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The A1C (also know glycated hemoglobin, glycosylated hemoglobin or hemoglobin A1C) is a blood test used to diagnose diabetes and to assess glycemic control. This test provides an average of blood glucose levels for approximately a three-month period.

The absence of the pale arched area at the proximal portion of the nail plate.

Are light brown to black markings, usually on the neck, under the arms or in the groin caused by elevated levels of insulin.

Source: 55. Smith WG, Gowanlock W, Babcock K, Collings A, McCarthy A. Prevalence of acanthosis nigricans in First Nations children in central Ontario, Canada. Can J Diabetes 2004;28(1):410-4. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242761486_Prevalence_of_Acanthosis_Nigricans_in_First_Nations_Children_in_Central_Ontario_Canada

An ADI is "the amount of a food additive, corrected for body weight, that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk". The ADI is determined by bodies such as HPFB, JECFA, or FDA and is generally 1% of the highest dose at which studies have demonstrated no harmful effects.

A range of intakes for a particular energy source that is associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease while providing adequate intakes of essential nutrients. The AMDR of a macronutrient is expressed as a % of total energy intake because its requirement is not independent of other energy fuel sources or of the total energy requirement of the individual.

ACT is a third-wave cognitive behavioural therapy (3wCBT). 3wCBT advocates acceptance of physical discomfort or other adverse or negative internal experiences, verses avoidance. When applied to weight loss, 3wCBTs may increase an individual’s awareness and psychological flexibility in order to improve their ability to recognize and act on cues that may lead overeating. Specifically, the ACT approach seeks to promote healthy behaviour habits through acceptance and mindfulness in moments of behavioural decision-making.

Source:
Lawlor ER, Islam N, Bates S, Griffin SJ, Hill AJ, Hughes CA, Sharp SJ, Ahern AL. Third-wave cognitive behaviour therapies for weight management: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2020 Jul;21(7):e13013. doi: 10.1111/obr.13013. Epub 2020 Mar 17. PMID: 32181957; PMCID: PMC7379202.

Forman EM, Butryn ML, Manasse M, Bradley LE. Acceptance‐based behavioral treatment for weight control: a review and future directions. Curr Opin Psychol. 2015;2:87‐90.

Hayes S. Acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT). ACBS [cited 4 Jan 2022]. Available from: https://contextualscience.org/act#

"The degree to which a measurement or an estimate based on measurements represents the true value of the attribute that is being measured."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

Acetaldehyde is an intermediate in the metabolism of alcohol.

Acetic acid is a biochemical product of metabolism. It is also called ethanoic acid and is a carboxylic acid.

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that stimulates nerve transmission in the brain. It is derivative of choline and acetic acid.

Acid reflux is the backward flow of stomach acid and juices into the esophagus or throat, which may cause heartburn.

A major contractile protein in muscle found in thin filaments.

Acute decompensated heart failure is a clinical diagnosis which occurs when an individual experiences a rapid onset of heart failure symptoms (shortness of breath, fatigue, edema) that requires urgent medical attention, often resulting in visits to the emergency department and hospitalization.

Episodic attack of diverticulitis.

Source: Baum JA, Ching Companioni RA. Colonic Diverticulosis. Merck Manual Professional Version. 2019 Mar. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/diverticular-disease/colonic-diverticulitis

Acute gastroenteritis is a diarrheal disease of rapid onset, with or without accompanying symptoms and signs, such as nausea, vomiting, fever, or abdominal pain.

Acute phase proteins are a class of proteins that are synthesized in the liver in response to inflammation. This response is called the acute phase reaction.

Ad libitum is a latin term that means as a person wishes.

Added salt refers to salt that is added during cooking or after preparation (at the table).

Adequate Intake (AI) is the recommended average daily nutrient intake level based on observed or experimentally determined approximations or estimates of nutrient intake by a group (or groups) of apparently healthy people that are assumed to be adequate. It is used when the RDA cannot be determined.

Adiponectin is a protein hormone secreted by adipose tissue. It is involved in glucose regulation and fatty acid catabolism and plays a role in the suppression of metabolic derangements that may result in type 2 diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Adiposity rebound is the increase in BMI that occurs after it reaches its lowest point, which is a normal pattern of growth that occurs in all children.

A strategy that uses personalized insulin to carbohydrate ratios (ICR) to determine mealtime insulin doses, thereby enabling a flexible intake of carbohydrate.

Source: Warshaw H, Bolderman K. Practical carbohydrate counting: A how-to-Teach Guide for Health Professionals. American Diabetes Association. 2009.

An aeroallergen is an allergen that is airborne. Aeroallergens usually cause symptoms because they are able to enter the body via the respiratory tract.

Aerobic exercise consists of rhythmic, repeated and continuous movements of the same large muscle groups for at least 10 minutes at a time. Examples include walking, biking, jogging, swimming, water aerobics and many sports.

Aerodigestive is defined as "the combined organs and tissues of the respiratory tract and the upper part of the digestive tract (including the lips, mouth, tongue, nose, throat, vocal cords and part of the esophagus and windpipe)".

Source: NIH National Cancer Institute, NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. Aerodigestive tract. [cited 2020 Nov 30].

Agility is the ability to move and change position of the body and direction quickly and effectively while under control.

Movements difficult to initiate or the absence of movement.

Alcohol dependence is an older classification used in the DSM-IV, which corresponds to moderate or severe alcohol use disorder in the DSM-V. While the DSM-IV classified problematic alcohol use into two categories, alcohol abuse (one or more symptoms) and alcohol dependence (three or more symptoms), the DSM-V describes alcohol use disorders as a spectrum from mild (two to three symptoms) to severe (six or more symptoms). Individuals with alcohol dependence typically have increased tolerance (i.e. need to consume more alcohol to feel the same effects) and withdrawal symptoms when alcohol use is stopped (e.g. nausea, sweating, difficulty sleeping, shakiness, hallucinations, racing heart, seizures).

Sources:
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Alcohol Use Disorder: A Comparison between DSM-IV and DSM-V. Alcohol's Effect on Health: Research-based information on drinking and its impact. Updated Apr 2021.

American Psychological Association. Understanding Alcohol Use Disorders and their Treatment. Updated Sept 2018.

Alcohol use disorder is a pattern of alcohol use, which may also be called alcoholism. It involves issues with controlling drinking, preoccupation with alcohol, having to increase the amount consumed to get the same effect, the use of alcohol even when it results in problems, or having withdrawal symptoms when alcohol use is quickly reduced or stopped.

"An explicit description of an ordered sequence of steps to be taken in patient care under specified circumstances."

Source: JAMAevidence. Glossary. American Medical Association: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; 2014. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

Allele is one of the variant forms of a gene at a particular location on a chromosome. Different alleles produce variation in inherited characteristics such as hair color or blood type. In an individual, one form of the allele (the dominant one) may be expressed more than another form (the recessive one).

An allergen is a special type of antigen that causes an IgE antibody response.

An allergen-specific IgE is an IgE antibody formed in response to a specifc allergen. These are the antibodies that are detected in allergy tests such as RAST and skin tests.

Allergic asthma refers is asthma caused by immunological mechanisms.

Allergic disease is caused by exposure to specific antigens (allergens) in people who are sensitized to the antigens.

Allergic eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a food-related gastrointestinal hypersensitivity disease involving IgE and/or non-IgE mechanisms. It can occur at any age, including in young infants. Weight loss or failure to thrive is typical for this disorder.

Allergic rhinitis is an inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane induced by IgE antibody to specific allergens.

Allergic sensitization is the presence of IgE antibodies against environmental and/or food antigens.

An allergy is an inappropriate or exaggerated reaction of the immune system to substances that, in the majority of people, cause no symptoms. Symptoms of allergic disease may be caused by exposure of the skin to a chemical, of the respiratory system to particles of dust or pollen (or other substances), or of the stomach and intestines to a particular food. In its broadest sense, it is applied to all types of immunologically-mediated hypersensitivity reactions. Previously, the term was restricted to IgE-mediated hypersensitivity.

Alopecia is a complete or partial loss or absence of hair.

Alopecia areata is a condition of undetermined etiology characterized by non-scarring and circumscribed areas of baldness on the scalp, eyebrows and beard area which are usually asymmetric.

Alopecia totalis is a complete loss of scalp hair.

Alopecia universalis is the total loss of all body hair.

Anaphylactoid is a reaction with symptoms often indistinguishable from anaphylaxis in people in whom no evidence of IgE-mediated allergy can be demonstrated.

Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death. Signs and symptoms can occur within minutes of exposure to an allergen. In rarer cases, the time frame can vary up to several hours after exposure. The ways that these symptoms occur may vary from person to person and even from episode to episode in the same person. An anaphylactic reaction can involve any of the following symptoms: (skin) hives, swelling, itching, warmth, redness, rash, (respiratory)coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain/tightness, throat tightness, hoarse voice, nasal congestion or hay fever-like symptoms (runny, itchy nose and watery eyes, sneezing), trouble swallowing, (gastrointestinal) nausea, pain/cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, (cardiovascular) pale/blue colour, weak pulse, passing out, dizzy/lightheaded, shock, (other) anxiety, feeling of “impending doom”, headache, uterine cramps in females. These symptoms may appear alone or in any combination regardless of the triggering allergen.

An anchor statement is intended to provide context to individuals by helping them understand the relationship between the caloric content of a menu item and the total amount of energy individuals should consume in one day.

Androgenic alopecia is a gradual decrease of scalp hair due to a familial increased susceptibility of hair follicles to androgen secretion following puberty. This condition is referred to as male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness.

Angioedema is swelling similar to urticaria (hives), but the swelling occurs beneath the skin instead of on the surface. Angioedema is characterized by deep swelling around the eyes and lips and sometimes of the hands and feet.

Include “height, weight, body mass index, growth pattern indices/percentile ranks and weight history”.

Source: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. eNCPT: electronic nutrition care process terminology 2020. Available from: http://www.ncpro.org

Anthropometrics is the measurement of the physical dimensions and gross composition of the human body (e.g. waist circumference, skinfold measurements, height).

An antibody is a protein, also called an immunoglobulin (Ig), that is manufactured by lymphocytes to neutralize an antigen. Humans make five types of antibodies - IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG,and IgM.

An antigen is a substance that can trigger an immune response, resulting in production of an antibody as part of the body's defense against infection and disease. Many antigens are foreign proteins (those not found naturally in the body). Bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms commonly contain many antigens, as do pollens, dust mites, molds, foods, and other substances.

An antigen presenting cell is a white blood cell that engulfs and degrades foreign proteins and displays the individual molecules on surface receptors for recognition by T helper cells.

Antigenicity is the ability of an antigen to trigger an immune response.

Antigen-specific IgE is an IgE antibody that is formed against a specific antigen.

An antioxidant is a natural compound found in foods that significantly decreases the adverse effects of reactive species, such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen, on normal physiological function in humans.

Apoptosis is programmed cell death.

A surgical procedure performed to restore the function of a joint.

Asthenospermia is the loss or reduction of motility of the spermatozoa which is frequently associated with infertility.

Asthenozoospermia is the loss or reduction of mobility of the spermatozoa which is frequently associated with infertility.

Asthma is a condition marked by recurrent episodes of breathing difficulty with wheezing due to spasmodic contraction of the bronchi.

Atopic dermatitis, also called atopic eczema, chronic inflammatory skin disorder seen in individuals with a hereditary predisposition to a lowered cutaneous threshold to pruritus, often accompanied by allergic rhinitis, hay fever, and asthma, and principally characterized by extreme itching, leading to scratching and rubbing that in turn results in the typical lesions of eczema.

Atopic disease is a genetic predisposition toward the development of immediate (Type I) hypersensitivity reactions against common environmental allergens (atopic allergy). The most common clinical manifestations are allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, and food allergy occurring less frequently.

Atopy is a personal or familial tendency to produce IgE antibodies in response allergens, and to develop typical symptoms such as asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis or eczema/dermatitis.

Refers to digestible carbohydrate that will result in a glycemic response. When carbohydrate counting in some countries such as the USA and Canada, available carbohydrate must be calculated by subtracting the fibre content from the total grams of carbohydrate documented on food labels (19). In other countries such as Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom, this calculation is not required.

Source: Diabetes Australia. Carbohydrate counting and diabetes. [Internet]; 2016 [cited 2020 Dec 8]. Available from: https://www.diabetesqualified.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/FS_Carbohydrate-counting-and-diabetes_orange_highres.pdf
Diabetes UK. Reading labels. [Internet] [no date, cited 2020 May]]; Available from: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/carbohydrates-and-diabetes/nuts-and-bolts-of-carb-counting/learn-about-carb-counting/reading-labels.

Average Daily Intake refers to the average intake of a particular nutrient over time.

Average Requirement is the nutrient intake value that is estimated to meet the requirement defined by a specified indicator of adequacy in 50% of the individuals in a life stage and gender group. At this level of intake, the remaining 50% of the specified group would not meet their nutrient needs.

an international program developed by WHO/UNICEF for the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding as a strategy aimed at increasing the health and well being of children and families

Bacterial lipopolysaccharides are a lipid and polysaccharide complex that forms the major component of the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria, such as E.coli, salmonella, shigella and other enterobacteria. Lipopolysaccharides are endotoxins; heat-stable toxins that are released when the bacterial cell is disrupted.

