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A Alberti-Fidanza

Publications and source records attributed to A Alberti-Fidanza.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Dietary studies on two rural italian population groups of the Seven Countries Study. 3. Trend Of food and nutrient intake from 1960 to 1991.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the trend of food and nutrient intake from 1960 to 1991 of the subjects of two rural Italian cohorts of the Seven Countries Study. DESIGN: Longitudinal study of dietary patterns from 1960 to 1991. SETTING: Two rural Italian cohorts of Seven Countries Study: Crevalcore in the North near Bologna and Montegiorgio in the Centre near Ancona. SUBJECTS: Men aged 40-59 y in 1960 examined every 5 or 10 y until 1991. METHODS: Food intake was assessed by the dietary history method on all available subjects and by the weighed record method in a statistically selected subsample. RESULTS: A marked decrease of energy intake was observed, due not only to the aging process but also to a remarkable reduction of working activities and life habits. The trend of food group intake as percentage of energy shows an increase for milk, cheese, meat, vegetables, fruit, sweet beverages and cakes, pies and cookies and a decrease for bread and alcoholic beverages, which were more marked in Montegiorgio. The evaluation of the above changes by a Mediterranean Adequacy Index provided the following values: in Crevalcore in 1965 2.9 and in 1991 2.2; in Montegiorgio the corresponding values are 5.6 and 3.9. The Mediterranean Adequacy Index of diet of men from Nicotera (the third rural cohort examined only in 1960), considered the Reference Italian-Mediterranean Diet, is 7.5. Accordingly, in both cohorts dietary habits, different at baseline and rather far from the Reference Italian-Mediterranean type (especially in Crevalcore) became worse with time, particularly in Montegiorgio. CONCLUSIONS: The changes observed in 31 y in the diet of men from Crevalcore and Montegiorgio suggest the necessity in the longitudinal nutritional epidemiology studies particularly in rapidly changing societies to assess the trend of food intakes and the factors related to it. This is in view of the promotion of nutrition intervention programs.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1998

Dietary patterns and cognitive function in elderly men in Finland, Italy and The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: To relate dietary patterns to cognitive function in elderly men. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Population based. SUBJECTS: 1049 men aged 70-91 years around 1990 in five cohorts from the Seven Countries Study: Finland (2 cohorts), the Netherlands (1 cohort), and Italy (2 cohorts). INTERVENTIONS: Food intake was estimated by a cross-check dietary history. Based on the WHO guidelines for the prevention of chronic diseases, a healthy diet indicator was calculated (HDI). A higher HDI indicates a diet more in accordance with the WHO guidelines, and previously we showed that HDI predicted reduced all-cause mortality in our cohorts. Cognitive function was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and a score of 23 or lower was used to indicate cognitive impairment. RESULTS: The prevalence of cognitive impairment varied from 14.4% in Zutphen (The Netherlands) to 42.1% in Crevalcore (Italy). There was a tendency towards a lower prevalence of cognitive impairment associated with increased HDI in four out of five cohorts (not in East Finland). In Zutphen this association was borderline significant (OR=0.81; 95% CI 0.63-1.04) after adjustment for age, education, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and energy intake. In Crevalcore the association was statistically significant (OR = 0.75; 95% CI 0.58-0.97). CONCLUSIONS: A healthy diet might be associated with a better cognitive function in elderly men. However, since the results were not consistent over all five cohorts, further research is needed to confirm this finding and to decide whether this association is causal.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Gustatory and food habit changes during the menstrual cycle.

Gustatory and food habit changes during the menstrual cycle were studied in 8 women, 6 smokers and 2 non-smokers, aged 23-37 years. The following parameters were evaluated during three consecutive menstrual cycles: blood oestradiol and progesterone levels on the 7th, 14th and 21st day of each cycle (radioimmunoassay); detection and recognition thresholds and concentration preferences for sucrose, sodium chloride, citric acid and quinine sulphate on the 1st, 7th, 14th and 21st day of each cycle; food consumption (weighed record) on days 1 and 2, 6-8, 13-15 and 20-22 each cycle. The four basic tastes were influenced differently by blood hormone levels during the menstrual cycle. Sensitivity to sweet taste increased with an increase of oestradiol, while sensitivity to bitter taste increased with an increase of progesterone. No correlations between hormone levels and acid taste, and only a few correlations for salt taste were found. Food habits changed during the cycle particularly for meat and fruit. Vegetables and cereals showed only a tendency to vary. In correspondence with the highest oestradiol values there was a tendency towards lower energy intake, -122 kcal (-0.51 MJ) = 8%, predominantly provided by carbohydrates (as bread).

