The relationship between nutrition and health is clear.  The quality and quantity of food intake is a contributory factor in the two main causes of morbidity and mortality namely, cardiovascular disease and cancer.  Coronary heart disease accounts for approximately 43% of all deaths each year.  Chronic poor nutrition is a risk factor for a wide range of diseases including osteoporosis, diabetes, and obesity.  safefood research in terms of nutrition is not expansive but does include research that will contribute greatly to our policy development.

List of projects

An investigation of the effects of lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation on inflammmatory markers, oxidative stress and age related macular degeneration risk (2003-2006)

03-PG-06

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in industrialised countries. This project aims to assess whether the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, in comparison to beta-carotene, exert effects on inflammatory markers and oxidative stress that may influence AMD development. A randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled study in which smokers and non-smokers receive dietary supplements of lutein and zeaxanthin will be carried out and various indicators of inflammatory status will be monitored over a two-month period. A further study will examine delivery of these carotenoids using food supplements (carrot juice for carotene and dried spinach powder for lutein and zeaxanthin).

Co-ordinating Researcher: Dr Jayne Woodside
 
Start Date: 01/10/2003
 
End Date: 01/10/2006
 
Funding Agencies: safefood

An investigation of the potential application of cDNA array technology in testing the efficacy and safety of potential functional food ingredients (2002-2006)

02-PG-033

This project will use a new technology called cDNA technology to evaluate functional food ingredients in terms of their efficacy but also their safety.  Recent technological advances in cDNA technology have enabled nutritional scientists to produce new functional foods, whose beneficial effects as well as evidence of lack of adverse effects have not been proven.  This project will use two examples of nutrients which are currently being added to or enriched in foods -Vitamin A and conjugated linoleic acid to test the sensitivity, specificity and potential application of cDNA array technology in characterising certain physiological events related to disease prevention or promotion.
 
Co-ordinating Researcher: Professor Kevin Cashman
 
Start Date: 01/10/2002
 
End Date: 01/10/2006

Funding Agencies: safefood

There is an urgent need to develop novel, effective, positive and personally relevant communication strategies to improve dietary habits in childhood when individual attitudes towards food are being formed. The overall aim of the study is to design, develop, pilot test and evaluate a multimedia CD-ROM for communicating healthy eating messages to 8-9 year old children. The approaches used to develop the CD-ROM will be based on the teaching practices of social learning theory, which combines increased knowledge about food and nutrition with other spheres of influence such as the environment, personal attributes, behavioural skills and experience.
 
Co-ordinating Researcher: Prof Barbara Livingstone
 

Collaborating Researchers: Prof Anne Moran
 
Start Date: 01/03/2003
End Date: 30/09/2005
Funding Agencies: safefood

Dietary patterns, food intakes, attitudes and their determinants among low socio-economic adults and children and an in depth quantitative and qualitative analyses (2004-2007)

03-RESR-006

Numerous studies have documented socio-economic differences in nutrient and food intakes, with intakes further from dietary guidelines among individuals of lower socio-economic status. safefood has, therefore, commissioned a diet and nutrition survey/analysis of low-income consumers on the island of Ireland in order to provide statistically robust data on food consumption patterns and nutrient intake. The survey will be representative of the low-income groups in the population of the whole island of Ireland and will include both adults and children. It is hoped that this study will shed light on the underlying factors (socio-demographic, attitudinal, behavioural and anthropometric) why low-income consumers have the dietary patterns they do.
 
Co-ordinating Researcher: Dr John Kearney
 

Collaborating Researchers: Dr Sinead McCarthy,
Dr Barbara Stewart-Knox
 
Start Date: 01/03/2004
 
End Date: 30/04/2007

Funding Agencies: safefood

Dietary strategies for achievement of nutritional goals for healthy eating: towards evidence based public health nutrition programmes (2001-2003)

01-RESR-001

The principal objective of this research is to identify dietary strategies for achievement of key nutritional goals by population groups, which are considered important to public health: energy balance, overweight, and obesity, intakes of total fat and fatty acids, intakes of fruits, vegetables, fibre and carbohydrates.
 
Co-ordinating Researcher: Professor Albert Flynn
 

Start Date: 01/09/2001
End Date: 01/09/2003
 

Funding Agencies: safefood

Directory of Nutrition Activities on the island of Ireland (2005-2005)

Through discussions with key stakeholders in the nutrition field on the island of Ireland the need for an all island directory of nutrition activities has been identified. This has received the support of the members of the Food and Nutrition Forum. The first phase in the development of the directory is the creation of a database of activities in the dietetics field. Dieticians form the largest stakeholder group in nutrition on the island of Ireland. The Irish Nutrition & Dietetic Institute (INDI) has been commissioned to carry out the project. Their main objective of the project is to create a database of ongoing dietetic (acute, primary care, health promotion and research) activities in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The outcomes of this project will form the core of a directory of all nutrition activities on the island of Ireland. The overall aim of the project is to provide health professionals and other key stakeholders in the nutrition field with a valuable information resource that will facilitate exchange of information and collaboration.

