Biomedical subjects

J Porteous

Publications and source records attributed to J Porteous.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1997

Dietary trends: estimates from food supply and survey data.

OBJECTIVE: To illustrate methodological issues involved in estimating dietary trends in populations using data obtained from various sources in Australia in the 1980s and 1990s. METHODS: Estimates of absolute and relative change in consumption of selected food items were calculated using national data published annually on the national food supply for 1982-83 to 1992-93 and responses to food frequency questions in two population based risk factor surveys in 1983 and 1994 in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. The validity of estimated food quantities obtained from these inexpensive sources at the beginning of the period was assessed by comparison with data from a national dietary survey conducted in 1983 using 24 h recall. RESULTS: Trend estimates from the food supply data and risk factor survey data were in good agreement for increases in consumption of fresh fruit, vegetables and breakfast food and decreases in butter, margarine, sugar and alcohol. Estimates for trends in milk, eggs and bread consumption, however, were inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS: Both data sources can be used for monitoring progress towards national nutrition goals based on selected food items provided that some limitations are recognized. While data collection methods should be consistent over time they also need to allow for changes in the food supply (for example the introduction of new varieties such as low-fat dairy products). From time to time the trends derived from these inexpensive data sources should be compared with data derived from more detailed and quantitative estimates of dietary intake.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Whose diet has changed?

The same questions about diet were asked in two community-based surveys conducted in the Hunter Region of New South Wales in 1983 and 1994. There were substantial changes in diet over the period; for example, the proportion of respondents who reported using low-fat or skim milk increased from 25 per cent to 51 per cent, the proportion eating meat fewer than five times a week doubled from 21 per cent to 42 per cent and the proportion eating fewer than three eggs per week increased from 55 per cent to 80 per cent. In both surveys, women reported eating a healthier diet than men, and older people and those of higher socioeconomic status reported better diets than younger people or people with less education or lower status occupations. The surprising finding was that over the 11-year period the changes in patterns of food consumption were remarkably similar across all strata of the population. The conclusions are that wide-spread dietary change is possible. However, the changes in the last decade related mainly to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease; similar behavioural changes to reduce the risk of diet-related cancer are required.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

Acceptability of high-fibre diets in diabetic patients.

Twenty-five diabetic patients were selected from Oxford Diabetic Clinics to assess their dietary compliance (Group A). All had been taught to follow diets rich in dietary fibre in which carbohydrate provided 50% of total energy. The results were compared with those obtained previously from a similar group of patients (Group B) all of whom had been instructed to follow a diet in which carbohydrate provided 40% of total energy. The patients of Group A had a significantly greater intake of carbohydrate (45.1% vs 34.7% of total energy) and dietary fibre (33.1 g vs 18.7 g) and a lower intake of fat (33.5% vs 42.1% of total energy) than the patients of Group B. The results of dietary assessment obtained from a third group of patients (Group C), who had been advised to follow a high-fibre diet before the widespread availability of dietary teaching aids and recipe books, showed that carbohydrate and fat provided 37.5% and 41.0% of total energy, with a dietary fibre intake of 25.6 g. The results suggest that patients are willing and able to change their dietary habits towards a distribution of food constituents likely to improve diabetic control and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease when given enthusiastic instruction and support in diabetic clinics.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Bowel technique in the O.R. Is it really necessary?

Existing inconsistencies in the practice of bowel technique prompted a study to validate this operating room procedure. Minimal reference to intra-operative bowel technique was found in the literature. Needle drivers and tissue forceps utilized to anastomose large bowel were cultured, and the results were analysed. Needle drivers and tissue forceps used to anastomose small bowel were also cultured and used as a control group. Only elective bowel surgery cases were included in the study. The study demonstrated that there was consistent contamination to those instruments used for bowel anastomosis, with significantly greater contamination for large bowel resections. These results indicate that isolating those instruments and equipment which come into direct contact with the bowel lumen is a perioperative practice which will reduce the surgical patient's risk of postoperative wound infection.

Asepsis↗