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Vitamin intake and status in a group of subjects from the Gubbio area Italy.

beta-Carotene, retinol, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin intake and blood nutritional status beta-carotene, retinol, and alpha-tocopherol) were investigated in a group of 79 subjects (35 males and 44 females) of 30 years and over, living in three rural hamlets in the Gubbio area (Central Italy) to see if there were any differences in nutrient intake using different methods of dietary assessment and if there was a relationship between vitamin intake and status. Vitamin intakes were assessed by three different methods: dietary history, two-day weighed record and two-day duplicate-portion chemical analysis. Vitamin content of duplicate diets was assessed by semiautomated HPLC methods. Plasma vitamin status was assessed by semi-automated isocratic straight-phase HPLC methods. The three methods of dietary assessment were compared using the Student's paired t-test and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. Between the two days weighed record and diet history, significant differences were observed for beta-carotene and thiamin. Between the two-day weighed record and chemical analysis, significantly differences were found for beta-carotene, riboflavin and thiamin. Between diet history and chemical analysis, significant differences were obtained for beta-carotene, riboflavin and thiamin. The t-test analysis showed different results according to sex and age. Plasma vitamin status using the current cut-off criteria showed some deficiencies for beta-carotene. As on other occasions no correlation was observed between data from diet history, weighed record and chemical analysis of duplicate portions and the corresponding blood vitamin levels for the whole group of subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Relationship between mothers' and newborns' nutritional and blood lipid variables.

OBJECTIVE: To study the relation between anthropometry, diet and blood lipids during pregnancy and anthropometry and cord blood lipids in newborns. DESIGN: Longitudinal study during pregnancy. SETTING: Population study. SUBJECTS: A group of 70 volunteer pregnant women attending the Maternity Advisory Service were recruited at the 1st trimester and studied during pregnancy. By the end of the study 17 women had dropped out of anthropometry and diet assessments and 21 had left blood lipid analysis. Anthropometric measurements and cord blood lipid determinations were carried out respectively on 43 and 28 newborns. INTERVENTIONS: Diet history; current methods for anthropometry and blood lipid determinations. RESULTS: The highest values for energy and other nutrient intakes were observed at the 2nd trimester. According to the recommendations usually made, protein and fat intakes were high, and carbohydrate intake too low. This was observed especially at the 3rd trimester. Significant relationships between protein, fat and carbohydrate intake (as a percentage of energy) during pregnancy and anthropometric variables in newborns and cord blood lipids (particularly for boys) were found in the group of mothers and their respective newborns. Few correlations between mothers' and newborns' levels of blood lipids were observed for girls. CONCLUSIONS: The results do not show considerable diet changes during pregnancy. The impact of mothers' diet on fat deposition in newborns and cord blood lipids seems to be sex-linked and more important for boys.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Dietary intake in five ageing cohorts of men in Finland, Italy and The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain insight into dietary habits of elderly people and how these habits have evolved from middle to old age. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of dietary patterns around 1990; retrospective cohort study of changes in dietary intake since middle age. SETTING: Five cohorts: East and West Finland, Zutphen (Netherlands), Crevalcore (Italy), and Montegiorgo (Italy). SUBJECTS: Men aged 70-90 years around 1990. METHODS: Food intake was estimated using a cross-check dietary history adjusted to the local situation. RESULTS: (i) Cross-sectional: Significant differences were observed between the countries for all food groups, energy and nutrients (P < 0.05). The Finnish diet was characterised by a high consumption of animal products and potatoes, the Italian diet by a high consumption of cereals, vegetables, fruits and alcohol. The Dutch diet was generally intermediate. (ii) Longitudinal: The decrease in energy intake since middle age varied from 4.2 MJ/day in the Finnish cohorts to 2.1 MJ/day in Italy. Also the consumption of most food groups decreased but the consumption of vegetables and fruits increased. Saturated fatty acid intake decreased by 3 E% in the Finnish cohorts and decreased by < 1 E% in Italy. Alcohol intake decreased by approximately 7 E% in Italy while it increased by 2.5 E% in the Netherlands. CONCLUSIONS: Although the general patterns of dietary intake of the different cultures still can be recognised at old age, the variation between them has become smaller. Compared to their dietary intake at middle age, however, the dietary pattern of the Finnish and Dutch cohorts has changed slightly in the direction of a healthy diet, while the diet of the Italian men remained Mediterranean, and thus more healthy, at old age.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Vitamin and mineral nutritional status and other biochemical data assessed in groups of men from Crevalcore and Montegiorgio (Italy).

