Lars Johansson

Bio: Lars Johansson is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Welfare & Blood lipids. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 4 publications receiving 554 citations.

Healthy dietary habits in relation to social determinants and lifestyle factors

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the importance of social status and lifestyle for dietary habits, since these factors may influence life expectancy. We studied the association of four indicators for healthy dietary habits (fruits and vegetables, fibre, fat and Hegsted score) with sex, age, socio-economic status, education, physical leisure exercise, smoking and personal attention paid to keeping a healthy diet. Data were gathered with a self-administered quantitative food-frequency questionnaire distributed to a representative sample of Norwegian men and women aged 16-79 years in a national dietary survey, of whom 3144 subjects (63%) responded. Age and female sex were positively associated with indicators for healthy dietary habits. By separate evaluation length of education, regular physical leisure exercise and degree of attention paid to keeping a healthy diet were positively associated with all four indicators for healthy dietary habits in both sexes. Socio-economic status, location of residence and smoking habits were associated with from one to three indicators for healthy dietary habits. In a multiple regression model, age, education and location of residence together explained from 1 to 9% of the variation (R2) in the four dietary indicators. Length of education was significantly associated with three of four dietary indicators both among men and women. By including the variable 'attention paid to keeping a healthy diet' in the model, R2 increased to between 4 and 15% for the four dietary indicators. Length of education remained correlated to three dietary indicators among women, and one indicator among men, after adjusting for attention to healthy diet, age and location of residence. Residence in cities remained correlated to two indicators among men, but none among women, after adjusting for age, education and attention to healthy diet. In conclusion, education was associated with indicators of a healthy diet. Attention to healthy diet showed the strongest and most consistent association with all four indicators for healthy dietary habits in both sexes. This suggests that personal preferences may be just as important for having a healthy diet as social status determinants.

Evaluation of a Food Frequency Questionnaire with Weighed Records, Fatty Acids, and Alpha-Tocopherol in Adipose Tissue and Serum

Abstract: The authors examined the validity of a self-administered 180-item food frequency questionnaire in 125 Norwegian men aged 20-55 years who filled in the questionnaire and completed 14-day weighed records in fall 1995 to winter 1995/6. Spearman correlation coefficients between the two measurements ranged from 0.42 for percent of energy from fat to 0.66 for sugar intake (median r = 0.51). On average, 39% of the men were classified in the same quartile with the two methods, and 3% in the opposite quartile. Correlation coefficients between intake of fatty acids estimated from the questionnaire and the relative amounts of fatty acids in adipose tissue were: linoleic acid (18:2, n-6), r = 0.38; alpha-linolenic acid (18:3, n-3), r = 0.42; eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5, n-3), r = 0.52; and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6, n-3), r = 0.49. The correlations for these fatty acids between the total serum lipids and the diet were 0.16, 0.28, 0.51 and 0.52, respectively. The data suggest that very-long-chain n-3 fatty acids in adipose tissue and total serum lipids reflect the dietary intake of very-long-chain n-3 fatty acids to the same degree. No associations were observed between intake of alpha-tocopherol and concentration in adipose tissue and serum.

Contributions of food categories to absolute nutrient intake and between-person variation within a representative sample of 2677 Norwegian men and women

Abstract: Semi-quantitative food frequency data from a nation-wide, representative sample of 2677 Norwegian men and women were analysed to identify food categories contributing most to absolute intake and between-person variation in intake of energy and nine nutrients. The 149 food categories in the questionnaire were ranked according to their contribution to absolute nutrient intake, and categories contributing at least 0.5% to the average absolute intake were included in a stepwise regression model. The number of food categories explaining 90% of the between-person variation varied from 2 categories for b -carotene to 33 for a -tocopherol. The models accounted for 53–76% of the estimated absolute nutrient intakes. These analyses present a meaningful way of restricting the number of food categories in questionnaires aimed at capturing the between-person variation in energy or specific nutrient intakes. N ORSK SAMMENDRAG Semikvantitative matvarefrekvensdata fra et landsrepresentativt utvalg av 2677 norske menn og kvinner ble analysert for a identifisere de matvarekategoriene som bidro mest til absolutt inntak og til variasjon i inntak mellom individer for energi og ni naeringsstoffer. De 149 matvarekategoriene ble rangert i forhold til deres bidrag til inntaket av et naeringsstoff, og de kategoriene som bidro med minst 0,5% av gjennomsnittlig inntak ble inkludert i en trinnvis regresjonsmodell. Antallet kategorier som forklarte 90% av variasjonen mellom individer varierte fra 2 kategorier for b -karoten til 33 for a -tokoferol. Modellene inkluderte 53–76% av det estimerte absoluttinntaket av naeringsstoffene. Disse analysene peker pa en meningsfylt mate a redusere antall kostsporsmal i sporreskjema som er rettet mot a fange opp variasjonen i inntak av energi og utvalgte naeringsstoffer mellom personer.

Aerobic Interval Training Versus Continuous Moderate Exercise as a Treatment for the Metabolic Syndrome: A Pilot Study

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Individuals with the metabolic syndrome are 3 times more likely to die of heart disease than healthy counterparts. Exercise training reduces several of the symptoms of the syndrome, but ...