Journal of Nutrition Association of Thailand (Online)

YOUNGYOU: A Touchscreen-based Application Improves The Elderly’s Knowledge, Attitudes, and Healthy Eating

Nathakamon Padawech — 2024-07-18

Thailand’s elderly population is increasing rapidly and is at higher risk of nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. Improving healthy eating behaviors among this group could delay disease progression and lower severity. At the same time, the use of touchscreen devices is expanding among Thailand’s elderly population, which is an opportunity to develop tools for nutrition education through touchscreen applications. Consequently, this study investigated the effectiveness of the YoungYou application on improving elderly persons’ knowledge, positive attitudes, and healthy eating habits. A 4-week quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design was conducted and comprised three main activities. Initially, the study recruited 56 elderly persons, who met eligibility criteria shown on an electronic poster invitation, i.e., having iOS devices, aged 60-69 years, and able to attend outcome measurement activities. Of these persons, 41 volunteers successfully completed the 4-week intervention. In the study’s first activity, demographic data and pre-test data on knowledge, attitudes, and eating behaviors were collected. Thereafter, the application was installed on participants’ devices and used for 4 weeks. After this period, post-test data on knowledge, attitudes, and eating behaviors were collected. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed within-subject differentiation comparisons. The p values of ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results showed that post-test scores for knowledge, attitudes, and healthy eating behaviors significantly increased (p<0.05). Consumption of rice/starchy foods, vegetables, and meat also increased (p<0.05). Consequently, the YoungYou application shows potential to improve the knowledge, positive attitudes, and healthy eating behaviors of Thailand’s elderly population.

The Development of Vegan Blenderized Diet Formula by Using Natural Sweeteners

Penpitcha Panprame — 2024-08-09

This pilot study aimed to develop a blenderized diet formula by using natural sweeteners and to evaluate their sensory acceptability. Additionally, it compared the viscosity of blenderized diet formulas, in creating the vegan blenderized diet with 5 formulas, including a standard formula with sugar (control), a vegan formula without sweeteners, vegan formulas with stevioside, monk fruit, and coconut flower sugar. These were evaluated for sensory acceptability by 50 healthy men and women aged 30-60 years at Dhurakij Pundit University using a 9-point hedonic scale test, assessing appearance, color, smell, taste, texture, and overall liking. The results indicated that the vegan formula with stevioside had the highest acceptance level, and an average overall acceptability score of 6.6 (like slightly to like moderately). Comparing the viscosity of blenderized diet formulas indicated that the vegan formulas are more viscous than the standard formulas. It was able to flow completely through the tube feeding within 120 minutes and provided appropriate nutritional value while being safe from disease-causing microorganisms. The vegan formula can be used as an oral nutritional supplement or enteral feeding formula for patients to receive appropriate and sufficient energy and nutrients.

Energy and Macronutrient Intakes of Healthy Adult during COVID-19 Pandemic: an Online Survey

Ganokwun Buntuchai — 2024-09-19

This study aims to evaluate the energy and the amount of macronutrients obtained from the food consumption of healthy adults during the COVID-19 pandemic (May - July 2022), compared with the population reference values from the 4^th National Health Examination Survey of Thailand conducted in 2008-2009. This study was conducted online using a cross-sectional survey method. The sample consisted of 246 individuals aged 18 – 59 years, using general information questionnaires and 24-hour food recall interviews online. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests (α=0.05). The results showed that there were 112 males, who had an average energy intake of 1,892 ± 430 kcal/day, while the 134 females had an average energy intake of 1,378 ± 368 kcal/day. All groups consumed protein over the Dietary Reference Intake for Thais (DRI). The energy distribution from carbohydrates, proteins, and fat was 45:19:35 for males and 46:18:35 for females. Compared to the population reference values, females aged 20-30 years were found to have a 10.9% increase in energy intake (p<0.05) but did not exceed the DRI. The amount of protein and fat intake increased, including the distribution of energy from protein and fat (p<0.05), while carbohydrate decreased (p<0.05). For males over 30 years old, energy intake increased by 33.9%, exceeding the DRI, along with an increase in the proportion of energy from fat (p<0.05). These data indicate changes in consumption behavior following the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among males over 30 years old. Nutritional health promotion should be implemented in this group to prevent future health impacts.

