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Introduction: The behaviour change technique taxonomy version 1 was developed to identify the smallest active ingredients of a lifestyle intervention, that is, behaviour change techniques (BCTs) based on a written description. By participation and direct observation of an intervention, we intend to not only identify BCTs but also assess exposure time for each BCT. Adding the dimension of exposure time should enable us to make quantitative comparisons between the different BCTs employed. We intend to demonstrate this by studying the hypotheses that exposure to information-related BCTs is similar for all targeted lifestyle modalities but decreases in the course of the intervention.

Methods: During 5-week intensive multimodal lifestyle interventions at a Swedish clinic for lifestyle medicine, we identified BCTs according to behaviour change technique taxonomy version 1 and noted exposure times to BCTs in all mandatory parts of the behaviour change intervention.

Results: Two hundred thirty-one independent intervention components were evaluated. BCTs 8.1 Behavioural practice/rehearsal (126 h), 4.1 Instruction on how to perform the behaviour (98 h) and 6.1 Demonstration of the behaviour (65 h) were the most common in terms of exposure time. Relative exposure to BCTs with an informative nature was similar for the different treatment phases (33%−37%−28%; p = 0.09) but higher for physical activity compared to food habits, stress management and unspecific lifestyle medicine (63%−25%−22%−25%; p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The behaviour change technique taxonomy version 1 can be extended by adding exposure time for different BCTs. The resulting BCT–exposure profile can be used for assessing the relative importance of different behaviour change strategies.

We report associations of saturated fat (SF) intake with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), concurrent IFG+IGT and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) at different levels of cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index (BMI). In a population-based sample (n = 1261, age 58-78 years), oral glucose tolerance, 4-day food intake and maximal oxygen uptake were measured. High intake of SF (>11.4 E%) was associated with elevated risk for IFG (4.36; 1.93-9.88), concurrent IFG+IGT (6.03; 1.25-29.20) and T2DM (4.77; 1.93-11.82) in the category of high BMI (>26.5) and high fitness, whereas there was no significantly elevated risk in individuals reporting low intake of SF. Concurrent high BMI and low fitness were associated with elevated risks. In general, SF intake and fitness did not differentiate the risk of abnormal glucose metabolism among subjects with low BMI. Limited intake of SF may protect from diabetogenic effects of adiposity, but only in individuals with high level of fitness.

Intakes of saturated fat (SF) and dietary fibre, body mass and physical activity are all associated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Their relative importance for the maintenance of normal glucose metabolism is not fully known. In a population-based sample of 1114 individuals, aged 58-78 years, dietary intakes were assessed by 4 d food records and cardiorespiratory fitness as maximal oxygen uptake. Insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity, the early-phase disposition index (DI30) and the total disposition index (DI120) were assessed based on an oral glucose tolerance test. Linear associations were modelled using linear regression. Combined effects were studied by introducing SF and fibre intakes, as well as cardiorespiratory fitness and waist circumference (WC) as dichotomised variables in general linear models. Intakes of dietary fibre and whole-grain bread were positively associated with insulin sensitivity, independent of physical fitness and WC. In women, dietary fibre intake was also positively associated with DI30. The negative association of high WC with DI30 was attenuated by a combination of low SF intake and high cardiorespiratory fitness. In conclusion, dietary fibre and a combination of low SF intake and high cardiorespiratory fitness may contribute to the maintenance of normal glucose metabolism, independent of WC.

Background/objectives: Impaired fasting plasma glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) predict development of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but display different pathophysiology for T2D. We studied the association of selected food items and nutrients with IFG, IGT and combined IFG and IGT (IFG+IGT), independent of cardiorespiratory fitness (VO(2max)).

Subjects/methods: In a population-based sample of 1261 individuals, aged 58-78 years, we identified 126 subjects with IFG, 97 with IGT and 49 with simultaneous IFG and IGT by an oral glucose tolerance test. Dietary intake was assessed by 4-day food records. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by defining maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2max)) from respiratory gas analysis during a maximal symptom-limited exercise stress test on a bicycle ergometer.