Balance of cytokines is the relative quantities of specific cytokines in an immune response Commonly used in reference to Th1/Th2 cytokines and allergy.

Bariatric is an area of medicine that supports the study of, assessment, treatment and management of obesity.

Bariatric surgery is a branch of medicine that deals with the surgical treatment of obesity.

Basal energy expenditure is the energy expended for respiration, circulation, brain activity and other vital body functions. It is measured in the resting condition, while fasting, free from stress and in a thermoneutral environment.

The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the energy needed to sustain the metabolic activities of cells and tissues, plus the energy needed to maintain blood circulation, respiration, and gastrointestinal and renal processing (i.e. the basal cost of living).

"The risk of an adverse outcome in the control group."


Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

A strategy that uses pre-set carbohydrate quantity targets for each meal alongside fixed doses of diabetes medications.

Source: Warshaw H, Bolderman K. Practical carbohydrate counting: A how-to-Teach Guide for Health Professionals. American Diabetes Association. 2009.

"A study in which the investigators compare the status of a group of study participants before and after the introduction of an intervention."


Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a progressive enlargement of the prostate due to hyperplasia of both glandular and stromal components. It typically begins in the fifth decade and sometimes causes obstructive or irritative symptoms or both; it does not evolve into cancer.

A moderate beta thalassemia phenotype with symptom severity between beta thalassemia minor and major. Caused by inheritance of two defective genes.

Source:
Braunstein EM. Thalassemias. Merck Manual Professional Version. Updated September 2020. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/professional/hematology-and-oncology/anemias-caused-by-hemolysis/thalassemias

The most severe phenotype of beta thalassemia, caused by inheritance of two defective genes. Typically manifests in early life (one to two years of age) and results in severe anemia, bone marrow hyperactivity and iron overload.

Source:
Braunstein EM. Thalassemias. Merck Manual Professional Version. Updated September 2020. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/professional/hematology-and-oncology/anemias-caused-by-hemolysis/thalassemias

The mildest phenotype of beta thalassemia, caused by inheritance of only one defective gene. Results in mild to moderate anemia and is typically asymptomatic.

Source:
Braunstein EM. Thalassemias. Merck Manual Professional Version. Updated September 2020. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/professional/hematology-and-oncology/anemias-caused-by-hemolysis/thalassemias

Betalactoglobulin is one of the most abundant milk proteins and a significant milk allergen. Along with casein, it is one of the most frequently and intensively recognized protein by IgE antibodies.

“of, relating to, or affecting both alleles of a gene”

Source: Merriam-Webster. Biallelic. [cited October 20, 2020]. Available from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/biallelic

"A systematic error in the design, conduct or interpretation of a study that may cause a systematic deviation from the underlying truth."

Source: JAMAevidence. JAMAevidence glossary. American Medical Association; 2021.

Bifidobacterium is a genus of gram-positive, anaerobic bacteria of the family Actinomycetaceae, order Actinomycetales. The organisms occur as irregularly staining rods of bifurcated Y and V forms and club or spatulate shapes.

Bioactive compounds are constituents that are found in small quantities in foods. They can vary in chemical structure and their functions. Some examples include phenolic organosulfur and carotenoids compounds.

Bioavailability is the proportion of an ingested nutrient that is absorbed and utilized. It can be influenced by the physiological state of an individual and the interaction of other nutrients consumed in diet.

Include “laboratory data, (e.g., electrolytes, glucose, and lipid panel) and tests (e.g., gastric emptying time, resting metabolic rate)”.

Source: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. eNCPT: electronic nutrition care process terminology 2020. Available from: http://www.ncpro.org

Biofilm is a thin layer of inorganic or organic microorganisms that adhere to the surface of a structure, together with the polymers that they secrete.

Bird-days is "the standard denominator used to calculate all proportions, or percentages. For the year, it is the mean daily population of birds in the Lion scheme (including breeding birds and pullets in rear) multiplied by 365."

Source: Farm Antibiotics. Laying hens. 2017 Jul. Available from: https://www.farmantibiotics.org/progress-updates/progress-by-sector/egg-production/

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in the manufacture of epoxy resins for internal food can linings and polycarbonate plastics. It is a known endocrine disruptor.

Bitter melon flourishes in India, Asia, South America, Africa and the Caribbean. The bitter melon plant is a vine with green leaves and yellow flowers and the fruit is oblong and green, resembling a cucumber. The extracts of the unripe fruit are most frequently used are the fruit and the seeds.

Within a clinical trial, "Patients [participants], clinicians, data collectors, outcome adjudicators, or data analysts are unaware of which patients [participants] have been assigned to the experimental or control group".

JAMAevidence. JAMAevidence glossary. American Medical Association; 2021.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is weight(kg)/height(m)2 (squared).

A procedure that delivers healthy bone marrow stem cells into an individual to replace bone marrow that is either not working properly or has been destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation.

Source: Medline Plus. Bone marrow transplant. Abstract available from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003009.htm

Bone mineral density (BMD) is a measure of the amount of calcium in bones. A BMD test detects osteopenia (bone loss usually without symptoms and osteoporosis (more severe bone loss which may cause symptoms).

Borborygmi is a rumbling sound made by the movement of gas in the intestine. Borborygmus is the plural version.

Stomach rumbling

Stomach rumbling

Slow movements

A brain infarct is tissue death in the brain due to a lack of oxygen.

Any food that is being marketed or represented as a partial or total replacement for breastmilk, whether or not it is suitable for that purpose.

A contraction of smooth muscle in the walls of the bronchi and bronchioles, causing narrowing of the lumen.

Brucellosis is a rare foodborne illness caused by consuming infected raw milk or undercooked meat.

Source: Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Brucellosis Transmission. 2019 Mar 8. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/brucellosis/transmission/index.html#:~:text=Person%2Dto%2Dperson%20spread%20of,tissue%20transplantation%20or%20blood%20transfusions.

Drugs that mimic calcium and that are used to treat hyperparathyroidism.

The continued use of cannabis despite clinically significant distress or impairment. Cannabis use disorder severity can range from mild (two or three symptoms), moderate (four or five symptoms) or severe (six or more symptoms).

Source: DSM-5. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.

Carotenoids are a family of pigmented compounds found in plants.

A case report, also known as a case study, describes an in depth study of a unique case (a single individual or specific group) reporting on the diagnosis, treatment and follow up

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health (NIH): National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. Case report. 2020

"A study reporting on a consecutive collection of patients treated in a similar manner, without a control group."

Source: JAMAevidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun.

A comparison of two groups of people not followed over time, where one group presents with a disease or condition being studied (i.e. cases) and the other is a very similar group of people who do not have the disease or condition (i.e. control) to ascertain different characteristics or experiences.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health (NIH): National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. Case-control study. 2020.

A cause is something that produces an event or condition, and effect is what results from said event or condition. This represents a direct relationship between an exposure (cause) and an outcome (effect).

Source: Susser M. Glossary: causality in public health science. J Epidemiol Comm Health 2001;55:376-378.

"Tendency of clinicians to prescribe treatment based on a patient’s prognosis. As a result of the behavior, in observational studies, treated patients are more likely to be high risk patients than untreated patients, leading to biased estimate of treatment effect."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

Chlorella pyrenoidosa is a unicellular fresh water green alga rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

An essential mineral required by the human body for normal carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Chromium (Cr3+) is found in foods and supplements and is available in several forms.

A structure of DNA and protein that is found in the cell nucleus. Each chromosome contains hundreds or thousands of the genes that form an individual''s hereditary blueprint. Chromosomes occur in pairs: one obtained from the mother; the other from the father, for a total of 23 pairs.

A respiratory disorder largely caused by smoking, and is characterized by progressive, partially reversible airway obstruction and lung hyperinflation, systemic manifestations, and increasing frequency and severity of exacerbations.

(IDNT) Client history includes current and past information related to personal, medical, family and social history.

"A strategy for changing clinician behavior. Systematically developed statements or recommendations to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances. They present indications for performing a test, procedure, or intervention, or the proper management for specific clinical problems. Guidelines may be developed by government agencies, institutions, organizations such as professional societies or governing boards, or by convening expert panels."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

"An experiment to compare the effects of two or more healthcare interventions. Clinical trial is an umbrella term for a variety of designs of healthcare trials, including uncontrolled trials, controlled trials, and randomized controlled trials."

Source: The Cochrane Collaboration. Glossary. [cited 2019 Aug 17]. Available from: https://community.cochrane.org/glossary

A disease or condition affecting the blood's ability to coagulate.

Source: Merriam-Webster. Coagulopathy. [cited October 20, 2020]. Available from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/coagulopathy

The coefficient of variation is the standard deviation of the requirement divided by the mean requirement (SD/Mean), and expressed as a percentage (CV=SD/Mean x 100). It is a term used to describe variability of observations in a population.

"A group of persons with a common characteristic or set of characteristics. Typically, the group is followed for a specified period of time to determine the incidence of a disorder or complications of an established disorder (prognosis)."

Source: JAMAevidence. American Medical Association. 2014 Jun.

A cohort study compares a particular outcome in a group of individuals who are alike in many ways but differ by one or more certain characteristics. Cohort studies can be prospective or retrospective. Prospective cohort studies involve collecting data from a group of participants in the presence of risk factors/exposures but free of the disease/outcome at the start of the study. Participants are followed up over a period to determine the occurrence of outcomes. Retrospective cohort studies asses past events or situations. There is no follow up of participants. The data is collected from previously obtained records or by asking participants to recall exposures.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health (NIH): National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. Cohort. 2020.

"Intervention other than intervention under study that may be differentially applied to intervention and control groups and, thus, potentially bias the results of a study."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

Colony forming units are the number of bacteria in a given sample size that is viable (i.e. capable of initiating the development of a colony).

Commensal is an organism living on or within another, but not causing injury to the host.

A community-based intervention is an intervention that is implemented within one or more community groups (ad hoc or formal), that promotes change through policy, social marketing, and/or environmental changes, and that targeted members of certain groups or community members at large.

"Disease(s) that coexist(s) in study participants in addition to the index condition that is the subject of the study."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

Complementary feeding is defined by the World Health Organization as "the transition from exclusive breastfeeding to family foods". Complementary feeding may also be referred to as weaning foods.

Diverticulitis with presence of abscess, fistula, obstruction or perforation.

Source: Baum JA, Ching Companioni RA. Colonic Diverticulosis. Merck Manual Professional Version. 2019 Mar. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/diverticular-disease/colonic-diverticulitis

"Represents a range of values within which one can be confident that a population parameter is estimated; the range within which the truth plausibility lies; indicates the reliability of an estimate. The smaller the sample size, the wider the confidence interval. As the sample size gets very large, we become increasingly certain that the truth is not far from the point estimate (although the true value lies somewhere in the neighborhood, it is unlikely to be precisely correct) calculated in the experiment and the confidence interval is smaller."

Source: Guyatt G, Rennie D. Users’ guides to the medical literature. Essentials of evidence-based clinical practice. AMA Press; 2002.

“A factor that is associated with the outcome of interest and is differentially distributed in patients exposed and unexposed to the outcome of interest. Unless it is possible to adjust for confounding variables, their effects cannot be distinguished from those of the factors being studied.”

Source: JAMAevidence. JAMAevidence glossary. American Medical Association; 2021.

Conjuctivitis is the inflammation of the conjunctivae (membrane covering the front of the eye and lining of the eyelids) causing redness, swelling, and a watery discharge.

"A sample in which all potentially eligible patients seen over a period of time are enrolled."

Source: Guyatt G, Rennie D. Users’ guides to the medical literature. Essentials of evidence-based clinical practice. AMA Press; 2002.

"A construct is a theoretically derived notion of the domain(s) we wish to measure. An understanding of the construct will lead to expectations about how an instrument should behave if it is valid. Construct validity therefore involves comparisons between measures, and examination of the logical relationships, which should exist between a measure and characteristics of patients and patient groups."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion is a method of insulin delivery. Insulin is delivered by a microcomputer (pump) in very small amounts from a syringe reservoir through a thin tube (infusion set) that is connected to a needle or cannula which is inserted into the subcutaneous tissue. The pump is programmed to deliver a continuous infusion of basal insulin according to physiological needs and then programmed to deliver boluses of fast or rapid-acting insulin as needed to cover carbohydrate intake or to correct hyperglycemia.

"A variable that can theoretically take any value and in practice can take a large number of values with small differences between them (e.g. height). Continuous variables are also sometimes called interval data."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

"A group that does not receive the experimental intervention. In many studies, the control group receives either usual care or a placebo."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

"Individuals or groups selected at the convenience of the investigator or primarily because they were available at a convenient time or place."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

"An economic analysis in which both the costs and the consequences (including increases in the length and quality of life) are expressed in monetary terms."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

"An economic analysis in which the consequences are expressed in natural units. Examples include cost per life saved or cost per unit of blood pressure lowered."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

Plants growing close to the ground that provide soil protection, seeding protection and soil improvement.

