Boarfish (Capros aper) is an underutilised pelagic fish species found in abundance in Irish waters. Research previously undertaken has shown a favourable effect of boarfish derived protein hydrolysate (BFH) consumption on glycaemic control in diabetic murine models. This study aims to investigate the effect of daily BFH consumption on glycated haemoglobin and body mass index (BMI) in overweight human participants.

A randomised parallel placebo-controlled human intervention study was undertaken to investigate the effect of consuming BFH (3.5g/day) for 12 weeks. Participants (n = 40) that met the following inclusion criteria were recruited; aged between 18–65 years, non-smoker, not currently pregnant or lactating, BMI > 25.0 kg/m2, free from illness. Participants were randomly assigned to consume either BFH or cellulose capsules for 12 weeks. Measures taken at baseline and post-intervention (week 12) included fasting measures of: glycated haemoglobin, glucose, insulin, leptin, glucagon like peptide (GLP-1), adiponectin as well as lipid profile. Height and weight were also recorded at both timepoints. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for baseline values as well as other covariates (age & BMI), was used to compare differences between groups over time.

Consumption of BFH (3.5g/day) for 12 weeks had no significant effect on glucose, insulin, leptin, glucagon like peptide (GLP-1), adiponectin, high density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein compared with control. No significant difference in glycated haemoglobin change over time (P = 0.123) was noted following consumption of placebo (2.5% increase) in comparison to those consuming the boarfish treatment (1.5% reduction).

This study showed that 3.5 g of BFH per day did not elicit an effect on any of the markers of metabolic health. Previous studies investigating the effect of protein consumption on metabolic health have used higher concentrations than were utilized in this study, however using similar concentrations in this study was not plausible given the lack of organoleptic acceptability of the BFH. Addressing the organoleptic properties of BFH may enable future studies to increase the dose of BFH to a level that may be more efficacious than the current study.

UK adolescents have poorer diets than other age groups. Improving adolescents’ diets has the potential to improve their health now and in later life, and the health of their future offspring. Established dietary assessment techniques can be difficult to use with adolescents due to high participant burdens. Robust and easy-to-implement techniques are required to assess adolescent diet in large-scale studies. This study aimed to identify the key indicator foods that contribute most to better quality dietary patterns in UK adolescents for use in a short food frequency questionnaire (FFQ).

Dietary data, collected using 4-day diet diaries, and nutritional biomarker data from waves 1–8 of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey rolling programme were used. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to 139 food groups to identify the key indicator foods that contribute most to better quality dietary patterns.

A 20-group diet score was calculated using coefficients for the 20 indicator foods from the 139-group PCA and multiplying by their standardised reported frequency of consumption. Scores were standardised to a mean of zero and a standard deviation (SD) of one.

The association and the agreement between the 139-group diet quality score and 20-group score were calculated using Spearman's correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman limits of agreement, respectively. Spearman's correlations were used to examine the associations between the two diet quality scores and nutritional biomarkers.

NDNS dietary data were available for 1282 boys and 1305 girls aged 11–18 years. The first PCA component explained 3.0% of variance in the dietary data. A high-quality diet was characterised by greater consumption of fruit, vegetables, beans and pulses, wholegrains, nuts, and tap water, plus lower consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, chips, processed meats, white bread, crisps, whole milk, baked beans, and added sugar.

A correlation of 0.86 was observed between the full 139-group score and the 20-group score with the difference between being 0 SDs. Bland-Altman 95% limits of agreement were -0.98 to 0.98 SDs. Correlations, in the expected direction, were seen between the 139-group score and all nutritional biomarkers (25-hydroxyvitamin D(rs = 0.14), vitamin C(rs = 0.30), total carotenoids(rs = 0.25), total serum folate(rs = 0.42), homocysteine(rs = -0.25) and vitamin B12(rs = 0.21)). Correlations with the 20-group score were only slightly attenuated.

The 20-group diet quality score showed reasonable agreement with the full 139-item score. Both scores were correlated with nutritional biomarkers. A short 20-item FFQ can provide a meaningful and easy-to-implement tool to assess diet quality in adolescents.

