Lise Dubois | University of Ottawa | Université d'Ottawa (original) (raw)
Papers by Lise Dubois
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Background Eating behaviors may contribute to differences in body weight and diet over time. Our ... more Background Eating behaviors may contribute to differences in body weight and diet over time. Our study aims to examine how eating behaviors of young adults relate to their current weight status and dietary patterns and to explore longitudinal associations with eating behaviors in early childhood. Methods Study participants are young adults (n = 698) taking part in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. At age 22, eating behaviors were assessed using the Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Dietary patterns were derived from information collected by food frequency questions. Weight status was based on self-reported data. Information on eating behaviors in childhood had been collected when participants were 2.5 to 6 years old. Pearson’s correlations were used to determine associations between adult eating behaviors and body mass index. Simple and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between eating behaviors and dietary patterns at age ...
Yokoyama, Yoshie; Jelenkovic, Aline; Sund, Reijo; Sung, Joohon; Hopper, John L; Ooki, Syuichi; He... more Yokoyama, Yoshie; Jelenkovic, Aline; Sund, Reijo; Sung, Joohon; Hopper, John L; Ooki, Syuichi; Heikkilä, Kauko; Aaltonen, Sari; Tarnoki, Adam D; Tarnoki, David L; Willemsen, Gonneke; Bartels, Meike; van Beijsterveldt, Toos C E M; Saudino, Kimberly J; Cutler, Tessa L; Nelson, Tracy L; Whitfield, Keith E; Wardle, Jane; Llewellyn, Clare H; Fisher, Abigail; He, Mingguang; Ding, Xiaohu; Bjerregaard-Andersen, Morten; Beck-Nielsen, Henning; Sodemann, Morten; Song, Yun-Mi; Yang, Sarah; Lee, Kayoung; Jeong, Hoe-Uk; KnafoNoam, Ariel; Mankuta, David; Abramson, Lior; Burt, S Alexandra; Klump, Kelly L; Ordoñana, Juan R; Sánchez-Romera, Juan F; Colodro-Conde, Lucia; Harris, Jennifer R; Brandt, Ingunn; Nilsen, Thomas Sevenius; Craig, Jeffrey M; Saffery, Richard; Ji, Fuling; Ning, Feng; Pang, Zengchang; Dubois, Lise; Boivin, Michel; Brendgen, Mara; Dionne, Ginette; Vitaro, Frank; Martin, Nicholas G; Medland, Sarah E; Montgomery, Grant W; Magnusson, Patrik K E; Pedersen, Nancy L; Aslan, Anna K Dahl;...
Background The current low state of food security amongst Inuit in Canada is influenced by policy... more Background The current low state of food security amongst Inuit in Canada is influenced by policy choices. Policy actors develop and implement policies, yet few research studies include their perspectives. This study includes policy actors’ perspectives on gaps and areas of improvement for policies that pertain to food security for Labrador Inuit in Nunatsiavut. Nunatsiavut is one of the four Inuit land claim areas in northern Canada making up the Inuit homeland, or Inuit Nunangat. It is situated in northern Labrador in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Methods This qualitative study consisted of key informant interviews conducted from July 2020-December 2020 with policy actors that spanned the Nunatsiavut Government (regional Inuit government), Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (provincial government), the Government of Canada (federal government), non-governmental organizations and private industry. Participants were asked about their role, policy gaps and o...
Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2021
Unhealthy food advertising can negatively impact children’s food preferences and nutritional heal... more Unhealthy food advertising can negatively impact children’s food preferences and nutritional health. In Canada, only companies participating in the self-regulatory Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CAI) commit to limiting unhealthy food advertising to children. We analyzed food advertising from 182 Canadian television stations in 2018. A principal component analysis explored patterns of advertising by 497 food companies and their targeting of preschoolers, children, adolescents, and adults. Chi-square analyses tested differences in the volume of advertising between target age groups by heavily advertising food companies and by CAI-participating and non-participating companies. In 2018, Maple Leaf Foods, Boulangerie St-Méthode, Exceldor Foods, Goodfood Market and Sobeys advertised most frequently during preschooler-programming. General Mills, Kellogg’s, the Topps Company, Parmalat and Post Foods advertised most frequently during child-programming, while Burger King...
Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 2019
Childhood obesity is a predictor of adult obesity and has its roots in the pre-pregnancy or pregn... more Childhood obesity is a predictor of adult obesity and has its roots in the pre-pregnancy or pregnancy period. This review presents an overview of the prenatal risk factors for childhood obesity, which were categorized into 2 groups: biological risk factors (maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, diabetes in pregnancy, and caesarean section), and environmental and behavioural risk factors (maternal smoking and exposure to obesogens, maternal dietary patterns, maternal intestinal microbiome and antibiotics exposure, and maternal psychosocial stress). Identifying modifiable predisposing prenatal factors for obesity will inform further development of inventions to prevent obesity over the life course, and future directions for research and intervention are discussed.
BMC Medical Genetics, 2019
Frontiers in endocrinology, 2018
Small for gestational age (SGA) infants are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood. It... more Small for gestational age (SGA) infants are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood. It is unknown whether any prenatal biomarkers are helpful for identifying SGA infants with altered metabolic health profile at birth or later life. In a nested study of 162 SGA (birth weight < 10th percentile) and 161 optimal birth weight (25th-75th percentiles) control infants in the 3D (design, develop and discover) birth cohort in Canada, we assessed whether maternal circulating placental growth factor (PlGF), a biomarker of placental function, is associated with metabolic health biomarkers in SGA infants. Main outcomes were cord plasma insulin, proinsulin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), leptin, and high-molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin concentrations. Maternal PlGF concentrations at 32-35 weeks of gestation were substantially lower in SGA versus control infants ( < 0.001), so as were cord plasma proinsulin ( = 0.005), IGF-I ( < 0.001), leptin ( < 0.001), and HMW ad...
Scientific reports, Jan 19, 2018
It is well established that boys are born heavier and longer than girls, but it remains unclear w... more It is well established that boys are born heavier and longer than girls, but it remains unclear whether birth size in twins is affected by the sex of their co-twin. We conducted an individual-based pooled analysis of 21 twin cohorts in 15 countries derived from the COllaborative project of Development of Anthropometrical measures in Twins (CODATwins), including 67,850 dizygotic twin individuals. Linear regression analyses showed that boys having a co-twin sister were, on average, 31 g (95% CI 18 to 45) heavier and 0.16 cm (95% CI 0.045 to 0.274) longer than those with a co-twin brother. In girls, birth size was not associated (5 g birth weight; 95% CI -8 to -18 and -0.089 cm birth length; 95% CI -0.202 to 0.025) with the sex of the co-twin. Gestational age was slightly shorter in boy-boy pairs than in boy-girl and girl-girl pairs. When birth size was standardized by gestational age, the magnitude of the associations was attenuated in boys, particularly for birth weight. In conclusio...
Nutrients, Jan 18, 2017
Reformulation of food products to reduce salt content has been a central strategy for achieving p... more Reformulation of food products to reduce salt content has been a central strategy for achieving population level salt reduction. In this paper, we reflect on current reformulation strategies and consider how consumer behavior determines the ultimate success of these strategies. We consider the merits of adopting a 'health by stealth', silent approach to reformulation compared to implementing a communications strategy which draws on labeling initiatives in tandem with reformulation efforts. We end this paper by calling for a multi-actor approach which utilizes co-design, participatory tools to facilitate the involvement of all stakeholders, including, and especially, consumers, in making decisions around how best to achieve population-level salt reduction.
The American journal of clinical nutrition, Jan 14, 2017
Background: Assessments of the dietary intakes in various populations suggest that pregnant women... more Background: Assessments of the dietary intakes in various populations suggest that pregnant women have difficulty meeting all their nutritional requirements through diet alone. Few large-scale studies have considered both food sources and supplements in assessing the adequacy of nutritional intakes during pregnancy.Objectives: Our study aimed to assess nutritional intakes during pregnancy by examining dietary sources and supplements. It then compared these findings with Dietary Reference Intakes.Design: We conducted a nutrition study in a large pregnancy cohort using a 3-d food record during the second trimester of pregnancy. Detailed information about supplement consumption was obtained by interview at each prenatal visit. We estimated the distribution of total usual intakes for energy, macronutrients, and micronutrients for 1533 pregnant women.Results: A third of the participants had total fat intakes that exceeded the Acceptable Micronutrient Distribution Range. A majority of wom...
