The authors examined the associations of shiftwork with overweight and abdominal obesity through a cross-sectional study of 1206 employees 18 to 50 yrs of age who were working on a production line in a poultry processing plant. Night-shift workers (n = 800) were considered exposed, whereas day shiftworkers (n = 406) were considered nonexposed. Overweight was defined as a body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m(2) and abdominal obesity as a waist circumference ≥ 88 cm in women and ≥ 102 cm in men. The mean age of the workers was 30.5 yrs (standard deviation = 8.7 yrs), and 65.2% were women. Nightshift workers compared to dayshift workers showed higher prevalences of overweight (42.2% vs. 34.3%; p= .020) and abdominal obesity (24.9% vs. 19.5%; p = .037). After adjusting for sociodemographics, parental overweight status, behavioral characteristics, and sleep characteristics, including hours of sleep, the prevalence ratios for overweight and abdominal obesity were 1.27 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.00-1.61) and 1.45 (95% CI: 1.10-1.92), respectively, for the nightshift workers compared to the dayshift workers. A consistent finding in our study was the independent contribution of night shiftwork to overweight and abdominal obesity among Brazilian workers. Further studies are needed to understand the biological mechanisms involved and the complex behavioral and social adaptations experienced by night-shift workers.

This study assessed the validity of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ-Porto Alegre)

O estudo avaliou a reprodutibilidade e a validade relativa de um questionário de freqüência alimentar (QFA) em 83 indivíduos adultos, do Sul do Brasil. Utilizou-se o coeficiente de correlação Intraclasse (ICC), classificação em quartos de ingestão pelo QFA e IR24h e índice Kappa ponderado. Os nutrientes foram log transformados e corrigidos para calorias. A atenuação nas correlações foi corrigida pela variabilidade intrapessoal. Para a reprodutibilidade, os valores das correlações variaram de 0,44 (IC95%: -0,19-0,76) a 0,83 (IC95%: 0,72-0,90) para carboidrato e vitamina C, respectivamente. No estudo de validade, os coeficientes deatenuados variaram de 0,23 (IC95%: -0,22-0,61) a 0,86 (IC95%: 0,21-1,16) para a vitamina A e lipídeos, no QFA1, e de 0,50 (IC95%: -016-0,91) a 0,95 (IC95%: 0,79-1,05) para vitamina A e energia, no QFA2. O índice Kappa ponderado apresentou valor mais baixo para o cálcio (0,10; IC95%: 0,00-0,26) e valores mais altos para vitamina C no QFA1 (0,38; IC95%: 0,23-0,53) e energia no QFA2 (0,38; IC95%: 0,24-0,52). Os resultados indicam reprodutibilidade satisfatória para todos os nutrientes, com exceção do carboidrato, e validade relativa razoável, especialmente para os macronutrientes e vitamina C.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of seasonality on nutrient intake in healthy adults from the southernmost metropolitan area of Brazil. The dietary intake (24-hour dietary recall on six different days) in a sample of 162 adults (114 women), aged 20 to 69, was obtained during the year 2007. The nutrient intake was averaged for each season and adjusted for energy intake using the residual method. The effect of season on energy, macro and micro-nutrient intake was investigated based on the Generalized Estimate Equations (GEE) model. There were statistically significant differences between seasons for carbohydrate and total fat intake after controlling for gender, age, education, and interactions. In summer carbohydrate intake was higher than other seasons while the total fat intake was lower. These findings highlight the importance of considering seasonal variations not only for evaluating dietary intake but also nutrition and public health policy recommendations, particularly in adult populations living in temperate regions.