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/cover-crop

C-reactive protein is an acute phase reactant used as a marker for inflammation.

A critical paradigm is a theory to understand communication, challenges norms and fosters positive social change.

The proposed reclassification for Enterobacter sakazakii.

"A method of comparing two (or more) treatments or interventions in which subjects, upon completion of one treatment, are switched to the other. In the case of two treatments, A and B, half the patients are randomly allocated to receive these in the order “A first, then B,” and half to receive them in the order “B first, then A"."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

"a study that identifies participants with and without the condition or disease under study and the characteristic or exposure of interest at the same point in time”.

Source: JAMAevidence. JAMAevidence glossary. American Medical Association; 2021.

The possession of the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to work effectively with clients from different cultures.

Cytokines are non-antibody proteins released by one cell population on contact with a specific antigen. Cytokines act as intercellular mediators and trigger an immune response.

DASH stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension”. This eating plan:
• suggests limiting salt or sodium to between 1500 mg (2/3 tsp) to 2300 mg (1 tsp) per day.
• is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and total fat
• emphasizes fruit, vegetables, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.
• includes whole grain products, fish, poultry and nuts.
• is low in lean red meat, sweets, added sugars and sugar-containing beverages
• is rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium as well as protein and fibre.

"A systematic approach to decision making under conditions of uncertainty. It involves identifying all available alternatives and estimating the probabilities of potential outcomes associated with each alternative, valuing each outcome, and, on the basis of the probabilities and values, arriving at a quantitative estimate of the relative merit of the alternatives."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

Dehydration is the depletion in total body water content due to pathologic water losses, diminished water intake or a combination of both.

"A study that describes characteristics of a sample of individuals. Unlike an experimental study, the investigators do not actively intervene to test a hypothesis, but merely describe the health status or characteristics of a sample from a defined population."

Source: The Cochrane Collaboration. Glossary. [cited 2019 Aug 17]. Available from: https://community.cochrane.org/glossary.

"Tendency to look more carefully for an outcome in one of the comparison groups (also known as surveillance bias)."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

Development Coordination Disorder is associated commonly with difficulties in learning, behavior, and psychosocial adjustment, in addition to core deficits in motor function.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a very serious condition which results in alterations in pH and electrolyte balance leading to acidosis and dehydration caused by a lack or relative deficiency of insulin.

Diarrhea is frequent and watery bowel movements; commonly qualified as the passage of three or more loose or watery stools/day.

A collective term for a variety of plant substances that are resistant to digestion by human gastrointestinal enzymes.

An "umbrella" term for four nutrient-based reference values that are used to assess and plan the diets of healthy people. The reference values include: the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), the Adequate Intake (AI) and the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL). Relevant to U.S.A. and Canada only.

Dietary Reference Standards are nutrient intake values established as goals for individuals or groups for good nutrition and health.

Any change in eating and/or lifestyle habits where weight loss is seen as the, or one of the, desired outcomes. Dieting can also include any externally regulated eating or lifestyle plan to control or manage one’s weight, shape or body composition.

Sources:
Golden NH, Schneider M, Wood C; COMMITTEE ON NUTRITION; COMMITTEE ON ADOLESCENCE; SECTION ON OBESITY. Preventing Obesity and Eating Disorders in Adolescents. Pediatrics. 2016 Sep;138(3):e20161649. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-1649. Epub 2016 Aug 22. PMID: 27550979.
Tomiyama AJ, Ahlstrom B, Mann T. Long-term Effects of Dieting: Is Weight Loss Related to Health?: Weight-loss Diets and Health. Social and Personality Psychology Compass. 2013;7(12):861-877.
Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH). The Health At Every Size® (HAES®) Approach. 2014.

A regulated dietitian has the following titles and credentials:
Australia and New Zealand: Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD)
Canada: Registered Dietitian (RD) in all provinces, except Quebec (P.Dt.)
New Zealand: New Zealand Registered Dietitian (NZRD)
United Kingdom: Registered Dietitian (RD) and HCPC Registered.

Discourse refers to bodies of knowledge created through subjective thought, power structures, people and experiences.

The tendency to overeat in response to different stimuli.

The distribution of requirements reflects the individual-to-individual (between person) variability in requirements. Variability exists because not all individuals in a group have the same requirements for a nutrient, even if they are similar in characteristics such as age and sex.

The distribution of usual intakes is the long-run average nutrient intakes of individuals in the population. The distribution should reflect only the individual-to-individual (between-person) variability in intakes. Statistical procedures may be used to adjust the distribution of observed intakes by partially removing the day-to-day variability in individual intakes, so the adjusted distribution more closely resembles a usual intake distribution. Sometimes referred to as the "usual intake distribution".

Two or more diverticulum.

Source: Baum JA, Ching Companioni RA. Definition of Diverticular Disease. Merck Manual Professional Version. 2019 Mar. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/diverticular-disease/definition-of-diverticular-disease

Infection or inflammation of one or more diverticula.

Source: Baum JA, Ching Companioni RA. Definition of Diverticular Disease. Merck Manual Professional Version. 2019 Mar. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/diverticular-disease/definition-of-diverticular-disease

Presence of diverticula in the gastrointestinal tract.

Source: Baum JA, Ching Companioni RA. Definition of Diverticular Disease. Merck Manual Professional Version. 2019 Mar. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/diverticular-disease/definition-of-diverticular-disease

A sac-like pouch in the intestinal wall.

Source: Baum JA, Ching Companioni RA. Definition of Diverticular Disease. Merck Manual Professional Version. 2019 Mar. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/diverticular-disease/definition-of-diverticular-disease

A dominant paradigm is the knowledge and guidance that is most widely accepted.

"A procedure of blind assignment to study and control groups and blind assessment of outcome, designed to ensure that ascertainment of outcome is not biased by knowledge of the group to which an individual was assigned. Double refers to both parties –the subjects in the study and control groups, and the observer(s) in contact with the subjects; those describing a randomized controlled trial should provide a specific description of who among those involved in the trial were blinded."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

Doubly-labelled water is a form of indirect calorimetry where the average metabolic rate is measured over a period of time. This process is done by administering a dose of doubly-labelled water (water in which both the hydrogen and the oxygen have been partly or completely replaced with an uncommon isotope), then tracking the loss of deuterium and O-18 in the subject, over time, through the use of regular sampling of heavy isotope concentrations in the body water (by sampling saliva, urine, or blood).

Drug Identification Number is an eight-digit (8) numerical code assigned to each drug product marketed under or in accordance with the Food and Drugs Act and Food and Drug Regulations of Health Canada.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a type of scan that uses X-rays to measure the amount of fat, muscle and bone minerals either in the whole body or in specific parts of the body (e.g. arms, pelvis).

Source: National Cancer Institute. Dictionary of Cancer Terms. Bethesda, Maryland: National Institutes of Health; n.d. [cited 2023 Jul 26].

Abnormal movements or difficulty movement as muscles move involuntarily and unexpectedly.

Difficulty swallowing

EAR cut-point method is used to determine the prevalence of inadequacy for a group or more specifically the proportion of a group with intakes below the EAR.

Early Childhood Educator or Education

"A study in which the units of analysis are populations or groups of people rather than individuals. An example is the study of the relationship between the distribution of income and mortality rates in states or provinces. Conclusions of ecological studies may not apply to individuals; thus caution is needed to avoid the ecological fallacy."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

"An erroneous inference that may occur because an association observed between variables on an aggregate level does not necessarily represent or reflect the association that exists at an individual level; a causal relationship that exists on a group level or among groups may not exist among the group individuals."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

"This term has different meanings in different disciplines. it is sometimes used to refer to a standardized measure of a treatment effect, but in epidemiology it usually refers to the strength of association of a health outcome with a risk factor."

Source: Patton SB. Epidemiology for Canadian students, principles, methods and critical appraisal, 2nd edition. Canada: Brush Education Inc.; 2018.

This is the difference in outcomes between the intervention and the control groups, which is expressed in the units of comparison, i.e. such as the difference between the averages, proportions, the correlations or the ratio: risk ratio, hazard ratio or odds ratio.

Encopresis or fecal incontinence occurs when stool (formed, semi-formed or liquid) seeps around the fecal mass and leaks out.

Measurable components unseen by the unaided eye along the pathway between disease and distal genotype. It may be neurophysiological, biochemical, endocrinological, neuroanatomical, cognitive, or neuropsychological in nature.

Source: Gottesman II, Gould TD. The endophenotype concept in psychiatry: etymology and strategic intentions. Am J Psychiatry. 2003;160(4):636-45. Abstract available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12668349

Endurance capacity is the time to fatigue (or time to exhaustion) at a fixed exercise intensity or pace.

Enteric coated is being or possessing a coating designed to pass through the stomach unaltered and to disintegrate in the intestines.

A condition that occurs in individuals with intestinal malabsorption of fat.

Referred to now as Cronobacter spp.

Enteropathy is a disease of the intestinal tract.

"Intentional or unintentional racial discrimination in environmental policy‐making, enforcement of regulations and laws, and targeting of communities for the disposal of toxic waste and siting of polluting industries".

Source: Oxford Reference. Available from: https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095753679

An epitope is a single antigenic site on a protein against which an antibody reacts. An epitope is composed of several amino acids in a sequence and configuration that elicits an immunological response and the production of antibodies designed to couple with that specific structure.

Groups that take an active role in changing processes and structures that influence health. It may also refer to socially disadvantaged, excluded or marginalized populations who experience significant barriers to fully participating in society. These barriers include attitudinal, historic, social and environmental barriers.

Sources:
National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health (NCCDH). Let’s talk: Populations and the power of language. National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health, St. Francis Xavier University; 2013.
Equity and Inclusion Office. Equity & Inclusion Glossary of Terms: Equity Seeking. The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. No date.

Erythropoiesis, also called erythroctopoiesis, is the production of red blood cells.

Escape extinction involves not allowing an escape from, or avoidance of, the appropriate eating behaviour. An example of this may involve positioning the spoon in front of the child’s mouth until the bite is accepted, thereby preventing the child from escaping or avoiding the bite.

Source: MacNaul HL, Neely LC. Systematic review of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior without extinction for individuals with autism. Behavior modification. 2018 May;42(3):398-421.

Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) is the nutrient intake value that is estimated to meet the requirement defined by a specified indicator of adequacy in 50% of the individuals in a life stage and gender group.

Estimated Energy Requirement (EER) is the average dietary energy intake that is predicted to maintain energy balance in a healthy adult of a defined age, gender, weight, height, and a level of physical activity that is consistent with good health.

Breast cancer cells that do not have receptors for estrogen.


Source: breastcancer.org

The breast cancer cells that have receptors for estrogen.


Source: breastcancer.org

Euvolemia is the presence of the proper amount of blood or fluid in the body.

Evidence-based dietetics practice is about asking questions, systematically finding research evidence, and assessing the validity, applicability and importance of that evidence. This evidence-based information is then combined with the dietitian's expertise and judgment and the client’s or community’s unique values and circumstances to guide decision-making in dietetics.

International Confederation of Dietetic Associations (2010)

"1. The conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. Evidence-based clinical practice requires integration of individual clinical expertise and patient preferences with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research, and consideration of available resources. 2. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) can be considered a subcategory of evidence-based health care, which also includes other branches of health care practice such as evidence-based nursing or evidence-based physiotherapy. EBM subcategories include evidence-based surgery and evidence-based cardiology."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

"The conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. Evidence-based clinical practice requires integration of individual clinical expertise and patient preferences with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research, and consideration of available resources."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

A process where neurons are damaged or destroyed through excess stimulation and receptor activation because of imbalances in neurotransmitters and ions. Neuronal cell membranes are damaged because of the primary injury, leading to a loss of K+ and an influx of Na+ and Ca+ ions. Neurons use electrical signaling to communicate, and this ion imbalance causes depolarization of the cell, which leads to random propagation of nerve impulses. Uncontrolled firing of neurons results in the undesired release of neurotransmitters and glutamate, which damage receptors on surrounding neurons, increasing the rate of cell death by up-regulating cell apoptosis pathways.

Exclusive breastfeeding is when no food or liquid other than breastmilk, not even water, is given to the infant from birth by the mother, health care provider, or family member/supporter.

Exposure techniques involve exposing the individual to the anxiety source or its context without the intention to cause any danger. Doing so is thought to help overcome anxiety or distress.

Source: Reilly EE, Anderson LM, Gorrell S, Schaumberg K, Anderson DA. Expanding exposure‐based interventions for eating disorders. Inter J Eating Dis. 2017 Oct;50(10):1137-41.

An extensively hydrolyzed infant formula is a formula in which the constituents, especially the proteins, have been hydrolyzed (“digested”) by enzymatic activity to yield single amino acids and small peptides to achieve a product that has few proteins capable of initiating an immunological response.

Factorial method is a way to measure total energy expenditure. The factorial method allows theoretical estimation of TEE using information for the amount of time spent in and energy spent for doing different activities in a theoretical 24-hour period.

Diverticula that protrude only through the mucosal and submucosal layers of the gastrointestinal wall (e.g. colonic diverticula).

