The effect of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on aggressive behaviour in adult male prisoners: a structured study protocol for a multi-centre, double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial and translation into policy and practice.

Background: Interventions to better manage aggressive behaviour and reduce recidivism are a primary concern for corrective services. Nutritional interventions to correct prisoner behaviour have been largely overlooked in the literature. Emerging evidence suggests that dietary intake influences aggressive behaviours and that nutritional supplementation with omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA) could attenuate both the severity and frequency of aggressive behaviour.

Correction: Comparison of school day eating behaviours of 8-11 year old children from Adelaide, South Australia, and London, England: Child eating behaviours in South Australia and England.

[This corrects the article on p. 394 in vol. 5.

Comparison of school day eating behaviours of 8-11 year old children from Adelaide, South Australia, and London, England: Child eating behaviours in South Australia and England.

Objective: School food intake makes a considerable contribution to children's overall diet, especially fruit and vegetable intake. Comparing differing school food provision systems can provide novel insights for intervention and improved nutrition policy. This study compared school day food in children from Australia and England.

Cost effectiveness and cost-utility analysis of a group-based diet intervention for treating major depression - the HELFIMED trial.

Major depression has a negative impact on quality of life, increasing the risk of premature death. It imposes social and economic costs on individuals, families and society. Mental illness is now the leading cause globally of disability/lost quality life and premature mortality.

A food-based score and incidence of overweight/obesity: The Dietary Obesity-Prevention Score (DOS).

Background & Aims: Given the enormous health, economic and societal consequences of the obesity pandemic, identifying effective primary prevention strategies represents a global priority. The aim of this study was to provide evidence on the association between adherence to a food-based score reflecting a set of targeted, well-informed, simple dietary recommendations and the incidence of overweight/obesity.

Methods: A total of 11,349 initially free of overweight/obesity young adults (mean [SD] age: 34.

Correction: Baseline Omega-3 Index Correlates with Aggressive and Attention Deficit Disorder Behaviours in Adult Prisoners.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Implementing a Mediterranean-Style Diet Outside the Mediterranean Region.

Purpose Of Review: Populations surrounding the Mediterranean basin have traditionally reaped health benefits from a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), which may benefit Westernized countries plagued by chronic disease. But is it feasible to implement beyond the Mediterranean? To answer this question, we present evidence from randomized controlled trials that achieved high dietary compliance rates with subsequent physical and mental health benefits.

Recent Findings: In the 1960s, the Seven Countries Study identified dietary qualities of Mediterranean populations associated with healthy aging and longevity.

A Mediterranean-style dietary intervention supplemented with fish oil improves diet quality and mental health in people with depression: A randomized controlled trial (HELFIMED).

Objectives: We investigated whether a Mediterranean-style diet (MedDiet) supplemented with fish oil can improve mental health in adults suffering depression.

Methods: Adults with self-reported depression were randomized to receive fortnightly food hampers and MedDiet cooking workshops for 3 months and fish oil supplements for 6 months, or attend social groups fortnightly for 3 months. Assessments at baseline, 3 and 6 months included mental health, quality of life (QoL) and dietary questionnaires, and blood samples for erythrocyte fatty acid analysis.

Health Behaviors, Knowledge, Life Satisfaction, and Wellbeing in People with Mental Illness across Four Countries and Comparisons with Normative Sample.

Background: People with chronic mental illness have poorer physical health and higher mortality than the general population. We investigated lifestyle factors in people with mental illness across four countries and compared with a normative sample.

Design And Methods: Data were collected from N = 672 people (Germany, n = 375; Palestine, n = 192; London, n = 63; Australia, n = 42) with substance abuse disorder (n = 224), schizophrenia (n = 158), mood disorders (n = 227), and somatoform disorders (n = 63).

Dietary intervention for people with mental illness in South Australia.

Background: People with serious mental illness (SMI) have a 25-30 year lower life expectancy than the general population due largely to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Mediterranean diet can reduce CVD risk and repeat events by 30-70%. We conducted a pilot feasibility study (HELFIMED) with people who have SMI residing within a Community Rehabilitation Centre in South Australia, aimed at improving participants' diets according to Mediterranean diet principles.

People with schizophrenia and depression have a low omega-3 index.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is higher in people with mental illness and is associated with a 30 year higher mortality rate in this population. Erythrocyte docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) plus eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (omega-3 index)≤4% is a marker for increased mortality risk from CVD while >8% is protective. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are also important for brain function and may ameliorate symptoms of mental illness.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Levels and Correlations with Symptoms in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Controls.

