Background Hospitalized children present higher rates of undernutrition. Malnutrition can lead to a more complex hospitalization process with an increased length of stay and higher costs. Our aim was to analyze nutrition risk in hospitalized children and its relationship with clinical outcomes in a tertiary level hospital. Methods This is a single institution prospective observational study. The research involved 282 consecutive children admitted along 3 months. Anthropometric measurements and nutrition risk by means of the Screening Tool for Risk on Nutritional Status and Growth (STRONGkids) tool were performed at admission. The incidence of infectious complications, length of hospital stay, weight loss, hospital expenses, and need of nutrition support were recorded. Results The percentage of children with high, moderate, and low nutrition risk was 12.8%, 45%, and 42%, respectively. The prevalence of acute and chronic malnutrition was 13.7% and 7.4%. STRONGkids score correlated with clinical outcomes: longer stay, higher hospital expenses, and need of nutrition support were observed in children with high nutrition risk scores compared with the other groups (P < 0.001). The overall incidence of infectious complications was low (3.5%); a higher STRONGkids score did not predict a higher rate. Conclusion Hospitalized children exposed to high nutrition risk have poorer clinical outcomes: longer stay, higher hospital expenses, and need of nutrition support. More studies are required to assess if applying STRONGkids and starting a nutrition intervention would result in lower costs and a shorter length of stay.

We aimed to design and validate a new questionnaire of adherence to healthy food pyramid (HFP) (AP-Q), to improve previous instruments. The questionnaire was self-administered and included 28 questions from 10 categories (physical activity, health habits, hydration, grains, fruits, vegetables, oil type, dairy products, animal proteins, and snacks). A population of 130 Spanish adults answered it, obtaining scores from each category and a global score of HFP adherence (AP-Q score). Validation was performed through principal components analysis (PCA) and internal consistency by Cronbach’s alpha. AP-Q was also externally validated with Kidmed-test, answered by 45 individuals from the cohort. The global AP-Q score was 5.1 ± 1.3, with an internal consistency of 64%. The PCA analysis extracted seven principal components, which explained 68.5% of the variance. The global AP-Q score was positively associated with Kidmed-test score. Our data suggest that AP-Q is a complete and robust questionnaire to assess HFP adherence, with several advantages: easy to complete, cost-effective, timesaving and has the competency to assess, besides diet, several features affecting health status, lacking in other instruments. We suggest that AP-Q could be useful in epidemiological research, although it requires additional calibration to analyze its reproducibility and validation in other populations.

After birth, preterm infants are deficient in arachidonic acid (ARA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and antioxidants, increasing their risk of oxidative stress-related pathologies. The principal aim was to evaluate if supplementation with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) improves antioxidant defenses. In total, 21 preterm infants were supplemented with ARA and DHA in a 2:1 ratio (ARA:DHA-S) or with medium-chain triglycerides (MCT-S). Plasma n-3 and n-6 LCPUFAs were measured at birth, postnatal day 28, and 36 weeks of postmenstrual age (36 WPA) by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy. Plasma antioxidants (glutathione (GSH), catalase, and thiols) and oxidative damage biomarkers (malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonyls) were analyzed at the same time points by spectrophotometry, and scores of antioxidant status (Antiox-S) and oxidative damage (Proxy-S) were calculated. At 36 WPA, linoleic acid (LA) and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA) were decreased in ARA:DHA-S compared to the MCT-S group (LA: ARA:DHA-S = 18.54 ± 1.68, MCT-S = 22.80 ± 1.41; p = 0.018; DGLA: ARA:DHA-S = 1.68 ± 0.38, MCT-S = 2.32 ± 0.58; p = 0.018). Furthermore, α-linolenic acid (ALA) was increased in ARA:DHA-S (ARA:DHA-S = 0.52 ± 0.33, MCT-S = 0.22 ± 0.10; p = 0.018). Additionally, LA:DHA ratio was decreased in the ARA:DHA-S compared to control group (ARA:DHA-S = 6.26 ± 2.35, MCT-S = 8.21 ± 2.65; p = 0.045). By the end of supplementation (36 WPA), catalase, thiol groups, and Antiox-S were significantly higher in neonates receiving ARA:DHA-S compared to those receiving MCT-S, with no differences in oxidative stress biomarkers. In conclusion, ARA:DHA supplementation in preterm neonates resulted in an overall improvement in antioxidant to oxidant balance and a decrease in early fatty acid precursors of the n-6 relative to the n-3 pathway. These effects may reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.

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Objetivo: Identificar factores bioculturales y sociales que actúan en diferentes etapas del ciclo vital, implicados en la forma de envejecer de mujeres y hombres mayores de 65 años. Material y Método: 213 personas; edad media 73.9 (std=5.8) en mujeres y 74.8 (std=6.6) en hombres. Datos recogidos en Centros Culturales y de Ocio de la Comunidad de Madrid. El envejecimiento saludable (a partir del número de enfermedades diagnosticadas, percepción de la salud, satisfacción con la vida y estado auditivo y bucal),fue considerado como variable dependiente. La edad, sexo, nivel de estudios, talla sentado,  envergadura, edad de primera maternidad y número total de hijos fueron consideradas como variables independientes. Se utilizaron modelos de regresión lineal múltiple para analizar la relación de estas variables con la calidad del envejecimiento. Resultados: El envejecimiento saludable se asocia negativamente con edad y directamente con talla sentado en hombres. En mujeres el envejecimiento saludable se asocia positivamente con años de educación, cuando se incluye la edad de primera maternidad,ésta es la única variable con efecto significativo. Conclusiones: Existen diferentes factores que actúan a lo largo de la vida de los hombres y de las mujeres y que afectan de manera distinta a su forma de envejecer.