Source: Baum JA, Ching Companioni RA. Definition of Diverticular Disease. Merck Manual Professional Version. 2019 Mar. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/diverticular-disease/definition-of-diverticular-disease

A style of serving a meal which allows eaters to help themselves to portions from a common serving dish.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

A political movement that advocates for the rights and dignity of fat people. Activism means working together toward collective good and creating a more just world (Matacin & Simone, 2019).

Sources:
Cooper C. Fat Activism: A Radical Social Movement. United Kingdom: Intellect Publishers Ltd; 2016.
Matacin ML, Simone M. Advocating for Fat Activism in a Therapeutic Context. Women Ther. 2019 Apr 3;42(1–2):200-15.

A diet based on the theory that many children are sensitive to dietary salicylates and artificially added colours, flavours and preservatives and that eliminating the offending substances from the diet could improve learning and behavioural problems.

the technique used to sell or bring extra attention to your key messages, helping the audience "take home" what you want them to remember from this interview.

Procyanidins which can inhibit platelet function and low-density lipoprotein oxidation and increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Flavanols are found in chocolate, tea, red wine, beans, apricot, cherry, grape, peach, blackberry and apple.

Flavonoids, a subclass of polyphenols, are micronutrients derived from plants, primarily fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids can be divided on the basis of their structure into flavones, flavanols, flavonols and anthocyanins.

The most commonly used test for endothelial function ultrasound is used in to measure the percent change in brachial artery diameter after a substantial increase in blood flow is induced by vessel occlusion with a blood pressure cuff.

A method of gathering in depth insights into a topic or issue through a structured, facilitated discussion of no more than eight participants

FODMAP is an acronym for Fermentable Oligo-Di-Mono-saccharides And Polyols.

FODMAP is an acronym for Fermentable Oligo-Di-Mono-saccharides And Polyols.

Vitamin of the B complex which is an essential component in many major metabolic reactions in the body. Folate is a form of folic acid.

The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) is a unit of the Institute of Medicine, which is part of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in the United States.

The addition of one or more essential nutrients to a food, whether or not the nutrient is normally found in the food, for the purpose of preventing or correcting a demonstrated deficiency of the nutrient or nutrients in the population or specific sub-groups of the population.

A food jag is when a child will only eat one food item meal after meal.

Food literacy is a collection of inter-related knowledge, skills and behaviours required to plan, manage, select, prepare and eat foods to meet needs and determine food intake.

Source: Vidgen H A, Gallegos D. Defining food literacy and its components. Appetite. 2014:76:50-59. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.01.010

The nutrient and non-nutrient components of foods and the molecular relationships (i.e. chemical bonds) to each other.

Food sovereignty “is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems”.

Source: European Coordination Via Campesina. Food Sovereignty Now: A guide to food sovereignty. 2018. Available from: https://viacampesina.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/02/Food-Sovereignty-A-guide-Low-Res-Vresion.pdf

Include estimations of an individual’s energy needs, macronutrient needs, fluid needs, micronutrient needs and recommended body weight/body mass Index/growth, using tools such as international dietary reference values, growth charts and body mass index calculations.

Source: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. eNCPT: electronic nutrition care process terminology 2020. Available from: http://www.ncpro.org

“food and nutrient intake, food and nutrient administration, medication and complementary/alternative medicine use, knowledge/beliefs/attitudes, behavior, food and supply availability, physical activity and function, nutrition-related patient/client-centered measures”.

Source: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. eNCPT: electronic nutrition care process terminology 2020. Available from: http://www.ncpro.org

The maximal volume of air exhaled during the first second of a forced expiration from a position of full inspiration; expressed in litres at body temperature and ambient pressure saturated with water vapour (BTPS).

The four-compartment model of assessing body composition considers body mass, body volume, total body water and bone mineral content.\

Source: Smith-Ryan AE, Mock MG, Ryan ED, Gerstner GR, Trexler ET, Hirsch KR. Validity and reliability of a 4-compartment body composition model using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry-derived body volume. Clin Nutr. 2017 Jun;36(3):825-830. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2016.05.006. Epub 2016 May 15. PMID: 27237796; PMCID: PMC5110400.

According to ESPEN guidelines, frail older adults are limited in their activities of daily living due to physical, mental, psychological and/or social impairments as well as recurrent disease. They suffer from multiple pathology, which seriously impairs their independence and are therefore in particular need of care and are vulnerable to complications.

Free radicals are compounds with an unpaired electron. Those present in the human body include the superoxide radical, the hydroxyl radical, the hydroperoxy radical, lipid radicals and lipid peroxy radicals.

Free sugar is defined by the World Health Organization as all monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods by the manufacturer, cook, or consumer, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, and fruit juices.

A six-carbon monosaccharide with a very sweet taste.

Source: MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary. Fructose. [cited October 25, 2020]. Available from: http://c.merriam-webster.com/medlineplus/fructose

The presence of fructose in the blood.

Source: The Free Dictionary by Farlex. Fructosemia. [cited January 8, 2021]. Available from: https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/fructosemia#:~:text=%5Bfruk%E2%80%B3to%2Dse%C2%B4,blood%2C%20as%20in%20fructose%20intolerance.

The presence of fructose in the urine.

Source: Merriam-Webster. Fructosuria. [cited January 8, 2021]. Available from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/fructosuria

Full blood count (FBC) or complete blood count (CBC) is a test requested by a doctor or other medical professional that gives information about the cells in a patient's blood.

Consists of clear fluids, fluid milk products and foods that liquefy at body temperature.

Functional anemia is a hemoglobin concentration that is within the normal range but that is lower than physiologically normal for an individual and therefore responds to supplementation with an increase. Functional anemia can be diagnosed only retrospectively after supplementation.

Functional constipation is chronic constipation with no specific organic cause.

accumulation of fecal mass in the rectum, caused by repetitive attempts to avoid defecation because of fears associated with defecation. It is the most common cause of constipation and fecal soiling in children.

isolated, nondigestible carbohydrates that have beneficial physiological effects in humans.

Whole, fortified, enriched or enhanced foods that provide health benefits beyond the provision of essential nutrients when they are consumed at efficacious levels as part of a varied diet on a regular basis.

Foods and food components that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Examples may include conventional foods; fortified, enriched, or enhanced foods; and dietary supplements. Some functional foods provide essential nutrients beyond quantities necessary for normal maintenance, growth, and development, and/or provide other biologically active components that impart health benefits or desirable physiological effects.

A metabolite of galactose metabolism that results from the reduction of galactose. Accumulation of galactitol in cells creates.

Source: Demirbas D, Coelho AI, Rubio-Gozalbo ME, Berry GT. Hereditary galactosemia. Metabolism. 2018;83:188-96.. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2018.01.025. Epub 2018/02/08. Abstract available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29409891/

An enzyme in the Leloir pathway which converts galactose to galactose-1-phosphate, deficiency of this enzyme causes a type of galactosemia.

Source: Demirbas D, Coelho AI, Rubio-Gozalbo ME, Berry GT. Hereditary galactosemia. Metabolism. 2018;83:188-96.. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2018.01.025. Epub 2018/02/08. Abstract available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29409891/

A metabolite of galactose metabolism that results when galactose dehydrogenase converts galactose into galactonolactone. It is excreted via urine or broken down further. Galactonate is not elevated in the red blood cells of individuals wirth galactosemia.

Source: Demirbas D, Coelho AI, Rubio-Gozalbo ME, Berry GT. Hereditary galactosemia. Metabolism. 2018;83:188-96.. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2018.01.025. Epub 2018/02/08. Abstract available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29409891/
Coelho AI, Rubio-Gozalbo ME, Vicente JB, Rivera I. Sweet and sour: an update on classic galactosemia. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2017;40(3):325-42. doi: 10.1007/s10545-017-0029-3. Epub 2017/03/11. Abstract available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28281081/

The crystalized form of galactonate.

Source: Wehrli SL, Berry GT, Palmieri M, Mazur A, Elsas L, 3rd, Segal S. Urinary galactonate in patients with galactosemia: quantitation by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Pediatr Res. 1997;42(6):855-61. doi: 10.1203/00006450-199712000-00022. Epub 1997/12/13 20:04. Abstract available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9396569/

An enzyme in which its reduced activity (deficiency) is indicative of galactosemia, as the body cannot sufficiently metabolize galactose.

Source:
Macdonald A, Dixon M, White F. Disorders of galactose metabolism. In: Shaw V, editor. Clinical paediatric dietetics. Fifth edition ed. New Jersey, U.S.A: John Wiley and Sons Ltd; 2020.
Berry GT. Classic galactosemia and clinical variant galactosemia. Seattle: University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2020; 2000 [updated 2020; cited 2020 November 20th]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/

"A general term for any disorder of the gallbladder (e.g. gallstones, cholecystitis, gallbladder cancer)."

Source: Cleveland Clinic. Gallbladder Disease. Updated 2022 Mar 5. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22976-gallbladder-disease

The passage of gastric contents into the esophagus. Most episodes are brief and asymptomatic and do not extend above the distal esophagus. GER is considered to be a normal physiologic process that occurs throughout the day in healthy infants, children, and adults.

Occurs when gastric contents reflux into the esophagus or oropharynx and produce symptoms including anorexia, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), odynophagia (painful swallowing), arching of the back during feedings, irritability, hematemesis, anemia or failure to thrive.

Gender dysphoria “refers to psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity”.

Source: American Psychiatric Association. What is gender dysphoria? American Psychiatric Association. 2022

The functional and physical unit of heredity passed from parent to offspring. Genes are pieces of DNA. Most genes contain the information for making a specific protein.

The process of converting the information encoded in the DNA into RNA (mRNA, tRNA, rRNA); most genes are transcribed into mRNA and ultimately into a protein product.

"The degree to which the results of a study can be generalized to settings or samples other than the ones studied."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

All or part of the genetic constitution of an individual or group.

when elevated blood pressure without proteinuria develops after 20 weeks of gestation and blood pressure returns to normal within 12 weeks after delivery. One fourth of women with gestational hypertension develop proteinuria and thus progress to pre-eclampsia.

Glossitis is a condition where the tongue is swollen, has a smooth surface (normally it is covered by small bumps called papillae), and feels sore or tender. The colour of the tongue can be paler than usual or bright red. There are many possible causes of glossitis, including allergies, very dry mouth (as in Sjogren syndrome), infection or injuries to the tongue. Glossitis can affect the ability to chew, swallow and talk. It generally resolves once the underlying cause is addressed.

Any of a group of corticosteroids that are involved especially in carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism, that tend to increase liver glycogen and blood sugar by increasing gluconeogenesis, that are anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive, and that are used widely in medicine (as in the alleviation of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis).

Formation of glucose within the animal body especially by the liver from substances (such as fats and proteins) other than carbohydrates.

Source: Merriam-Webster. Gluconeogenesis. [cited October 20, 2020]. Available from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gluconeogenesis

The glycemic index (GI) is a scale used to rate the increase in blood glucose two hours after consuming a portion of a food containing 25 or 50 grams of available carbohydrate compared to a specific portion of a standard food (white bread or glucose). A low GI food, using the glucose scale, is defined as having a GI ≤55 and a high GI ≥70.

The glycemic load (GL) is a measure that combines both the GI (quality) and the quantity of available carbohydrate in a given amount of food (i.e. GL = (GI of food x carbohydrate (g))/100 g or per 1000 kcal).

Compounds that contain carbohydrates and lipids (glycolipids) or proteins (glycoproteins).

Source: Myers R, Fredenburgh J, Grizzle W. Carbohydrates. In: Bancroft J, Gamble M, editors. Bancroft's theory and practice of histological techniques. Edinburgh, UK.: Churchill Livingstone.; 2008. p. 161.

A polymer of glucose used as a storage form of carbohydrate in the muscles and liver.

The breakdown of glycogen especially to glucose in the animal body.

Source: Merriam-Webster. Glycogenolysis. [cited October 20, 2020]. Available from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glycogenolysis

A goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland, which often results from insufficient intake of iodine and is usually accompanied by hypothyroidism. It is typically visible as a swelling of the anterior part of the neck. It can be associated with toxic symptoms and exophthalmos.

“A method having established or widely accepted accuracy for determining a diagnosis that provides a standard to which a new screening or diagnostic test can be compared. The method need not be a single or simple procedure but could include follow-up of patients to observe the evolution of their conditions or the consensus of an expert panel of clinicians”

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

An organelle made up of folded membrane and vesicles that releases glycoconjugates.

Source: NIH National human genome research institute. Golgi body. [cited 2021 January 3rd]. Available from: https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/golgi-body.

A type of white blood cell that is made from small protein-containing granules. The types of these cells are neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils.

Source: National Library of Medicine (US): PubMed Health. Granulocytopenia. Abstract available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0025030/

A condition characterized by a lower-than-normal number of granulocytes.