Co-ordinating Researcher: Ms Sarah Keogh
 
Start Date: 01/01/2005
End Date: 01/07/2005
 

Funding Agencies: safefood

Factors influencing the efficacy of food risk and dietary communications directed at young people (2003-2005)

02-RESR-03
 
Young people (13-16 year olds) are of particular importance for achieving large scale changes in behaviour and attitudes towards food hazards and nutrition as they are agents for change in their households as well as being the next generation of adult consumers. The main objectives of this project are to assess the extent to which 13-16 year olds understand the nature and range of key food related hazards, and to identify any significant gaps in their basic knowledge of these hazards.  Relationships between perceptions, intentions, and behaviour will be investigated together with the key sources of influence on their perceptions of food risk. 
 
Co-ordinating Researcher: Dr Karen Trew
 

Collaborating Researchers: Dr Margaret Barry, Prof Glynnis Breakwell, Dr Orla Muldoon
 
Start Date: 03/03/2003
End Date: 30/09/2005
 

Funding Agencies: safefood

Food safety education:a cross-border, comparative study of food risk perception in post-primary schools and the development of a model for implementing effective curricular change (2003-2006)

03-PG-15
 
Young people's food risk perceptions are of interest to educators, health promoters, food policy makers and the food industry because they will be the consumers of tomorrow. This project will seek to examine, qualitatively and quantitatively, how food risk perceptions in young people might differ from those of the 'stakeholders' in order to identify information needs. The ultimate aim of the project will be to develop a model of food safety perceptions and information needs with a view to curricular change and management informed by a range of opinion, including young people themselves.

Co-ordinating Researcher: Dr Michael Strain
 

Collaborating Researchers: Mrs Dorothy Black, Dr Barbara Stewart-Knox
 
Start Date: 01/10/2003
End Date: 01/10/2006
 
Funding Agencies: safefood

01-RESR-123

This project involved a telephone survey to investigate the epidemiology of self-reported gastrointestinal symptoms, in terms of incidence, duration and seasonality. The project also aimed to determine the socio-demographic profile of those who reported illness, in order to determine the characteristics and risk factors with a view to prevention and health promotion policy. A report on this research was published in September 2003.

Co-ordinating Researcher: Dr Margaret Fitzgerald
 
Start Date: 01/01/2001
End Date: 01/01/2003

Funding Agencies: safefood

Food sold in fast-food outlets tends to be energy-dense and often low in other nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. This is of concern as studies have shown that a high fat, energy-dense diet and sedentary lifestyle are strongly associated with the increased risk of obesity. Building on the ‘Happy Heart’ catering award, which is currently active within two health boards in the Republic of Ireland, this project will endeavour to educate and promote healthy food and healthy eating within the fast food industry. It will provide an opportunity for consumers to make healthy choices, and will provide education and positive publicity for the retailer. If the ‘Hit on Health’ approach is successful in the Republic of Ireland, there is scope for the programme to be piloted in Northern Ireland.

Co-ordinating Researcher: Dr Elmary Purtill
 

Start Date: 01/01/2004
End Date: 30/06/2004
 
Funding Agencies: safefood

Interaction between B vitamins and homocysteine and its relevance to a food fortification programme (2002-2006)

02-PG-18

Homocysteine is an amino acid found naturally in the body.  It is thought that increased levels of this amino acid may cause heart disease.  There are four B vitamins involved in homocysteine metabolism (breakdown) -folate, riboflavin (B2), pyridoxine (B6) and B12. The project is examining the relative importance of three of these four B vitamins (folate, B2 and B6) in homocysteine metabolism.

Co-ordinating Researcher: Dr Geraldine Cuskelly
 

Collaborating Researchers: Prof Ian Young
 
Start Date: 01/10/2002
End Date: 01/10/2006
 
Funding Agencies: safefood

04-PG-020

Worldwide, the prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing. Obesity in adolescence is a strong predicator of adult obesity. This project involves a longitudinal study over a 3-year period of changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) and other anthropometric measures together with information on dietary and exercise patterns in a cohort of students in the junior school cycle. A similar longitudinal survey will be conducted in a second cohort of students in the post-junior cycle. This will generate new data on the adolescent age group 12-18yrs. This data is important in understanding the evolution during adolescence of changes in anthropometric measures and dietary and exercise patterns, which tend to be maintained into adulthood where they have a major impact on chronic disease. 
 
Co-ordinating Researcher: Professor Nora O'Brien
 

Collaborating Researchers: Dr Thomas O'Connor
 
Start Date: 01/10/2004
End Date: 01/10/2007
 
Funding Agencies: safefood

Novel strategies for food risk communication (2003-2006)

02-RESR-018
 
The principal aim of this project is to develop new strategies for food risk communication by conducting an in-depth analysis of consumer understanding of scientific messages related to a variety of food risk issues, examining the potential barriers to effective risk communication and assessing differences in understanding within and between the various demographic groups in our society.  This project will specifically aim to target social need in terms of addressing the needs of vulnerable groups such as low-income sectors of the population.
 
