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Dr. Elizabeth A. Parker

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Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
Interests: community health; integrative nutrition; disease prevention; dietary intake; weight management strategies; lifestyle interventions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is strong evidence that healthy lifestyles, including but not limited to engaging in behaviors that promote healthy eating, physical activity and never smoking, moderate or no alcohol consumption, and overall general wellness are associated with positive health outcomes. Healthier dietary patterns and physical activity are associated with higher muscle mass, strength, and physical performance which may reduce the development of frailty and/or disability later in life. Healthy lifestyles are also linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, certain types of cancer such as colorectal and postmenopausal breast cancers, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic disease. Despite these benefits, many individuals do not engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors.

This Special Issue seeks research papers on various aspects of lifestyle interventions, including multifactorial interventions that encompass lifestyle behavior changes and studies exploring the relationship between healthy behaviors and chronic disease related outcomes. We welcome original research papers, as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Dr. Elizabeth A. Parker
Guest Editor

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Keywords

lifestyle
weight management
diet
physical activity
health behavior
chronic disease

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 854 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficacy of a Short-Term Lifestyle Change Intervention in Healthy Young Men: The FASt Randomized Controlled Trial

by Francesco Donato, Elisabetta Ceretti, Gaia Claudia Viviana Viola, Monica Marullo, Danilo Zani, Stefania Ubaldi, Sabina Sieri, Stefano Lorenzetti and Luigi Montano

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(10), 5812; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105812 - 13 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1439

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of dietary habits and physical activity intervention on lifestyle behavior as a prevention tool supported also by personalized motivational counseling. A two-arm randomized controlled trial was carried out. A sample of 18–22-year-old students was randomly assigned to a four-month intervention based on the Mediterranean diet and moderate physical activity program (N = 66) or to a control group (N = 63). The outcomes were adherence to the Mediterranean diet, physical activity level, and nutrients intake, assessed at enrollment (t0), end of intervention (t4, 4 months after the start), and end of follow-up (t8, 8 months after the start). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet increased from t0 to t4 and t8, more in the intervention (6.83, 9.85, and 9.12, respectively) than in the control group (6.73, 7.00, 7.69, respectively) (p < 0.001). Physical activity showed a moderate increase from t0 to t4 and t8 in both groups, without significant differences between them. Significant differences were seen between the two groups in food intake changes, from t0 to t4 and t8. This randomized controlled trial showed that a moderate short-term intervention based on the Mediterranean diet and regular physical activity determined a positive change in the lifestyle of healthy, normal-weight, young men. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Dietary Intake, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Interventions)

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12 pages, 1278 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Recommender System Based on Collaborative Filtering for Personalized Dietary Advice: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the ELSA-Brasil Study

by Vanderlei Carneiro Silva, Bartira Gorgulho, Dirce Maria Marchioni, Sheila Maria Alvim, Luana Giatti, Tânia Aparecida de Araujo, Angelica Castilho Alonso, Itamar de Souza Santos, Paulo Andrade Lotufo and Isabela Martins Benseñor

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 14934; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214934 - 13 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2115

Abstract

This study aimed to predict dietary recommendations and compare the performance of algorithms based on collaborative filtering for making predictions of personalized dietary recommendations. We analyzed the baseline cross-sectional data (2008–2010) of 12,667 participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). The participants were public employees of teaching and research institutions, aged 35–74 years, and 59% female. A semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used for dietary assessment. The predictions of dietary recommendations were based on two machine learning (ML) algorithms—user-based collaborative filtering (UBCF) and item-based collaborative filtering (IBCF). The ML algorithms had similar precision (88–91%). The error metrics were lower for UBCF than for IBCF: with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.49 vs. 1.67 and a mean square error (MSE) of 2.21 vs. 2.78. Although all food groups were used as input in the system, the items eligible as recommendations included whole cereals, tubers and roots, beans and other legumes, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables, white meats and fish, and low-fat dairy products and milk. The algorithms’ performances were similar in making predictions for dietary recommendations. The models presented can provide support for health professionals in interventions that promote healthier habits and improve adherence to this personalized dietary advice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Dietary Intake, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Interventions)

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