Background/Objective: Because studies have evidenced variations in nutrient intake, 1

RESUMO: Introdução: Padrões alimentares parecem predizer melhor o risco de doenças do que nutrientes ou alimentos isoladamente. Objetivo: Identificar padrões alimentares e fatores associados em mulheres adultas. Método: Estudo transversal, de base populacional, com 1.128mulheres, de 20 a 69 anos de idade, de São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul. O consumo alimentar foi avaliado por meio de um questionário de frequência. Utilizou-se análise de componentes principais para identificação dos padrões alimentares. Razõesde prevalências brutas e ajustadas foram estimadas por meio de regressão de Poisson com variância robusta. Resultados: Foram identificados três padrões alimentares que explicaram 25,8% da variância total: saudável (frutas, vegetais e alimentos integrais); de risco (alimentos ultraprocessados); e brasileiro (arroz e feijão). Opadrão saudável apresentou o maior percentual de variância explicada (11,62%). A probabilidade de adesão ao padrão saudável aumentou linearmente com a idade e a escolaridade e foi maior em ex-fumantes (razão de prevalência - RP = 1,22; intervalo de 95% de confiança (IC95%) 1,04 - 1,42). Já mulheres mais jovens e com maior escolaridade tinham maior probabilidade de aderir ao padrão de risco. A probabilidade de adesão ao padrão brasileiro aumentou à medida que diminuiu a escolaridade e foi maior em mulheres de cor de pele não branca (RP = 1,29; IC95% 1,04 - 1,59). Conclusões: Enquanto a adesão aos padrões saudável e de risco comportou-se distintamente segundo a idade das mulheres, ela foi semelhante para a escolaridade. Já a adesão ao padrão brasileiro foi definida pelas condições socioeconômicas.

Objective: The objective of our study was to explore the association between sleep deprivation and obesity among shift workers. Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Obesity was defined as BMI $30 kg/m 2 . Time of sleep was categorized as: .5 h of continuous sleep/d; #5 h of continuous sleep/d with some additional rest (sleep deprivation level I); and #5 h of continuous sleep/d without any additional rest (sleep deprivation level II). Sociodemographic, parental and behavioural variables were evaluated by means of a standardized pre-tested questionnaire. Potential confounding factors were controlled for in the multivariable model. Setting: A poultry-processing plant in southern Brazil. Subjects: Nine hundred and five shift workers (63 % female). Results: Obesity was more prevalent in the participants who were female, aged 40 years and older, who had less schooling and reported excess weight in both parents. Sleep deprivation levels I and II were associated with increased income, number of meals consumed throughout the day and nightshift work. All of the workers who exhibited a degree of sleep deprivation worked the night shift. After controlling for potential confounding factors, the prevalence ratios of obesity were 1?4 (95 % CI 0?8, 2?2) and 4?4 (95 % CI 2?4, 8?0) in the workers with sleep deprivation levels I and II, respectively, compared with the reference group. Conclusions: These results show a strong association between sleep deprivation and obesity in shift workers and that sleep deprivation may be a direct consequence of working at night.

Thirteen commercial soybean protein isolates (SPIs) were characterized and submitted to the same conditions of hydrolysis with pancreatin to the same degree of hydrolysis (DH). The 13 SPIs differed with respect to their phytate contents (7.41−15.62 mg/g of protein), presence of trypsin inhibitor (5.17−94.72 UTI/mg of protein), protein dispersibility index (PDI) (11.7−88.7%), and relative compositions of the 7S subunits and 11S polypeptides present in the soluble fraction:  α‘ (0−100%); α (0−26%); β (0−44%); acid polypeptide (50−100%); basic polypeptide (0−50%). The reaction time necessary for the hydrolysis to attain a DH of 21.5% varied from 48 to 252 min and was longer for isolates with complete 7S and 11S globulin fractions and higher PDI values. The 10% TCA soluble nitrogen index of the hydrolysates varied from 61.5 to 100%. The total free amino acids varied between 7.5 and 31.0%, with basic and hydrophobic amino acids being present in greater amounts. Electrophoresis indicated differences in the molecular weight profiles of the hydrolysates. The 13 SPIs analyzed were shown to be different, resulting in different products when submitted to the same conditions of hydrolysis. Keywords: Protein hydrolysis; soy protein hydrolysates; pancreatin; peptides