Results: Increased intake of saturated fat was associated with higher odds for IFG (OR 1.07; 1.01-1.14) after adjustment for age, gender, VO(2max) and energy misreporting variable. Consumption of additional whole-grain bread (50 g/1000 kcal) and intake of dietary fiber (g/1000 kcal) were inversely associated with IGT (OR 0.61; 0.41-0.92, OR 0.91; CI 0.85-0.97, respectively).

Conclusion: Dietary fiber and sources of cereal fiber are negatively associated with IGT, and saturated fat intake is positively associated with IFG, but not with IGT. The present data give practical dietary means at the population level for the elimination of prediabetic conditions. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition advance online publication, 14 March 2012; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2012.23.

OBJECTIVE: To determine changes in reported food frequency in adults between 1986 and 1999. DESIGN: Four consecutive cross-sectional surveys. SETTING: Counties of Norrbotten and Västerbotten, Northern Sweden. SUBJECTS: The Northern Sweden MONICA (Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) population, four independent cross-sectional surveys in 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1999. Randomly selected age-stratified samples of the population aged 25-64 years. Analysis is based on 2982 males and 3087 females who completed an 84-item food-frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: Between 1986 and 1999, average reported consumption of 3%-fat milk decreased from 42 to 7 intakes month(-1) in men and from 28 to 4 intakes month(-1) in women. Reported use of 1.5%-fat milk increased from 6 to 27 intakes month(-1) in men and from 6 to 24 in women. Monthly intakes of potatoes and root vegetables decreased from 38 to 27 in men and from 39 to 32 in women. Consumption of pasta increased from 4 to 7 intakes month(-1) in both sexes. Intakes of solid fats with 80% fat content dropped from 92 to 62 per month in men and from 78 to 52 per month in women, whereas use of 40%-fat spread increased from 12 to 22 intakes month(-1) in men and from 5 to 26 in women. Monthly intakes of vegetable oil increased from 3 to 12 in men and from 3 to 15 in women. The percentage of overweight or obese individuals (body mass index >25 kg m(-2)) increased from 52 to 65% in men and from 41 to 52% in women (P for linear trend in all these changes, <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate reduced consumption of foods with a high content of saturated fats. In spite of that, there is an unbroken trend towards increased obesity.

BACKGROUND: Body mass, as well as distribution of body fat, are predictors of both diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In Northern Sweden, despite a marked increase in average body mass, prevalence of diabetes was stagnant and myocardial infarctions decreased. A more favourable distribution of body fat is a possible contributing factor.This study investigates the relative importance of individual food items for time trends in waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC) on a population level. METHODS: Independent cross-sectional surveys conducted in 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1999 in the two northernmost counties of Sweden with a common population of 250,000. Randomly selected age stratified samples, altogether 2982 men and 3087 women aged 25-64 years. Questionnaires were completed and anthropometric measurements taken. For each food item, associations between frequency of consumption and waist and hip circumferences were estimated. Partial regression coefficients for every level of reported intake were multiplied with differences in proportion of the population reporting the corresponding levels of intake in 1986 and 1999. The sum of these product terms for every food item was the respective estimated impact on mean circumference. RESULTS: Time trends in reported food consumption associated with the more favourable gynoid distribution of adipose tissue were increased use of vegetable oil, pasta and 1.5% fat milk. Trends associated with abdominal obesity were increased consumption of beer in men and higher intake of hamburgers and French fried potatoes in women. CONCLUSION: Food trends as markers of time trends in body fat distribution have been identified. The method is a complement to conventional approaches to establish associations between food intake and disease risk on a population level.

Low priority of disease prevention and health promotion in medical education may contribute to lack of lifestyle-counseling in clinical practice. Pharmacology-related knowledge is valued 5 times higher compared to lifestyle-related knowledge in examinations on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in undergraduate medical education in Sweden. This study aims to establish (i) whether medical licensing examinations are biased to favor pharmacology- over lifestyle-related knowledge and (ii) whether such a bias is present in both Sweden and the US.