Accurate assessment of dietary intake in older populations is important for determining the role of diet in healthy ageing. The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) is a commonly used dietary assessment tool, however there is limited evidence regarding its utility for accurately assessing fruit and vegetable (FV) intake in older adults. The objective of this study was to validate FV intakes estimated from the FFQ used in the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NICOLA) against a food diary (FD).

A dietary validation study was conducted in a sub-sample of 95 participants (45 males, 50 females, aged > 50 years) from NICOLA. Participants were asked to complete a FFQ and 4-day FD (reference method) at two time-points (Month 0 and Month 6). Self-reported FV intakes were compared between methods using Spearman's correlation coefficients, examining the percentage of participants classified into the same or adjacent quartile of FV intake, weighted kappa and Bland-Altman plots.

Median fruit, vegetable and total FV intake were significantly higher in the FFQ than the FD at both Month 0 and Month 6 (all p < 0.001). Significant positive correlations (all p < 0.05) were observed between the FFQ and FD estimates of FV intake at both time-points (Month 0, r = 0.57, 0.50 and 0.49 for fruit, vegetables, total FV, respectively; Month 6 r = 0.56, 0.42 and 0.50, respectively). When FV intakes were classified into fourths (based upon quartiles of total FV portions by FD or FFQ), 80 % and 79 % of participants were classified into the same or adjacent quartile at Month 0 and Month 6, respectively. Weighted kappa indicated a fair-moderate agreement between the two methods for FV intake (weighted kappa = 0.35 and 0.37 at Month 0 and Month 6, respectively). Bland-Altman plots showed that, as FV intake increased, there was a widening in limits of agreements, between the FFQ and FD. There was also a significant positive correlation noted between total FV intakes reported at Month 0 and those reported at Month 6 (r = 0.70, p < 0.001).

Over-reporting of FV intake was evident with the FFQ compared to the FD, however, the results showed good comparability between the methods in being able to rank older adults according to their FV intake. An additional analysis of FV biomarkers obtained from this sample will provide a more objective assessment of FV intake by each method.

Improper nutrition is an important risk factor for many chronic diseases. The presented study is a part of the Polish population representative epidemiological studies on the diet and nutritional status, the identification of food-related diseases risk factors, the physical activity level, nutritional knowledge level, and health inequities, implemented under The National Health Program 2016–2020, financed by the Ministry of Health.

The speech will present selected preliminary study results of 1,471 respondents (709 aged 19–64 (A); 762 aged 65 + (B) carried on since December 2018 to December 2018 from planed representative Polish population (each groups: 2000 respondents). Presented data was collected on the basis of nutrition assessment (food frequency questionnaire (KomPAN), 24 hours recall - 2 days - interval of at least 3 days), identification of diet-related diseases risk factors (body weight, body height, waist and hips circumferences estimation, 2 blood pressure measurements), physical activity (the accelerometer, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and the nutritional knowledge level (KomPAN). Statistical analyses: SPSS program (version 25.0), data on diet composition assessed in DIET 5.0.

Excessive body mass occurred in 63.9% respondents (A: 51.3%, B: 72.3%), obesity - in 16.7% A and 35.3% B participants. The average diet energy value was: A- 2035 kcal (2452 in men, 1745 in women), B - 1933 kcal (2283 in men, 1705 in women). The percentage of calories from protein, fat and carbohydrate was similar in both groups: around 14%, 34% and 50% respectively.

Good nutritional knowledge was found in 39.5% individuals from group A and 42.8% from group B, the average knowledge level was diagnosed in 57% and 53.8% respondents respectively. Knowledge about proper nutrition did not mean proper nutritional choices. Vegetables were eaten a few times per day only by 36.8% A and 30.4% B respondents with good nutritional knowledge, milk and cottage cheese consumption declared 8% subjects from each group and fermented dairy products 11% A and 13% B participants.

It is worth pointing out that 50% respondents with good nutritional knowledge ate fish less than once a month. Preliminary analysis shown that the prevalence of excessive body mass in Poland is very high, the high number of obese people aged over 65 is especially disturbing.

The detailed analysis of nutritional status, data on physical activity and the occurrence of diet-related diseases among the subjects, planned to be presented during conference, will give the possibility for creation of effective preventive action, which improve the public health in Poland.

