Background: This study aimed to develop and validate the Food and Nutrition Literacy Questionnaire for Chinese School-age Children (FNLQ-SC).Methods: A comprehensive literature review and qualitative study were initially performed to identify the dimensions and core components of food and nutrition literacy. A cross-sectional survey of 4359 school-age children was conducted, and junior middle school students were used to analyze the reliability and validity of the questionnaire (n = 2452). The reliability of the questionnaire was determined by internal consistency, the construct validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the content validity was assessed by the Pearson correlation coefficient.Results: From the literature review and qualitative methods, 19 core components of the FNLQ-SC were developed, including one dimension of food and nutrition knowledge and understanding, and four skill dimensions (ability of access, selection, preparing food and healthy eating). The overall FNLQ-SC questionnaire had acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.698). The EFA of skill components extracted 5 factors that were included in the conceptual framework in a slightly different model, and the cumulative contribution of variance accounted for 50.60% of the overall variance. The CFA of skill components showed an acceptable fit in general and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) was 0.070 (between 0.50 to 0.80). The communality was greater than 0.20 for all components. The Pearson correlation coefficients between each dimension and the overall questionnaire ranged from 0.370 to 0.877. The average FNLQ-SC score of all 4395 participants was 61.91 ± 9.22, and the score for the knowledge and understanding dimension was higher than that for the skill dimensions. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that not only social demographic characteristics (being a girl, being an only child, living someplace other than at school, having an urban registered permanent residence status, being from an affluent family, and being cared for by parents/grandparents with a higher education level) but also the home food environment were predictors of food and nutrition literacy in school-age children (R²= 0.226,F= 81.401,P<0.05).Conclusion: The Food and Nutrition Literacy Questionnaire (FNLQ-SC) developed here had good reliability, and it can potentially be a useful instrument for assessing food and nutrition literacy among Chinese school-age children.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to identify the relationship between diabetes status including characteristics of diabetes and cognition among the middle-aged and elderly population (≥45 years) in China. Methods: A sample of 8535 people who participated in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) from June 2011 to March 2012 was analyzed. Two cognitive domains including episodic memory and executive function were measured through questionnaires. People were classified into four groups: no diabetes, controlled diabetes, untreated diabetes, treated but uncontrolled diabetes. Weighted multiple regression model was conducted to explore the association between diabetes and cognition in full sample as well as three different age groups (45–59, 60–74, ≥75). Adjustments were made for demographics and cardiovascular risk factors. Results: After adjusting several covariates, untreated diabetes (β = −0.192, p < 0.05) was significantly associated with episodic memory. In the age group of 45–69 years, untreated diabetes (β = −0.471, p < 0.05) and HbA1c level (β = −0.074, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with episodic memory. When adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, all correlations were non-significant. Conclusion: The cross-sectional study suggests that untreated diabetes and HbA1c are the potential risk factor for cognitive impairment, and these associations are more significant in the age group of 45–59 years old. Cardiovascular factors are important mediating factors in the pathway between diabetes and cognitive impairment. More longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these associations.

The purpose of this study aimed to develop and validate the Food and Nutrition Literacy Questionnaire for Chinese adults (FNLQ). The dimensions and core components of Food and Nutrition Literacy were constructed though literature review and qualitative consensus study. A cross-sectional survey of 8510 participants was conducted. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined by internal consistency, the construct validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the content validity was assessed by the Pearson correlation coefficient. From the literature review and qualitative methods, 20 core components and 50 questions of the FNLQ were developed, including 1 dimension of knowledge and 3 practice dimensions (ability of selection, preparing food and eating). The overall FNLQ questionnaire had good reliability and validity (Cronbach’s α = 0.893, χ2/DF = 4.750, RMSEA = 0.048, GFI = 0.891 and AGFI = 0.876). The average FNLQ score of all participants was (64.08 ± 12.77), and the score for the knowledge and understanding dimension was higher than that for the practice dimensions. In addition, 80 was set as the nutritional literacy threshold, and only 12.2% met this threshold in this survey. Sociodemographic and health status characteristics were predictors of FNLQ (R² = 0.287, F = 244.132, p < 0.01). In conclusion, the FNLQ built in this study had good validity and reliability. It could be considered as a reliable tool to assess Food and Nutrition Literacy of Chinese adults.

Nowadays, developing effective intervention substances for hyperuricemia has become a public health issue. Herein, the therapeutic ability of anserine, a bioactive peptide, was validated through a comprehensive multiomics analysis of a rat model of hyperuricemia. Anserine was observed to improve liver and kidney function and modulate urate-related transporter expressions in the kidneys. Urine metabolomics showed that 15 and 9 metabolites were significantly increased and decreased, respectively, in hyperuricemic rats after the anserine intervention. Key metabolites such as fructose, xylose, methionine, erythronic acid, glucaric acid, pipecolic acid and trans-ferulic acid were associated with ameliorating kidney injury. Additionally, anserine regularly changed the gut microbiota, thereby ameliorating purine metabolism abnormalities and alleviating inflammatory responses. The integrated multiomics analysis indicated that Saccharomyces, Parasutterella excrementihominis and Emergencia timonensis were strongly associated with key differential metabolites. Therefore, we propose that anserine improved hyperuricemia via the gut–kidney axis, highlighting its potential in preventing and treating hyperuricemia.