We identified 204 NCD-related questions from previous Swedish licensing examinations, and 77 cases from a U.S. question bank commonly used to prepare for the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®) Step 3. With the help of expected correct answers, we determined distribution of points attainable for knowledge in the respective category (lifestyle / pharmacology / other) for 5 major NCDs: coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, hypertension, and stroke.

The percentage of points attainable for lifestyle-related knowledge was 6.7 (95% CI 4.1–9.3) in Sweden and 4.6 (95%CI 0.0–9.1) in the U.S. The respective percentages for pharmacology-related knowledge were 32.6 (95% CI 26.3–38.8) and 44.5 (95% CI 33.2–55.8) percent. The pharmacology vs. lifestyle-quotas were 4.9 in Sweden and 9.8 in the U.S. Likelihoods of equal emphasis on lifestyle and pharmacology in NCDs was < 0.001 in both countries.

There is a marked preference for pharmacology over lifestyle in medical licensing examinations in both Sweden and the U.S. Newly qualified doctors may be inadequately prepared to address preventable causes of NCDs.

Lifestyle factors are crucial for prevention and management of many non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, stroke, diabetes, coronary heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lifestyle medicine is included in national learning outcomes for undergraduate medical education in Sweden. Since assessment drives learning, we reviewed questions from 124 written examinations from all 7 medical schools in Sweden, conducted between 2012 and 2015. There is up to a 5-fold difference between different universities in the weight attached to lifestyle-related knowledge compared to knowledge related to pharmacological treatments.

Lifestyle medicine (LM) is part of official educational goals in Swedish medical schools. We studied questions concerning 5 noncommunicable diseases: diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and stroke from 124 written examinations conducted between 2012 and 2015. LM knowledge yielded between 2% and 10%, whereas pharmacology-related knowledge yielded between 24% and 50%, of total points. The multiples at which pharmacology-related knowledge was valued higher than LM knowledge were 2.4 for COPD (P < .056), 4.3 for diabetes (P < .0001), 4.8 for hypertension (P < .0001), 5.2 for CHD (P < .0001), and 31.5 for stroke (P < .0001). Our results indicate that lifestyle-related knowledge, though covered by official teaching goals, is currently underrated in Swedish medical education.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The respective roles of dietary fatty acids in the pathogenesis of diabetes are as yet unclear. Erythrocyte membrane fatty acid (EMFA) composition may provide an estimate of dietary fatty acid intake. This study investigates the relation between EMFA composition and development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a nested case-referent design we studied 159 individuals tested as non-diabetic at baseline who after a mean observation time of 5.4+/-2.6years were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and 291 sex- and age-matched referents. Higher proportions of pentadecanoic acid (15:0) and heptadecanoic acid (17:0) were associated with a lower risk of diabetes. In accordance with earlier findings, higher proportions of palmitoleic (16:1 n-7), dihomo-gamma-linolenic (20:3 n-6) and adrenic (22:4 n-6) acids were associated with increased risk, whereas linoleic (18:2 n-6) and clupanodonic (22:5 n-3) acids were inversely associated with diabetes. After adjustment for BMI, HbA1c, alcohol intake, smoking and physical activity the only significant predictors were 15:0 and 17:0 as protective factors and 22:4 n6 as risk factor. CONCLUSION: In accordance with previous studies, our results indicate that EMFA-patterns predict development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The inverse association with two saturated fatty acids, previously shown to reflect consumption of dairy products, is a new finding.

