Looking Ahead: Health Impact Assessment of Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling Schema as a Public Health Measure

This study aimed to describe the underlying process, used methods and major recommendations emerging from a comprehensive and prospective health impact assessment of the endorsement of a front-of-pack nutrition labelling (FOP-NL) system by the Portuguese health authorities. A mixed-methods approach was used to gather information on the impact of four FOP-NL schemes on consumers' selection of food products according to the perception of their nutritional quality, combining a systematic literature review, focus groups (FG), in-depth individual interviews, and an open-label crossover randomized controlled study. The relevance of FOP-NL as a public health promotion policy has emerged as a consensual idea among either FGs' participants (i.e., consumers and experts), or interviewed stakeholders. Although all of the evaluated FOP-NLs result better than no system on promoting the choice of the healthiest product, the effectiveness of easy-to-interpret FOP-NL among vulnerable groups raised concerns related to the need of integrating specific nutritional information to promote a better self-management of chronic diseases, and related to the level of literacy of consumers, which could impair the usage of FOP-NL. Educational campaigns addressing skills to use FOP-NL is recommended. Furthermore, a monitoring strategy should be considered to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of this policy in promoting healthier food choices, and in reducing diet-related non-communicable diseases burden

Treating latent TB in primary care: a survey of enablers and barriers among UK General Practitioners.

BACKGROUND: Treating latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is an important public health intervention. In the UK, LTBI treatment is delivered in secondary care. Treating LTBI in the community would move care closer to home and could increase uptake and treatment completion rates. However, healthcare providers' views about the feasibility of this in the UK are unknown. This is the first study to investigate perceived barriers and enablers to primary care-based LTBI treatment among UK general practitioners (GPs). METHODS: A national survey amongst 140 randomly sampled UK GPs practising in areas of high TB incidence was performed. GPs' experience and perceived confidence, barriers and enablers of primary care-based LTBI treatment were explored and multivariable logistic regression was used to determine whether these were associated with a GP's willingness to deliver LTBI treatment. RESULTS: One hundred and twelve (80 %) GPs responded. Ninety-three (83 %; 95 % CI 75 %-89 %) GPs said they would be willing to deliver LTBI treatment in primary care, if key perceived barriers were addressed during service development. The major perceived barriers to delivering primary care-based LTBI treatment were insufficient experience among GPs of screening and treating LTBI, lack of timely specialist support and lack of allied healthcare staff. In addition, GPs felt that appropriate resourcing was key to the successful and sustainable delivery of the service. GPs who reported previous experience of screening or treatment of patients with active or latent TB were almost ten times more likely to be willing to deliver LTBI treatment in primary care compared to GPs with no experience (OR: 9.98; 95 % CI 1.22-81.51). CONCLUSIONS: UK GPs support primary care-based LTBI treatment, provided they are given appropriate training, specialist support, staffing and financing

Contribuições da Embrapa para os 5 Ps: pessoas, prosperidade, planeta, parceria e paz.

bitstream/item/187700/1/Rossano-ODS-18-2-2018.pdfCapítulo 2

Are beliefs and attitudes about COVID-19 associated with self-perceived changes in food consumption? Results from a nationwide survey during lockdown

This study aimed to understand how beliefs and attitudes regarding COVID-19 are associated with self-perceived changes in food consumption during lockdown between March 19 and May 2, 2020. We conducted a crosssectional study with a non-probabilistic weighted sample of the Portuguese population. Data were collected using an online survey and telephone interviews. The association between agreement with sentences about food and COVID-19 and perceived changes in food consumption were assessed by multinomial logistic regression models. Overall, 5858 citizens were included, with a mean age of 38.2 (17.3) years. Exclusive agreement with the belief "SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted by food" (27.5%) was associated with decreased odds of perceived positive changes (e.g., increased consumption of fruit and vegetables). Agreement only with the attitudinal sentence "I started to consume foods that may protect against COVID-19" (11.9%) was associated with positive perceived consumption changes (e.g., increasing fruit and vegetables, and decreasing soft drinks and snacks). Cumulative agreement (with both sentences; 10.6%) was also associated with mostly positive food consumption changes. Specific beliefs and attitudes regarding COVID-19 and food are associated with self-perceived changes in food consumption. Longitudinal research is needed to understand how beliefs and/or attitudes about the role of food in infectious diseases act as determinants of eating behavior modification

K-isomers in Hf nuclei at and beyond the neutron-rich edge of {beta}-stability.

New high-K isomers are populated in {sup 180,181,182}Hf nuclei via inelastic excitation and transfer reactions, using pulsed {sup 238}U beams on Hf targets. The new data explore K-hindrances for different multipolarities and the role of residual spin-spin interactions for multi-quasiparticle (qp) configurations at the neutron-rich edge of the {beta}-stability line. The mapping of 4-qp K-isomers in the A {approx} 180 region is extended into neutron-rich territory

K-hindered decay of a six-quasiparticle isomer in 176 Hf

The structure and decay properties of high-K isomers in Hf176 have been studied using beam sweeping techniques and the Gammasphere multidetector array. A new ΔK=8 decay branch, from a Kπ=22⊃-, six-quasiparticle, isomeric (t1/2=43μs) state at 4864 ke