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Biomedical subjects

K Gray-Donald

Publications and source records attributed to K Gray-Donald.

61 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Food habits of Canadians: reduction in fat intake over a generation.

PURPOSE: A national survey of adult Canadians (n = 1,544) was recently undertaken (1997-1998) to monitor whether changes in dietary intake have occurred since the last Canadian dietary survey, conducted a generation ago (1970). METHODS: Individuals from randomly selected households from a stratified sample of 80 enumeration areas from five regions of Canada were interviewed by a dietitian at home for a 24-hour dietary recall and food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean dietary % energy from protein (16-18%), carbohydrate (50-56%) and fat (29-31%) was close to recommended levels in the different age-sex groups. Fat intake was reduced from previous surveys. Intakes of dairy products and fruits and vegetables are lower than recommended. Nutrient values at the 25th percentile of the nutrient distribution, were below recommended levels for calcium, folate, iron and zinc among women. CONCLUSION: Despite the growing problem of obesity, Canadians are eating less fat than a generation ago but intake of certain nutrients are still suboptimal.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Anemia and iron status in Inuit infants from northern Quebec.

The iron status and diet of Inuit infants living in northern Quebec who were part of a prospective cohort study was described. The prevalence of anemia (hemoglobin values > 2 SD below the reference mean) was 21.1% (23/109), 47.4% (55/116) and 37.7% (46/122) at 2, 6 and 12 months, respectively. The corresponding prevalence of microcytic anemia was 0.0%, 4.3% and 21.3%. At 2, 6 and 12 months, iron-deficiency anemia (serum ferritin < 10 micrograms/L coupled with anemia) was present in 1.3% (1/79), 24.4% (21/86) and 26.3% (25/95) of infants, respectively. Compared with breastfeeding, the odds ratio for iron deficiency (serum ferritin < 10 micrograms/L) for bottle-feeding with cows' milk or low iron formula was 3.02 (95% CI 1.25-7.27) at 6 months and 3.05 (95% CI 1.28-7.28) at 12 months. This study shows iron-deficiency anemia to be a problem in Inuit infants as young as 6 months old. Breastfed infants were better protected against iron deficiency than infants fed cow's milk or low-iron formula.

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nutritional status of single male government-sponsored refugees from Ethiopia.

Single male Ethiopian refugees living in Ottawa were interviewed to determine their dietary intakes, anthropometric status, and the factors associated with nutritional status. Of 58 eligible subjects, 39 (67%) participated. Dietary intakes, measured by three 24-hour recalls, revealed that protein, iron and Vitamin C generally met or exceeded the Nutrition Recommendations for age. The mean percentages of total energy consumption from protein and fats were 17.2% and 33.4% respectively. The mean energy intake of the group was 81.5% +/- 23.9 of the level recommended. 21% had a body mass index (BMI) below 20, and 55% of arm circumference measurements fell at or below the tenth percentile of the National Center for Health Statistics standards for black males. Participants with higher domestic skill scores, measured by the questionnaire, had significantly higher energy intakes (p less than 0.02). Lack of domestic skill was the dietary problem most commonly identified by participants.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Do vitamin and mineral supplements improve the dietary intake of elderly Canadians?

The prevalence of nutritional supplementation and the relationship of the adequacy of the diet to the use of nutritional supplements was investigated in a group of 82 healthy, free-living elderly Canadians. Dietary data included a seven-day food record and the reported daily intake of vitamin or mineral supplements. 43% of the men and 62% of the women reported using vitamin and/or mineral supplements during the preceding year. Current use (at the time of interview) was reported in 35% of the study subjects. Supplement users did not differ from non-users in terms of dietary intake from diet alone for any of the nutrients compared. Few subjects corrected inadequate intakes by the use of nutrient supplements; in fact, most supplements were consumed by those not at risk of deficiency for the particular vitamin or mineral. Reliance upon vitamin and/or mineral supplementation for adequate nutrient intake without a dietary evaluation is not recommended.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Interaction of smoking and maternal weight status in influencing infant size.

The effects of pregravid weight, gestational weight gain and smoking on infant size, and the extent to which weight gain can compensate for smoking behaviour are explored in multivariate analysis of 1,330 healthy mothers and their full-term infants at the PEI Prenatal Nutritional Counselling Program. Stratified analysis by pregravid weight and smoking status indicated that gestational weight gain was linearly related to birthweight. Gestational weight gain significantly predicted the risk of small-for-gestational-age infants (SGA) only among smokers. Increased weight gain partially mitigated the negative effect of smoking on birthweight but among underweight smokers there was a high risk of SGA (> 10%) despite an elevated gestational weight gain. Level of smoking was directly related to infant birthweight, with substantial reduction even for light smokers. Complete smoking cessation is important for preventing low birthweight in Canada, particularly among underweight mothers.

Birth Weight↗