Source: Cermak J. Granulocytopenia. Vnitr Lek. 2018. 64(5):520-5. Abstract available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30193521

When extrapolating downwards from an EAR for B vitamins for adults to an EAR for children, an increment is added to account for the requirements for growth. The percentage additional B vitamins and choline required for growth in children and adolescents of a given age is similar to the percentage additional protein required for growth at the same age.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a spiral-shaped bacterium that is found in the gastric mucous layer or adherent to the epithelial lining of the stomach.

These medications block the production of acid from the stomach

A division of the nail by a transverse line into a proximal dull white part and a distal pink/brown part.

Health equity is having a fair opportunity to attain full health potential without disadvantages or barriers from achieving this potential.

The ability to access and understand health information as well as use the information to improve health of self, family and community. The ability to read and write is not required to access and use health information.

The preoccupation with personal health as a primary, often the primary, focus for the definition and achievement of well-being. A goal which is to be obtained primarily through the modification of personal lifestyles.

Sources:
Hunger JM, Smith JP, Tomiyama AJ. An Evidence‐Based Rationale for Adopting Weight‐Inclusive Health Policy. Soc Issues Policy Rev. 2020 Jan;14(1):73-107.
Overend A, Bessey M, Hite A, Noriega A. Introduction to against healthisms: Challenging the paradigm of “eating right.” J Crit Diet. 2020;5(1):1-3.

Worms classified as parasites and include roundworms (e.g. Trichinella), pinworms, tapeworms and flukes.

Cancers of or relating to the blood.

A procedure in which precursor cells capable of developing into normal bone marrow are delivered to an individual; typically performed as part of therapy to eliminate a bone marrow infiltrative process, such as leukemia, or to correct genetic immunodeficiency disorders.

Source: Powell J, Hingorani P, Grupp S, Kolb E. Hematopoietic stem cell transplant. eMedicine. Abstract available from: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/204821-overview

The deep red iron-containing prosthetic group C34H32N4O4Fe of hemoglobin and myoglobin that is a ferrous derivative of protoporphyrin and readily oxidizes to hematin or hemin.

An hereditary disease caused by increased absorption and excessive storage of iron in the tissues, especially the liver; the untreated disorder can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, heart disease, diabetes mellitus, testicular atrophy, and arthritis

The word herb comes from the Latin word for grass. Technically, herbs are plants that wither each autumn, plants other than shrubs or trees. When used as a natural health product, herbs are plants with medicinal value.

The proportion of observed variation in a particular trait (as intelligence) that can be attributed to inherited genetic factors in contrast to environmental ones.

Herpes is a popular, ulcerative or vesicular eruption of skin or mucous membranes caused by a local infection with herpes virus 1 or 2 (herpes simplex) or by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus.

Herpes labialis is herpes simplex that affects the lips and nose.

Exercise that consists of alternating bouts of high and low intensity exercise. This type of exercise is seen in interval training and also “stop and go” type sports like soccer, hockey, football, basketball and rugby where fast sprints are interspersed with lower intensity phases.

An infant with a strong (biparental; parent, and sibling) family history of allergy; an infant with documented hereditary atopy risk (an affected parent or sibling).

The presence of excessive body and facial terminal hair, in a male pattern, especially in women.

Histamine is a chemical present in cells throughout the body and is an essential neurotransmitter in a variety of processes. It is responsible for the release of gastric acid during digestion. Histamine is released during an allergic reaction and is one of the substances responsible for the symptoms of inflammation. It is the major reason for running of the nose, sneezing, and itching in allergic rhinitis. It also contributes to the narrowing of the bronchi (airways) in the lungs in asthma.

Having the two genes at corresponding loci on homologous chromosomes identical for one or more loci.

The complete genetic content (the complete set of genes) of a human.

hydrops fetalis is an abnormal fluid accumulation in the foetus in two or more compartments, such as ascites, pleural effusion, pericardial effusion and skin edema.

Source: Hamdan AH. Pediatric Hydrops Fetalis. Emedicine. 2017 Jul . Available from: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/974571-overview

Clinically defined as urine calcium greater than 250 mg for 24 hours (6.2 mmol/day). Hypercalciuria is the most common abnormality associated with calcium oxalate stones.

Persistent vomiting that leads to weight loss greater than 5% of pre-pregnancy weight, with associated electrolyte imbalance and ketonuria, occurring in about 1% of pregnancies.

Presence of objectively reproducible symptoms or signs, initiated by exposure to a defined stimulus at a dose tolerated by normal subjects. Includes both immunologically and non-immunologically-mediated mechanisms

Hypertension is abnormally high pressure in the arteries with a systolic pressure at rest that averages 140 mm Hg or more and/or a diastolic pressure at rest that averages 90 mm Hg or more.

Hypodermoclysis, also known as clysis, is the infusion of isotonic fluids into the subcutaneous space for rehydration or for the prevention of dehydration.

A state in which an individual has a low plasma glucose level (less than <4 mmol/L), experiences typical symptoms (trembling, palpitations, sweating, anxiety and/or neuroglycopenic symptoms- difficulty concentrating, confusion, weakness, dizziness, fatigue), and attains relief with the administration of a carbohydrate.

Decreased movements

A birth defect with the penis opening on the underside of the organ.

Hypotension is systolic blood pressure <100 mmHg with associated symptoms (including syncope, dizziness, weakness or fatigue.

Source: Akosah KO, McHugh VL, Mathiason MA, Kallies KJ, Pinter R, Thayer VB. Closing the heart failure management gap in the community: managing hypotension and impact on outcomes. J Card Fail. 2009 Dec;15(10):906-11. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2009.06.438. Epub 2009 Aug 5.

A type of immunoglobulin. Levels of IgE antibody are elevated in individuals with atopic conditions such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis. IgE antibodies are produced against specific allergens and determined by both genetic factors and exposure to allergens. Allergens will trigger an allergic response, in sensitized individuals, by attaching to IgE antibodies bound to mast cells. This results in mast cell release of inflammatory mediators, which trigger acute tissue inflammation.

Immunological hypersensitivity due to formation of excessive amounts of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in response to otherwise innocuous antigens (allergens) in the environment or in food.
Immediate-type hypersensitivity, type 1 hypersensitivity and allergic sensitivity can be synonymous

Abbreviated IgE. A class of immunoglobulins that includes the antibodies elicited by an allergic substance (allergen). A person who has an allergy usually has elevated blood levels of IgE. IgE antibodies attack and engage the invading army of allergens

Immunoglobulins are proteins found in blood and in tissue fluids. Immunoglobulins make up gamma globulin; all antibodies are immunoglobulins. There are five classes (IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM) of immunoglobulins which differ in the structure of their polypeptide heavy chains. Immunoglobulins are produced by cells of the immune system called B-lymphocytes. Their function is to bind to substances in the body that are recognized as foreign antigens (often proteins on the surface of bacteria and viruses). This binding is a crucial event in the destruction of the microorganisms that bear the antigens. Immunoglobulins also play a central role in allergies when they bind to antigens that are not necessarily a threat to health and provoke an inflammatory reaction.

Adjustment of the immune response to a desired level

Enteral and parenteral nutritional formulas that have been supplemented with components intended to improve immune function such as arginine, glutamine, omega-3 fatty acids and nucleic acids.

(nutrient data), a process whereby missing nutrient data may be estimated using nutrient data from comparable similar foods (e.g. same biological plant family)

outside the living body and in an artificial environment

in the living body of a plant or animal; in a real-life situation

"The rate at which new diagnoses occur within a given population over a defined time period; a prospective measure of disease occurrence in a defined population."

Source: Porta M, Greenland S, Hernán M, dos Santos Silva I, Last JM, ed. A dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Section 2: Morbidity frequency measures. In Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice. 3rd Edition. 2012. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson3/section2.html

The number of new cases of condition/disease over the total number of people in the population at risk of having a condition/disease during a specified period.

The number of new cases a condition/disease over the total amount of person-time at risk for having the condition/disease during a specific period.

"Occurs when investigators study a diagnostic test that incorporates features of the target outcome. The result is a bias toward making the test appear more powerful in differentiating target positive from target negative than it actually is."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary

"Indicators of adequacy" are criteria that can be used to determine a requirement for a nutrient. Examples include absence of clinical deficiency signs and symptoms; biochemical parameters reflecting the function or storage of the nutrient; circulating levels of a nutrient; etc. For each nutrient, different intakes are required to meet different indicators of adequacy. For example, more iron is needed to maintain iron stores (for which the indicator of adequacy would be a defined level of serum ferritin) than to prevent anemia (for which the indicator of adequacy would be a defined level of hemoglobin).

Calculation of the energy expenditure in the form of heat production based on respiratory gas exchange.

The lowest continuing intake level of a nutrient that, for a specified indicator of adequacy, will maintain a defined level of nutriture in an individual.

A condition that occurs during the first few months of life when an infant strains and screams during prolonged attempts to defecate, lasting for up to 20 minutes, until soft or liquid stools pass. This can occur several times a day. Symptoms resolve spontaneously in a few weeks.

IBD is a condition in which the gastrointestinal tract is chronically inflamed, which causes diarrhea, abdominal pain and other symptoms.

Source: Walfish AE, Companioni RAC. Overview of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Rahway, NJ: Merck & Co, Inc.; 2022 Sep.

Influenza, commonly called the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses which can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Influenza usually starts with a cough, headache and chills; followed by fever, loss of appetite, muscle aches and fatigue, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes and throat irritation. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are uncommon symptoms in adults but may occur in children.

Informed consent means voluntarily agreeing to participate in something after having gained a thorough understanding of the risks and benefits that participation would involve.

Insoluble fibre is generally resistant to bacterial fermentation in the large bowel and thus increases stool bulk (e.g. wheat bran)

Insulin is primarily produced by recombinant DNA technology and is formulated as either chemically identical to human insulin or as a modification of human insulin (insulin analogue). This modification results in improved pharmacokinetics. There are currently insulin analogues for short-acting insulin (called rapid-acting insulins) and analogues for longer-acting insulins (basal insulins).

A ratio that specifies the number of grams of carbohydrate covered by each unit of rapid-acting insulin.

Source: Warshaw H, Bolderman K. Practical carbohydrate counting: A how-to-Teach Guide for Health Professionals. American Diabetes Association. 2009.

An estimation of active insulin in the body used in modern insulin therapy with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) to prevent insulin stacking that may lead to hypoglycaemia.

Source: Warshaw H, Bolderman K. Practical carbohydrate counting: A how-to-Teach Guide for Health Professionals. American Diabetes Association. 2009.

A process that combines biological, cultural, physical and chemical methods to manage pests so that the benefits of pest control are maximized while the risk to human health and the environment are minimized. IPM ensures that pesticides are only used when needed and that they are used responsibly as part of an overall pest management strategy.

Intense sweeteners impart greater sweetness and contribute less energy than sugar. The term nutritive intense sweeteners usually refers to the sugar alcohols, which provide some carbohydrate and energy, but less than sugar. Non-nutritive intense sweeteners impart sweetness in extremely small quantities and deliver no energy or an insignificant amount of energy. Some of the intense sweeteners are also referred to as artificial sweeteners, while some are naturally occurring.

Multiple daily injections (MDI) consisting of intermediate or long-acting insulin, or extended insulin analogue as the "basal" insulin and fast-acting insulin or rapid-acting insulin analogue as the "bolus" insulin for food intake at each meal. This type of regimen also includes continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) or insulin pump therapy.

"A fundamental way to analyze a randomized controlled trial in which all subjects allocated to each arm of the trial are analyzed “as intended” upon randomization, whether or not they actually received the exposure allocated or completed treatment. Failure to follow this approach defeats the main purpose and advantage of random allocation and can cause serious confounding bias. This approach is virtually always required as part of the primary analysis of studies aiming to influence clinical or public-health decisions and policy formulation. It may be complemented by an explanatory analysis, in which subjects are analyzed according to the exposure they actually experienced (with adjustment for possible confounders, i.e., with an analytic approach similar to an observational cohort study), or in which some participants (e.g., subjects who complied poorly with the protocol) are excluded from analyses. An intention-to-treat analysis does not determine whether and how to impute missing data on the outcome measure. Because of its pragmatic nature, ITT can underestimate treatment efficacy or have a low explanatory capacity."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

computer based tools and systems to enhance behaviour change e.g. web-based behaviour change programs, CD-ROM interventions using touch screen kiosks, interactive voice response technologies (automated telephone disease management systems), personal digital assistants (PDA's) or other handheld devices, electronic medical records or registries that include behaviour change information.

The degree to which every test item measures the same concept in a measurement tool.

In psychology, internalization refers to the unconscious mental process whereby characteristics, beliefs, feelings, and attitudes of others are integrated into the self.

Internalized weight stigma or self-directed weight stigma refers to negative attitudes, beliefs and stereotypes based on one’s personal weight.

INR is an international measure of blood coagulation that standardizes the responsiveness of different anticoagulants. INR is calculated using the individual’s prothrombin time, the mean normal prothrombin time, and the international sensitivity index for thromboplastin reagents (ISI).

International Normalized Ratio is the prothrombin time ratio that would be obtained if a standard reagent was used in a prothrombin time determination. The prothrombin time ratio is derived for a working reagent in the laboratory with the use of a parameter designated the international sensitivity index and is expressed as an individual’s prothrombin time divided by the mean of the prothrombin time reference interval.

