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Mr. Aleks Pepa
Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece

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0 Nutrition
0 dietary assessment
0 Nutrition and Public health
0 nutrition and health

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Journal article
Published: 24 December 2020 in Sustainability
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In 2016, the European Union set up the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) as its first structured food provision program to combat food insecurity. Computational analysis and a cross-sectional survey took place from January 2016 to June 2018 to calculate FEAD’s contribution to its beneficiaries’ diets and to collect beneficiary satisfaction data. Dairy, fresh meat, legumes, sugar, olive oil, and tomato concentrate were the most commonly procured items. The program’s contribution to vegetable, dairy, and grains intake was 3.4%, 6.1%, and 6.0%, respectively, as opposed to discretionary calories (12.2%) and fats/oils (24.5%). The program’s algorithm greatly favors (almost 3-fold) single-person applications, compared with applications with four or more people. Beneficiaries valued each food provision at 21.23 ± 23.4 euros, which, for 64.4% of them, translated to a high positive impact on the household budget. FEAD had a highly positive impact on feelings of anxiety and security, for 50.7% and 41.6% of its beneficiaries. Satisfaction with the foods provided was also high for ~70% of the beneficiaries. The program is met with high beneficiary satisfaction and is perceived as a substantial assistance. Increases in the amounts and variety of foods delivered, with a focus on fruit, vegetables, and fish, should be considered to further improve the program’s dietary impact.

ACS Style

Antonis Vlassopoulos; Konstantina Filippou; Aleks Pepa; Olga Malisova; Dimitra Xenaki; Maria Kapsokefalou. Healthy Diet Assistance for the Most Deprived in Post-Crisis Greece: An Evaluation of the State Food Provision Program. Sustainability 2020, 13, 99 .

AMA Style

Antonis Vlassopoulos, Konstantina Filippou, Aleks Pepa, Olga Malisova, Dimitra Xenaki, Maria Kapsokefalou. Healthy Diet Assistance for the Most Deprived in Post-Crisis Greece: An Evaluation of the State Food Provision Program. Sustainability. 2020; 13 (1):99.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonis Vlassopoulos; Konstantina Filippou; Aleks Pepa; Olga Malisova; Dimitra Xenaki; Maria Kapsokefalou. 2020. "Healthy Diet Assistance for the Most Deprived in Post-Crisis Greece: An Evaluation of the State Food Provision Program." Sustainability 13, no. 1: 99.

Preprint
Published: 18 November 2020
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Introduction In 2016 the European Union setup its first structured food provision program to combat food insecurity. We aimed to measure the program’s capacity in assisting its beneficiaries to achieve a healthy diet and measure their satisfaction. Methods A computational study was carried out to calculate daily food provision per person under the program for January 2016-December 2017. A cross sectional survey in 3942 beneficiaries took place in December 2017-June 2018 collecting anthropometric, sociodemographic and program satisfaction data. Descriptive statistics were performed and reported as relatively frequencies, mean ± standard deviation. Results Dairy, fresh meat, legumes, sugar, olive oil and tomato concentrate were the most commonly procured items. The program’s contribution to vegetable, dairy and cereal intake was the lowest (3.4%, 6.1%, 6.0% respectively) as opposed to free sugars (12.2%) and oils (24.5%). The program’s algorithm favors greatly (almost 3-fold) single person applications compared to 4+ persons applications. The monetary value was estimated at 21.23±23.4 euros/food provision, however 64.4% of beneficiaries reported a high positive impact on the household budget. 50.7% and 41.6% reported high positive impact on feelings of anxiety and security, respectively. ~70% of the beneficiaries were highly satisfied with the foods provided, with lower scores for quality and shelf-life (50.7% and 58.8% high respectively). Conclusions The program is met by high beneficiary satisfaction and is perceived as a substantial assistance. Increases in the amounts and variety of foods delivered, with a focus on fruit, vegetables and fish should be considered, to further improve the program’s dietary impact.

ACS Style

Antonis Vlassopoulos; Konstantina Filippou; Aleks Pepa; Olga Malisova; Dimitra Xenaki; Maria Kapsokefalou. Assisting Towards a Healthy Diet for the Most Deprived in Post-Crisis Greece: An Evaluation of the State Food Provision Program. 2020, 1 .