Co-ordinating Researcher: Dr Mary McCarthy
 

Collaborating Researchers: Ms Mary Brennan, Professor Alan Kelly, Prof Christopher Ritson

Start Date: 26/02/2003
End Date: 31/07/2005
 
Funding agencies: safefood

03-RESR-011

Ireland experiences marked social inequalities in health, seen in the variation in health outcomes, especially mortality, across the different social groupings. Social inequality in dietary behaviour has been documented within the Republic of Ireland, but not on the island as a whole. This study will determine the pattern of household and individual food purchasing and food availability information across a range of socio-demographic and socio-economic household types on the island of Ireland. It will also seek to identify a budget standard (the amount of money needed to provide a healthy diet, material security, social participation and sense of control) for a low-income family comprised of two parents and two children.
 

Co-ordinating Researcher: Dr Sharon Friel
 

Collaborating Researchers: Ms Geraldine Nolan,
Dr Diarmuid O'Donovan, Dr Ciaran O'Neill, Mr Colin Thunhurst
 
Start Date: 01/03/2004
End Date: 31/12/2005
 
Funding agencies: safefood

A Cross-Sectional study of an Irish population estimating dietary salt intake, and its association with other lifestyle related risk factors.

02-2007
 
The Irish population consume a high salt diet. Chronic high salt intake is associated with hypertension and other adverse life style factors like obesity and lack of physical exercise. A description of salt intake in the population can be performed by measuring urinary excretion of salt while additional useful information can be acquired using a detailed food questionnaire.

The study plans to sample two distinct groups of healthy individuals to ensure representation of all age groups within the adult population. The first population will be based on a group of subjects of 45 years and older. These subjects are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.  In this population the study will describe the level of salt intake and also describe the distribution of hypertension and other risk factors in this population such as lipid profile, smoking, physical exertion and glucose intolerance. These subjects will use a cluster method of sampling based on the SLAN 06 sampling methods.

A detailed local study in UCC is planned to include younger subjects. This will measure dietary intake of salt in younger subjects. Core measurement of 24 hour excretion of sodium will be made in 700 individuals. On addition, 1,600 spot urine samples will be analysed.
 
Co-ordinating Researcher: Prof Ivan Perry, UCC
 
Collaborating Researchers:  None
 
Start Date: 17/12/2007
End Date: 17/04/2009
 
Funding agencies: safefood

To develop a validated nutrition evaluation and nutrition information resource for the pre-school setting to promote an improved nutrition environment and food provision in this setting.

01-2008
 
Early nutrition intervention is a priority for safefood and this project aims to address this priority by facilitating pre-schools to promote nutrition standards and food safety through the use of a motivational model. Ensuring parental involvement is seen as key in this process, as is the inclusion of a representative sample of pre-schools from all socio-economic backgrounds.
 
Co-ordinating Researcher: Ms Corina Glennon Slattery, Health Service Executive
 
Start Date: 04/03/2008
End Date: 04/03/2012
 
Funding Agencies: safefood

A survey of consumer understanding and nutritional content of commercially available smoothies

09-2007

This research provides recent, regionally relevant and scientifically robust information upon which to base safefood communication about smoothies.

Objective: To investigate consumer knowledge, attitudes and beliefs around the nutritional content of smoothies.

Research Agency: Millward Brown IMS

All-island learning from the "Decent Food for All" programme (2003-2006)

03-RESR-04

The 'Decent Food for All' (DFfA) programme aims to tackle poverty by increasing food awareness and improving physical and financial access to safe healthy food. It incorporates community education, healthy lifestyle choices, regeneration of local communities and markets, and sustainability. The objectives of this research project are to assess the impact of a current DFfA programme in Armagh and Dungannon Health Action Zone with a focus on all-island learning, to identify how community-based strategies could support safefood's all-island communication and marketing campaigns on food safety and hygiene issues, and to examine how the DFfA programme, or similar community-based strategies, could be applied across Northern Ireland and the whole island of Ireland.
 
Co-ordinating Researcher: Dr Kevin Balanda
 

Collaborating Researchers: Ms Jorun Rugkasa
 
Start Date: 01/12/2003
End Date: 30/11/2006
 
Funding Agencies: safefood

Acute Gastroenteritis in Ireland, North and South – a telephone survey.

This project involved a telephone survey to investigate the epidemiology of self-reported gastrointestinal symptoms, in terms of incidence, duration and seasonality.  The project also aimed to determine the socio-demographic profile of those who reported illness, in order to determine the characteristics and risk factors with a view to prevention and health promotion policy.  This report was co-funded with FSAI, HPSC in collaboration with UCD, CDSC-NI and FSA-NI. 

Researchers: Dr Margaret Fitzgerald, HSE- Eastern Region.