acids on glucose metabolism in obese, prediabetic men and women: a randomized, crossover study.

Background: Recent studies have shown that circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are elevated in obese, insulin-resistant individuals. However, it is not known if supplementation of additional BCAAs will further impair glucose metabolism.

Objectives: The aim of this pilot study was to determine the effects of BCAA supplementation on glucose metabolism in obese, prediabetic individuals.

Sustained Effect of a Community-based Behavioral and Nutrition Intervention on HIV-related Outcomes Among Women Living With HIV in Rural India: A Quasi-experimental Trial.

Background: Women living with HIV (WLH) in rural communities face challenges to obtaining treatment and accurate disease-related information. Nutritional deficits exacerbate disease progression.

Setting: WLH were recruited from primary health centers in rural India.

Cervical cancer awareness and presence of abnormal cytology among HIV-infected women on antiretroviral therapy in rural Andhra Pradesh, India.

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of death among women in low- and middle-income countries, and women living with HIV are at high risk for cervical cancer. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and correlates of cervical cancer and pre-cancer lesions and to examine cervical cancer knowledge among women living with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy in rural Andhra Pradesh, India. We conducted cytology-based screening and administered a standardized questionnaire among 598 HIV-infected women.

Depression, social support, and stigma as predictors of quality of life over time: results from an Asha-based HIV/AIDS intervention in India.

Quality of life (QOL) is associated with better outcomes in HIV/AIDS populations. We explored predictors of improved QOL over time in 600 Women Living with HIV/AIDS (WLH/A) in India [mean age = 34.31, SD = 6.

Randomized controlled trial of a community-based intervention on HIV and nutritional outcomes at 6 months among women living with HIV/AIDS in rural India.

Objective: To assess the impact of nurse-led Asha (Accredited Social Health Activist)-support behavioral and nutritional intervention among women living with HIV/AIDS (WLH/A) in rural India.

Design: Cluster randomized controlled trial.

Methods: Sixteen Primary Health Centers serving WLH/A in Andhra Pradesh were grouped into four regional clusters that were randomly allocated into one of four arms.

Household Food Insecurity as Mediator of the Association Between Internalized Stigma and Opportunistic Infections.

Internalized HIV stigma can affect health outcomes, but the mechanism underlying this relationship is poorly understood. We investigated the potential pathways for the association between internalized stigma and opportunistic infections (OIs) among women living with HIV in rural India. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving in-person interviews with 600 participants.

Assessment of Lipid and Metabolite Changes in Obese Calf Muscle Using Multi-Echo Echo-planar Correlated Spectroscopic Imaging.

Obesity-related conditions including heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes are leading causes of preventable death. Recent evidence suggests that altered myocellular lipid metabolism in obesity may lead to increased insulin resistance (IR) that predisposes to these disorders. To test the hypothesis that muscles rich in type I vs.

Relationships Among Adherence and Physical and Mental Health Among Women Living with HIV in Rural India.

We conducted a cross-sectional examination of the physical and psychological factors related to ART adherence among a sample of 400 women living with HIV/AIDS in rural India. Interviewer-administered measures assessed adherence, internalized stigma, depressive symptoms, quality of life, food insecurity, health history and sociodemographic information. CD4 counts were measured using blood collected at screening.

ASHA-Life Intervention Perspectives Voiced by Rural Indian Women Living With AIDS.

In this focus group study, we explored the experiences of 16 rural women living with AIDS (WLA) who participated in the Asha-Life (AL) intervention to gain an understanding of the environmental, psychosocial, and cultural impact of the AL on their lives. Four themes emerged among AL participants: (a) the importance of tangible support, (b) need for social support, (c) ongoing challenges to accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART), and (d) perspectives on future programs. Our research findings support the development of future programs targeting mother-child dyads which emphasize nutritional knowledge, while reducing barriers to receiving ART, and physical, emotional, and financial support.

Randomized clinical trial of brewed green and black tea in men with prostate cancer prior to prostatectomy.

Background: Preclinical and epidemiologic studies suggest chemopreventive effects of green tea (GT) and black tea (BT) in prostate cancer. In the current study we determined the effect of GT and BT consumption on biomarkers related to prostate cancer development and progression.

Methods: In this exploratory, open label, phase II trial 113 men diagnosed with prostate cancer were randomized to consume six cups daily of brewed GT, BT or water (control) prior to radical prostatectomy (RP).

Epigenetic effects of green tea polyphenols in cancer.

Epigenetics describes heritable alterations of gene expression and chromatin organization without changes in DNA sequence. Both hypermethylation and hypomethylation of DNA can affect gene expression and the multistep process of carcinogenesis. Epigenetic changes are reversible and may be targeted by dietary interventions.

Body fat and body-mass index among a multiethnic sample of college-age men and women.

Obesity prevalence and average body composition vary by US race and gender. Asian Americans have the lowest prevalence of obesity. Relying on body-mass index (BMI) to estimate obesity prevalence may misclassify subgroups that appear normally weighted but have excess body fat.

Association of dopamine D2 receptor and leptin receptor genes with clinically severe obesity.

Objective: The brain reward circuits that promote drug abuse may also be involved in pleasure seeking behavior and food cravings observed in severely obese subjects. Drug addiction polymorphisms such as the TaqI A1 allele of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) are associated with cocaine, alcohol, and opioid use, but few studies have linked DRD2 to food craving. Other genes such as the leptin receptor gene (LEPR) and mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) that affect appetite and pleasure centers in the brain may also influence food addiction and obesity.

Impact of protein supplementation and care and support on body composition and CD4 count among HIV-infected women living in rural India: results from a randomized pilot clinical trial.

Body composition in HIV-infected individuals is subject to many influences. We conducted a pilot 6-month randomized trial of 68 women living with AIDS (WLA) from rural India. High protein intervention combined with education and supportive care delivered by HIV-trained village women (activated social health activist [Asha] life [AL]) was compared to standard protein with usual care delivered by village community assistants (usual care [UC]).