AMA Style

Antonis Vlassopoulos, Konstantina Filippou, Aleks Pepa, Olga Malisova, Dimitra Xenaki, Maria Kapsokefalou. Assisting Towards a Healthy Diet for the Most Deprived in Post-Crisis Greece: An Evaluation of the State Food Provision Program. . 2020; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonis Vlassopoulos; Konstantina Filippou; Aleks Pepa; Olga Malisova; Dimitra Xenaki; Maria Kapsokefalou. 2020. "Assisting Towards a Healthy Diet for the Most Deprived in Post-Crisis Greece: An Evaluation of the State Food Provision Program." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 22 June 2020 in Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism
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ACS Style

Ioanna Apostolaki; Aleks Pepa; Emmanuella Magriplis; Olga Malisova; Maria Kapsokefalou. Mediterranean diet adherence, social capital and health related quality of life in the older adults of Crete, Greece: The MINOA study. Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism 2020, 13, 149 -161.

AMA Style

Ioanna Apostolaki, Aleks Pepa, Emmanuella Magriplis, Olga Malisova, Maria Kapsokefalou. Mediterranean diet adherence, social capital and health related quality of life in the older adults of Crete, Greece: The MINOA study. Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2020; 13 (2):149-161.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ioanna Apostolaki; Aleks Pepa; Emmanuella Magriplis; Olga Malisova; Maria Kapsokefalou. 2020. "Mediterranean diet adherence, social capital and health related quality of life in the older adults of Crete, Greece: The MINOA study." Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism 13, no. 2: 149-161.

Journal article
Published: 02 December 2019 in Nutrients
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Food insecurity has risen by 40% in Europe’s post-economic crisis, linked to the economic turmoil and austerity. Despite the intensification of efforts to fight all forms of poverty, including the implementation of programs targeted to the most deprived, the study of individuals at risk of food insecurity has been largely neglected. This study aimed to map the nutritional habits and needs of the most deprived in Greece, one of the countries most affected by the economic crisis. Individuals classified as most deprived under the Fund for the European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) criteria (n = 499) from across Greece and an age matched control from the general population (n = 500) were interviewed between December 2017 and December 2019. Participants provided information about demographic characteristics, and self-reported anthropometric measures and nutritional intake of the past month via a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Protein and energy malnutrition were defined as daily intake 25: 68.4% versus 55.1%; p < 0.001). The diet of FEAD recipients included higher amounts of carbohydrates, lower amounts of monounsaturated fat (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fat (PUFA; p < 0.001 compared to control), larger amounts of plant-based proteins (5.81 ± 1.7 versus 4.94 ± 1.3% E respectively, p < 0.001) and very limited intake of fish (0.07 portions/day). Despite being enrolled in a food assistance program, protein and energy malnutrition is prevalent among Greece’s most deprived who experience not only lower diet quality but also the double burden of malnutrition.

ACS Style

Eleni Chatzivagia; Aleks Pepa; Antonis Vlassopoulos; Olga Malisova; Konstantina Filippou; Maria Kapsokefalou. Nutrition Transition in the Post-Economic Crisis of Greece: Assessing the Nutritional Gap of Food-Insecure Individuals. A Cross-Sectional Study. Nutrients 2019, 11, 2914 .

AMA Style

Eleni Chatzivagia, Aleks Pepa, Antonis Vlassopoulos, Olga Malisova, Konstantina Filippou, Maria Kapsokefalou. Nutrition Transition in the Post-Economic Crisis of Greece: Assessing the Nutritional Gap of Food-Insecure Individuals. A Cross-Sectional Study. Nutrients. 2019; 11 (12):2914.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Eleni Chatzivagia; Aleks Pepa; Antonis Vlassopoulos; Olga Malisova; Konstantina Filippou; Maria Kapsokefalou. 2019. "Nutrition Transition in the Post-Economic Crisis of Greece: Assessing the Nutritional Gap of Food-Insecure Individuals. A Cross-Sectional Study." Nutrients 11, no. 12: 2914.

Original research article
Published: 21 February 2018 in Frontiers in Nutrition
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Objective: The main objective of the present study was to evaluate sodium and potassium intake, employing 24 h and spot urine samples and food diaries for seven consecutive days. Methods: For seven consecutive days subjects recorded their food and drink intakes, and recorded and collected all urinations. Food sodium and potassium intake were analyzed in 24- and 6-h intervals from wake-up time. Urine indices were analyzed in first morning, 24- and 6-h intervals samples over the day from wake-up time. The study took place in Agricultural University of Athens, Greece. In total, 163 healthy subjects (age 39 ± 12 years; 74 females) were enrolled in the study. Results: Mean urine sodium excretion was 2,803.3 ± 1,249.0 mg/day (121.9 ± 54.3 mmol/day) and mean urine potassium excretion was 2,152.2 ± 913.3 mg/day (55.2 ± 23.4 mmol/day). The highest potassium concentration was measured in the afternoon, while the lowest sodium concentration was measured in the overnight 6-h interval. Food sodium intake was 1,983.2 ± 814.1 mg/day and food potassium was 2,264.5 ± 653.3 mg/day. The sources that contribute most in food sodium intake are dairy products 24%, breads 22%, and savory snacks 17%. Conclusion: Strategies should encourage the Greek population to moderate sodium intake and promote potassium intake, thus adopting a healthier dietary and lifestyle pattern.