Family is the most fundamental and proximal context for children, and children’s eating behavior occurs mostly in the home or together with family members. With this study, we aimed to evaluate the distribution of family food environment dimensions and their relationship with healthy and unhealthy food consumption in primary and secondary students in order to provide evidence in the Chinese context and explore environmental solutions for improved child nutrition. Multi-stage stratified cluster sampling was used to conduct a cross-sectional survey among students in Beijing, China, from September 2020 to June 2021. Family food environment (FFE) was measured by the validated Family Food Environment Questionnaire for Chinese School-age Children, which was self-administered by the children’s caregivers. The students were asked to answer questions about food consumption frequencies in the past 7 days. Binary logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationships between food consumption frequency and FFE, and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed for independent variables. Among the study population, 9686 students in grades 3–12 and their caregivers completed the survey. The mean score of FFE was 65.7 (±8.4) out of a total possible score of 100, with 76.6% of students categorized as relatively healthier according to their FFE score (≥ 60). Compared with the reference group, students in primary schools and those cared for principally by parents were more likely to be in a healthy FFE category (p < 0.05). Daily consumption of fruits and vegetables was reported by 62.6% and 71.6% of students, respectively, and weekly sugared soft drink consumption was reported by 70.9% of the students. Students with a healthier FFE score (≥60) were more likely to consume fruits (OR = 1.578, 95% CI: 1.428~1.744) and vegetables (OR = 1.402, 95% CI: 1.263~1.556) but less likely to consume sugared soft drinks (OR = 0.592, 95% CI: 0.526~0.667). Family food availability (β = 0.137), caregivers’ nutritional literacy (β = 0.093), meal practices (β = 0.079) and food rules (β = 0.050) were positively correlated with food consumption behavior (p < 0.05). The students with healthier FFE scores (OR = 1.130, 95% CI: 1.014~1.258) and whose caregiver was obese (OR = 2.278, 95% CI: 1.973~2.631) were more likely to be overweight. The family food environment plays an important role in shaping food consumption in children. Provision of healthy foods instead of unhealthy foods, positive meal practices and food rules, and nutrition education for parents can promote healthy eating in children.

Maternal feeding anxiety (FA) was prevalent during puerperium and might affect infant feeding practices. This study was aimed to investigate the FA status in Chinese postpartum women and its relationship with infant feeding practices (FPs). Participants were from the Mother-Infant Cohort Study of China, in which the dietary and feeding practices, physical and psychiatric health for both mothers and infants were followed up from childbirth to next 2 years. In this study the maternal feeding anxiety (FA) status at 0–3 months postpartum was assessed by Li’s Self-rating Feeding Anxiety Scale (SFAS). Infant feeding practices (FPs) at 0–3 months, including breastfeeding-related behaviors, responsive feeding and infant food refusal were investigated by self-designed questionnaire. In total 456 mothers the average feeding anxiety scores (FAS) was 41.02 ± 8.02 (mean ± SD), and maternal FA prevalence were 61.4% (FAS>38) with severe FA being 8.6% (FAS>52) at 0–3 months postpartum. The FAS was related with infant FPs, and lower maternal FAS was significantly related with infant colostrum feeding (40.86 ± 8.02 vs 44.74 ± 11.33, P < 0.05), but higher FAS was related with bottle feeding (41.95 ± 8.28 vs 39.69 ± 7.92, P < 0.05). The mothers with severe feeding anxiety (FAS > 53) were more likely to feed infants with bottle (ORs, 95%CI: 2.41, 1.11 ~ 5.19). There were not significant association between FAS and exclusive breastfeeding and responsive feeding practices (P > 0.05). The higher FAS was associated with infant food refusal behaviors, the maternal scores whose infant “never”, “rarely”, “sometimes” and “often” spat out food when feeding were 39.86 ± 8.02, 41.47 ± 8.18, 41.36 ± 7.44 and 42.14 ± 12.03 increasingly (P > 0.05), and the FA prevalence was significantly different among groups (P < 0.05). The infants whose mother was identified as feeding anxiety were more likely to refuse opening the mouth when feeding (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated maternal FAS was positively related to infant bottle feeding (βi = 2.487, P < 0.05) and outdoor sunshine exposure practice (βi = 1.787, P < 0.05), and negatively related to household income level (βi = − 0.118, P < 0.05). Maternal postpartum feeding anxiety was associated with some infant feeding practices, including bottle feeding and infant food refusal behaviors.