GRUP DE RECERCA EN NUTRICIÓ COMUNITÀRIA – CRENC

• Lluís Serra Majem, Catedràtic de Medicina Preventiva i Salut Pública, Universitat de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
• Lourdes Ribas Barba, Coordinadora CRENC-FIN. Metgessa Investigadora, Màster en Nutrició.
• Joy Ngo de la Cruz, Dietista Investigadora, Màster en Salut Pública
• Blanca Román Viñas, Metgessa Investigadora, Doctora en Medicina, Especialista en Medicina de l’Esport, Màster en Nutrició.
• Alicia García Álvarez, Nutricionista Investigadora, Màster en Salut Pública
• Blanca Raidó Quintana, Dietista Investigadora

(Actualització de l’apartat: 31/01/2014)

El Centre de Recerca en Nutrició Comunitària va ser creat l’any 1990 pel Dr. Lluís Serra Majem des del Departament de Salut Pública de la Universitat de Barcelona, amb l’objectiu de dur a terme recerca epidemiològica i interdisciplinar dirigida a incrementar els coneixements en la relació entre alimentació-nutrició i salut-malaltia, amb la finalitat de millorar l’estat de salut de la població general. Des de 1997 l’administració del CRENC corre a càrrec de la Fundació per a la Investigació Nutricional (FIN), i des de 1999 el CRENC està ubicat en el Parc Científic de la Universitat de Barcelona. Amb seu a Barcelona té un àmbit d’actuació tant local a Catalunya com a nivell d’estat espanyol i internacional. Entre els diferents estudis en els que ha intervingut destaca la realització de les enquestes poblacionals (catalana ENCAT 1992-93 i 2002-03; infantil i juvenil espanyola, estudi EnKid 1998-2000, canària ENCA 1997-98 i població d’Andorra ENA 2004-05) i la participació en els Projectes Europeus (EURALIM, PIPS, ENHR I i II, BENERIS, EURRECA, EXPOCHI, PLANTLIBRA) i Nacionals: Estudis EVE, Dorica i ENNE, i col·laboració en la RETIC: “RED: Alimentación saludable en la prevención primaria de enfermedades crónicas: la Red Predimed”.

Entre els àmbits d’actuació del CRENC s’hi troba:

1. La planificació i aplicació en diferents poblacions i col·lectius (població general, infantil, dones embarassades, immigrants, etc) d’estudis alimentaris i nutricionals per a les administracions públiques, la indústria farmacèutica, alimentària i de restauració, sobre aspectes relacionats amb els hàbits alimentaris, la seguretat alimentària, la higiene, la composició nutricional, o l’estat nutricional.
2. L’anàlisi de la relació i l’impacte dels productes alimentaris en la salut de la població, i estudi de la relació que tenen amb la incidència de malalties en poblacions humanes.
3. El plantejament, elaboració i avaluació de programes i materials d’educació alimentària i nutricional per a la indústria, institucions i administracions.
4. L’estudi i col·laboració en el disseny de nous productes alimentaris (enriquiment nutricional), d’acord amb les necessitats de la població.

L’assessorament nutricional en general a administracions, col·lectivitats, institucions, associacions, serveis i indústries, sobre tots els aspectes relacionats amb la nutrició comunitària i la seguretat alimentària.

• Avaluació de l’estat nutricional de poblacions.
  IP: Lluís Serra Majem i Lourdes Ribas Barba
• Aspectes metodològics de l’avaluació de l’estat nutricional i d’intervencions comunitàries en nutrició.
  IP: Lluís Serra Majem
• Anàlisis de riscs d’ingestes de contaminants. 
  IP: Lluís Serra Majem i Lourdes Ribas Barba
• Població immigrant: adaptació dels mètodes d’avaluació de la ingesta.
  IP: Joy Ngo de la Cruz
• Mètodes d’avaluació i determinants de l’activitat física.
  IP: Blanca Román Viñas

