BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional study examined meal patterns based on daily energy intake distribution and their associations with nutrient and food intake, diet quality, and body mass index (BMI). METHODS: Body height, weight, habitual dietary intake and the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2020 score by eating occasion were assessed using the validated Meal-based Diet History Questionnaire among employees (465 males and 193 females aged 20-75 years) in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. Meal patterns were extracted based on % energy intake from breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks using K-means clustering by sex. Dietary intake, HEI-2020 score, and BMI were then compared between sex-specific meal patterns. RESULTS: The identified patterns were "large lunch and dinner" (n = 299), "three meals-balanced" (n = 97), and "large dinner" (n = 69) patterns in males and "large dinner" (n = 79); "large afternoon snack" (n = 54) and "large lunch" (n = 60) patterns in females. The HEI-2020 scores were the highest for dinner, followed by breakfast, lunch, and snacks in any meal pattern. Males with the "large dinner" pattern had lower intakes of rice, bread, carbohydrates, dietary fibre, and thiamine; higher intake of alcoholic beverages; and higher HEI-2020 scores than those with other patterns. Females with a "large dinner" pattern had a lower intake of bread, confectionery, total and saturated fats, and carbohydrates; higher intake of fish, meat, and alcoholic beverages; higher HEI-2020 scores; and lower BMI. Thus, a meal pattern with higher energy intake distribution at dinner was associated with higher diet quality among males and females and lower BMI among females in Japanese workers. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that improving the quality of the meal with the highest energy contribution could help enhance overall dietary quality and metabolism.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Energy Intake ; Body Mass Index ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Aged ; Meals ; Young Adult ; Tokyo ; Feeding Behavior ; Diet/statistics & numerical data*

BACKGROUND: Although long maternal working hours are reported to have a negative effect on children's dietary habits, few studies have investigated this issue in Japan. Healthy dietary habits in childhood are important because they may reduce the risk of future disease. Here, we examined the relationship between maternal employment status and children's dietary intake in 1693 pairs of Japanese primary school 5th and 6th graders and their mothers. METHODS: The survey was conducted using two questionnaires, a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire and a lifestyle questionnaire. The analysis also considered mothers' and children's nutrition knowledge, attitudes toward diet, and some aspects of family environment. RESULTS: Longer maternal working hours were associated with children's higher intake of white rice (g/1000kcal) (β 11.4, 95%CI [1.0, 21.9]; working ≥8h vs. not working), lower intake of confectioneries (g/1000kcal) (β -4.0 [-7.6, -0.4]), and higher body mass index (BMI) (kg/m CONCLUSIONS Longer maternal working hours were significantly associated with higher intake of white rice and lower intake of confectioneries, as well as higher BMI among children. Even when a mother works, however, it may be possible to improve her child's dietary intake by other means such as nutrition education for children or enhancement of food environment.
Adult ; Child ; Child Health/standards* ; Diet/standards* ; Diet Surveys ; Employment ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Japan ; Life Style ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mothers ; Nutritional Status ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective : To determine the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy on hiesho in maturate stage females.
Design : Multicenter, randomized, prospective, open blind, waiting list-controlled trial.
Setting : A clinical center attached to three universities and one vocational school.
Participants : Twenty two females between 18-39 years of age and with a level of more than four points on the “hiesho sensation scale” proposed by Kusumi et al for hiesho. Interventions : Participants were randomly assigned to receive therapies of either acupuncture or no therapy (waiting list controls). Acupuncture therapy was provided by needle retention to SP 6 and electro-acupuncture therapy to BL 32 at a frequency of 1 Hz for 20 minutes. One session per week of this therapy was provided for a total of four sessions. Method of Measurement : The primary outcome of change in hiesho intensity was measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary changes were measured by an eight heading score and three component summaries of the standard edition SF-36 v 2.
Results : The statistical analyses used an intent-to-treat analysis that included two participants who dropped out, and the mixture of one participant targeted for exclusion who was censored from the analyses. As a result, 21 participants were classified as either in the acupuncture group (n = 12) or the control group (n = 9). Efficacy with acupuncture therapy was not found for effect size (Cohen d, point-biserial correlation r) for VAS and the scores of SF-36 between the two groups.
Conclusions : Effectiveness of the acupuncture therapy was not found, which suggests that it may be due to the smaller sample size, frequency of intervention, and symptoms associated with autonomic dysfunction.