Background: Division by total body weight is the usual way to standardise peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2) for body size. However, this method systematically underestimates cardiopulmonary fitness in obese individuals. Our aim was to analyse whether lean-mass is a better base for a body mass-independent standard of cardiopulmonary fitness. Methods: A population based sample of 578 men (body mass index (BMI) 19-47kg/m(2)) and 592 women (BMI 16-49kg/m(2)) 57-78 years of age. Peak VO2 was assessed by respiratory gas analysis during a maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer. We studied the validity of the weight-ratio and the lean mass-ratio standards in a linear regression model. Results: The weight-ratio standard implies an increase of peak VO2 per additional kg body weight with 20.7ml/min (95% confidence interval (CI): 20.3-21.1) in women and 26.9ml/min (95% CI: 26.4-27.5) in men. The observed increase per kg is only 8.5ml/min (95% CI: 6.5-10.5) in men and 10.4ml/min (95% CI: 7.5-13.4) in women. For the lean mass-ratio standard expected and observed increases in peak VO2 per kg lean mass were 32.3 (95% CI: 31.8-32.9) and 34.6 (95% CI: 30.0-39.1) ml/min for women and 36.2 (95% CI: 35.6-36.8) and 37.3 (95% CI: 32.1-42.4) ml/min in men. The lean mass-ratio standard is a body mass-independent measure of cardiopulmonary fitness in 100% of women and 58% of men; corresponding values for the weight-ratio standard were 11% and 16%. Conclusions: For comparisons of cardiopulmonary fitness across different categories of body mass, the lean mass-ratio standard should be used.

Aims: Patient characteristics and treatment setting are potential predictors of premature dropout from lifestyle interventions, but their relative importance is unknown.

Methods: From the quality registry of the unit for behavioral medicine, Umeå University hospital, we identified 2589 patients who had been enrolled in a multimodal lifestyle intervention for cardiometabolic risk reduction between 2006 and 2015. Baseline characteristics predicting dropout before 1-year follow-up were selected by a stepwise logistic regression algorithm.

Results: Better physical health and older age predicted full participation, with odds ratios for premature dropout (ORs) of.44 (95% confidence interval (CI).31-.63), and.47 (95% CI.34-.65) in the highest compared to the lowest quartile, respectively. Odds of premature dropout were also lower among female participants,.71 (95% CI.58-.89). Premature dropout was predicted by higher BMI, snuffing tobacco, and smoking, with ORs of 1.53 (95% CI 1.13-2.08) in the highest compared to the lowest quartile of BMI, 1.37 (95% CI 1.03-1.81) comparing snuff user with non-users and 2.53 (95% CI 1.79-3.61) comparing smokers with non-smokers. Odds ratio for premature dropout among inpatients compared with outpatients was.84 (95% CI.68-1.04).

Conclusion: Higher risk at baseline predicts premature dropout.

Objective: To determine whether categories of obesity based on BMI and an anthropometry-based estimate of fat mass percentage (FM% equation) have similar discriminative ability for markers of cardiometabolic risk as measurements of FM% by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or bioimpedance analysis (BIA).

Design and Methods: A study of 40-79-year-old male (n = 205) and female (n = 388) Finns. Weight, height, blood pressure, triacylglycerols, HDL cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose were measured. Body composition was assessed by DXA and BIA and a FM%-equation.

Results: For grade 1 hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and impaired fasting glucose >6.1 mmol/L, the categories of obesity as defined by BMI and the FM% equation had 1.9% to 3.7% (P < 0.01) higher discriminative power compared to DXA. For grade 2 hypertension the FM% equation discriminated 1.2% (P = 0.05) lower than DXA and 2.8% (P < 0.01) lower than BIA. Receiver operation characteristics confirmed BIA as best predictor of grade 2 hypertension and the FM% equation as best predictor of grade 1 hypertension. All other differences in area under curve were small (≤0.04) and 95% confidence intervals included 0.

Conclusions: Both BMI and FM% equations may predict cardiometabolic risk with similar discriminative ability as FM% measured by DXA or BIA. 

OBJECTIVE: To assess a possible interaction effect between physical activity and air pollution on first incidence of ischaemic heart disease (IHD).

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Umeå, Northern Sweden.

PARTICIPANTS: We studied 34 748 adult participants of Västerbotten Intervention Programme cohort from 1990 to January 2014. Annual particulate matter concentrations (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀) at the participants' residential addresses were modelled and a questionnaire on frequency of exercise and active commuting was completed at baseline. Cox proportional hazards modelling was used to estimate (1) association with physical activity at different levels of air pollution and (2) the association with particulate matter at different levels of physical activity.

OUTCOME: First incidence of IHD.