The vitamin and mineral nutritional status of 34 elderly (mean age 77.6 +/- 4.7 years) and 39 younger subjects (mean age 41.7 +/- 7.5 years) from Crevalcore and Montegiorgio (the two rural areas of The Seven Countries Study) was studied. Comparisons have been made between centres, between age groups, and with data obtained from similar surveys performed in 1960 and 1970. Levels of thiamin and riboflavin nutritional status were higher in 1991 than in 1970. Plasma retinol values were above levels of deficiency, but vitamin E and beta-carotene tended to be low. The zinc status of the populations, as assessed by leucocyte zinc concentrations, was generally low. A decline in copper intake during the past ten years may be responsible for the low leucocyte copper concentration which was more apparent in the younger subjects. Serum cholesterol was above, and HDL cholesterol below, the European Atherosclerosis Society recommendations.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Dietary studies on two rural Italian population groups of the Seven Countries Study. 1. Food and nutrient intake at the thirty-first year follow-up in 1991.

The food and nutrient intake at the thirty-first follow-up in 1991 of 16 surviving elderly from Crevalcore and Montegiorgio, two Italian rural ares of the Seven Countries Study, are reported. For dietary appraisal the individual weighed record method for 3 and 9 days in three seasons was used. In autumn the dietary history method was also used. Because the number of survivors was small, 15 additional elderly subjects in both areas were surveyed. Then, to detect any change related to age in food intake, 41 younger subjects were assessed with the dietary history method. The results in both areas showed in general a high intra-individual variability and no statistically significant difference in food group and nutrient intake between seasons. Between the two methods for dietary survey no statistically significant difference, in general, was observed (P > 0.05 only for a few items). The diet of the subjects of Crevalcore was characterized by a rather high intake of milk and meat and a low intake of fish and legumes. In Montegiorgio the picture was similar to that of Crevalcore, but at a lower level of intake. In both areas, but particularly in Montegiorgio, these subjects have been abandoning the traditional Mediterranean diet.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Dietary studies on two rural Italian population groups of the Seven Countries Study. 2. Concurrent validation of protein, fat and carbohydrate intake.

On 18 subjects from two rural areas in Italy which were part of the Seven Countries Study (Crevalcore and Montegiorgio), we carried out the concurrent validation of protein, fat, fatty acid and carbohydrate intake in the diet at the thirty-first year follow-up in 1991. The values of the above nutrients obtained using food composition tables from the weighted record method for dietary surveys were compared with the values from chemical analysis of food composites. In both areas for protein, fat and carbohydrate intake the inter-individual variation was large. For protein intake the mean difference was statistically significant but not for fat intake. From 1960 to 1991 protein and fat intake tended to decrease and for protein the means of differences between analysis and calculation were, in general, statistically different. For dietary saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, the means of differences were statistically significant in Crevalcore, but this was not the case in Montegiorgio for polyunsaturated fatty acids. The intake of trans fatty acids in both areas was rather low. Available and unavailable carbohydrate intake of both areas showed no statistically significant difference. The mean differences between analysis and calculation for both areas were statistically significant with the exception of cellulose in Crevalcore and sugars in Montegiorgio.

Adult↗