• EURRECA: EURopean RECommendations Aligned. Harmonising nutrient recommendations across Europe with special focus on vulnerable groups and consumer understanding. IP: Lluís Serra Majem. Entitat finançadora: European Union. Referència: FP6-0361196-2.  Network of Excellence Durada: 2007-2011. Vinculació a la línia de recerca: 2 i 4
• ENHR-II: Report on Nutrition and Health Status in the European Union. IP: Lluís Serra Majem. Entitat finançadora: European Union. Referència: Núm. 2006128 del The Public Health Programme. Durada: 2007-2009. Vinculació a la línia de recerca: 1 i 2
• BENERIS: Benefit-Risk assessment for food: an iterative value-of-information approach. IP: Lluís Serra Majem. Entitat finançadora: European Union. Referència: FP6-FOOD-022936. Durada: 2006-2009. Vinculació a la línia de recerca: 3
• PIPS – Personalised Information Platform for Life and Health Services. IP: Lluis Serra Majem. Entitat finançadora: European Union. Referència: FP6, IST 2.3.1.11 “e-Health” – Contract 507019. Durada: 2004-2008. Vinculació a la línia de recerca: 2
• EXPOCHI: Individual food consumption data and four exposure assessment Studies for children in Europe: food colours, selenium, chromium and lead. IP: Lluis Serra Majem. Entitat finançadora: European Food Safety Authority –EFSA. Referència: CFP/EFSA/DATEX/1008/01.  Durada: 1 Desembre 2008-30 Novembre 2009. Vinculació a la línia de recerca: 3

• Estudio ENNE. Encuesta Nacional de Nutrición y Embarazo. IP: Lluís Serra Majem. Entitat finançadora: Laboratorios Gynea. Durada: 2008-2009.
• Influencia del consumo de pan en el estado ponderal. Revisión sistemática. IP: nmaculada Bautista. Entitat finançadora: INCERHPAN. Pan de cada dia. Durada: 2008.
• Estudi KrecePlus. IP: Lluís Serra Majem. Entitat finançadora: Kellogg-España. Durada: 2008.
• Validació del qüestionari d’Activitat Física de l’estudi SUN. IP: Blanca Román Viñas. Entitat finançadora: Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Durada: 2009-2010.
• Importància del DHA durant l’Embaràs. IP: Lluís Serra Majem. Entitat finançadora: VITA GREEN EUROPA. Durada: 2009.

• Serra-Majem L, Bes-Rastrollo M, Román-Viñas B, Pfrimer K, Sánchez-Villegas A, Martínez-González MA.
  Dietary patterns and nutritional adequacy in a Mediterranean country.  
  Br J Nutr 2009; 101 (Suppl 2): S21–S28. 
  PMID: 19594961

Abstract: Dietary patterns have been related to health outcomes and morbi-mortality. Mediterranean diet indexes are correlated with adequate nutrient intake. The objective of the present study was to analyse the adequacy of nutrient intake of a posteriori defined Mediterranean (MDP) and Western (WDP) diet patterns in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort. A sample of 17 197 subjects participated in the study. Participants completed a 136-item validated semi-quantitative FFQ. Principal component analysis was used to define dietary patterns. Individuals were classified according to quintiles of adherence based on dietary pattern scores. Non-dietary variables, such as smoking and physical activity habits, were also taken into account. The probability approach was used to assess nutrient intake adequacy of certain vitamins (vitamins B12, B6, B3, B2, B1, A, C, D and E) and minerals (Na, Zn, iodine, Se, folic acid, P, Mg, K, Fe and Ca). Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the adequacy of nutrient intake according to adherence to dietary patterns. WDP and MDP were defined. A higher quintile of adherence to an MDP was associated to a lower prevalence of inadequacy for the intake of Zn, iodine, vitamin E, Mg, Fe, vitamin B1, vitamin A, Se, vitamin C and folic acid. The adjusted OR for not reaching at least six (or at least ten) nutrient recommendations were 0.09 (95 % CI: 0.07, 0.11) (and 0.02 (95 % CI: 0.00, 0.16)) for the upper quintile of MDP and 4.4 (95 % CI: 3.6, 5.5) and 2.5 (95 % CI: 1.1, 5.4) for the WDP. The MDP was associated to a better profile of nutrient intake.

