Maternal iodine dietary supplements and neonatal thyroid stimulating hormone in Gippsland, Australia.

Background And Objectives: Pregnant women are at particular risk of iodine deficiency due to their higher iodine requirements. Iodine is known to be essential for normal growth and brain development, therefore neonatal outcomes in mildly iodine deficient areas, such as Gippsland, are a critical consideration. This study aimed to investigate whether iodine supplementation prevented iodine insufficiency as determined by neonatal thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) screening criteria.

Effect of dietary prebiotic supplementation on advanced glycation, insulin resistance and inflammatory biomarkers in adults with pre-diabetes: a study protocol for a double-blind placebo-controlled randomised crossover clinical trial.

Background: Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) contribute to the development of vascular complications of diabetes and have been recently implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes. Since AGEs are generated within foodstuffs upon food processing, it is increasingly recognised that the modern diet is replete with AGEs. AGEs are thought to stimulate chronic low-grade inflammation and promote oxidative stress and have been linked to the development of insulin resistance.

Health knowledge and iodine intake in pregnancy.

Background: Pregnant women have much higher iodine requirements as compared to all other population groups. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends pregnant women take a daily iodine supplement of 150 μg to meet their high iodine requirements.

Aim: To investigate iodine supplement use and health knowledge among pregnant women.

Predictors of poor glycaemic control during the initial five years post-diagnosis in rural adults with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To identify factors predicting suboptimal glycaemic control in rural adults during the initial five years post-type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

Design: Retrospective medical record audit. Quantitative study.

Urinary iodine deficiency in Gippsland pregnant women: the failure of bread fortification?

Objective: To assess iodine status and the factors that influence iodine status among a cohort of pregnant women living in Gippsland.

Design, Participants And Setting: Cross-sectional study of 86 pregnant women (at ≥ 28 weeks' gestation) conducted in hospital antenatal care services and private obstetrician clinics across the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, from 13 January 2009 to 17 February 2010.

Main Outcome Measures: Overall proportion of pregnant women with a urinary iodine concentration (UIC) > 150 μg/L; proportion of pregnant women with a UIC >150 μg/L after the mandatory iodine fortification of bread; use of supplements containing iodine; intake of foods known to be good sources of iodine; intake of bread.

Increased iodine deficiency in Victoria, Australia: analysis of neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone data, 2001 to 2006.

Objective: To use neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration data to measure the iodine status of the population of the Australian state of Victoria.

Design, Participants And Setting: Retrospective analysis of the results of 368,552 neonatal heel-prick blood tests for TSH concentration in Victoria in the years 2001-2006.

Main Outcome Measures: Iodine deficiency as indicated by a mean percentage of neonatal TSH concentrations > 5 mIU/L of over 3% in accordance with World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund and International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorder criteria; comparison of findings for the nine Department of Human Services health regions in Victoria.

Food intake patterns among Australian adolescents.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the food intake patterns of adolescents with respect to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, and to examine variations in food intake patterns by age, gender and region of residence.

Design: Cross-sectional online food survey administered through schools.

Participants And Setting: In 2004-2005, 3841 secondary students in years seven (12-13 years) and nine (14-15 years) drawn from 37 secondary schools in Victoria, Australia completed an online food intake patterns survey.

E-learning: a nutritionally ripe environment.

Schools provide a social context in which children learn and develop; thus, schools are a desirable environment for nutrition promotion. The kidsfoodclub.org is a web-based technology that has been used in Australian primary schools as a model for nutrition promotion.

Nutritional indicators, peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and survival in an institutionalised elderly population.

The objectives of this study were to determine the percentage and absolute counts of the peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets, and to examine the relationship between lymphocyte subsets and nutritional status, and total mortality in an institutionalised elderly population. Design The study had a cross-sectional and observational design. The sample of 115 permanent elderly residents was drawn from large geriatric institution in Melbourne, Australia.

Can food variety add years to your life?

The traditional food habits of Greeks and Japanese differ widely, yet both populations have the longest life expectancies in the world. Food variety is one feature common to both food cultures. By eating a wide variety of foods, numerous chemicals that give rise to the diverse range of colours, tastes, textures and smells of different foods are consumed.

Characteristics of soy bread users and their beliefs about soy products.

A two-stage random telephone/mail survey was conducted during the last quarter of 1998 among Adelaide residents to determine consumers' use of soy bread and other soy products and their health expectations of soy products. One in five (21%) of 1477 telephone subscribers usually consumed soy bread and related soy products. Comparisons of soy bread consumers and non-consumers, based on the mail survey sample, showed that more soy bread consumers used dietary supplements and ate low fat and vegetarian diets, though their experiences of ill health were similar.