Poor diet in childhood increases risk of obesity but the relationship between access to food and children’s food choice is underexplored. We determined relationships between distance to and density of food outlets on children’s food choice.

Children (n 1721) aged 9–10 years who participated in a cross-sectional study from a sample of state and private schools across urban and rural areas. Food consumption was reported using a short validated FFQ. A Geographic Information System was used to determine proximity to local food outlets. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to determine associations between food consumption and distance to and density of local food outlets.

Norfolk, England.

Boys (n 754) and girls (n 967) aged 9–10 years.

The impact of distance to or density of food outlets on food choice was small after adjustment. Living further away from a supermarket increased portions of fruit (0·11 portions/week per 1 km increase in distance to nearest supermarket, P < 0·05) and vegetables (0·11 portions/week, P < 0·05) consumed. Living closer to convenience stores was also associated with an increased consumption of crisps, chocolate and white bread. Density of supermarkets was associated with both an increase in vegetable intake (0·31 portions/week, P < 0·05) and unhealthy foods.

Distance to and density of food outlets are both associated with children’s food choice, although the impact appears to be small and the relationship is complex. However, the effects of individual foods combined could be important, particularly as even small differences in intake can impact on body weight over time.

To determine the impact of contaminant iron and geophagy on iron intake and status of persons living in developing countries.

Literature for review was identified by searching Medline and Agricola, from appropriate other texts and from three reports from the Opportunities for Micronutrient Interventions (OMNI) Project of USAID.

The dietary intake of iron by people living in developing countries is generally high but iron deficiency remains prevalent. This apparent paradox is because the iron being consumed is predominantly in the non-haem form, which is poorly absorbed. Some of this non-haem iron is from contamination of food with iron from soil, dust and water; iron leaching into food during storage and cooking; contamination during food processing such as milling; and the practice of geophagy.

Although the contribution of contaminant iron to overall iron intake is well documented, its absorption and thus its impact on iron status is not. To be available for absorption, contaminant iron must join the common non-haem pool, i.e. be exchangeable. The absorption of exchangeable contaminant iron is subject to the same interactions with other constituents in the diet as the non-haem iron that is intrinsic to food. The limited available evidence suggests wide variation in exchangeability. In situations where a significant fraction of the contaminating iron joins the pool, the impact on iron status could be substantial. Without a simple method for predicting exchangeability, the impact of contaminant iron on iron status in any particular situation is uncertain.

Interventions known to increase the absorption of iron intrinsic to foods will also increase absorption of any contaminant iron that has joined the common pool. Any positive effect of geophagy resulting from an increased intake of iron is highly unlikely, due to inhibiting constituents contained in soils and clays. The efficacy of approaches designed to increase the intake of contaminant iron remains encouraging but uncertain. An approach using multiple interventions will continue to be essential to reduce iron deficiency anaemia.

To investigate the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and self-reported physical and mental functional health measured by an anglicised short-form 36-item questionnaire (UK SF-36).

Population-based cross-sectional study.

General community in Norfolk, UK.

A total of 16 792 men and women aged 40–79 years recruited from general practice population registers as part of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)–Norfolk study, who completed food-frequency questionnaires in 1993–1997 and Health and Life Experiences Questionnaires 18 months later, were enrolled in the study.

Mean SF-36 physical component summary scores increased significantly with increasing total fruit and vegetable consumption in both men and women (P <  0.0001 for trend). Men and women in the top quartile of consumption compared with the bottom quartile had a significantly higher likelihood of reporting good physical health (defined as a score ≥ 55); odds ratio (OR) 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11–1.53 for men and OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.11–1.48 for women, after controlling for age, body mass index, smoking, education, social class, prevalent illness and total energy intake. Exclusion of current smokers and people with prevalent illness did not alter the associations.

Higher fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with better self-reported physical functional health within a general population. Increasing daily intake by two portions of fruit and vegetables was associated with an 11% higher likelihood of good functional health. Since the current average consumption of fruit and vegetables in the UK is about three portions, the recommended ‘five a day’ strategy may have additional benefit for functional as well as other health outcomes in the population.

It is unclear whether intensive case management influences the prevalence of suicidal behaviour in patients with psychosis.

To compare the effect of intensive case management and standard care on prevalence of suicidal behaviour in patients with chronic psychosis.

Patients with established psychosis (n=708) were randomised either to intensive case management or to standard care. The prevalence of suicidal behaviour was estimated at 2-year follow-up and compared between treatment groups. Suicide attempters and non-attempters were compared on multiple socio-demographic and clinical variables to identify predictors of suicidal behaviour.

There was no significant difference in prevalence of suicidal behaviour between treatment groups. Recent attempts at suicide and multiple recent hospital admissions best predicted future attempts.

Intensive case management does not appear to influence the prevalence of suicidal behaviour in chronic psychosis. Predictors identified in this study confirm some previous findings.

Insight has recently re-emerged as an important aspect of psychopathology amenable to empirical study. We sought to examine the relationship between various aspects of insight into illness and clinical, sociodemographic and neuropsychological variables.

From an inner-London catchment area population, 150 in-patients with recent onset of psychosis were assessed on a variety of measures, including the Present State Examination (PSE). Subjects were followed up for a mean of four years and reassessed.

High IQ was associated with better insight as rated on the PSE, while gender, ethnicity and a diagnosis of schizophrenia appeared to be unrelated. At follow-up, similar associations were found, as well as correlations with attitudes to treatment and a more elaborate measure of insight. Cerebral ventricular enlargement and tests of frontal lobe function did not correlate with insight, but there was a curious, strong association with left-handedness at both assessment points. Initial insight correlated significantly but weakly with insight at follow-up.

The assessment of insight in psychosis has concurrent validity and is a distinct aspect of psychotic phenomenology. It may, in part, have a neuropsychological basis.

It has been suggested that the dimensions of cerebral ventricles are a risk factor for poor outcome in psychotic illness.

A cohort of 140 patients with functional psychoses of recent onset who had undergone CT scanning, were followed up for an average of 46 months and assessed on six dimensions of course and outcome of illness.

Left and right sylvian fissure volumes and, to a lesser extent, third ventricular volume predicted negative symptoms and unemployment over the course of follow-up, the latter association being mediated by poor cognitive functioning. There was a significant linear trend in risk over the distribution of sylvian fissure volumes in the cohort, and associations were especially evident in schizophrenic patients. No associations were found with global severity of illness, duration of hospital stay, homelessness, or affective symptoms.

These findings support the notion that dimensions of the cerebral ventricles are a continuous risk factor for some measures of outcome in the functional psychoses.