• Serra-Majem L, Ribas-Barba L, Salvador G, Jover L, Raidó B, Ngo J, Plasencia A.
  Trends in energy and nutrient intake and risk of inadequate intakes in Catalonia, Spain (1992–2003).
  Public Health Nutr. 2007;10(11A):1354-67 
  PMID: 17988407

Objectives: To analyse trends in energy and nutrient intakes and nutritional adequacy from 1992 to 2003. DESIGN: Two consecutive cross-sectional studies carried out on random samples of the Catalan population ENCAT 1992-93 and ENCAT 2002-03. Dietary intake was assessed by means of two 24-hour recalls on non-consecutive days. Spanish food consumption tables were used. Energy and nutrient data were adjusted for intraindividual variability, and the Spanish recommend nutrient intakes (RNIs) were used in the analysis. SETTING: Catalonia region, North Eastern Spain. SUBJECTS: Analysis is based on a total of 4701 individuals; 2641 from ENCAT 1992-93 (1210 men and 1431 women) and 2060 from ENCAT 2002-03 (954 men and 1106 women), aged 10-75 years. RESULTS: No relevant changes in energy intake trends were observed, although a decrease was observed in the daily consumption of proteins (-7 g), cholesterol (-56 mg), potassium (-245 mg), vitamin A (-283 RE microg), retinoids (-71 microg), carotenoids (-1520 microg), niacin (-29 mg), folates (-15 microg), vitamin B12 (-1.6 microg) vitamin D (-0.5 microg), fibre and iron, and an increase in the consumption of calcium (+57 mg) and a slight increase in lipids and fatty acids (% energy). In general, the most outstanding trends were those of vitamin A (as a result of the decreased consumption of offal), proteins, vitamin D and B12 (due to the decreased consumption of meat and fish) and calcium (as a consequence of the increased consumption of dairy products). CONCLUSION: No changes were observed in the energy intake of males or females; therefore, the obesity changes may possibly be attributed to changes in physical activity patterns. However, an increase in energy sources of a poorer nutritional profile has been identified, especially for between meal snacks.

• Serra-Majem L, Roman B, Estruch R.
  Scientific evidence of interventions using the Mediterranean diet: a systematic review. 
  Nutr Rev. 2006;64(2 Pt 2):S27-47 
  PMID: 16532897

Background: The Mediterranean Diet has been associated with greater longevity and quality of life in epidemiological studies, the majority being observational. The application of evidence-based medicine to the area of public health nutrition involves the necessity of developing clinical trials and systematic reviews to develop sound recommendations. The purpose of this study was to analyze and review the experimental studies on Mediterranean diet and disease prevention. A systematic review was made and a total of 43 articles corresponding to 35 different experimental studies were selected. Results were analyzed for the effects of the Mediterranean diet on lipoproteins, endothelial resistance, diabetes and antioxidative capacity, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, cancer, body composition, and psychological function. The Mediterranean diet showed favorable effects on lipoprotein levels, endothelium vasodilatation, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, antioxidant capacity, myocardial and cardiovascular mortality, and cancer incidence in obese patients and in those with previous myocardial infarction. Results disclose the mechanisms of the Mediterranean diet in disease prevention, particularly in cardiovascular disease secondary prevention, but also emphasize the need to undertake experimental research and systematic reviews in the areas of primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, infectious diseases, age-related cognitive impairment, and cancer, among others. Interventions should use food scores or patterns to ascertain adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Further experimental research is needed to corroborate the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and the underlying mechanisms, and in this sense the methodology of the ongoing PREDIMED study is explained.