One’s conscious ability to sense, interpret and integrate signals originating from within the body. In the context of intuitive eating, there is often a focus on one’s ability to sense, interpret and respond to their hunger and fullness cues.

Sources:
Mehling WE, Acree M, Stewart A, Silas J, Jones A. The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, Version 2 (MAIA-2). PLOS ONE, 2018;13(12):e0208034.
Tribole E, Resch E. Intuitive eating: a revolutionary anti-diet approach. 4th edition. New York: St. Martin’s Essentials; 2020. ISBN 9781250758286.

Intersectionality is the understanding that inequities in society result from the interconnection of multiple factors, rather than one specific characteristic or factor. Intersections can occur between social factors and identities such as race, gender, age, poverty status, etc. from power structures such as laws, governments, religious institutions, etc.

Source: Conrad P. The shifting engines of medicalization. J Health Soc Behav. 2005 Mar;46(1):3–14.

The accepted criteria for diagnosis of interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome is the presence of pain related to the bladder, usually accompanied by frequency and urgency; and the absence of other diseases that could cause the symptoms.

"An (equal) interval involves assignment of values with a natural distance between them, so that a particular distance (interval) between two values in one region of the scale meaningfully represents the same distance between two values in another region of the scale. Examples include Celsius and Fahrenheit temperature, date of birth."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

"Greater probing by an interviewer in one of the groups being compared, contingent on particular features of the participants."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

Intravenous administration of Ringers lactate solution or normal saline at a rate of 20 mL/kg over 1 hour. Larger quantities or more rapid administration may be required

A substance produced by the normal gastrointestinal mucosa that facilitates absorption of vitamin B12.

the second stage in the development of iron deficiency anemia in which the supply of iron to the functional compartment (bone marrow) is low (low transferrin saturation, high FEP) due to depleted iron stores (low serum ferritin), but not yet low enough to impair production of hemoglobin.

hemoglobin is below the normal reference range for age as a result of depleted iron stores. Mean cell volume is also decreased.

the first stage in the development of iron deficiency anemia in which storage levels of iron are low, reflected by serum ferritin levels below the normal reference range for age. Levels of iron in transit, reflected by transferrin saturation or total iron binding capacity, and levels of hemoglobin are not yet affected.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common, chronic gastrointestinal disorder of gut-brain interaction with no identified structural pathology and a symptom-based diagnosis.

A natural flavonoid which has been isolated from tea, broccoli, grapefruit and other plant sources.

short, primary information points that tell a story.

A malformation of the nails in which the outer surface is concave; also commonly referred to as spoon nails.

An eating pattern based on grains, vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts, and dairy but excludes meat, fish or fowl and eggs or products containing these foods.

A genus of bacteria of the family Lactobacillaceae, occurring as large, gram-positive, asporogenous, rod-shaped organisms. They are anaerobic or microaerophilic and occur widely in nature and in the human mouth, vagina, and intestinal tract. They are separable into two groups, the homofermentative group producing only lactic acid, and the heterofermentative group producing other end-products of fermentation.

An eating pattern based on grains, vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts, dairy products and eggs but excludes meat, fish or fowl or products containing these foods.

A clinical syndrome of one or more of the following symptoms: abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, flatulence, and bloating after the ingestion of lactose or lactose-containing foods.

Lactose malabsorption is a physiological problem that presents as lactose intolerance. It is caused by the imbalance between the amount of ingested lactose and the capacity for lactase to hydrolyze the disaccharide due to a deficiency in levels of the lactase enzyme. It is measured by a breath hydrogen test after the ingestion of a lactose load.

Lactose nonpersistance is a genetically programmed decrease of lactase resulting in lactose malabsorption, and in some cases results in lactose intolerance.

Before a health condition has fully developed, there is usually a period of time when risk factors and early symptoms are present but the condition has not yet progressed to the point of symptomatic disease diagnosis.

The act, process, or experience of gaining knowledge or skill.

Brief, clear, specific statements of what learners will be able to perform at the conclusion of instructional activities.

Statements of what a student is expected to be able to do as a result of a learning activity.

The main route or pathway that is responsible for galactose metabolism.

Source: Rosenberg R, Pascual J. Rosenberg's molecular and genetic basis of neurological and psychiatric disease. 2015.

A peptide hormone that is produced by fat cells and plays a role in body weight regulation by acting on the hypothalamus to suppress appetite and burn fat stored in adipose tissue.

Letter written and submitted by a non-publications staff member, usually complementing or criticizing the coverage of an issue by the publication.

The occurrence of white spots, streaks, or patches under the nails due to the presence of air bubbles between the nail and its bed.

A type of response format used in surveys developed by Rensis Likert. Likert items have responses on a continuum and response categories such as "strongly agree," "agree," "disagree," and "strongly disagree."

An enzyme that is used by the body to break down dietary fats into a readily absorbable form. When insufficient levels of lipase are produced, dietary fats cannot be absorbed as easily, often resulting in the production of greasy, light-coloured stools (or steatorrhea). Most of the body’s lipase is produced by the pancreas.

A LOAEL is the Lowest Observed Adverse Effects Level, which would be the lowest continuing intake at which the adverse effect was observed in one or more individuals.

A statistical method which determines the likelihood that an observation will fall into one of two categories of a dichotomous dependent variable based one or more continuous or categorical variables.

"The investigator identifies exposed and non-exposed groups of people, each a cohort, and then follows them forward in time, monitoring the occurrence of the predicted outcome."

Source: Guyatt G, Rennie D. Users’ guides to the medical literature. Essentials of evidence-based clinical practice. AMA Press; 2002.

act on the ascending loop of Henle in the kidney to inhibit reabsorption of sodium; thereby promoting sodium and subsequent water excretion in the urine. Furosemide is the most common loop diuretic prescribed to patients with heart failure and edematous disorders such as liver failure and nephrotic syndrome. Loop diuretics are the most powerful diuretics for promoting urinary sodium and water excretion.

An infant weighing less than 2500 g or 5.5 lbs.

Low-intensity exercise is defined as working at a heart rate of about 60% to 65% of your maximum heart rate (which is equal to 220 - your age = maximum heart rate, thus if you are 20 years old, 220 - 20 = 200 max HR). High-intensity exercise is defined as working at about 75 to 85% or more of your maximum heart rate.

Malnutrition includes deficiency, excess or imbalance of energy, protein and/or other nutrients. In clinical practice, undernutrition is the typical focus resulting from reduced food intake/assimilation or disease burden/inflammation leading to altered body composition and diminished function.

A glucose polymer that contains six to 12 glucose molecules and exerts lesser osmotic effects compared with glucose. It is used in a variety of sports drinks as the main source of carbohydrate.

Marginalization is the social exclusion or stigmatizing groups or individuals.

Includes the traditional forms of media such as television, radio, newspapers and magazines as well as, but not limited to, the contemporary music videos, music lyrics, video games, movies, web pages and text messaging.

Mast cells play an important role in the body's allergic response. Mast cells are present in most body tissues, but are particularly numerous in connective tissue, such as the dermis (innermost layer) of skin. In an allergic response, an allergen stimulates the release of antibodies, which attach themselves to mast cells. Following subsequent allergen exposure, the mast cells release substances such as histamine (a chemical responsible for allergic symptoms) into the tissue.

mean cell volume

Average intake of a particular nutrient or food for a group or population of individuals. Also average intake of a nutrient or food over two or more days for an individual.

A classification of foods made from vegetable proteins, nuts, or processed poultry or fish designed to imitate or be used in place of beef, pork, poultry, and dairy products.

A list of reporters and/or editors strategically chosen to reach a specific audience to the person or story being pitched.

Media literacy is the ability to apply critical thinking skills to analyze media messages in order to understand and assess their meaning.

Source: Truman E, Bischoff M, Elliott C. Which literacy for health promotion: health, food, nutrition or media? Health Promot Int. 2020 Apr 1;35(2):432-444. Doi: 10.1093/heapro/daz007. PMID: 30793740.

The median, is defined as "the middle value of the relevant set of data". The median is the value that divides the set of data in half, 50 percent of the measurement being above it and 50 percent being below it.

Medical nutrition therapy by a dietitian typically involves multiple sessions incorporating the four steps of the nutrition care process: nutrition assessment, diagnosis, intervention, and monitoring and evaluation. This process allows the dietitian to collaborate with a client to develop an individualized plan.

Source: Dudzik JM, Senkus KE, Evert AB, Raynor HA, Rozga M, Handu D, Moloney LM. The effectiveness of medical nutrition therapy provided by a dietitian in adults with prediabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2023 Sep 9:S0002-9165(23)66120-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.08.022. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37689140.

Medicalization is the phenomenon whereby common human variations come to be defined as a medical problem, needing medical treatment.

A “failure of adequate trials of two tolerated, appropriately chosen and used antiepileptic drug schedules (whether as monotherapies or in combination) to achieve sustained seizure freedom”.

Source: Kwan P, Arzimanoglou A, Berg AT, Brodie MJ, Hauser WA, Mathern G, et al. Definition of drug resistant epilepsy: consensus proposal by the ad hoc task force of the ILAE commission on therapeutic strategies. Epilepsia 2010 Jun:51(6):1069-77.

The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, non-refined cereals and olive oil, a moderate intake of alcohol, a low to moderate intake of dairy products, fish, poultry and a low intake of red meat and refined sugar.

Source: Papadaki A, Nolen-Doerr E, Mantzoros CS. The Effect of the Mediterranean Diet on Metabolic Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials in Adults. Nutrients. 2020 Oct 30;12(11):3342. doi: 10.3390/nu12113342. PMID: 33143083; PMCID: PMC7692768.

Low red blood cell count, characterized by the presence in the blood of large, immature, nucleated cells (megaloblasts) that are forerunners of red blood cells. Red blood cells, when mature, have no nucleus.

A trusted counsellor, guide or advisor. Mentors are not typically involved in evaluation of learners unless in a formal facilitated mentoring program.

The process of a mentor/mentee partnership with the more experienced person serving as a guide or advisor to the less experienced person.

The provision of information on calories, fat, sodium and other selected nutrients in menu items at point of purchase.

"A statistical technique for quantitatively combining the results of multiple studies that measure the same outcome into a single pooled or summary estimate".

Source: JAMAevidence. JAMAevidence glossary. American Medical Association; 2021.

The term metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a replacement term for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Source: Rinella ME, Lazarus JV, Ratziu V, Francque SM, Sanyal AJ, Kanwal F, Romero D, Abdelmalek MF, Anstee QM, Arab JP, Arrese M, Bataller R, Beuers U, Boursier J, Bugianesi E, Byrne C, Castro Narro GE, Chowdhury A, Cortez-Pinto H, Cryer D, Cusi K, El-Kassas M, Klein S, Eskridge W, Fan J, Gawrieh S, Guy CD, Harrison SA, Kim SU, Koot B, Korenjak M, Kowdley K, Lacaille F, Loomba R, Mitchell-Thain R, Morgan TR, Powell E, Roden M, Romero-Gómez M, Silva M, Singh SP, Sookoian SC, Spearman CW, Tiniakos D, Valenti L, Vos MB, Wai-Sun Wong V, Xanthakos S, Yilmaz Y, Younossi Z, Hobbs A, Villota-Rivas M, Newsome PN; NAFLD Nomenclature consensus group. A multi-society Delphi consensus statement on new fatty liver disease nomenclature. J Hepatol. 2023 Jun 20:S0168-8278(23)00418-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.06.003. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37364790. Abstract available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37364790/

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the presence of hepatic steatosis in conjunction with at least one cardiometabolic risk factor (e.g. elevated waist circumference, blood glucose, blood pressure or dyslipidemia). The term MetALD is used to describe individuals with MASLD who consume greater amounts of alcohol (>140 g/week for women and >210 g/week for men). MASLD was previously referred to as nonalcoholic fatty liver or nonalcohol-related fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of risk factors (at least three of the following: large waist circumference, high blood pressure, high fasting blood glucose, high serum triglycerides, low serum HDL cholesterol) that is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease beyond what is expected from individual risk factors.

Source: Cardiometabolic Risk Working Group: Executive Committee, Leiter LA, Fitchett DH, Gilbert RE, Gupta M, Mancini GB, McFarlane PA, et al. Cardiometabolic risk in Canada: a detailed analysis and position paper by the cardiometabolic risk working group. Can J Cardiol. 2011 Mar-Apr;27(2):e1-e33. doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2010.12.054. PMID: 21459257.

"The term "Métis" is used broadly to describe people with mixed First Nation and European ancestry who identify themselves as Métis, distinct from Indian, Inuit or non-Indigenous people."

Source: Government of Canada. Métis Genealogy. 2020 Sept 9. Available from: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/aboriginal-heritage/metis/Pages/metis-genealogy.aspx

Pertaining to abnormally small red blood cell present especially as in microcytic anemias

A symptom complex occurring periodically that s characterized by pain in the head, nausea and vomiting, vertigo, photophobia, and scintillating appearances of light. Migraine subtypes include classic migraine, common migraine, cluster headache, hemiplegic migraine, ophthalmoplegic migraine, and ophthalmic migraine.

