@proflaurenball
Professor of Community Health & Wellbeing at The University of Queensland. Creatively blending research excellence, leadership and strategy to empower our most influential thought leaders. proflaurenball.com
Is a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) safe and effective before colorectal cancer surgery? Rainbow Lai (Logan Hospital) + research team, found 2/3 of patients following a dietitian-led VLCD lost >3% of their body weight pre-surgery with no adverse effects reported: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
How useful are dietary assessment activities in engaging undergraduate nutrition students? First author Jamshed Arslan (Salim Habib University) + team found > 80% students preferred MyFitnessPal and the activity increased dietary awareness and interest in eating habits. doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
What are the experiences of dietitians working in palliative care in Norway? Gro Trae (Frambu Foundation & Oslo Metropolitan Uni) + team uncovered nutrition management with a MDT was key, as are organisational structures and relationships with a child’s family. doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
What influences plate waste in hospitals? First author, Samia Sfeir (Griffth University) and the research team found plate waste was lower when meals met temperature targets and patients reported a positive food experience. Read more on JHND: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
When it comes to nutrition interventions for children & teens with osteosarcoma, Laura Sealy & Raquel Revuelta-Iniesta (University of Exeter) + team found limited evidence & a wide variation in practice, highlighting the need for evidence-based guidelines. Read more: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
For those with liver disease, what is the likelihood that they also experience food insecurity? First author Rachel Howarth (Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre) + team found 26% of patients experienced food insecurity, particularly MASLD, ArLD & cirrhosis: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
What is it like to live with both food insecurity & chronic illness in the South Bronx? Sameena Ashar (Fordham University) + team uncovered that participants wanted a better structured food assistance program that accounts for both financial & health impacts: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
Do patients feel supported in weight management services? Led by Jordan Everitt & Amanda Squire (Cardiff Metropolitan University), the team found that peer support and positive group dynamics enhanced their experience and reduced isolation for some. Read more: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
Do omega-3s from fish support healthy ageing? 🐟🧠 Researchers from Uni of Peloponnese found it was linked to fewer depressive symptoms, better cognition, healthier ageing & a lower likelihood of long-COVID symptoms. Read more via JHND #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
What role do public health nutritionists have in reducing food waste? Researchers from Tehran University of Medical Sciences highlight nutritionists' role in education, developing data-driven solutions and building collaborations to drive policy change. doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
What are employment outcomes like for Irish dietetic graduates? 🎓 Shane O’Connor (University of Limerick) + research team found most graduates start in hospital dietetics, with community & non-dietetic roles also common. Read more via #OpenAccess on JHND: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
For stroke patients with dysphagia, does early nutrition support help? First author, Cunlei Zhu (Zhejiang Chinese Medical University Hospital) + team reviewed 13 RCTs and found it ⬇️ neurological deficits & complications + ⬆️ biochemical markers. Read more on JHND: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
Are peer support groups effective for those living with type 2 diabetes? Jane McClinchy (University of Hertfordshire) + research team, found regular + accessible peer support groups ⬆️ the sharing of nutrition info & lived experiences, with a skilled leader needed: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
How accurate are LLMs like ChatGPT & Gemini for IBS dietary advice? First author, Merve Kip (Nuh Naci Yazgan University) found ChatGPT gave IBS Guideline-compliant responses 70% of the time and Gemini, 53% of the time. Read more via JHND: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
Can an adult gluten-free diet adherence survey be adapted for kids with coeliac disease? Researchers from Turkey and USA adapted a Gluten Free Diet Adherence Survey and surveyed Turkish children & teens finding a moderate diet adherence. Read more: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
Can the Mediterranean diet boost workplace health? 🥗🏢 First author Sofia Lotti (Uni of Florence) + team found a 4-month program focused on dietary habits, significantly ⬇️ waist circumference & waist to height ratio, independent of weight loss: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
Can photography reliably measure plate waste in child care? 📸🍽️ Sarah Ullevig (University of Texas) + research team found no significant difference between weighed plate waste and digital photography. Read more via JHND #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
A team of Greek researchers developed the GReek Ultra Processed Food intake ASsessment Tool (GR-UPFAST), which was found to be practical & a valid way to assess the ultra-processed food intake of young Greek adults. Read more about these findings via #OpenAccess on JHND: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
Does the Australian Eating Survey accurately capture nutrient intake for South Asian migrants? Purva Gulyani (DietYumm & La Trobe University) + team found discrepancies for key nutrients, highlighting the need for culturally tailored dietary assessment tools: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
Can evidence-based training improve enteral nutrition practices in palliative care? 🩺📚 A study by Elif Okur (Trabzon University) saw a significant increase in knowledge one month after conducting a 2-hour training session with nurses. Read more on JHND: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
Would dietetic students use ChatGPT as their virtual nutrition assistant? 🤖📚
Yen Nhi Hoang (Taipei Medical University) found trust in AI software was a key factor in influencing students to use it for nutrition knowledge, assessments and clinical tasks.
Read more on JHND: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
The NCP-QUEST has been developed to evaluate the quality of nutrition care documentation.
Led by Casey Colin (University of North Florida), the research team found it had high validity and moderate reliability for patients with diabetes.
Read more via JHND: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
When it comes to measuring patient mealtime experiences in hospital, today’s JHND study reports on the Austin Health Patient Mealtime Experience Tool, finding it to be reliable and valid.
Check out this paper led by Annie-Claude Lassemillante, PhD (La Trobe University): doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
How can maternity hospitals tackle food insecurity during pregnancy? 🤰 Julia Zinga (Royal Women’s Hospital and Deakin University) spoke to hospital leaders and found that they needed to leverage enthusiasm, and address barriers like time and resourcing: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
What diet are patients with T2D more likely to choose when looking to lose weight? First author Alexis Care (University of Staffordshire + RehabCare) + team, found preferences for continuous vs intermittent low-energy diets, low-carb & simple diet approaches: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
Do healthy dietary changes made during pregnancy stick postpartum? Led by Hannah O’Connor (University of Queensland + Metro North HHS) the team found ⬆️ diet quality & greater intake of key nutrients and core food groups for those receiving dietary support: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
🍽️ What do we know about diet & nutrition post-surgery, for patients with appendix cancer? First author Janelle Skinner (University of Newcastle + @hmriaustralia.bsky.social) + the research team found limited/no data on food intake & nutrition outcomes. doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
What are the risks of gastrostomy in patients with Parkinson’s, MS & Huntington’s? First author Lauren Roberts (Northern Health & La Trobe University) + research team found it appeared to be linked with an increase in care + called for more high-quality research: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
Food insecurity impacts young children’s diets in Brazil. Researchers found children aged 6-23 months living in severely food insecure households were 60% less likely to meet the minimum dietary diversity and ~2.5x more likely to eat no fruit or veg. Read more: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
Do young people regularly drink energy drinks? ⚡ First author Grace Stewart (Teesside University) and the research team found that >80% of participants consumed energy drinks and this was influenced by marketing, taste, ease of access and family and friends: doi.org/10.1111/jhn....