• Serra-Majem L, Aranceta Bartrina J, Perez-Rodrigo C, Ribas-Barba L, Delgado-Rubio A.
  Prevalence and determinants of obesity in Spanish children and young people. 
  Br J Nutr. 2006;96 Suppl 1:S67-72. 
  PMID: 16923254

Abstract: Prevalence estimates of obesity in a national random sample of Spanish children and young people are presented in this paper, defined by age- and sex-specific BMI national reference standards for the 85th percentile (overweight) and 97th percentile (obesity), as well as by Cole et al. criteria. A random sample of 3534 people, aged 2-24 years, was interviewed between 1998 and 2000. The study protocol included personal data, data on education and socioeconomic status (SES) for the family, dietary assessment, anthropometric measurements and physical activity. The prevalence of obesity was 13.9 % (95 % CI 12.7, 15.1) considering Spanish reference standards as cut-offs. Obesity was significantly higher in boys (15.6 %) than in girls (12 %). The highest values were observed between 6 and 13 years of age. Using Cole’s cut-offs, the estimated prevalence of obesity was 6.3 % (95 % CI 5.4, 7.5) with a similar pattern to that previously described by sex. Regarding sociodemographic factors, sex, age group, region, size of locality of residence, mother’s level of education and family SES level were significant predictors for obesity in children and adolescents under 14 years. Among young people, the main sociodemographic predictors for obesity were geographical region and family SES level. Odds ratio for obesity was 1.27 for those with a more frequent consumption of buns, cakes and snacks, and 1.71 for those with more frequent consumption of sugared drinks. Adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables, usually having breakfast and regular sports practice had a protective effect. The available data show that obesity in Spain is a public health issue given its magnitude and increasing trends. Among Spanish children and young people, those at prepubertal age, particularly boys, can be identified as a group at higher risk for overweight and obesity, particularly children from lower SES families.

• Serra-Majem L, Ribas L, Ngo J, Ortega RM, Garcia A, Perez-Rodrigo C, Aranceta J.
  Food, youth and the Mediterranean diet in Spain. Development of KIDMED, Mediterranean Diet Quality Index in children and adolescents. 
  Public Health Nutr. 2004;7(7):931-935 
  PMID: 15482620

Objective: To evaluate dietary habits in Spanish children and adolescents based on a Mediterranean Diet Quality Index tool, which considers certain principles sustaining and challenging traditional healthy Mediterranean dietary patterns. DESIGN: Observational population-based cross-sectional study. A 16-item Mediterranean Diet Quality Index was included in data gathered for the EnKid study (in which two 24-hour recalls, a quantitative 169-item food-frequency questionnaire and a general questionnaire about socio-economic, demographic and lifestyle items were administered). SETTING: Spain. SUBJECTS: In total, 3850 children and youths aged 2-24 years residing in Spain. RESULTS: Of the sample, 4.2% showed very low KIDMED index results, 49.4% had intermediate values and 46.4% had high index results. Important geographical differences were seen, with subjects from the Northeast showing the most favourable outcomes (52% with elevated scores vs. 37.5% of those from the North). Lower percentages of high diet quality were observed in low socio-economic groups, compared with middle and upper income cohorts (42.8%, 47.6% and 54.9%, respectively). Large cities had more positive results and only slight variations were seen for gender and age. CONCLUSIONS: The KIDMED index, the first to evaluate the adequacy of Mediterranean dietary patterns in children and youth, confirms that this collective is undergoing important changes, which makes them a priority target for nutrition interventions. Results challenge certain commonly perceived notions tied to income level, population size and diet quality.

• Universitat de Barcelona
• Unio Europea
• Fundación Dieta Mediterránea
• Fundació per la Investigació Nutricional
• Academia Española de Nutrición y Ciencias de la Alimentación
• Sociedad Española de Nutrición Comunitaria
• Departament de Sanitat, Generalitat de Catalunya
• Ministeri de Salut, Benestar Social i Família, Govern d’Andorra