Obstetric Medicine, 2011
Background Excessive weight gain during pregnancy increases the risk for obesity in mother and ch... more Background Excessive weight gain during pregnancy increases the risk for obesity in mother and child. Healthy eating and physical activity may help prevent excessive gestational weight gain and minimize offspring risk of developing obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Our goal was to determine the information channels used by pregnant women to obtain information on nutrition and exercise. Methods We collected information about their knowledge of physical activity and nutrition during pregnancy and assessed their satisfaction with this information to identify factors that may be improved upon when designing a behavioural intervention. An anonymous, voluntary questionnaire was completed by 147 pregnant women to identify the proportion who are currently receiving information about exercise from their care provider. Results The primarily Caucasian sample (age: 30.9 ± 4.2, weeks gestation: 21.4 ± 9.4) completed the survey. A total of 86% are willing to participate in a lifestyle...
Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 2016
Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2016
Iron, vitamin D, and calcium intakes in the prenatal period are important determinants of materna... more Iron, vitamin D, and calcium intakes in the prenatal period are important determinants of maternal and fetal health. The objective of this study was to examine iron, vitamin D, and calcium intakes from diet and supplements in relation to maternal characteristics. Data were collected in a subsample of 1186 pregnant women from the Maternal–Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study, a cohort study including pregnant women recruited from 10 Canadian sites between 2008 and 2011. A food frequency questionnaire was administered to obtain rankings of iron, calcium, and vitamin D intake (16–21 weeks of pregnancy). Intakes from supplements were obtained from a separate questionnaire (6–13 weeks of pregnancy). Women were divided into 2 groups according to the median total intake of each nutrient. Supplement intake was an important contributor to total iron intake (median 74%, interquartile range (IQR) 0%–81%) and total vitamin D intake (median 60%, IQR 0%–73%), while the opposit...
Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 2016
Frontiers in Immunology, 2015
Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2015
A distinct shift towards higher folate concentrations has emerged in Canada. These higher concent... more A distinct shift towards higher folate concentrations has emerged in Canada. These higher concentrations have known benefits, including prevention of neural tube defects, but concerns have been raised regarding potential associations with adverse health outcomes. The aim of this research was to propose cut-offs for high red blood cell (RBC) folate concentrations and identify their correlates. RBC folate was measured in a nationally representative cross-sectional sample of Canadians (N = 5248) aged 6 to 79 years. RBC folate concentrations were adjusted from the IMMULITE 2000 immunoassay to a microbiologic assay. The population was characterized at 3 RBC folate cut-offs: 1450 nmol/L, 1800 nmol/L, and 2150 nmol/L. We used t tests to examine differences by age, sex, income, and body mass index (BMI) at each cut-off and logistic regression to explore associations with folic acid supplement intake. The prevalence of high RBC folate was 16%, 6%, and 2% at thresholds of 1450 nmol/L, 1800 nm...
Environmental Research, 2015
Twin research and human genetics : the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies, Jan 27, 2015
For over 100 years, the genetics of human anthropometric traits has attracted scientific interest... more For over 100 years, the genetics of human anthropometric traits has attracted scientific interest. In particular, height and body mass index (BMI, calculated as kg/m2) have been under intensive genetic research. However, it is still largely unknown whether and how heritability estimates vary between human populations. Opportunities to address this question have increased recently because of the establishment of many new twin cohorts and the increasing accumulation of data in established twin cohorts. We started a new research project to analyze systematically (1) the variation of heritability estimates of height, BMI and their trajectories over the life course between birth cohorts, ethnicities and countries, and (2) to study the effects of birth-related factors, education and smoking on these anthropometric traits and whether these effects vary between twin cohorts. We identified 67 twin projects, including both monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins, using various sources. We a...
International journal of pediatric obesity : IJPO : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 2011
To examine the differences in exposure to food marketing on television between English children i... more To examine the differences in exposure to food marketing on television between English children in Ontario, and French and English children in Quebec as each group is influenced by different advertising policies. In total, 428 children aged 10-12 completed television viewing diaries for 7 days. During the same week, 32 television stations were recorded between 6 am and 12 am. A content analysis of advertisements, contests and sponsorship announcements that aired during children's 90 hours of preferred programming was then undertaken. Twenty-six percent of advertisements, 18% of contests and 22% of sponsorships were food/beverage related. Similar rates of food marketing were seen across all three population groups. French Quebec subjects were exposed to significantly more beverage promotions and fewer grain products, candy and snack food promotions. French Quebec children were targeted less frequently, and media characters/celebrities were used less often than in the English grou...