Eggs tend to be eaten irregularly, e.g. they are often eaten as a standby for unplanned meals, and have been reported to be eaten as a treat or on special occasions. This intrapersonal variation may impact the accuracy of measuring the habitual intake of eggs. Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) are often validated for nutrients but not foods, and may not be suitable for measuring the consumption of individual foods. The validity of measuring the consumption of specific foods can be particularly affected for foods with a greater within-person variation. Moreover, FFQs rarely include a detailed intake measure of eggs, and often do not include eggs in mixed dishes. With epidemiological studies focussing on individual foods to assess associations between foods and diseases, it is important to consider the accuracy of dietary assessment methods in measuring intake of individual foods.

In the current study we compare egg intake data from a validated FFQ and egg intake data from an FFQ specifically designed to measure egg intake. Both questionnaires were completed by a sample of 100 community-dwelling healthy older adults, which included 54 females and 46 males, with mean age 70 (SD = 7) years. Both FFQs had a similar layout, but the validated FFQ section on egg intake consisted of three questions on egg intake, while the egg FFQ included 18 preparations of eggs, including mixed dishes.

Mean monthly egg consumption for the validated FFQ was 16 (SD = 13) eggs, while the egg FFQ showed an egg intake of 22 (SD = 16) eggs per month, suggesting under- or over-reporting on one or both measures. Although the mean values are noticeably different, validated FFQ egg intake correlates strongly with egg FFQ intake (r = .773, p < .001).

National Diet and Nutrition Survey data indicates that British older adults (65 years + ) consume 33 g of eggs/egg dishes per day, the equivalent of 16–17 eggs per month. This means that the validated FFQ egg intake of 16 eggs per month is more similar to the NDNS data. However, FFQs generally tend to overestimate food intake compared to diet records and the validated FFQ is validated for the total nutrient intake, not for individual foods. With only three questions and without including mixed dishes, the validated FFQ may under-estimate intake of eggs, while the egg FFQ may be more comprehensive. More research is needed to explore the most appropriate methods for measuring intakes of foods that are irregularly consumed, such as eggs.

A person's dietary intake consists of multiple foods eaten as part of a meal as opposed to any one single food/nutrient. Therefore, it is important to understand the interactions between foods and how they affect diet-disease associations. As a result, dietary patterns have emerged as important tools in nutrition research. The objective of the current study is to assess the reproducibility and stability of dietary patterns across four different time-points. Anthropometric measurements were taken from a subset of participants of a free-living cohort study (n = 94), followed by the administration of a 24-hour dietary recall once a month, for four months. The dietary data was entered into dietary analysis software, Nutritics, by two researchers independently, and cross-checked. Foods were assigned to one of 33 predefined food groups, which were further collapsed to 18 food groups based on previous research. Statistical analysis was then performed on the final dataset. Intra-class correlation coefficients were derived to assess the reproducibility of each food group across the four time-points. Variables were standardized using z-scores and dietary patterns were derived using K-means cluster analysis. Stability was assessed by coding participants into one of six groups based on their dietary pattern transition between visit one and four. Analysis of this sub cohort revealed that the intake of food groups (% energy contribution) was reproducible across the time-points. The majority had good to very good agreement, with vegetables and vegetable dishes having the strongest agreement (ICC = 0.831) followed by milk and yogurts (ICC = 0.773), fruit and fruit dishes (ICC = 0.729), and breakfast cereals (ICC = 0.680). Two distinct dietary patterns were identified at each time-point; a ‘Healthy’ and an ‘Unhealthy’ dietary pattern. The ‘Healthy’ dietary pattern was characterized by a significantly higher energy contribution (p < 0.05) from the following food groups – vegetables and vegetable dishes; fruit and fruit dishes; milk and yogurts; breakfast cereals; butter, spreading fats and oils. The analysis on stability demonstrated 42% of participants remained in the same dietary pattern, while 58% transitioned from one dietary pattern to the other. Our results to date demonstrate that two distinct dietary patterns can be derived across multiple time-points using cluster analysis and the food group composition of these dietary patterns can be considered reproducible. Future work will explore these dietary patterns further incorporating the entire cohort and linking stability to health parameters.

Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight satisfaction are important factors related to energy intake underreporting in younger adults. However, few studies have explored that relation in older adults. Therefore, this study aimed to explore these factors in a sample of older adults who tend to underestimate their energy consumption. Sample included 40 older adults (57.5% male), with mean age of 68.8 ± 5.94 years old, who participated in the Health Survey of São Paulo, Brazil. Their total energy expenditure (TEE) was measured by doubly labelled water technique. BMI was classified according to Pan-American Health Organization and individuals categorized as being or not being overweight/obese. Energy intake (EI) was assessed with two 24-hours dietary recall. Ratio of EI:TEE was used to identify misreporting considering 95% confidence intervals. Chi-Square and t test were used considering 5% of significance level. Sixty percent were classified as under-reporters, 30% as plausible reporters, and 10% as over-reporter. Over-reports were excluded from analysis. Overweight and obesity were higher in under-reporters compared to plausible reporters (75% and 25%). Fifty-eight percent of under-reporters were dissatisfied with their weight. Although weight status was associated with weight satisfaction (p < 0.01), no significant difference was found for BMI (p = 0.76) comparing to plausible and under-reporters. Weight satisfaction was not associated with energy misreporting (p = 0.64). Even though these factors may be related to underreporting in adults, this association was not found among older adults. Results showed the importance of further studies to explore factors that might interfere in underreporting in this population.

Body Adiposity Index (BAI) is the method of determining body fat content based on anthropometric measurements, proposed as an alternative to the BMI. Due to the fact that the hip circumference is taken into account in calculating BAI, it is suggested that this index better reflects the differences in women and men obesity than BMI. The aim of this study was to examine the association between BAI and other adiposity indices such as WHtR (Waist to Height Ratio), Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC), sum of skinfolds, or adiposity tissue measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (FM-BIA) among adults, independence of sex and age. The study group consisted of 336 adults (59% women, 41% men) aged 18–70 years, which was divided into two groups: 18–45 years (57%) and > 45 (43%) to further analysis. All anthropometric measurements: height (H), body weight (BW), WC, hip circumference (HC) skinfolds thickness were taken according to the standardized procedures, with light clothing and without shoes twice and averages were calculated. BIA was performed under standardized conditions according to the manufacturer's protocol (Maltron BioScan 920 ver.1.1). BAI was calculated as [HC (cm) / H (m)1.5 -18]. Linear regression was used to investigate the relationship between BAI and adiposity indices. BAI was positively associated with sex, age, BW, WC, FM-BIA, BMI, sum of 4 or 5 skinfolds and WHtR for all subjects, but the strongest with FM-BIA (β = 0.787, p < 0.001), BMI (β = 0.696, p < 0.001) or WHtR (β = 0.625, p < 0.00001) for total group. BAI correlation with BW, WC, FM-BIA, BMI or WHtR were stronger in women than in men, both for the total group and regards to age. The identified set of correlates explained (for above variables) 30–79%, of the total variation in BAI for women, and 15–49% for men. The stronger BAI correlation with sex was found in the older group (> 45 years old) than in younger (β = 0.582, p < 0.00001 vs. β = 0.372, p < 0.00001). In men aged > 45 years, stronger BAI correlations with the sum of 4 or 5 skinfolds were observed. The correlation between BAI and BW in men was weaker than in women regardless of age (β = 0.364, p < 0.00001 vs. β = 0.762, p < 0.00001). Considering strong correlation between BAI and fat content (FM-BIA), BMI, WHtR, WC and BW in women, it seems that BAI may be used to determine the content of adipose tissue or as a diagnostic marker, but in men its using need further research.

Greater consumption of oily fish, and elevated plasma levels of the long-chain marine-derived omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), have been strongly and consistently associated with a reduced incidence of heart attacks, strokes, cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease and cancers. Despite international guidelines recommending eating oily fish at least once per week (> 250mg/day DHA and EPA), many people do not eat fish, and only a small minority of the world's population have optimal omega-3-PUFA plasma and tissue levels. Hence, in this project, we studied the bioavailability and blood pressure lowering effects of recently developed alternatives to oily fish, namely chicken-meat and eggs naturally enriched with algae-sourced omega-3-PUFAs.

