Improvement of Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet through a Nutrition Education Teaching Pack for Teachers within the "School Fruit Scheme" Program: An Italian Long-Term Trial in School Children.

A previous short time span study related to the effectiveness of a teaching pack (TP) in improving the adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) showed positive results. The present study was aimed at investigating and confirming those results, with a follow up data collection, in the same sample, a year after the baseline intervention. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted.

Personal values, food habits and lifestyles in a sample of adolescents with different adherence to the Mediterranean Diet.

Background: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the personal values system of an Italian adolescent sample and examine the interrelations of their values with some variables characterizing their lifestyles.

Methods: A representative sample of 365 adolescents (56.2% females), 15-16 years old from the randomly selected second classes of public/private upper secondary schools of an Italian model region was investigated.

Food Supplement Use Differs from the Recommendations in Pregnant Women: A Multinational Survey.

The aim was to investigate, among pregnant women, (1) the use of food supplements and (2) the awareness of food supplement recommendations and beliefs about food supplement use in four European countries: Finland, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom. The participants ( = 1804) completed an online questionnaire with predefined statements. Daily intakes of vitamins and minerals were calculated using uploaded pictures or weblinks of the supplement packages.

Eating behaviour, physical activity and lifestyle of Italian children during lockdown for COVID-19.

In March 2020 Italy went into lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic and children changed rapidly their lifestyles with possible negative effects on their health status. An online survey collected data on eating habits, physical activity, perception/behaviour of 1027 Italian 2-11 years children during lockdown. The chi-square test was applied to test differences in proportions.

A teachers' training program accompanying the "School Fruit Scheme" fruit distribution improves children's adherence to the Mediterranean diet: an Italian trial.

The effects of a nutrition education program, led by trained teachers within the Italian School Fruit Scheme, were evaluated. Pre-post intervention children's adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) was assessed by the KIDMED test. A representative cluster sample of 494 fourth grade students from thirteen Italian schools in the three areas of low (North), medium (Centre) and high (South) prevalence of overweight and obesity was investigated.

Overweight and Obesity in Italian Adolescents: Examined Prevalence and Socio-Demographic Factors.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity derived from measured data of weight and height in a cross-sectional sample of adolescents in the Italian region of Lazio and to analyse their association with different socio-demographic factors.

Methods: The study was conducted in a representative sample of 15-16-year-old adolescents recruited in secondary schools between December 2011 and May 2012. 369 adolescents were investigated.

Correlates of dietary energy misreporting among European adolescents: the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study.

This study examined the correlates of dietary energy under-reporting (UR) and over-reporting (OV) in European adolescents. Two self-administered computerised 24-h dietary recalls and physical activity data using accelerometry were collected from 1512 adolescents aged 12·5-17·5 years from eight European countries. Objective measurements of height and weight were obtained.

Body Composition Indices and Single and Clustered Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Adolescents: Providing Clinical-Based Cut-Points.

The aims of the present study in adolescents were 1) to examine how various body composition-screening tests relate to single and clustered cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, 2) to examine how lean mass and body fatness (independently of each other) relate to clustered CVD risk factors, and 3) to calculate specific thresholds for body composition indices associated with an unhealthier clustered CVD risk. We measured 1089 European adolescents (46.7% boys, 12.

Ready-to-eat cereals improve nutrient, milk and fruit intake at breakfast in European adolescents.

Purpose: Breakfast consumption has been recommended as part of a healthy diet. Recently, ready-to-eat cereals (RTEC) became more popular as a breakfast item. Our aim was to analyse the dietary characteristics of an RTEC breakfast in European adolescents and to compare them with other breakfast options.

Associations between macronutrient intake and serum lipid profile depend on body fat in European adolescents: the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study.

The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between macronutrient intake and serum lipid profile in adolescents from eight European cities participating in the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) cross-sectional study (2006-7), and to assess the role of body fat-related variables in these associations. Weight, height, waist circumference, skinfold thicknesses, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-cholesterol, TAG, apoB and apoA1 were measured in 454 adolescents (44% boys) aged 12.5-17.

Dietary fiber intake and its association with indicators of adiposity and serum biomarkers in European adolescents: the HELENA study.

Purpose: To evaluate total, energy-adjusted dietary fiber (DF), water-soluble fiber (WSF), and water-insoluble fiber (WIF) intakes in European adolescents and to investigate their association with indicators of adiposity and serum biomarkers.

Methods: This study, conducted from 2006 to 2007, included 1804 adolescents aged 12.5-17.

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet in Italian school children (The ZOOM8 Study).

The adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) of 1740 Italian 8-9-year-olds was evaluated using the KIDMED index and a descriptive analysis of it by socio-demographic and lifestyle factors was performed. Only 5.0% of the children resulted "high" adherers of MD (62.

Dressed or undressed? How to measure children's body weight in overweight surveillance?

Objective: To simplify body weight measurement and, particularly, to encourage children and their parents to participate in the Italian nutritional surveillance system OKkio alla SALUTE, children were measured with clothes and then the weight was corrected for the estimated weight of the clothes. In the present study we compared the children's weight measured in underwear, as recommended by the WHO (WWHO), with that obtained using the OKkio alla SALUTE protocol (WOK) and investigated how the latter affects the calculation of BMI and the assessment of overweight and obesity prevalence.

Design: Weight (twice in close sequence, with and without clothing) and height were measured.

High fat diets are associated with higher abdominal adiposity regardless of physical activity in adolescents; the HELENA study.

Background & Aims: Failure to attain fat balance may contribute to obesity development even without excessive energy intake. The objective of this study was to examine the associations of dietary macronutrient distribution with abdominal adiposity in adolescents and to evaluate whether these relationships were attenuated by physical activity.

Methods: A total of 224 Spanish adolescents (51% females, 14.

Food consumption and nutrient intake in Italian school children: results of the ZOOM8 study.

The food consumption and food habits of Italian third-class-primary-school children were assessed and their energy and nutrient intakes were compared with requirements. The study involved 1740 subjects (900 males and 840 females) aged 8-9 years, from the north, centre and south of Italy. Body weight and height were measured.