The polyphenol fraction of extra-virgin olive oil may be partly responsible for its cardioprotective effects. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of high versus low polyphenol olive oil on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in clinical trials. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, CINAHL, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were systematically searched for relevant studies. Randomized controlled trials that investigated markers of CVD risk (e.g. outcomes related to cholesterol, inflammation, oxidative stress) were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Jadad scale. A meta-analysis was conducted using clinical trial data with available CVD risk outcomes. Twenty-six studies were included. Compared to low polyphenol olive oil, high polyphenol olive oil significantly improved measures of malondialdehyde (MD: -0.07µmol/L [95%CI: -0.12, -0.02µmol/L]; I: 88%; p = 0.004), oxidized LDL (SMD: -0.44 [95%CI: -0.78, -0.10µmol/L]; I: 41%; P = 0.01), total cholesterol (MD 4.5 mg/dL [95%CI: -6.54, -2.39 mg/dL]; p<0.0001) and HDL cholesterol (MD 2.37 mg/dL [95%CI: 0.41, 5.04 mg/dL]; p = 0.02). Subgroup analyses and individual studies reported additional improvements in inflammatory markers and blood pressure. Most studies were rated as having low-to-moderate risk of bias. High polyphenol oils confer some CVD-risk reduction benefits; however, further studies with longer duration and in non-Mediterranean populations are required.

Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) are a recent enhancement to competency‐based health professional education that describe the observable work done by a competent health professional. Through defining education outcomes in a work‐based context, EPAs offer potential to identify skill gaps in individual or student cohorts and focus improvements. Entrustable professional activities have been pioneered and gained rapid acceptance in postgraduate medical education; however, less is known about their application and use in undergraduate or entry‐level health professional education. The Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology was used to explore how and in what context EPAs are being used in entry‐level health professional education. Databases searched include CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science and PsycINFO. A total of 748 abstracts were returned after duplicates removed, and 127 full‐text articles were screened with 30 included for data extraction. Publications in this area have recently accelerated with disciplines of professions of medicine, pharmacy, dietetics and physician assistants reporting on EPA development, implementation and evaluation. EPA use has been reported in the United States, Canada, Europe Australia and Central America. Major motivation reported for EPA use is to improve patient safety by aligning performance and expectations and to improve student assessment. Several studies report on the use of EPAs to evaluate different curriculum models or identify curriculum gaps representing potential application in education research.

The interest in the cardioprotective effects of long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn3) was largely influenced by the low rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) amongst the Inuits of Greenland who consumed a high marine fat diet rich in LCn3s. This finding stimulated years of epidemiological and clinical studies investigating the cardioprotective effects of LCn3s, thought to be primarily mediated through anti-inflammatory (and antiaggregatory) prostaglandins that protect the vascular wall from pro-inflammatory effects of metabolic stress precipitated by poor diet and lifestyle. Although the original hypothesis of the link between LCn3s and CVD protection was based on a high LCn3 containing diet (namely a high marine fat diet) the majority of clinical trials since have focussed on EPA and DHA supplementation, and results of repeated meta-analyses have not shown conclusive evidence in support of their beneficial health effects. In this review we focus on the controversies that surround the efficacy of LCn3s in cardiovascular and other chronic diseases and present emerging areas of research for novel applications. We will examine factors that can impact on the efficacy of LCn3s such as source (plant vs marine vs supplements (algal vs marine)), stability of product, dose, trial duration, ratio of EPA:DHA, and ratio of LCn6:LCn3 fatty acids in the diet.

The concept of Entrustable Professional Activities, recently pioneered in medical education, has emerged to support the implementation of competency-based education. Although competency-based frameworks are widely used in healthcare professional education to develop outcomes-based curricula, assessment of student competency in professional placement settings remains challenging. The novel concept of Entrustable Professional Activities together with established methods of competency assessment, namely e-portfolios and self-assessment, was implemented in the "[La Trobe University Dietetic program in 2015-2016. This study aimed to appraise the e-portfolio and evaluate the use of Entrustable Professional Activities to assess competence. A mixed-methods evaluation, using qualitative and quantitative surveys with follow-up structured consultations, was conducted with final year dietetics students and their supervisors. Dietetics students were comfortable with Entrustable Professional Activities and competency-based assessment, whereas supervisors preferred Entrustable Professional Activity based assessment. All stakeholders valued student self-assessment and the ongoing use of structured eportfolios to develop and document competency. The use of structured e-portfolios, student self-assessment, and the emerging concept of Entrustable Professional Activities are useful tools to support dietetics student education in professional placement settings.

The purpose of this study is to establish the prevalence of disordered eating behaviours and establish its identifiable factors in adults with T1D attending a large tertiary hospital service. In this cross‐sectional study, 199 participants with TID, aged 18–65 years, completed the revised Diabetes Eating Problem Survey‐Revised (DEPS‐R). Additional demographic and medical data obtained included age, sex, BMI, HbA1C, duration of diabetes and number of hospital admissions within 12 months (including diabetic ketoacidosis). A DEPS‐R score of ≥20, indicative of disordered eating behaviour, was evident in 31% of participants. A DEPS‐R score of ≥20 was associated with being female (39% females vs. 23.3% males; p = .016) and a high HbA1c (8.9% [7.8–10.2] vs. 8.0% [7.3–8.7], median [IQR], p < .001). The prevalence of disordered eating behaviours increased significantly with BMI, from 21.3% in the healthy BMI group (18.5–24.9 kg/m2) to 37.1% in the group with BMI > 25 kg/m2 (p = .02). A DEPS‐R score of ≥20 was often driven by questions related to a desire to lose weight, meal patterns and glycaemic control. While these behaviours may be attributed to desirable self‐management behaviours for adults with T1D, the DEPS‐R is still a useful tool to identify patients with potential disordered eating behaviours and the need for dietetic intervention.