Consumption of “Yum” (Thai Spicy Salad) and its Association with Energy Intake, Sodium Intake, and Weight Status among Gender-Diverse Male Population in Bangkok, Thailand

Thanit Vinitchagoon — 2024-10-18

The consumption of Thai spicy salads, particularly "yum," is popular in Thailand and often associated with gender-diverse populations. However, the nutritional implications of this diet trend have not been studied. This study aims to compare the daily energy intake, nutrient intake, and body weight between yum consumers and non-consumers among gender-diverse population assigned male at birth in Bangkok, Thailand. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 196 gender-diverse individuals assigned male at birth residing in Bangkok. Participants reported their height, weight, and dietary intake using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Fifty-nine percent of the sample reported consuming yum at least once in the past week, with an average intake of 0.3 servings per day, providing 57 kcal and 482 mg of sodium. Yum consumers, compared to non-consumers, have higher energy (2,444 vs. 1,891 kcal/day respectively, p<0.001) and sodium intake (2,504 vs. 2,121 mg/1000 kcal/day respectively, p=0.04). However, there was no significant difference in body mass index (BMI) between the two groups (23.3 vs. 23.4 kg/m2, p=0.86). Yum is likely a popular food choice among gender-diverse individuals in Bangkok. While the energy contribution from yum consumption is relatively low, the sodium content is substantial (24% of the recommended daily intake of 2,000 mg/day). Additionally, meals containing yum may be accompanied by other foods and beverages, leading to increased overall energy and sodium intake.

Effect of Particle Size on Physicochemical, Functional, and Antioxidant Properties of Defatted Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Bran

Phongpisut Sreenakhot — 2024-10-24

This study investigated the influence of particle size on the physicochemical, functional, and antioxidant properties of defatted rice bran (DRB), an agricultural by-product rich in valuable nutrients and antioxidants with potential applications for food and nutraceutical industries. DRB was fractionated into three different particle size groups: 250 µm, 150 µm, and <75 µm. Physicochemical parameters were assessed, namely, color, water activity (aw), moisture content, crude protein, total dietary fiber (TDF), insoluble dietary fiber (IDF), and soluble dietary fiber (SDF). Functional properties were also measured, such as via the water solubility index (WSI) and water absorption index (WAI). Antioxidant components and activity of DRB fractions were also evaluated. Results showed that finer particle sizes exhibited a significantly increased proportion of SDF and a decreased proportion of IDF (p<0.05) without impacting on TDF. Furthermore, smaller particle sizes significantly enhanced total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, improved lightness (L*) value, and WSI (p<0.05). These findings suggest that particle size reduction in DRB can optimize its dietary fiber proportion as well as functional and antioxidant potential, thus offering implications for its application in food product formulations.

Development and Validation of a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire for Assessing Prebiotic and Probiotic Intake among Thai Adults

Pimwatchanok Trangcasanchai — 2024-10-30

Prebiotics and probiotics have been widely recognized for health-promoting food components. However, there is a lack of culturally specific tools to assess dietary intake of these compounds in Thailand. This study aims to develop and validate a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (semi-FFQ) to assess prebiotic and probiotic intake among Thai adults. A 38-item semi-FFQ with nine frequency categories was developed and evaluated for content validity by five experts. Test-retest reliability was assessed longitudinally, and relative validity was compared with a three-day food record. A total of thirty Thai adults, aged 20 to 60 years, participated in test-retest reliability and relative validity assessments. The semi-FFQ exhibited strong content validity (item-level index ≥ 0.8 for 37 items; scale-level index = 0.97) and robust test-retest reliability (p-values < 0.05). It also demonstrated acceptable relative validity compared to the three-day food record (p-values > 0.05). Thus, the developed semi-FFQ is a valid and reliable tool for assessing prebiotic and probiotic intake among Thai adults.