Objectives: This study examined the effects of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and dietary intake during pregnancy on iron supplementation, as an indirect indicator of iron nutritional status during pregnancy, in Japanese pregnant women.

Methods: We conducted a self-reported lifestyle questionnaire and a validated brief self-administered dietary history questionnaire (BDHQ) on 250 pregnant women. The information on pregnant women and their infants from medical records was collected. Pregnant women were categorized into iron-use and non-iron-use groups and evaluated for nutrition and food intake. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the effect of pre-pregnancy BMI on iron supplementation.

Results: No associations were observed between iron supplementation and food groups or nutrient intake during pregnancy. Contrastingly, iron supplementation and pre-pregnancy BMI had a significant association. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the iron-use group were BMI ≥ 20 and < 21 kg/m² (OR; 4.67, 95% CI; 1.87~11.69) and BMI ≥ 19 and < 20 kg/m² (OR; 4.27, 95% CI; 1.70~10.70), respectively, compared to those with BMI ≥ 22 kg/m².

Conclusion: Pregnant women with a pre-pregnancy BMI < 21 kg/m² were at a higher risk of the need for iron supplementation and gestational aneamia, and furthermore, indicating a pre-pregnancy BMI independently effect, with no relation to iron intake during pregnancy. While adequate nutrition during pregnancy is important for the prevention of gestational anemia, it is even more important to have an adequate pre-pregnancy body mass.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate fat and fatty acid intakes and examine the association between those intakes and skipping breakfast in female university students. Moreover, the main dietary sources of fatty acids were explored.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 40 female university students and used the one-day photography and 24-hour dietary recall (24HR) methods. We estimated their dietary intake values using the 2020 Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan and examined their main dietary sources of fatty acids. Furthermore, we explored the differences in fat and fatty acid intakes between the groups who skipped breakfast and those who did not.

Results: The mean intake of fat was 59.4 ± 20.8 g, saturated fatty acids 15.5 ± 6.3 g, monounsaturated fatty acids 16.1 ± 8.2 g, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids 9.1 ± 4.1 g, and median n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (25th, 75th percentile) 1.6 (1.0, 2.4) g. The group that skipped breakfast had significantly lower intakes of fat, saturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids than those who had breakfast (p = 0.009, p = 0.001, and p = 0.009, respectively). The main source of saturated fatty acids was meat (37.6%), whereas the main sources of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were fats and oils (22.0%) and seafood (26.7%).

Conclusion: The group that skipped breakfast had lower intakes of fat, saturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The main sources of saturated fatty acids, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were meat, fats and oils, and seafood, respectively.

Objective: Although the relationship between dementia, vitamin B₁₂, and folic acid is well known, their relationship with dementia severity remains unexplored. We examined whether there are differences between the dietary intake of vitamin B₁₂ and folic acid in patients with dementia and their blood vitamin B₁₂ and folic acid concentrations depending on the severity of dementia and underlying disease.

Methods: The participants were 14 women residing in group homes. Cognitive function, daily living activities, dietary surveys, and blood vitamin B₁₂ and folic acid concentrations were measured.

Results: Vitamin B₁₂ and folic acid intake levels were 4.1 (4.1, 5.6) μg/day and 266 (257, 307) μg/day, respectively. All participants exceeded the recommended amounts of the "Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (2020 Edition) (Dietary Reference Intakes)." The blood vitamin B₁₂ and folic acid concentrations were 261 ± 118 pg/ml and 6.9 ± 2.9 ng/ml, respectively. The participants were divided into the severe dementia and moderate-to-mild dementia groups. There were no differences in vitamin B₁₂ and folic acid intake; however, blood vitamin B₁₂ concentration tended to be higher in the severe dementia group than in the moderate-to-mild dementia group (p = 0.057).

Conclusion: The dietary intake of vitamin B₁₂ and folic acid in patients with dementia living in group homes exceeded the recommended amounts of the Dietary Reference Intakes. The severe dementia group tended to have higher blood vitamin B₁₂ levels than the moderate-to-mild dementia group.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the factors related to vegetable intake status (number of vegetable dishes consumed), focusing on workers in their 20s~40s.

Methods: An online survey was conducted with 1,165 men and 692 women aged 20~49 years from February to March 2019, in cooperation with 21 companies in the Aomori and Akita prefectures. Survey items included the vegetable intake status, factors related to vegetable intake (knowledge, attitude, skills, food accessibility, influence on vegetable intake, and dietary habits), and characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was conducted using two groups of vegetable intake status (≥ 3 and < 3 dishes) as the dependent variable, above factors as independent variables, and characteristics as adjusted variables.

Results: Factors significantly associated with vegetable intake status were having correct knowledge of the appropriate vegetable intake (vegetable intake status; odds ratio; 5.12 [95% confidence interval; 3.63~7.23] for men, 4.77 [3.23~7.06] for women; vegetable weight; 2.24 [1.65~3.03] for men, 8.69 [2.62~28.83] for women), interest in nutrition and diet (men; 2.33 [1.41~3.87], women; 8.69 [2.62~28.83]), preference for vegetables (men; 4.58 [2.08~10.08], women; 3.81 [1.29~11.21]), having skills in choosing vegetable dishes (men; 2.51 [1.51~4.20], women; 2.27 [1.02~5.04]), and eating breakfast (men; 1.99 [1.35~2.94], women; 2.44 [1.47~4.07]).

Conclusion: The implementation of educational interventions to address the factors associated with vegetable intake status may lead to increased vegetable intake among workers in their 20s~40s.