Healthcare Policy | Politiques de Santé, 2009
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Background Eating behaviors may contribute to differences in body weight and diet over time. Our ... more Background Eating behaviors may contribute to differences in body weight and diet over time. Our study aims to examine how eating behaviors of young adults relate to their current weight status and dietary patterns and to explore longitudinal associations with eating behaviors in early childhood. Methods Study participants are young adults (n = 698) taking part in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. At age 22, eating behaviors were assessed using the Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Dietary patterns were derived from information collected by food frequency questions. Weight status was based on self-reported data. Information on eating behaviors in childhood had been collected when participants were 2.5 to 6 years old. Pearson’s correlations were used to determine associations between adult eating behaviors and body mass index. Simple and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between eating behaviors and dietary patterns at age ...
Yokoyama, Yoshie; Jelenkovic, Aline; Sund, Reijo; Sung, Joohon; Hopper, John L; Ooki, Syuichi; He... more Yokoyama, Yoshie; Jelenkovic, Aline; Sund, Reijo; Sung, Joohon; Hopper, John L; Ooki, Syuichi; Heikkilä, Kauko; Aaltonen, Sari; Tarnoki, Adam D; Tarnoki, David L; Willemsen, Gonneke; Bartels, Meike; van Beijsterveldt, Toos C E M; Saudino, Kimberly J; Cutler, Tessa L; Nelson, Tracy L; Whitfield, Keith E; Wardle, Jane; Llewellyn, Clare H; Fisher, Abigail; He, Mingguang; Ding, Xiaohu; Bjerregaard-Andersen, Morten; Beck-Nielsen, Henning; Sodemann, Morten; Song, Yun-Mi; Yang, Sarah; Lee, Kayoung; Jeong, Hoe-Uk; KnafoNoam, Ariel; Mankuta, David; Abramson, Lior; Burt, S Alexandra; Klump, Kelly L; Ordoñana, Juan R; Sánchez-Romera, Juan F; Colodro-Conde, Lucia; Harris, Jennifer R; Brandt, Ingunn; Nilsen, Thomas Sevenius; Craig, Jeffrey M; Saffery, Richard; Ji, Fuling; Ning, Feng; Pang, Zengchang; Dubois, Lise; Boivin, Michel; Brendgen, Mara; Dionne, Ginette; Vitaro, Frank; Martin, Nicholas G; Medland, Sarah E; Montgomery, Grant W; Magnusson, Patrik K E; Pedersen, Nancy L; Aslan, Anna K Dahl;...
Background The current low state of food security amongst Inuit in Canada is influenced by policy... more Background The current low state of food security amongst Inuit in Canada is influenced by policy choices. Policy actors develop and implement policies, yet few research studies include their perspectives. This study includes policy actors’ perspectives on gaps and areas of improvement for policies that pertain to food security for Labrador Inuit in Nunatsiavut. Nunatsiavut is one of the four Inuit land claim areas in northern Canada making up the Inuit homeland, or Inuit Nunangat. It is situated in northern Labrador in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Methods This qualitative study consisted of key informant interviews conducted from July 2020-December 2020 with policy actors that spanned the Nunatsiavut Government (regional Inuit government), Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (provincial government), the Government of Canada (federal government), non-governmental organizations and private industry. Participants were asked about their role, policy gaps and o...
Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2021
Unhealthy food advertising can negatively impact children’s food preferences and nutritional heal... more Unhealthy food advertising can negatively impact children’s food preferences and nutritional health. In Canada, only companies participating in the self-regulatory Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CAI) commit to limiting unhealthy food advertising to children. We analyzed food advertising from 182 Canadian television stations in 2018. A principal component analysis explored patterns of advertising by 497 food companies and their targeting of preschoolers, children, adolescents, and adults. Chi-square analyses tested differences in the volume of advertising between target age groups by heavily advertising food companies and by CAI-participating and non-participating companies. In 2018, Maple Leaf Foods, Boulangerie St-Méthode, Exceldor Foods, Goodfood Market and Sobeys advertised most frequently during preschooler-programming. General Mills, Kellogg’s, the Topps Company, Parmalat and Post Foods advertised most frequently during child-programming, while Burger King...
Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 2019
Childhood obesity is a predictor of adult obesity and has its roots in the pre-pregnancy or pregn... more Childhood obesity is a predictor of adult obesity and has its roots in the pre-pregnancy or pregnancy period. This review presents an overview of the prenatal risk factors for childhood obesity, which were categorized into 2 groups: biological risk factors (maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, diabetes in pregnancy, and caesarean section), and environmental and behavioural risk factors (maternal smoking and exposure to obesogens, maternal dietary patterns, maternal intestinal microbiome and antibiotics exposure, and maternal psychosocial stress). Identifying modifiable predisposing prenatal factors for obesity will inform further development of inventions to prevent obesity over the life course, and future directions for research and intervention are discussed.
BMC Medical Genetics, 2019
Frontiers in endocrinology, 2018
Small for gestational age (SGA) infants are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood. It... more Small for gestational age (SGA) infants are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood. It is unknown whether any prenatal biomarkers are helpful for identifying SGA infants with altered metabolic health profile at birth or later life. In a nested study of 162 SGA (birth weight < 10th percentile) and 161 optimal birth weight (25th-75th percentiles) control infants in the 3D (design, develop and discover) birth cohort in Canada, we assessed whether maternal circulating placental growth factor (PlGF), a biomarker of placental function, is associated with metabolic health biomarkers in SGA infants. Main outcomes were cord plasma insulin, proinsulin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), leptin, and high-molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin concentrations. Maternal PlGF concentrations at 32-35 weeks of gestation were substantially lower in SGA versus control infants ( < 0.001), so as were cord plasma proinsulin ( = 0.005), IGF-I ( < 0.001), leptin ( < 0.001), and HMW ad...
Scientific reports, Jan 19, 2018
It is well established that boys are born heavier and longer than girls, but it remains unclear w... more It is well established that boys are born heavier and longer than girls, but it remains unclear whether birth size in twins is affected by the sex of their co-twin. We conducted an individual-based pooled analysis of 21 twin cohorts in 15 countries derived from the COllaborative project of Development of Anthropometrical measures in Twins (CODATwins), including 67,850 dizygotic twin individuals. Linear regression analyses showed that boys having a co-twin sister were, on average, 31 g (95% CI 18 to 45) heavier and 0.16 cm (95% CI 0.045 to 0.274) longer than those with a co-twin brother. In girls, birth size was not associated (5 g birth weight; 95% CI -8 to -18 and -0.089 cm birth length; 95% CI -0.202 to 0.025) with the sex of the co-twin. Gestational age was slightly shorter in boy-boy pairs than in boy-girl and girl-girl pairs. When birth size was standardized by gestational age, the magnitude of the associations was attenuated in boys, particularly for birth weight. In conclusio...
Nutrients, Jan 18, 2017
Reformulation of food products to reduce salt content has been a central strategy for achieving p... more Reformulation of food products to reduce salt content has been a central strategy for achieving population level salt reduction. In this paper, we reflect on current reformulation strategies and consider how consumer behavior determines the ultimate success of these strategies. We consider the merits of adopting a 'health by stealth', silent approach to reformulation compared to implementing a communications strategy which draws on labeling initiatives in tandem with reformulation efforts. We end this paper by calling for a multi-actor approach which utilizes co-design, participatory tools to facilitate the involvement of all stakeholders, including, and especially, consumers, in making decisions around how best to achieve population-level salt reduction.
The American journal of clinical nutrition, Jan 14, 2017
Background: Assessments of the dietary intakes in various populations suggest that pregnant women... more Background: Assessments of the dietary intakes in various populations suggest that pregnant women have difficulty meeting all their nutritional requirements through diet alone. Few large-scale studies have considered both food sources and supplements in assessing the adequacy of nutritional intakes during pregnancy.Objectives: Our study aimed to assess nutritional intakes during pregnancy by examining dietary sources and supplements. It then compared these findings with Dietary Reference Intakes.Design: We conducted a nutrition study in a large pregnancy cohort using a 3-d food record during the second trimester of pregnancy. Detailed information about supplement consumption was obtained by interview at each prenatal visit. We estimated the distribution of total usual intakes for energy, macronutrients, and micronutrients for 1533 pregnant women.Results: A third of the participants had total fat intakes that exceeded the Acceptable Micronutrient Distribution Range. A majority of wom...
