53 research outputs found
Food behaviours of Italian consumers at risk of poverty
No full textPurpose
– At a European level, Italy experiences one of the highest percentages of population at risk of poverty (AROP). However, studies on this consumer segment are scarce. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the food behaviours of Italian female consumers, distinguishing similarities and differences due to age and level of income.
Design/methodology/approach
– The investigation adopted an inductive approach in order to analyse and confirm the determinants of food behaviours. Data were collected through four focus groups. Data elaboration included content analyses with term frequency – inverse document frequency index and multidimensional scaling technique.
Findings
– The food behaviours of Italian female consumers are based on a common set of semantic categories and theoretical dimensions that are coherent with those applied by previous studies. The age of consumers impacts the relevance attributed to the categories and income contributes to the explanation of the conceptual relations among the categories that determine food behaviours. The approach to food of younger and mature consumers AROP is strongly driven by constraints such as price and time. The study did not confirm a link between a poor health attitude and low socio-economic status.
Research limitations/implications
– The outcomes achieved can be strengthened by quantitative analyses to characterise the relations occurring among the factors and dimensions that influence the food behaviours of consumers AROP.
Originality/value
– The study increases knowledge about Italian female consumers and provides an initial contribution to the analysis of the food behaviour of the population AROP
Women's Income and healthy eating perception
No full textPurpose - The purpose of the chapter is to explore the relation between women's healthy eating intention and food attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and barriers with a focus on the effect of women's income differences. Methodology/approach - The research applies the Theory of Planned Behavior, including attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived barriers, and ability opportunity resources. Close-ended survey responses of 704 women between ages 25 and 65 years, affluent and at-risk-of-poverty women in three EU-member countries were analyzed. Findings - Women are mostly positively inclined towards healthy eating, and income does not differentiate women's inclination. Influencing factors are perceived behavioral control, attitudes towards healthy eating, subjective norms, and level of knowledge regarding healthy food. Barriers, when present, are similar for lower or higher income women and relate to routinized family habits and food affordability and availability. Research limitations/implications - Future research should thoroughly investigate family network and structure features, with a focus on family food preferences and habits. Social and practical implications - Encouraging women's healthy behavior also impacts children and men, and vice-versa. There is need to target all family components with enjoyable, self-rewarding, emotionally gratifying, and pleasant tasting food. Originality/value - Income is an overestimated driver in healthy food choices. Women are strongly influenced by personal and environmental factors, mainly personal control, feelings, and family habits
Offering Low-Cost Healthy Food: an Exploration of Food Manufacturers’ and Retailers’ Perspectives
No full textThis study investigates food manufacturers and retailers attitudes concerning offering healthy and low-cost food to consumers. Results show that the main barriers are: price perception, costs of production, easy accessibility of unhealthy food, and lack of supporting public policy. Solutions include consumers’ heightened awareness and knowledge, affordability, better food chain coordination, positioning strategy, and healthy food campaigns. Bigger food manufacturers and retailers, although cautious, are more capable than smaller size enterprises in implementing relevant investment strategies. All food system actors, from agribusinesses to consumers and policymakers, need to play a role in furthering the initiative
Targeting Consumers at-Risk-of-Poverty: Investigation on Food Chain Actors
No full textPopulation at-risk-of-poverty (ROP) is increasing at European level. Considering the attention posed by policymakers and academics on income inequalities as a key determinant for low or inadequate healthy food consumption, the objective of the paper is to explore food manufacturers’ and retailers’ interest in ROP consumers as target segment for commercialising healthy food. The research adopted an exploratory approach, with interviews carried out with representatives of food industries and retailers located in four European countries. The results suggest that food chain actors have a limited interest in ROP consumers and difficulties in the design and production of healthy food for ROP consumers. The interest in ROP consumers could rise only if supported by a higher awareness on this segment of consumers and by stronger food chain cooperation.
La population exposée au risque de pauvreté (ERDP) est en train d’augmenter en Europe. Compte tenu de l’attention accordée par les politiques et les chercheurs à l’inégalité de revenus comme déterminant d’une consommation alimentaire pauvre ou inadéquate, cette étude a pour objectif d’analyser l’intérêt des producteurs et de la distribution alimentaire pour la population ERDP en tant que groupe cible dans la commercialisation d’aliments sains. En s’appuyant sur une approche exploratoire, des interviews ont été effectuées auprès des représentants des industries et de la distribution alimentaire. Les résultats suggèrent que les acteurs de la chaîne alimentaire ont un intérêt limité pour les consommateurs ERDP et qu’il existe des difficultés dans la conception et l’élaboration d’une nourriture de bonne qualité pour les consommateurs ERDP. L’intérêt pour les groupes ERDP pourrait augmenter à condition qu’on comprenne l’importance de ce groupe cible et qu’on renforce la coopération tout au long de la chaîne alimentair
Gli alimenti salutari per i consumatori a rischio povertà. L'industria e la distribuzione sono interessate?