This was a double-blinded, controlled, randomised trial. Using a 2X2 factorial design, 161 healthy participants were randomized to eat at least 3 portions/week of omega-3-PUFA enriched (or control) chicken-meat, and to eat at least 3 omega-3-PUFA enriched (or control) eggs/week, for 6 months.

Compared to control foods, eating enriched eggs, enriched chicken-meat and the combination for 6 months, resulted in plasma EPA increments (μg/g) of 3.1[2.8], 8.8[2.9]* & 4.7[2.9], plasma DHA increments (μg/g) of 5.1[3.7], 9.3[3.8]* & 13.1[3.9]*, and omega-3-index (sum of EPA + DHA as a percentage of total fatty acids in erythrocytes, %) increments of 0.9[0.3]*, 0.7[0.4]* & 1.5[0.4]*, respectively. Mean 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (systolic/diastolic, mmHg) declined with the enriched foods 0.3[1.3]/-0.2[1.0], -0.7[1.4]/-1.4[1.0], & -1.9[1.4]/-2.9[1.0]*, respectively. Data provided as mean difference[SEM], and * denotes p < 0.05.

Regular consumption of omega-3-PUFA enriched chicken-meat and eggs resulted in statistically significant and clinically relevant increases in plasma and red cell levels of DHA and EPA. Both plasma and red cell bioavailability were similar to those previously described for oily fish. Furthermore, blood pressure, an important biomarker of cardiovascular health, decreased in those eating the omega-3-PUFA enriched foods. Omega-3-PUFA enriched chicken-meat and eggs offers consumers an attractive additional alternative to eating oily fish. Unlike many lifestyle interventions, long-term large population health benefits are not dependent on willingness of people to make long-lasting dietary changes, but on the widespread availability of a range of inexpensive, commonly eaten, naturally enriched foods.

Intuitive eating is an intrinsic ability to moderate the amount and type of food, promoting a healthy diet and self-regulation of one's own weight. Different instruments (IES-H, IES-T, IES-2) have been developed to assess intuitive eating between different population groups from different countries. The construct validity and invariance of the 23-item Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2) has been widely validated by Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Exploratory Factor Analysis. However, these Classical Test Theory (CTT) methods have not always confirmed the same 4-factor structure.

Rasch analysis, a Modern Test Theory method (MTT), has been used as an alternative approach to examine the psychometric properties of various health and medical instrument (HADS, KIDSCREEN-52, LANSS, MHRM). One significant difference between CTT and MT is the method of calculating a composite score. A CTT total sore is based on the summation of raw categorical scores, whereas these raw categorical scores are converted to interval-scaled measures into a Rasch composite score.

Data was collected from 625 respondents was fitted to the Rasch Rating Scale Model. The data fitted the model adequately, as less than 5% and 1% of absolute standardised residuals were found to be ≥ 2 and ≥ 3, respectively. A Principle Component Analysis of Rasch residuals (PCAR) was used to determine the unidimensionality of the IES-2 and its subscales, after checking and adjusting for lack of item fit and proper rating scale functioning. PCAR indicated that all 23 items could not function as a single total unidimensional Rasch measure. However, the same item structure for the 4 subscales, originally proposed by Tylka and Kroon Van Diest, was confirmed by PCAR. The relationship between the respondents and the IES-2 items in each subscale could be explained using a Wright map, allowing both to be represented on the same logit scale.

Statistical different levels of intuitive eating were determined for each subscale from a table representing the relationship between the lowest and highest possible raw scores and their Rasch measures. Wright maps showed the position of respondents between cut-off lines indicating different statistical levels along each unidimensional subscale of intuitive eating. The majority of respondents were classified into 2 out of 4 levels in the subscale Unconditional Permission to Eat, 3 out of 5 levels in Eating for Physical Rather Than Emotional Reasons, 3 out of 5 levels in Reliance on Internal Hunger and Satiety Cues and 2 out of 4 levels in Body-Food Choice Congruence.