RESULTS: Over a mean follow-up of 12.4 years, there were 1148 IHD cases. Overall, we observed an increased risk of IHD among individuals with higher concentrations of particles at their home address. Exercise at least twice a week was associated with a lower risk of IHD among participants with high residential PM_2.5 (hazard ratio (HR) 0.60; 95% CI: 0.44 to 0.82) and PM₁₀ (HR 0.55; 95% CI: 0.4 to 0.76). The same beneficial effect was not observed with low residential PM_2.5 (HR 0.94; 95% CI: 0.72 to 1.22) and PM₁₀ (HR 0.99; 95% CI: 0.76 to 1.29). An increased risk associated with higher long-term exposure to particles was only observed among participants that exercised in training clothes at most one a week and among those not performing any active commuting. However, only the interaction effect on HRs for exercise was statistically significant.

CONCLUSION: Exercise was associated with a lower risk of first incidence of IHD among individuals with higher residential particle concentrations. An air pollution-associated risk was only observed among those who exercised less. The findings support the promotion of physical activity and a mitigation of air pollution.

Introduction: A protective role of leisure time physical activity with regard to non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) is well established. However, shapes of dose-response relationships and the extent of BMI mediation between physical activity and disease risk are not well known. Furthermore, the knowledge about risk reductions from active commuting is limited. Methods: Meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies published from January 1990 to June 2019 were conducted, 1) to assess the effect of leisure time and commuting physical activity on cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer, and 2) to quantify the extent to which adjustment for BMI affect these relations. Results: Random effect meta-analyses of 59 prospective cohort studies estimated that individuals who engaged in 11.25 MET-hours/week of active commuting had a decreased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) by 18% (95% CI: 1-33%) and type 2 diabetes by 22% (95% CI: 4-37%) compared with non-commuters. Corresponding risk reductions for leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) were 22% for MI, 26% for CVD, 27% for heart failure, 23% for stroke, 22% for type 2 diabetes, 15% for colon cancer and 7% for breast cancer. Except for breast cancer, adjustment for BMI reduced the benefit of physical activity. Conclusion: Both active commuting and LTPA are associated with lower risk for NCD. Currently, available data is insufficient to establish detail and reliable dose-response curves.

OBJECTIVE:Cardiorespiratory fitness is currently estimated by dividing maximal oxygen consumption (VO(2max)) by body weight (per-weight standard). However, the statistically correct way to neutralize the effect of weight on VO(2max) in a given population is adjustment for body weight by regression techniques (adjusted standard). Our objective is to quantify the bias introduced by the per-weight standard in a population distributed across different categories of body mass.

DESIGN:This is a cross-sectional study.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS:Baseline measures from participants of the Dose-Responses to Exercise Training Study (DR's EXTRA), 635 men (body mass index (BMI): 19-47 kg m(-2)) and 638 women (BMI: 16-49 kg m(-2)) aged 57-78 years who performed oral glucose tolerance tests and maximal exercise stress tests with direct measurement of VO(2max). We compare the increase in VO(2max) implied by the per-weight standard with the real increase of VO(2max) per kg body weight. A linear logistic regression model estimates odds for abnormal glucose metabolism (either impaired fasting glycemia or impaired glucose tolerance or Type 2 diabetes) of the least-fit versus most-fit quartile according to both per-weight standard and adjusted standard.

RESULTS:The per-weight standard implies an increase of VO(2max) with 20.9 ml min(-1) in women and 26.4 ml min(-1) in men per additional kg body weight. The true increase per kg is only 7.0 ml min(-1) (95% confidence interval: 5.3-8.8) and 8.0 ml min(-1) (95% confidence interval: 5.3-10.7), respectively. Risk for abnormal glucose metabolism in the least-fit quartile of the population is overestimated by 52% if the per-weight standard is used.

CONCLUSIONS:In comparisons across different categories of body mass, the per-weight standard systematically underestimates cardiorespiratory fitness in obese subjects. Use of the per-weight standard markedly inflates associations between poor fitness and co-morbidities of obesity.

International Journal of Obesity advance online publication, 22 November 2011; doi:10.1038/ijo.2011.212.