Comprehensive and psychometrically tested measures of availability and accessibility of food are needed in order to explore availability and accessibility as determinants and predictors of dietary behaviors. The main aim of this systematic review was to update the evidence regarding the psychometric properties of measures of food availability and accessibility among youth. A secondary objective was to assess how availability and accessibility were conceptualized in the included studies. A systematic literature search was conducted using Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Methodological studies published between January 2010 and March 2016 and reporting on at least one psychometric property of a measure of availability and/or accessibility of food among youth were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality. Existing criteria were used to interpret reliability and validity parameters. A total of 20 studies were included. While 16 studies included measures of food availability, three included measures of both availability and accessibility; one study included a measure of accessibility only. Different conceptualizations of availability and accessibility were used across the studies. The measures aimed at assessing availability and/or accessibility in the home environment (n = 11), the school (n = 4), stores (n = 3), childcare/early care and education services (n = 2) and restaurants (n = 1). Most studies followed systematic steps in the development of the measures. The most common psychometrics tested for these measures were test-retest reliability and criterion validity. The majority of the measures had satisfactory evidence of reliability and/or validity. None of the included studies assessed the responsiveness of the measures. The review identified several measures of food availability or accessibility among youth with satisfactory evidence of reliability and/or validity. Findings indicate a need for more studies including measures of accessibility and addressing its conceptualization. More testing of some of the identified measures in different population groups is also warranted, as is the development of more measures of food availability and accessibility in the broader environment such as the neighborhood food environment.

Despite the lack of consensus regarding which life satisfaction domains should be included in the study of children’s subjective well-being (SWB), some domains are frequently considered, such as sa...

This study aims to test subjective indicators designed to analyze children’s predisposition towards food consumption, to assess their subjective well-being, and to explore the relationship between subjective well-being, predisposition towards food consumption and satisfaction with food. Gender differences are analyzed. It was conducted on 371 children aged 10 to 12 by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Results show that children’s motivations in relation to taste and health are relevant subjective indicators of their predisposition towards food consumption. They demonstrate a high subjective well-being, measured using Cummins and Lau’s adapted version of the Personal Well-Being Index–School Children (PWI-SC) (2005), overall life satisfaction (OLS) and satisfaction with various life domains (friends, family, sports, food and body). In order to analyze the relationship between the three aforementioned constructs, regression models were conducted. The interest children have in food, the importance they give to different reasons for eating, scores from the PWI-SC, OLS and satisfaction with various life domains were regressed on satisfaction with food. It was observed that OLS, health motivations, satisfaction with health from the PWI-SC and satisfaction with doing things away from home (also from the PWI-SC), contribute to explaining satisfaction with food. The results obtained suggest that the different indicators for children’s predisposition towards food consumption explored here and subjective well-being are relevant determinants of satisfaction with food. They also appear to reinforce the importance of exploring food satisfaction in any study aimed at analyzing the well-being of the 10 to 12 year-old population.

Despite growing evidence of the benefits of adequate intake of fruit and vegetables (F&V) and the recommendation to consume five servings daily, the adoption of these habits is poor among people with severe mental disorder (SMD). The main aim of the present study is to determine changes in the intake of F&V and motivation to do so among people with SMDs after participating in a food education programme. A community-based randomized controlled trial was conducted in Spain, with the intervention group (IG) participating in a food education programme based on the stages of change model to promote consumption of F&V and the control group (CG) receiving three informative sessions on basic healthy eating. The main outcomes were related to the intake of F&V and stages of change. Data collection was performed at baseline, post intervention, and 12-month follow-up. Seventy-four participants enrolled in the study and sixty completed the 12-month follow-up. An increase in motivation towards the intake of F&V was observed in the IG but not in the CG (McNemar’s test p = 0.016, p = 0.625). No significant difference was observed for the intake of fruit, vegetables, or F&V. Basing food education strategies on the stages of change model shows positive results, increasing the awareness and disposition of people with SMD towards the intake of F&V. More research is needed to identify the most appropriate eating intervention to increase the intake of F&V.

(1) Background: Pakistani women are among one of Catalonia’s most affected groups by obesity and cardiovascular disease. The design of health education strategies for them has become a compelling need. This paper aims to enlighten the elaboration and evaluation procedure of culturally and linguistically tailored nutrition education materials for Pakistani women participating in the PakCat Program, which aims to evaluate the efficacy of a nutrition education strategy allowing the participants to become ambassadors of healthy eating habits for their community. (2) Methods: In this Randomised Control Trial (RCT), 137 Pakistani women (70 from the intervention and 67 from the control group) took part. We conducted 10 sessions for the intervention group and 3 sessions for the control group in the form of small groups. The sessions were conducted in Urdu and Punjabi, and the material was translated into Urdu, Catalan, Spanish and English. For some sessions, we elaborated on new materials and for others, we adapted them from the existing nutrition material in aspects of language and culture. We evaluated the nutritional material from the observation carried out by the dietician who developed the sessions, participants’ feedback at the end of the sessions and a satisfaction questionnaire. (3) Results: We summarised the elaborated material in form of two multilingual nutritional guidelines about portion size and heart-healthy foods. We also registered several materials generated for the PakCat program such as an infographic about myths and beliefs related to food, a booklet to read and interpret the food labels, a recipe book for healthy snacks, and an infographic of 10 tips for healthy eating. We also organised a PhotoVoice exhibition of 70 healthy plates elaborated by the intervention group participants. The participants highly appreciated the material in terms of visualization, cultural and linguistic adequacy, and level of comprehension through all three evaluation methods. (4) Conclusions: The design of culturally and linguistically tailored nutrition education material for Pakistani women living in Catalonia is attainable and effective to meet their specific needs. The healthy dietary recommendation can be adapted to them preserving their traditional dietary pattern, and they acquire the confidence to start following a healthy diet.