Food insecurity is a persistent public health concern; however, few studies have examined the factors related to food insecurity among college students, particularly college freshmen living in dormitories. Objective. Our aim was to examine the prevalence of food insecurity and associations with health outcomes among college freshmen. Design. A diverse sample of freshmen (n=209) attending a large southwestern university and living in campus residence halls completed online surveys. Anthropometrics were measured by trained staff. Statistical analyses. Using mixed logistic regression, associations were examined between food insecurity and health outcomes, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and clustering of students within residence halls. Results. Food insecurity was prevalent, with 32% reporting inconsistent access to food in the past month and 37% in the past 3 months. Food-insecure freshmen had higher odds of depression (odds ratio=2.97; 95% CI 1.58 to 5.60) compared to food-secure students. Food-insecure freshmen had significantly lower odds of eating breakfast, consuming home-cooked meals, perceiving their off-campus eating habits to be healthy, and receiving food from parents (P<0.05). Conclusions. Interventions are needed to support students struggling with food insecurity, as it is related to health outcomes.

Background. An adequate vitamin intake is essential for a good nutritional status, especially in older women, who are more sensitive to nutritional deficiencies. The American, European and Italian Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) derive mainly from studies on adults, and it is not clear whether they also apply to elderly people. Comparing the RDAs with the actual vitamin intake of a group of healthy older women could help to clarify the real needs of elderly people. Objective. Our aim was to compare the American, European, and Italian RDAs with the actual vitamin intake of a group of healthy older women. Design. This was a cross-sectional study. Participants. The study included 286 healthy women aged older than 65 years. Main outcome measures. For each micronutrient, the 50th percentile of the distribution of its intake was considered as the average requirement, and the corresponding calculated RDA for our sample was the average requirement×1.2, as recommended by the US Food and Nutrition Board. This calculated RDA was then compared with the American, European, and Italian RDAs. Statistical analyses performed. Student’s t test or the Mann-Whitney test (after checking the normal distribution of the micronutrient) for continuous variables; the χ2 test for categorical variables. Results. The calculated RDA were 2,230 μg retinol equivalents for vitamin A, 2.8 μg for vitamin B-12, 0.9 mg for thiamin, 1.4 mg for riboflavin, 3.6 mg for pantothenic acid, 1.4 mg for vitamin B-6, 320 μg for folic acid, and 115 mg for vitamin C. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that the current RDAs are adequate for older women’s intake of riboflavin, vitamin B-6, and folic acid, but should be raised for vitamin B-12 and for vitamin C.

In 2012, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy) introduced their Future of Food Initiative. This initiative aims to address domestic and global food and nutrition security, as well as consumers’ interest in a safe and healthy food supply, through education, communication, and research. This initiative has provided the Academy with opportunities for collaboration with other organizations concerned about food security, including Feeding America (FA), a leading domestic hunger relief organization supporting a network of over 200 food banks, annually serving 46.5 million people facing food insecurity.

A conceptual model illustrating the use of mindful eating for health promotion and sustainability.6 Mindful eating is the practice to enjoy food with understanding and compassion, by developing awareness of relationships between food and our body, our feelings, our mind, and the interconnectedness of all that is around us. The practice at individual and collective levels will help maintain our personal health and the health of our planet. Mindfulness involves being fully present from moment to moment, with full awareness of one’s own emotional state and physical condition, as well as one’s surroundings.1-4 Mindfulness practice has been increasingly incorporated into the treatment of chronic diseases.4 Promising results have been observed in the management of depression, stress, physical function, quality of life, and chronic pain.4,5 Mindful eating generally refers to the application of mindfulness techniques to eating, which involves nonjudgmental awareness of internal and external cues influencing the desire to eat, food choice, quantity of consumption, and the manner in which food is consumed.

The Child Food and Beverage Intake Questionnaire was developed for use in periodic phone surveys conducted with low-income families with preschool-aged children. Seventy primary caregivers of 2- to 4-year-old children completed two Child Food and Beverage Intake Questionnaires within a 2-week period for test−retest reliability. Participants also completed three 24-hour recalls to allow assessment of validity. Intraclass correlations were used to examine test−retest reliability. Spearman rank correlation coefficients, Bland−Altman plots, and linear regression analyses were used to examine validity of the Child Food and Beverage Intake Questionnaire compared with three 24-hour recalls. Results. Intraclass correlations between Child Food and Beverage Intake Questionnaire administrations ranged from 0.48 for sweetened drinks to 0.87 for regular sodas. Intraclass correlations for fruits, vegetables, and sweetened food were 0.56, 0.49, and 0.56, respectively. Spearman rank correlation coefficients ranged from 0.15 to 0.59 for beverages, with 0.46 for sugar-sweetened beverages. Spearman rank correlation coefficients for fruits, vegetables, and sweetened food were 0.30, 0.33, and 0.30, respectively. Although observation of the Bland−Altman plots and linear regression analyses showed a slight upward trend in mean differences, with increasing mean intake for five beverage groups, at least 90% of data plots fell within the limits of agreement for all food/beverage groups. Conclusions. The Child Food and Beverage Intake Questionnaire exhibited fair to substantial test−retest reliability and moderate to strong validity in ranking fruits, vegetables, sweetened food, and the majority of beverages consumed by children aged 2 to 4 years old. Although the Child Food and Beverage Intake Questionnaire might not be able to assess the absolute intake of foods and beverages, given the scarcity of an easily administered, valid, and reliable questionnaire to assess nutritional intake among 2- to 4-year-old low-income children, this tool is a useful means for measuring trends in dietary intake among low-income preschoolers.