Obstetric Medicine, 2011
Background Excessive weight gain during pregnancy increases the risk for obesity in mother and ch... more Background Excessive weight gain during pregnancy increases the risk for obesity in mother and child. Healthy eating and physical activity may help prevent excessive gestational weight gain and minimize offspring risk of developing obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Our goal was to determine the information channels used by pregnant women to obtain information on nutrition and exercise. Methods We collected information about their knowledge of physical activity and nutrition during pregnancy and assessed their satisfaction with this information to identify factors that may be improved upon when designing a behavioural intervention. An anonymous, voluntary questionnaire was completed by 147 pregnant women to identify the proportion who are currently receiving information about exercise from their care provider. Results The primarily Caucasian sample (age: 30.9 ± 4.2, weeks gestation: 21.4 ± 9.4) completed the survey. A total of 86% are willing to participate in a lifestyle...
Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 2016
Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2016
Iron, vitamin D, and calcium intakes in the prenatal period are important determinants of materna... more Iron, vitamin D, and calcium intakes in the prenatal period are important determinants of maternal and fetal health. The objective of this study was to examine iron, vitamin D, and calcium intakes from diet and supplements in relation to maternal characteristics. Data were collected in a subsample of 1186 pregnant women from the Maternal–Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study, a cohort study including pregnant women recruited from 10 Canadian sites between 2008 and 2011. A food frequency questionnaire was administered to obtain rankings of iron, calcium, and vitamin D intake (16–21 weeks of pregnancy). Intakes from supplements were obtained from a separate questionnaire (6–13 weeks of pregnancy). Women were divided into 2 groups according to the median total intake of each nutrient. Supplement intake was an important contributor to total iron intake (median 74%, interquartile range (IQR) 0%–81%) and total vitamin D intake (median 60%, IQR 0%–73%), while the opposit...
Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 2016
Frontiers in Immunology, 2015
Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2015
A distinct shift towards higher folate concentrations has emerged in Canada. These higher concent... more A distinct shift towards higher folate concentrations has emerged in Canada. These higher concentrations have known benefits, including prevention of neural tube defects, but concerns have been raised regarding potential associations with adverse health outcomes. The aim of this research was to propose cut-offs for high red blood cell (RBC) folate concentrations and identify their correlates. RBC folate was measured in a nationally representative cross-sectional sample of Canadians (N = 5248) aged 6 to 79 years. RBC folate concentrations were adjusted from the IMMULITE 2000 immunoassay to a microbiologic assay. The population was characterized at 3 RBC folate cut-offs: 1450 nmol/L, 1800 nmol/L, and 2150 nmol/L. We used t tests to examine differences by age, sex, income, and body mass index (BMI) at each cut-off and logistic regression to explore associations with folic acid supplement intake. The prevalence of high RBC folate was 16%, 6%, and 2% at thresholds of 1450 nmol/L, 1800 nm...
Environmental Research, 2015
Twin research and human genetics : the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies, Jan 27, 2015
For over 100 years, the genetics of human anthropometric traits has attracted scientific interest... more For over 100 years, the genetics of human anthropometric traits has attracted scientific interest. In particular, height and body mass index (BMI, calculated as kg/m2) have been under intensive genetic research. However, it is still largely unknown whether and how heritability estimates vary between human populations. Opportunities to address this question have increased recently because of the establishment of many new twin cohorts and the increasing accumulation of data in established twin cohorts. We started a new research project to analyze systematically (1) the variation of heritability estimates of height, BMI and their trajectories over the life course between birth cohorts, ethnicities and countries, and (2) to study the effects of birth-related factors, education and smoking on these anthropometric traits and whether these effects vary between twin cohorts. We identified 67 twin projects, including both monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins, using various sources. We a...
International journal of pediatric obesity : IJPO : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 2011
To examine the differences in exposure to food marketing on television between English children i... more To examine the differences in exposure to food marketing on television between English children in Ontario, and French and English children in Quebec as each group is influenced by different advertising policies. In total, 428 children aged 10-12 completed television viewing diaries for 7 days. During the same week, 32 television stations were recorded between 6 am and 12 am. A content analysis of advertisements, contests and sponsorship announcements that aired during children's 90 hours of preferred programming was then undertaken. Twenty-six percent of advertisements, 18% of contests and 22% of sponsorships were food/beverage related. Similar rates of food marketing were seen across all three population groups. French Quebec subjects were exposed to significantly more beverage promotions and fewer grain products, candy and snack food promotions. French Quebec children were targeted less frequently, and media characters/celebrities were used less often than in the English grou...
Healthcare Policy | Politiques de Santé, 2009