Welcome to Issue 26:3, which focuses on a variety of different topics. Several of these review and practice articles stress the need for more evidence-based guidelines and well-designed studies relevant to dietetics practice today.
Semistructured interviews were used to do a qualitative inquiry surrounding the viewpoints of individuals with type 2 diabetes and then maintenance of dietary changes. Although a small sample, 5 categories of dietary change were revealed. Gutschall et al recommended that dietitians should work with the health team to assist patients in maintaining appropriate dietary changes.
A review of the literature on nutrition assessment for kidney transplant patients was done by Cotugna and Bishop. Because obesity can increase the risk of complications and elevate costs of care, they encouraged careful assessment of risk factors especially central obesity related to cardiovascular disease, rather than simply body mass index measurements.
A clinical research study provided an optional 4-week period for participants to follow a weight-reduction regimen. The effect of a legume-enriched diet on selected biomarkers was measured for 44 male participants. They lowered their kilocalorie intakes by almost 800 kcal/d. Biomarker levels decreased for body mass index, total cholesterol, and those related to insulin resistance. Data from this small sample suggest additional study to examine long-term outcomes on chronic disease.
Another set of authors questioned the need for evidence-based guidelines to evaluate nutrition care outcomes for patients with cancer. A case of an older adult with non-Hodgkin lymphoma was examined and they concluded: "older patients, even those with cognitive defects, can make improvements in their nutritional state, especially when assisted by an involved caregiver and a geriatric team that includes a registered dietitian."
McCurdy and Metallinos-Katsaras conducted a longitudinal observation of WIC participants in Massachusetts to examine risk of food insecurity. They found that food security status varies within low-income groups and intervention should be considered to improve conditions for those who show higher levels of food insecurity when they enter WIC programs.
Worobey reported the benefits of breast-feeding and examined a subset of mothers in a feeding choices study. The women reported reasons for switching from breast-feeding to formula feeding with "returning to work" as the most common response.
A survey of parents was done by Laroche and Snetselaar about the effect of having children on exercise practices. Close to 43% of the parents reported some difficulty in maintaining exercise regimens, especially among women and those with children younger than 5 years.
The role of omega-3 fatty acids in breast cancer continues to be a topic of interest among consumers and health care professionals. Janos and Logomarsino reviewed the current literature and encouraged the development of evidence-based nutrition guidelines to decrease risk and treat breast cancer.
A review of the role of zinc and magnesium in adult depression was conducted by Dickerman and Liu. Implications for dietitians and nurses were explored on the available literature and their observations.
Zelig and her colleagues examined a Web-based intervention for dietitians employed by one long-term company. Sixty dietitians (14%) chose to participate in pre- and posteducation intervention of the Nutrition Care Process Model (NCPM) and International Dietetics and Nutrition Terminology (IDNT). The findings showed that dietitians employed by a long-term care company improved in their knowledge and attitude toward NCPM and IDNT after completing the education model.
Thank you for your feedback and contributions to Topics in Clinical Nutrition in the editorial manager system. Please let us know if you would like to be an author or a reviewer for future issues.
-Judith A. Gilbride, PhD, RD, FADA
Editor