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ObjectiveIdeal cardiovascular health (ICH) is associated with greater longevity and reduced morbidity, but no research on ICH has been conducted in Jamaica. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of ICH in urban Jamaica and to evaluate associations between ICH and community, household, and individual socioeconomic status (SES).DesignCross-sectional study.SettingUrban communities in Jamaica.Participants360 men and 665 women who were urban residents aged ≥20 years from a national survey, the Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey 2016–2017.ExposuresCommunity SES, using median land values (MLV); household SES, using number of household assets; and individual SES, using education level.Primary outcomeThe main outcome variable was ICH, defined as having five or more of seven ICH characteristics (ICH-5): current non-smoking, healthy diet, moderate physical activity, normal body mass index, normal blood pressure, normal glucose and normal cholesterol. Prevalence was estimated using weighted survey design and logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations.ResultsThe prevalence of overall ICH (seven characteristics) was 0.51%, while the prevalence of ICH-5 was 22.9% (male 24.5%, female 21.5%, p=0.447). In sex-specific multivariable models adjusted for age, education, and household assets, men in the lower tertiles of community MLV had lower odds of ICH-5 compared with men in the upper tertile (lowest tertile: OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.91, p=0.032; middle tertile: OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.20 to 1.04, p=0.062). Women from communities in the lower and middle tertiles of MLV also had lower odds of ICH-5, but the association was not statistically significant. Educational attainment was inversely associated with ICH-5 among men and positively associated among women.ConclusionLiving in poorer communities was associated with lower odds of ICH-5 among men in Jamaica. The association between education level and ICH-5 differed in men and women.

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From two bread wheat cultivars having contrasted pasting properties, hydrated starch granules were separated into two fractions by flotation. These fractions were indistinguishable on the basis of granulesize but weredistinguished by their amylosecontents and hotpasting peak heights. Fractionation could not be obtained on dry starch, nor on wet starch from which water had been expelled by centrifugation in solvent of highdensity. This suggests that all sizes of granules of both cultivars could be reduced to the same level of hydration of42% dry starch basis. Therangeofhydrated density was 1.305 -1.31 5 g/cm3 which suggests differences between the fractions of only 4% water. Two models are developed to explain the mechanism of fractionation and the differences found between cultivars. Fraktionierung vonWeizenstarke mittels der Hydratationsdichte. Von zwei Brotweizensorten mit unterschiedlichen Verkleisterungseigenschaften wurden die hydratisierten Starkekorner durch Flotation in zwei Fraktionen aufgetrennt. Diese Fraktionen unterschieden sich nicht in der KorngroBe, wohl aber durch ihren Amylosegehalt und durch die Peakhohe bei der HeiBverkleisterung. Die Fraktionierung gelang weder mit trockener Starke noch mit Feuchtstarke, von dcr das Wasser durch Zentrifugieren in einem Losungsmittel von hoher Dichte abgetrennt worden war. Dies la& vermuten, daB alle KorngroBen beider Zuchtsorten auf den gleichen Hydratationszustand von 4?%, bezogen auf trockene Starke, zuruckgefuhrt werden konnen. Der Bereich der Hydratationsdichte betrug 1,305 -1,315 g/cm3, entsprechend Differenzen zwischen den Fraktionen von nur 4%) Wasser. Es wurden zwei Modelle zur Erklarung des Fraktionierungsmechanismus und der zwischen den Zuchtsorten gefundenen Unterschiede entwickelt.

Background: Excess dietary salt consumption is a major contributor to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Public education programs on the dangers of high salt intake, and population level interventions to reduce the salt content in foods are possible strategies to address this problem. In Jamaica, there are limited data on the levels of salt consumption and the population’s knowledge and practices with regards to salt consumption. This study therefore aims to obtain baseline data on salt consumption, salt content in foods sold in restaurants, and evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Jamaicans regarding salt consumption. Methods: The study is divided into four components. Component 1 will be a secondary analysis of data on urinary sodium from spot urine samples collected as part of a national survey, the Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey 2016-2017. Component 2 will be a survey of chain and non-chain restaurants in Jamaica, to estimate the sodium content of foods sold in restaurants. Component 3 is another national survey, this time on a sample 1,200 individuals to obtain data on knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding salt consumption and estimation of urinary sodium excretion. Component 4 is a validation study to assess the level of agreement between spot urine sodium estimates and 24-hour urinary sodium from 120 individuals from Component 3. Discussion: This study will provide important baseline data on salt consumption in Jamaica and will fulfil the first components of the World Health Organization SHAKE Technical Package for Salt Reduction. The findings will serve as a guide to Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness in the development of a national salt reduction program. Findings will also inform interventions to promote individual and population level sodium reduction strategies as the country seeks to achieve the national target of a 30% reduction in salt consumption by 2025.