No full textL'obiettivo del paper è indagare l’interesse dell’industria e della grande distribuzione alimentari verso i consumatori a rischio povertà, quale segmento target di consumatori per la produzione e commercializzazione di alimenti salutari. La ricerca, di tipo qualitativo, è stata realizzata attraverso interviste dirette con rappresentanti di 49 imprese che operano nella produzione e distribuzione di alimenti in quattro paesi: Finlandia, Italia, Lituania e Serbia. I risultati emersi mostrano come, nonostante la notevole dimensione assoluta e il trend numericamente crescente di consumatori a rischio povertà, l’industria e la distribuzione manifestano scarse aspettative nei confronti dei consumatori Rop in generale, ed ancor meno quale segmento target per la produzione e commercializzazione di alimenti salutari
A comparison of metabolic syndrome clinical and laboratory parameters in patients groups with kidney stone disease and different chemical stones composition.
No full textThe goal of this study was to use modern Fourier infrared spectroscopy to analyze the chemical kidney stones composition in patients with metabolic syndrome and to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome and kidney stone disease. The study included 34 patients. Metabolic syndrome was defined to the criteria of the AHA/NHLB (American Heart Association/ National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute). Subjects satisfying 3 or more of the following criteria were defined as having metabolic syndrome: central obesity with a waist circumference >102 cm for males; triglyceride ≥1,7 mmol/l; high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ≤0,9 mmol/l for males; blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg, and fasting glucose ≥5,6 mmol/l. The weight, height, waist circumference, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure of patients were measured. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as body weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of height (in meters). The patients were classified as having normal weight, when BMI≤25, overweight, when 2530. Biochemical blood and urine tests were performed. Concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, glucose, parathormone, uric acid in blood, urinary calcium, uric acid, and pH were analyzed. The compositions of the stones were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Differences between groups were tested for significance using t-test (independent samples). The χ2 test was used to compare prevalences. Pearson’s correlation was used to examine the relationship between variables. P<0,05 was considered to be statistically significant. The metabolic syndrome has been diagnosed in 25 (75%) individuals. We found that the most common form of kidney stones was calcium oxalate (41%), uric acid stones (26%) was the second most common form, and the third most common form was calcium oxalate with apatite (24%). Struvite accounted for 6% of all stones. Calcium oxalate with brushite accounted for 3%. A significant relationship was found between metabolic syndrome and uric acid nephrolithiasis. The waist circumference of patients with uric acid nephrolithiasis was significantly higher than that of patients with calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis. Statistically significant negative correlation was found between HDL cholesterol level and serum uric acid, and positive correlation was found between BMI and triglyceride level and serum uric acid
Molecular adaptations to exercise: the dual role of Irisin and BDNF in metabolic and respiratory health /
No full textThe influence of segmental muscle mass on BDNF response to acute exercise of varying intensities /
No full text
The analysis of laboratory indices of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus at klaipėda university hospital.
No full textSUMMARY THE ANALYSIS OF LABORATORY INDICES OF TYPE I AND TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS AT KLAIPEDA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL Epidemiological studies suggest that number of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing. Therefore, special attention is given to studies necessary to improve the diagnosis of DM and effective control of the disease. The aim: to analyse the peculiarities of laboratory indices of patients with type 1 and 2 DM. In order to reach this, the following goals were presented: to determine and evaluate type 1 and 2 DM’s dependency on patient’s age and sex; to assess the concentrations of glucose, glycosylated heamoglobin, creatinine, C-peptide in patient groups with type 1 and 2 DM and importance of laboratory indices for diagnosis of type 1 and 2 DM. Material and methods: 452 patients with I and II type MD were examined and hospitalized at Klaipeda University Hospital. Glucose concentration was determined by amperometric method, glycosylated heamoglobin (HbA1c) test was conducted by chromatographic method, C-peptide test was conducted by chemiluminescent immunometric method, creatinine test was conducted by immunoassay method. The results: 22.8 % of patients have type 1 DM, and 77.2 % - type 2. According to the statistically significant positive relationship, type 1 is more common among younger, and type 2 DM is more common among older patients. The statistically significant positive relationship between DM and the patient’s sex was determined: statistically, type 1 DM is more significant for men, and type 2– for women. Having evaluated the biochemical blood indices of patients with type 1 DM, a statistically significant negative relationship between the age and HBA1c in patients with type 1 DM was estimated. Statistically significant positive relationship was found between the age of patients with type 1 MD and creatinine concentration, between creatinine and C-peptide concentrations and between glucose concentration and HBA1c. Statistically significant positive relationship between creatinine concentration and the patients’ age with type 2 DM were determined. The relationships between C-peptide and creatinine, between C-peptide and glucose; between glucose and HBA1c; between HBA1c and sex of the patient in type 2 DM group was also statistically significant and positive. Conclusions and recommendations: it was determined that the blood glucose concentration test is the earliest and the most informative index for diagnosis of type 1 and 2 DM. Since the price of this research in comparison with the price of glycosylated heamoglobin concentration test is much lower, blood glucose concentration test is recommended as the most appropriate test for prevention of diabetes mellitus and its current control
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