An individual who experiences migraines.

An individual who experiences migraines.

Associated with the presence of autonomic symptoms and the ability to self-treat.

Mild dehydration is when some deficits or abnormalities in laboratory values exist but they do not seriously impair an individual''s circulation, organ function or level of functioning. Moderate dehydration is when some deficits or laboratory abnormalities exist that impair or are likely to impair circulation or organ function but are not immediately life threatening.

no more than 1 drink a day and no more than 7 drinks a week where one standard drink is considered 1 bottle (350 mL/12 oz.) of 5% beer, 150 mL/5 oz. of 10-14% wine or 50 mL/1 1/2 oz. 40 % alcohol spirits

Associated with the presence of autonomic and neuroglycopenic symptoms and the ability to self-treat.

factors which increase risk of a certain disease or disorder that can be adjusted by the individual. They include smoking, inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption, stress, excessive weight

A descriptive term of or relating to an inheritable characteristic that is influenced by a single gene.

BMI of 40 or greater, or BMI of 35 or greater in the presence of significant co-morbidities

Any of a group of glycoproteins found especially in the secretions of mucous membranes.

Nutrition counselling which involves a nutrition professional and a client who are from different cultures.

a form of intensive therapy using an intermediate- or long-acting insulin, or extended long-acting insulin analogue once or twice daily as the basal insulin, and a fast-acting or rapid-acting insulin analogue as the bolus insulin for food intake at each meal. This type of insulin regime permits adjustment of insulin doses for variable carbohydrate intake.

Any supplement containing three or more vitamins or minerals, but no herbs, hormones or drugs, with each component at a level less than the tolerable upper intake level (UL).

Relating to the subfamily Murinae, which includes mice and rats.

Mycoprotein is the main constituent of Quorn™ a high protein, high fibre food made from fungi.

A red iron-containing protein pigment in muscles that is similar to hemoglobin but differs in the globin portion of its molecule

A major contractile protein in muscle found in thick filaments.

"A single participant undertakes pairs of treatment periods in which they receive target treatment during one period of each pair and a placebo or alternative treatment during the other period. Patients and clinicians are blind to allocation, the order of the target and control is randomized."

Source: Guyatt G, Rennie D. Users’ guides to the medical literature. Essentials of evidence-based clinical practice. AMA Press; 2002.

The lowest blood glucose concentration on the curve.

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a survey conducted periodically by the National Center for Health Statistics, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In Canada the term "Natural Health Product" is used to refer to certain vitamins, minerals, herbal products, as well as several other items. In the United States the term "Dietary Supplement" is used rather than NHP. It is described by the U.S. Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 as: products made of one or more of the essential nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and protein, herbs or other botanicals and any dietary substance that can be used to supplement the diet.

Natural Product Number is an eight (8) digit numerical code assigned to each natural health product approved to be marketed under the Natural Health Products Regulations.

A relationship between two factors (called variables) where a positive change of one creates a negative change of the second.

The use of "both direct comparisons of interventions within randomized controlled trials and indirect comparisons across trials based on a common comparator”.

Source: https://training.cochrane.org/online-learning/cochrane-methodology/network-meta-analysis-nma [cited 2020 Apr 14]

“a systematic review that allows the comparison of multiple interventions, including head-to-head evaluations at the same time as indirect comparisons, in a connected network of comparisons”.

Source: JAMAevidence. JAMAevidence glossary. American Medical Association; 2021.

The neural tube is the tube that forms from fusion of the neural folds from which the brain and spinal cord arise. Defects can occur during development of the brain and spinal cord eg. spina bifida

Symptoms manifested as a result of decreased glucose to the brain: difficulty concentrating, confusion, weakness, drowsiness, vision changes, difficulty speaking, headache, dizziness and tiredness.

A decrease in circulating neutrophils in the blood. Neutropenia is classified as mild (1000-1500/µL blood), moderate (500-1000/µL blood) or severe (<500/µL blood).

Source: Taplitz RA, Kennedy EB, Bow EJ, Crews J, Gleason C, Hawley DK, et al. Antimicrobial Prophylaxis for Adult Patients With Cancer-Related Immunosuppression: ASCO and IDSA Clinical Practice Guideline Update. J Clin Oncol. 2018;36(30):3043-54. Epub 2018/09/05. doi: 10.1200/jco.18.00374. Abstract available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30179565

Neutrophil is a white blood cell that acts primarily to fight infections.

Prearranged gather of media representatives to announce and explain a significant and newsworthy subject or event.

The most common written form used in public relations, announcing a client's news and information.

information that is new, unusual, unexpected, controversial or of wide significance or interest to the audience of a publication or program.

National Health Interview Survey, a survey conducted periodically by the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.

A NOAEL is the No Observed Adverse Effects Level, which would be the highest observed level of chronic intake that was NOT associated with development of the adverse effect in any of the individuals studied.

Hypoglycemic episodes that first occur during the night, usually defined as the period between midnight and 8 AM.

"This allows subjects to be classified with respect to some characteristic—pairs of categorical variables can be cross-classified to form a contingency table.
Properties of a nominal scale:
1. Data categories are mutually exclusive (an individual can belong to only one category).
2. Data categories have no logical order – numbers may be assigned to categories but merely as convenient labels.
A nominal scale classifies without the categories being ordered."

Source: Everitt BS. Statistical methods for medical investigations. 2nd ed. New York: Halsted Press; 1994.

factors which increase risk of a certain disease or disorder that are beyond the control of the individual. They include age, gender, ethnicity, family history

Non-diet describes someone or something that does not use or promote intentional weight loss or dieting.

Source: Marchessault G, Thiele K, Armit E, Chapman GE, Levy-Milne R, Barr SI. Canadian dietitians' understanding of non-dieting approaches in weight management. Can J Diet Pract Res. 2007 Summer;68(2):67-72. doi: 10.3148/68.2.2007.67. PMID: 17553191.

Characterized by red blood cells that are normal in size and usually also in hemoglobin content

Nothing by mouth

National Research Council, the organization arm of the National Academies

"The number of patients who need to be treated over a specific period of time to achieve one additional good outcome. When discussing NNT, it is important to specify the intervention, its duration, and the good outcome. It is the inverse of the absolute risk reduction (1/ARR)."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

Purified or isolated natural health products in medicinal form. For example, genistein isolated from fermented soy meal and sold in tablet form as a soy dietary supplement.

A hypoallergenic formula that contains extensively hydrolyzed or broken down casein. Originally intended for the treatment of food allergy in infants, it is also used for the prevention of allergy in high risk infants.

The nutrient panels are composed of scientists who are experts on one or more of the nutrients addressed by a panel.

The lowest continuing intake level of a nutrient that will maintain a defined level of nutriture in a healthy individual; also called individual requirement.

The process of identifying characteristics known to be associated with dietary or nutritional problems. Its purpose is to differentiate individuals who are at high risk of nutritional problems or have poor nutritional status.

Condition of an individual or group resulting from nutrient intake and utilization of a nutrient at the tissue level.

According to ASPEN guidelines, adults are considered at nutritional risk if they have any of the following:
-actual or potential for developing malnutrition (involuntary loss or gain of ≥10% of usual body weight within six months or ≥ 5% of usual body weight in one month, a weight of 20% over or under ideal weight)
-altered diets or diet schedules (receiving parenteral nutrition or enteral nutrition, recent surgery, illness or trauma)
-inadequate nutrition intake, including not receiving food or nutrition products (impaired ability to ingest or absorb food adequately) for more than seven days

Are “findings from a nutrition-focused physical exam, interview, or the medical record including muscle and subcutaneous fat, oral health, suck/swallow/breathe ability, appetite, and affect”.

Source: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. eNCPT: electronic nutrition care process terminology 2020. Available from: http://www.ncpro.org

"Obesity is a complex chronic disease in which abnormal or excess body fat (adiposity) impairs health, increases the risk of long-term medical complications and reduces lifespan. Epidemiologic studies define obesity using the body mass index (BMI; weight/height2), which can stratify obesity-related health risks at the population level. Obesity is operationally defined as a BMI exceeding 30 kg/m2 and is subclassified into class 1 (30–34.9), class 2 (35–39.9) and class 3 (≥ 40)."

Source: Wharton S, Lau DCW, Vallis M, Sharma AM, Biertho L, Campbell-Scherer D, et al. Obesity in adults: a clinical practice guideline. CMAJ. 2020 Aug 4;192(31):E875-E891. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.191707. PMID: 32753461.

In order to study the relationships among variables, observational studies are performed. Unlike controlled experimental designs where only certain variables are allowed to vary (at prespecified levels), in observational studies the variables are observed and recorded. Often some of the variables are controlled as much as possible. Consider a long term study on a drug involving humans where a variable that needs to be controlled is diet. The diet guidelines are set but these will probably be broken from time to time (or maybe often) by some of the human subjects. Contrast this with a lab setting, where the diet of animals can be controlled.

In observational studies, cause and effect are hard (often impossible) to establish. But associations and predictabilities among variables can be investigated. Such associations and predictabilities may be further studied in a lab setting.

A sleep disorder characterized by the repetitive collapse of the pharyngeal airway during sleep yielding hypoxia and hypercapnia, with arousal being required to re-establish airway patency.

Not manifest or detectable by clinical methods alone

Ochratoxin A, B, and C are mycotoxins produced by some Aspergillis species and Penicillium species. Ochratoxin A, a human carcinogen, is known to occur in food and beverages such as cereals, coffee, dried fruit and red wine.

"The ratio of two odds. The term odds is defined differently according to the situation under discussion”…usually either “the ratio of the odds in favor of exposure among the cases to the odds in favor of exposure among noncases” or “the ratio of the odds in favor of disease among the exposed to the odds in favor of disease among the unexposed."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

Painful swallowing

A carbohydrate which on hydrolysis yields a small number (from two to four or as many as 10, according to various authorities) of monosaccharides. Two examples are fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS).

A subnormal concentration of spermatozoa in the penile ejaculate.

The maximum amount of weight that can be lifted one time with correct form during a standard weight lifting exercise.

The loosening of the nail from the nail bed.

The softening of the nails.

The splitting of the nail in layers.

Opinion and column page usually opposite the editorial page.

An open-label study is where both the researchers and the study participants know which treatment each individual is receiving.

Operant learning theory involves implementing positive (giving a stimulus) or negative (removing a stimulus) reinforcement after a response to a stimulus.

Source: Wong SE. Operant learning theory. Comprehensive handbook of social work and social welfare. 2008 Jul 15;2.

Itching and swelling in the mouth and oropharynx associated with pollen allergies, especially to birch, grass, ragweed and mugwort as a result of eating a fruit or vegetable which cross-reacts with pollen.

Oral immunotherapy involves repeated exposure to increasing doses of the allergen over time with the goal to reduce allergic reactions by desensitization.

Source:
Chu DK, Wood RA, French S, Fiocchi A, Jordana M, Waserman S, et al. Oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy (PACE): a systematic review and meta-analysis of efficacy and safety. Lancet. 2019 Apr 25. pii: S0140-6736(19)30420-9.

Special combinations of water, carbohydrate, sodium, potassium, chloride, and a base precursor in an osmolar or hypoosmolar solution that help rehydrate the body when fluid has been lost due to diarrhoea. ORS vary primarily in their carbohydrate and sodium content.

The preferred method of treating dehydration in infants who have diarrhea due to acute gastroenteritis. It includes a rehydration phase in which stool losses of fluid and electrolytes are rapidly replaced enterally with an oral rehydration solution (ORS), and a maintenance phase, which involves replacement of continuing fluid and electrolyte losses with ORS to prevent further dehydration, and continued feeding to achieve adequate dietary intake

"Classification into ordered qualitative categories, e.g., social class (I, II, III, etc.), where the values have a distinct order but their categories are qualitative in that there is no natural (numerical) distance between their possible values."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

The pathological obsession with eating biologically pure and healthy food.
Ref: Bratman S. Original orthorexia essay.

a bone-forming cell

A condition of impaired mineralization caused by vitamin D and calcium deficiency.

A condition of too little bone mass during any stage of life.

“The target variable of interest. The variable that is hypothesized to depend on or be caused by another variable (the independent variable).”

Source: JAMAevidence. JAMAevidence glossary. American Medical Association; 2021.

Outcomes research seeks to understand the end results of particular health care practices and interventions. End results include effects that people experience and care about, such as change in the ability to function. In particular, for individuals with chronic conditions where cure is not always possible, end results include quality of life as well as mortality. Outcomes research is also referred to as medical effectiveness research or outcomes and effectiveness research.

An allergen found in egg white. Ovalbumin is a glycoprotein.

An eating pattern based on grains, vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts, and eggs but excludes meat, fish or fowl and dairy or products containing these foods.

An allergen found in egg white. Ovomucoid is a glycoprotein.

Oxidative Stress is defined as an imbalance between the production of various reactive species and the ability of the organism's natural protective mechanisms to cope with these reactive compounds and prevent adverse effects.