Recently, popularity of minimally processed potatoes (MPP) is growing as well as other minimally processed fruits and vegetables, due to its convenience and easy preparation, what consumers nowadays prefer. However, these types of products are very perishable, influenced by a number of factors, particularly cultivar and tuber condition. Potato is suitable for a long storage, but certain changes occur in its chemical composition during storage. These changes, among other factors, greatly depend upon cultivar, as well as storage conditions, and consequently affect on MPP durability and quality. Besides, MPP is subjected to heat treatment before consumption, where raw potatoes chemical composition and the way of heat treatment affect the chemical composition of the prepared potato dish. Potato sweetening is known phenomenon that occurs during storage, what negatively affect on health safety of fried potato.

Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of cultivar and tubers storage time, as well as MPP storage time and heat treatment on the sugar content in raw, boiled and fried potatoes.

Potato cultivars Birgit and Lady Claire used in this study were stored for 1 and 4 months in warehouse (8 °C /RH 95 %). MPP was produced by washing, peeling, slicing followed by anti-browning treatment (dipping in 2 % sodium ascorbate solution/3 min), draining and vacuum packing in PE/PA bags. After 1st, 5th and 8th day of storage at 10 °C, MPP were boiled and fried. All samples, including raw MPP, were freeze dried and sugar content was determined by UPLC MS/MS.

Most abundant sugar was sucrose, followed by glucose and fructose, where cv. Birgit contained slightly higher values of all sugars compared to cv. Lady Claire. Initial sugar content of both cultivars was very low. However, during tuber aging, as well as during MPP storage time, content of individual sugars increased in most of samples, with slightly higher increase in cv. Birgit raw samples. Furthermore, heat treatment affects on sugar composition, since glucose and fructose are generally reduced in boiled and fried potatoes with certain differences depending on the cultivar. Total sugar content of cv. Birgit MPP mostly increased during storage, regardless tuber age and the way of heat treatment, while in cv. Lady Claire samples opposite trend with few exceptions was observed. Generally, cv. Lady Claire has lower and slightly more stable sugar content upon tuber aging, MPP storage time and heat treatment.

There are currently 318,000 health mobile applications (apps) available via the major app stores, with new apps appearing at a rate of approximately 200 per day. Pregnancy represents the largest sub-type within the health-related app market, providing a key route via which women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy can obtain health information, and a cost and time efficient alternative to traditional face-to-face healthcare interactions. However the content of these applications, and therefore their ability to facilitate appropriate and safe behaviour change, is largely unmonitored and unregulated. This study aimed to objectively review the availability, affiliation and nutritional content of pregnancy apps, and specifically their adherence to current NICE guidance for optimal nutrition during pregnancy (promotion of Vitamin D and folic acid supplementation, promotion of breastfeeding). Apps (n = 68) were retrieved from Googleplay and the Appstore using a keyword search. After exclusions (n = 39, non-English, focused on pre- or post-pregnancy, not free to access, non-functional), 29 apps were evaluated using the previously developed Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS). The original tool was modified to include additional sub-scales to assess the nutritional content of the apps and to rate their privacy settings. A higher score for each sub scale and for the MARS score overall represents a higher quality application. Median nutrition sub-scale score (out of 5) for all apps was 3 (25%: 2, 75%: 4.5) with folic acid requirements most likely to be covered and breastfeeding least. Over one third of the apps reviewed (38%) achieved a nutrition score ≥ 4 and 14% (n = 4) scored 5 out of 5. Nutrition score was significantly associated with overall MARS score (r = 0.615, p < 0.01). Total MARS score (out of 5; median 3 (3, 4)) was not associated with platform (android or apple), app rating or affiliation (e.g. Commercial, Government, NGO or academic institution), though sample size was reduced for these secondary variables. Free to access English language mobile phone applications targeted at pregnant women provide a variable quantity and quality of nutrition information. Those adhering more closely to current NICE guidelines for optimal diet in pregnancy are also more likely to be rated higher across other quality domains, however user rating does not predict information quality. This work will be used to direct interventions to improve e-health literacy amongst vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and to design more appropriate applications which are able to more effectively combine usability and acceptability with a robust evidence base.