Ziaul Hasan Rana

Objective: Identifying the food sources contributing most to total energy percentage, macronutrients, vitamin and mineral consumption among college freshmen, and whether sex played a role. Participants: First-year undergraduate students (N = 269). Methods: Diet was assessed using a DHQ-III and estimated with food source composition tables. Nutrient intakes were expressed as a percentage of total dietary intakes for each food category. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to determine the differences between the two sexes for each food category. Results: A significant proportion of energy and nutrients is contributed by certain food categories, such as grain products, meat, poultry, fish; however, other less desirable sources of energy and nutrient are also identified, including sugary and sports drinks. Among female students, a greater portion of nutritional intakes came from healthier choices. Conclusions: A majority of total energy intake comes from food categories that are energy-dense but also provide essential nutrients.

With long-term detrimental consequences of irreversible physical and intellectual impairment, stunting remains one of the most prevalent public health problems. This study aimed to identify the factors contributing to stunting among children aged 24 to 59 months in Bangladesh. An analysis of nutrition survey data from the Nutrition, Health and Demographic Survey of Bangladesh analysed the data from a sample of 4,182 children. A predictive model was constructed to identify the association of stunting with family socioeconomics and children’s characteristics. The study found that the development of stunting among 24- to 59-month-old children has been attributed to several factors such as household food security, child feeding practices, parental education and domestic violence. Mothers with secondary education had lower odds of having stunted children. Houses with better flooring quality reduced the probability of stunting by 50%. Children growing up in a moderately food-insecure family had higher odds of becoming stunted. Better child-feeding practices also had lower odds of stunting by 33%. The presence of domestic violence in the household increased the odds of having a stunted child. However, household sanitary conditions, safe water sources and maternal nutritional knowledge and practice were not significantly associated with stunting.

Objective: To evaluate dietary and physical activity behavior in relation to loneliness among college students. Participants: Three-hundred forty-six incoming first-year students in Fall 2019 at a large state University in the US. Methods: Students completed online surveys in Fall 2019. Multivariable regression analyses were used to model associations of health behaviors with loneliness, adjusting for gender and body mass index (BMI). Results: Two-hundred sixty-four students were included in this analysis. Students in loneliness score ranges of 4–6 and 7–9 have higher fat diet than students in score range of 10–12 (p = .007). Sedentary (19.2%) and low active (53.8%) behaviors were more frequent in students reporting high loneliness than those reporting low loneliness (13.8%, 36.7%, respectively) (p = .006). Conclusions: In this sample of college students, loneliness was related to altered diet quality and physical inactivity. Interventions to reduce loneliness may have a positive effect on health promotion in this population.

The objective of the study was to evaluate how well college students meet U.S. dietary guidelines by examining the mean intakes of nutrients to limit (sodium, sugar, refined grains, and saturated f...

Background: Phenolics and carotenoids are natural antioxidants, which provide health benefit and protect against degenerative chronic diseases. Utilization and identification of foods with high content of these received greater attention nowadays. Objective: The present study reports the total phenolics (TPC) and total carotenoids (TCC) contents of thirty-two selected unconventional vegetables growing in Bangladesh. In addition, they were also analyzed for their antioxidant potentials. Methods: Folin-Ciocalteu and acetone–petroleum ether extraction followed by spectrophotometric measurement were employed for TPC and TCC, respectively. The antioxidant capacities of the selected unconventional leafy vegetables were analyzed using DPPH and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays. Results: The results revealed that the TPC ranged from 82.41 mg GAE/100 g in Kiokro to 2711.05 mg GAE/100 g in Mrolapiong whereas the TCC values ranged from 43.05 µg/100 g in Fala to 12863.54 µg/100 g in Roktodrone. The study findings also revealed that the selected plant samples exhibited high antioxidant capacities. Mrolapiong demonstrated highest DPPH inhibition (91.31 %) and TEAC (485.55 μmol Trolox/g) value, than others. The antioxidant capacities were attributed to phenolic compounds as there exist a positive correlation between these two variables. Bioactive phytochemicals are widely distributed in these vegetables, although their amounts are varying among the different types of vegetables. Conclusion: The study results suggest that the vegetables analyzed may provide a possible source of dietary antioxidant and serve as material for functional foods. Therefore, their production and consumption must be encouraged in order to preserve biodiversity and prevent their extinction.