Background: There is evidence that children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have lower omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) levels compared with controls and conflicting evidence regarding omega-6 (n-6) PUFA levels.

Objectives: This study investigated whether erythrocyte n-3 PUFAs eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were lower and n-6 PUFA arachidonic acid (AA) higher in children with ADHD, ASD and controls, and whether lower n-3 and higher n-6 PUFAs correlated with poorer scores on the Australian Twin Behaviour Rating Scale (ATBRS; ADHD symptoms) and Test of Variable Attention (TOVA) in children with ADHD, and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) in children with ASD.

Methods: Assessments and blood samples of 565 children aged 3-17 years with ADHD (n = 401), ASD (n = 85) or controls (n = 79) were analysed.

Dietary recommendations for the prevention of depression.

Background: Major depressive disorder is a common, chronic condition that imposes a substantial burden of disability globally. As current treatments are estimated to address only one-third of the disease burden of depressive disorders, there is a need for new approaches to prevent depression or to delay its progression. While in its early stages, converging evidence from laboratory, population research, and clinical trials now suggests that dietary patterns and specific dietary factors may influence the risk for depression.

Socio-economic position as a moderator of 9-13-year-old children's non-core food intake.

Objective: There is limited understanding as to why children of low socio-economic position (SEP) consume poorer diets than children of high SEP. Evidence suggests that determinants of dietary intake may differ between SEP groups. The present study aimed to determine if SEP moderated associations of personal and environmental predictors with children's non-core food and sweetened drink intakes and unhealthy dietary behaviours.

Baseline omega-3 index correlates with aggressive and attention deficit disorder behaviours in adult prisoners.

Background: There is emerging evidence that the supplementation of omega-3 contributes to a decrease in aggressive behaviour in prison populations. A challenge of such research is achieving statistical power against effect sizes which may be affected by the baseline omega-3 index. There are no published data on the blood omega-3 index with studies of this kind to assess the variability of the blood omega-3 index in conjunction with aggression and attention deficit assessments.

Current evidence and future directions for research with omega-3 fatty acids and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Purpose Of Review: Nutritional insufficiencies of nutrients such as omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs), vitamins and minerals have been linked to suboptimal developmental outcomes including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although the predominant treatment is currently psychostimulant medications, randomized clinical trials with omega-3 HUFAs have reported small-to-modest effects in reducing symptoms of ADHD in children despite arguable individual methodological and design misgivings.

Recent Findings: This review presents, discusses and critically evaluates data and findings from meta-analytic and systematic reviews and clinical trials published within the last 12 months.

Interaction of erythrocyte eicosapentaenoic acid and physical activity predicts reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment.

Objectives: To evaluate relationships between self-reported physical activity, proportions of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn3) in erythrocyte content (percentage of total fatty acids) and risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Community-dwelling male and female (n = 84) participants over the age of 65 years with and without MCI were tested for erythrocyte proportions of the LCn3s eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

School-based obesity prevention interventions: practicalities and considerations.

Pediatric obesity continues to be a major public health concern. Once established it is difficult to treat, therefore well-designed and evaluated prevention interventions are vitally important. Schools have an important role in the prevention of childhood obesity, however, their involvement can be limited by a number of constraints and barriers, which need to be considered when designing interventions.

The role of socio-economic position as a moderator of children's healthy food intake.

Children of low socio-economic position (SEP) consume poorer diets than those of high SEP; however, there is limited understanding of why socio-economic gradients in diet occur. Some evidence suggests that determinants of dietary intake may differ between SEP groups. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the associations between personal and environmental variables and children's fruit and vegetable intake, and healthy dietary behaviours are moderated by SEP.

Describing socioeconomic gradients in children's diets - does the socioeconomic indicator used matter?

Background: Children of low socioeconomic position (SEP) generally have poorer diets than children of high SEP. However there is no consensus on which SEP variable is most indicative of SEP differences in children's diets. This study investigated associations between diet and various SEP indicators among children aged 9-13 years.

A comparison of parental views of their pre-school children's 'healthy' versus 'unhealthy' diets. A qualitative study.

Despite recommended dietary guidelines, recent population surveys have recorded low fruit and vegetable and high non-core food consumption by Australian children. Young children rely on parents or primary carers to provide their diets; therefore pre-school age is an optimal time to promote and encourage healthy child eating behaviours. Identified contributing factors to a child's eating behaviour and diet in the home environment include parenting style, parent feeding practices and attitudes, parent nutrition knowledge, and home food availability.