ACS Style

Adelais Athanasatou; Aikaterini Kandyliari; Olga Malisova; Alex Pepa; Maria Kapsokefalou. Sodium and Potassium Intake from Food Diaries and 24-h Urine Collections from 7 Days in a Sample of Healthy Greek Adults. Frontiers in Nutrition 2018, 5, 1 .

AMA Style

Adelais Athanasatou, Aikaterini Kandyliari, Olga Malisova, Alex Pepa, Maria Kapsokefalou. Sodium and Potassium Intake from Food Diaries and 24-h Urine Collections from 7 Days in a Sample of Healthy Greek Adults. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2018; 5 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Adelais Athanasatou; Aikaterini Kandyliari; Olga Malisova; Alex Pepa; Maria Kapsokefalou. 2018. "Sodium and Potassium Intake from Food Diaries and 24-h Urine Collections from 7 Days in a Sample of Healthy Greek Adults." Frontiers in Nutrition 5, no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 06 April 2016 in Nutrients
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Hydration status is linked with health, wellness, and performance. We evaluated hydration status, water intake, and urine output for seven consecutive days in healthy adults. Volunteers living in Spain, Germany, or Greece (n = 573, 39 ± 12 years (51.1% males), 25.0 ± 4.6 kg/m2 BMI) participated in an eight-day study protocol. Total water intake was estimated from seven-day food and drink diaries. Hydration status was measured in urine samples collected over 24 h for seven days and in blood samples collected in fasting state on the mornings of days 1 and 8. Total daily water intake was 2.75 ± 1.01 L, water from beverages 2.10 ± 0.91 L, water from foods 0.66 ± 0.29 L. Urine parameters were: 24 h volume 1.65 ± 0.70 L, 24 h osmolality 631 ± 221 mOsmol/kg Η2Ο, 24 h specific gravity 1.017 ± 0.005, 24 h excretion of sodium 166.9 ± 54.7 mEq, 24 h excretion of potassium 72.4 ± 24.6 mEq, color chart 4.2 ± 1.4. Predictors for urine osmolality were age, country, gender, and BMI. Blood indices were: haemoglobin concentration 14.7 ± 1.7 g/dL, hematocrit 43% ± 4% and serum osmolality 294 ± 9 mOsmol/kg Η2Ο. Daily water intake was higher in summer (2.8 ± 1.02 L) than in winter (2.6 ± 0.98 L) (p = 0.019). Water intake was associated negatively with urine specific gravity, urine color, and urine sodium and potassium concentrations (p < 0.01). Applying urine osmolality cut-offs, approximately 60% of participants were euhydrated and 20% hyperhydrated or dehydrated. Most participants were euhydrated, but a substantial number of people (40%) deviated from a normal hydration level.

ACS Style

Olga Malisova; Adelais Athanasatou; Alex Pepa; Marlien Husemann; Kirsten Domnik; Hans Braun; Ricardo Mora-Rodriguez; Juan F. Ortega; Valentin E. Fernandez-Elias; Maria Kapsokefalou. Water Intake and Hydration Indices in Healthy European Adults: The European Hydration Research Study (EHRS). Nutrients 2016, 8, 204 .

AMA Style

Olga Malisova, Adelais Athanasatou, Alex Pepa, Marlien Husemann, Kirsten Domnik, Hans Braun, Ricardo Mora-Rodriguez, Juan F. Ortega, Valentin E. Fernandez-Elias, Maria Kapsokefalou. Water Intake and Hydration Indices in Healthy European Adults: The European Hydration Research Study (EHRS). Nutrients. 2016; 8 (4):204.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Olga Malisova; Adelais Athanasatou; Alex Pepa; Marlien Husemann; Kirsten Domnik; Hans Braun; Ricardo Mora-Rodriguez; Juan F. Ortega; Valentin E. Fernandez-Elias; Maria Kapsokefalou. 2016. "Water Intake and Hydration Indices in Healthy European Adults: The European Hydration Research Study (EHRS)." Nutrients 8, no. 4: 204.