@article {11976, title = {Reported organic food consumption and metabolic syndrome in older adults: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses}, journal = {European Journal of Nutrition}, volume = {61}, year = {2022}, pages = {1255-1271}, abstract = {Purpose: Examine cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between organic food consumption, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and its components among older adults. Methods: Respondents of the 2012 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and Health Care and Nutrition Study (HCNS) were included in this study. Organic food consumption was measured with a crude binary question asking about past-year consumption (yes/no). Cross-sectional analyses were conducted with 6,633 participants (mean (SE) age, 65.5 (0.3) years). Longitudinal analyses were conducted with a subset of 1,637 respondents who participated in the HRS Venous Blood Study (mean (SE) age, 63.8 (0.4) years). Hemoglobin A1C and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were assessed using dried blood spots at baseline. Glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides were assessed using fasting blood samples collected 4 years after baseline. Waist circumference and blood pressure were measured at baseline and follow-up. Logistic and linear regressions were used to assess the associations between organic food consumption, MetS, and its components. Results: Any organic food consumption over the previous year was reported among 47.4\% of cross-sectional and 51.3\% of longitudinal participants. Unadjusted models showed inverse cross-sectional associations between organic food consumption and waist circumference, blood pressure, and hemoglobin A1C, and positive longitudinal association with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. No significant associations were detected in the fully adjusted models. Conclusions: No association was observed between organic food consumption and MetS among older adults after adjusting for confounders. Future studies with a precise definition, quantitative assessment of the consumption, and duration of organic food consumption, together with pesticides biomarkers, are warranted.}, keywords = {Cardiometabolic risk factors, Metabolic syndrome, Organic food}, doi = {10.1007/s00394-021-02717-7}, author = {Aljahdali, Abeer A and Baylin, Ana and Ludwig-Borycz, Elizabeth and Heidi M Guyer} } @article {11936, title = {Organic food consumption is associated with inflammatory biomarkers among older adults.}, journal = {Public Health Nutrition}, volume = {24}, year = {2021}, pages = {4603-4613}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: The association between organic food consumption and biomarkers of inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP) and cystatin C (CysC) was explored in this cross-sectional analysis of older adults.

DESIGN: Dietary data and organic food consumption was collected in 2013 from a FFQ. Alternative Mediterranean diet score (A-MedDiet) was calculated as a measure of healthy eating. Biomarkers CRP and CysC were collected in serum or plasma in 2016. We used linear regression models to assess the associations between organic food consumption and CRP and CysC.

SETTING: This cross-sectional analysis uses data from the nationally representative, longitudinal panel study of Americans over 50, the Health and Retirement Study.

PARTICIPANTS: The mean age of the analytic sample (n 3815) was 64{\textperiodcentered}3 (se 0{\textperiodcentered}3) years with 54{\textperiodcentered}4 \% being female.

RESULTS: Log CRP and log CysC were inversely associated with consuming organic food after adjusting for potential confounders (CRP: β = -0{\textperiodcentered}096, 95 \% CI 0{\textperiodcentered}159, -0{\textperiodcentered}033; CysC: β = -0{\textperiodcentered}033, 95 \% CI -0{\textperiodcentered}051, -0{\textperiodcentered}015). Log CRP maintained statistical significance (β = -0{\textperiodcentered}080; 95 \% CI -0{\textperiodcentered}144, -0{\textperiodcentered}016) after additional adjustments for the A-MedDiet, while log CysC lost statistical significance (β = -0{\textperiodcentered}019; 95 \% CI -0{\textperiodcentered}039, 0{\textperiodcentered}000). The association between organic food consumption and log CRP was driven primarily by milk, fruit, vegetables and cereals, while log CysC was primarily driven by milk, eggs and meat after adjustments for A-MedDiet.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the hypothesis that organic food consumption is inversely associated with biomarkers of inflammation CRP and CysC, although residual confounding by healthy eating and socioeconomic status cannot be ruled out.

}, keywords = {C-reactive protein, Chronic disease, Conventional food consumption, Cystatin C, Organic food consumption, Pesticides}, issn = {1475-2727}, doi = {10.1017/S1368980020005236}, author = {Ludwig-Borycz, Elizabeth and Heidi M Guyer and Aljahdali, Abeer A and Baylin, Ana} } @article {8024, title = {Does Sequence Matter in Multi-Mode Surveys: Results from an Experiment.}, journal = {Field methods}, volume = {26}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 May 01}, pages = {141-155}, publisher = {26}, abstract = {

Interest in a multi-mode approach to surveys has grown substantially in recent years, in part due to increased costs of face-to-face interviewing and the emergence of the internet as a survey mode. Yet, there is little systematic evidence of the impact of a multimode approach on survey costs and errors. This paper reports the results of an experiment designed to evaluate whether a mixed-mode approach to a large screening survey would produce comparable response rates at a lower cost than a face-to-face screening effort. The experiment was carried out in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), an ongoing panel study of Americans over age 50. In 2010, HRS conducted a household screening survey to recruit new sample members to supplement the existing sample. The experiment varied the sequence of modes with which the screening interview was delivered. One treatment offered mail first, followed by face-to-face interviewing; the other started with face-to-face and then mail. A control group was offered only face-to-face interviewing. Results suggest that the mixed mode options reduced costs without reducing response rates to the screening interview. There is some evidence, however, that the sequence of modes offered may impact the response rate for a follow-up in-depth interview.

}, issn = {1525-822X}, doi = {10.1177/1525822X13491863}, url = {http://fmx.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/07/24/1525822X13491863.abstract}, author = {James Wagner and Arrieta, Jennifer and Heidi M Guyer and Mary Beth Ofstedal} }