Present in nearly 90% of patients with CF and characterized by a fecal elastase-1 concentration of less than or equal to 200 mcg/g of stool. Small intestinal transit in patients with PI can be accelerated by up to 50%, significantly decreasing available time for digestion and absorption. Enzyme replacement therapy can, to some extent, help to correct GI transit disturbances. Due to severe lipase and protease deficiency, unabsorbed lipid and protein reach the colon, potentially inducing steatorrhea and creatorrhea, respectively.

A reduction in the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood.

"A hormone of the parathyroid gland that regulates the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus in the body -- abbreviation PTH; called also parathormone"

A paradigm is the foundation on which ideas, concepts, beliefs and values are used by members of the scientific community.

A behavioural counseling method where parents are guided through a series of techniques to improve their parenting skills, including positive reinforcement, role modeling and limit setting.

It is a term that includes PD (e.g. tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity), but is also caused by other conditions including multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranulcear palsy (PSP), corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

Pasteurization is the heating of liquids to a prescribed temperature for a specified period of time to destroy disease-causing bacteria

Non-seasonal inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose.

pertaining to the period before conception through to the first two months of pregnancy

A severe hyperchromic anemia marked by a progressive decrease in number and increase in size and hemoglobin content of the red blood cells and by pallor, weakness, and gastrointestinal and nervous disturbances and associated with reduced ability to absorb vitamin B12 due to the absence of intrinsic factor -- called also addisonian anemia

Is a plasma membrane-bound protein, a member of a larger family of efflux transporters encoded by multi-drug resistance genes, MDR1 or ABCB1. P-GP plays an important role in drug absorption and disposition, acting as a biological barrier by expelling toxins and xenobiotics from cells.

The ability to use genetic information to design drugs that specifically target a susceptible protein or to classify a population into those who will respond to a particular drug and thereby benefit from its use, those who will experience side effects, and those for whom the drug will have no effect at all.

The observable properties of an organism that are produced by the interaction of the genotype and the environment.

Defined as bodily movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscle that requires energy expenditure in excess of resting energy expenditure.

is a salt or ester of phytic acid. It is associated with dietary fiber and is present in a wide variety of plant foods, especially wheat bran, whole grains, seeds, and legumes.

is the principal storage form of phosphorus in many plant tissues including seeds, cereal grains, legumes, and nuts and is abundant in bran. When ingested it binds with minerals such as zinc, calcium, and magnesium, interfering with their intestinal absorption.

A plant compound that has physiological properties similar to estrogen.

An angle encompassing a unique or interesting aspect or a story or a person used to catch the media's attention and to sell reporters on a particular story or interview.

"An inert or innocuous substance used especially in controlled experiments testing the efficacy of another substance (such as a nutritional supplement).”

Source: Merriam-Webster since 1828. Placebo. 2021 Apr.

An approach to writing that avoids complex language and complicated expressions. Often used in developing resources for low literacy audiences. Also referred to as "clear language".

An acute phase reactant involved in fibrinolysis. It has been found to be present in high levels in obesity and the metabolic syndrome. It is linked to the increased occurrence of thrombosis (blood clot formation) in individuals who are obese and/or have metabolic syndrome.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/plasminogen_activator_inhibitor-1

Air in the mediastinum, the space in the middle of the chest.

A collapsed lung.

The allergic reaction in the body to the air-borne pollen of plants, resulting in the seasonal type of hay fever

A widely used plastic that is made from bisphenol A. On bottles, its universal recycling code is listed under #7.

An elevated concentration of red blood cells.

A descriptive term of or relating to an inheritable characteristic that is influenced by several genes.

"Natural variations in a gene, DNA sequence, or chromosome that have no adverse effects on the individual and occur with fairly high frequency in the general population.” A “polymorphism involves one of two or more variants of a particular DNA sequence. The most common type of polymorphism involves variation at a single base pair."

Source: US National Library of Medicine. What are single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)? [Internet]. Genetics Home Reference. 2020. Available from: https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/genomicresearch/snp

A pathway or process that converts glucose to fructose and reduces galactose to galactitol. Also known as the sorbitol-aldose reductase pathway.

Source: Demirbas D, Coelho AI, Rubio-Gozalbo ME, Berry GT. Hereditary galactosemia. Metabolism. 2018;83:188-96.. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2018.01.025. Epub 2018/02/08. Abstract available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29409891/

General term for several groups of compounds found in plants that contain more than one benzene ring in their chemical structure. Several biologically important plant chemicals belong to this class including bioflavonoids and tannins. Many of these compounds function as effective antioxidants.

An ancient ancestor of the common grapefruit, also know as a Chinese grapefruit.

Pouchitis is the inflammation of a surgically constructed ileal pouch (made from a loop of the small intestine), which acts as an artificial rectum for patients with ulcerative colitis who have had their rectum and colon removed. The surgical procedure is known as ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Acute pouchitis typically refers to symptoms (e.g. diarrhea, cramping, fecal urgency or incontinence) lasting <4 weeks; whereas in chronic pouchitis symptoms typically are present for >4 weeks.

Prebiotics are defined as non-digestible food ingredients (dietary fibre) that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one of more limited number of bacteria in the colon and thus improve host health. For a food ingredient to be considered a prebiotic, it must meet several criteria. These criteria include: it must neither be hydrolysed, nor absorbed in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract; be selectively fermented by one or a limited number of potentially beneficial bacteria in the intestine; and it must be able to alter the colonic microflora towards a healthier composition.

helps determine a patient's needs within a given counselling context by assessing motivational characteristics, physical, manual and economic barriers and facilitators, and specific circumstantial rewards and penalties. The approach can avoid inappropriate techniques, for example trying to persuade an already-motivated patient that change is necessary. Skipping unnecessary steps frees time to focus on aspects of the knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and understanding that require modification.

A participant in a program as an active learner and colleague.

The process of working with students for the purpose of training.

"1. [In statistics:] A measure of the likelihood of random errors in the results of a study, meta-analysis or measurement. The greater the precision, the less random error. Confidence intervals around the estimate of effect from each study are one way of expressing precision, with a narrower confidence interval meaning more precision.
2. [In trial searching:] The proportion of relevant articles identified by a search strategy expressed as a percentage of all articles (relevant and irrelevant) identified by that strategy. Highly sensitive strategies tend to have low levels of precision. It is calculated as follows: Precision = Number of relevant articles/Number of articles identified."

Source: The Cochrane Collaboration. Glossary. [cited 2019 Aug 17]. Available from: https://community.cochrane.org/glossary.

Describes blood glucose levels that are below the diagnostic threshold for diabetes but are a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Source: Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guideline Expert Committee. Diabetes Canada 2018 clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and management of diabetes in Canada. Can J Diabetes. 2018;42(suppl 1):S1-S325. Available from http://guidelines.diabetes.ca/cpg

The predictive value of a test is a measure of the times that the value (either positive or negative) is the true value; i.e. the percent of all positive tests that are true positives is the positive predictive value.

Source: The University of Iowa Department of Pathology. Predictive value theory. Available from: http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/path_handbook/Appendix/Chem/pred_value_theory.html

A condition in pregnancy manifested by hypertension, edema and/or proteinuria (excess protein in urine).

An infant who is born before the 37th week of pregnancy.

A pressure ulcer is a localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue that is typically over a bony prominence resulting from pressure, or pressure in combination with shear and/or friction.

The percentage of a defined population that is affected by a specific condition at the same time.

The percentage of a population or group that has intakes below requirements.

The prick-by-prick test involves insertion of a sterilized needle into the test food in its raw state. The food is then transferred to the patient by inserting the needle a little way into the skin. The same wheal and flare response as in the skin tests indicates a positive reaction

Is also known as Nopal, is found throughout the Western hemisphere and is used commonly in Mexico. The used parts are the leaves, flowers, stems, and fruit.

Primary prevention of CVD focuses on strategies to prevent CVD morbidity and mortality in healthy individuals.

Teeth developed and erupted first in order of time; the first set of teeth to develop; the first baby teeth; they begin to erupt at about 6 months and consist of 20 teeth

A relative or absolute absence of the enzyme, lactase, that develops in childhood

Risk or likelihood of an occurrence.

A method of assessing the nutrient adequacy of groups. It uses the distribution of usual intakes and the distribution of requirements to estimate the prevalence of inadequate intakes in a group. Also known as the NRC approach.

Outcome of a calculation that compares an individual's usual intake to the distribution of requirements for persons of the same life stage and gender to determine the probability that the individual's intake does not meet his or her requirements.

Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.

Processed meat is meat preserved through salting, curing, fermentation and smoking. (e.g. ham, salami, bacon, hotdogs, sausage, chorizo).

World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018. Diet, nutrition, physical activity and liver cancer. 2018. Available from: https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/liver-cancer

A technical term used by mental health professionals to describe a specific group of symptoms that may precede the onset of a mental illness.

The breast cancer cells that have receptors for progesterone.

Source: breastcancer.org

"A study that enrolls patients at a point in time and follows them forward to determine the frequency and timing of subsequent events."

Source: Health Evidence. Glossary. 2019. Available from: https://www.healthevidence.org/glossary.aspx.

A region in DNA that encodes regulatory sequences needed for gene transcription.

A substance that causes oxidation and damage to cells and surrounding molecules. Some Antioxidants in very high doses can turn into pro-oxidants.

"The investigator identifies exposed and non-exposed groups of people, each a cohort, and then follows them forward in time, monitoring the occurrence of the predicted outcome."

Source: Guyatt G, Rennie D. Users’ guides to the medical literature. Essentials of evidence-based clinical practice. AMA Press; 2002.

A single-chain glycoprotein with 240 amino acid residues and four carbohydrate side chains, found in normal seminal fluid and produced by the prostatic epithelial cells. Elevated levels in the blood are associated with prostatic enlargement and prostatic adenocarcinoma.

A region in DNA that dictates the genetic recipe which is used to produce the protein.

Enzymes that break down proteins

The time it takes plasma to clot after an addition of tissue factor (obtained from animals) which measures the quality of the pathway of blood coagulation.

The most powerful type of acid suppressors. These medications work by preventing acid pumps in the stomach from producing too much acid. Also known as acid pump inhibitors.

"Occurs when the publication of research depends on the direction of the study results and whether they are statistically significant."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

"Qualitative research focuses on social and interpreted, rather than quantifiable, phenomena and aims to discover, interpret, and describe rather than to test and evaluate. Qualitative research makes inductive, descriptive inferences to theory concerning social experiences or settings, whereas quantitative research makes causal or correlational inferences to populations. Qualitative research is not a single method but a family of analytic approaches that rely on the description and interpretation of qualitative data. Specific methods include, for example, grounded theory, ethnography, phenomenology, case study, critical theory, and historiography."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

"The investigation of phenomena that lend themselves to test well-specified hypotheses through precise measurement and quantification of predetermined variables that yield numbers suitable for statistical analysis."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

"A situation in which the investigator lacks full control over the allocation and/or timing of intervention but nonetheless conducts the study as if it were an experiment, allocating subjects to groups."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

Aflavonol found in capers, apples, tea, onions, red grapes, citrus fruits, broccoli and other leafy green vegetables, cherries, and several berries including raspberry, lingonberry, cranberry

RAST is an abbreviation for RadioAllergoSorbent Test, a trademark of Pharmacia Diagnostics, which originated the test. RAST is a laboratory test used to detect IgE antibodies to specific allergens (2). CAP-RAST is a specific type of RAST.
RAST is a allergy test carried out on a sample of blood. The aim with RAST, as with skin tests, is to check for allergic sensitivity to specific antigens. In the test, the sample of blood is mixed with substances known to trigger allergies. The test measures the level of IgE allergy antibodies to specific antigens in the blood which are present if there is a allergic reaction

"A sample derived by selecting sampling units (for example, individual patients) such that each unit has an independent and fixed chance of selection. Whether a given unit is selected is determined by chance (for example, by a table of randomly ordered numbers)."

Source: JAMA Instructions for authors. JAMA. 1996;275(1):8. Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/393429.

“an experiment in which individuals are randomly allocated to receive or not receive an experimental diagnostic, preventive, therapeutic, or palliative procedure and then followed up to determine the effect of the intervention”.

Source: JAMAevidence. JAMAevidence glossary. American Medical Association; 2021.

A subjective rating using a numerical scale that expresses the perceived difficulty of a given exercise task.

A raw food diet is a diet of uncooked foods. Typically this is a vegan diet, although in a small proportion of cases animal products such as raw meat or fish are included.

Randomized control trial

A systematic error that occurs when participants are unable to remember previous events or experiences accurately or omit details. As well, the accuracy and number of recollections may be influenced by subsequent events and experiences.

Source: Catalogue of Bias Collaboration, Spencer EA, Brassey J, Mahtani K. Recall bias. In: Catalogue Of Bias 2017.

For an individual, the recommended intake is one that is almost certain to meet or exceed their individual requirement. The RDA and the AI are both recommended intakes for individuals.

Recommended Nutrient Intakes

The most advanced form of heart failure which occurs when a heart failure patient remains symptomatic despite optimal medical therapies.

Passage of refluxed gastric contents into the oral pharynx.

"Ratio of the risk of an event among an exposed population to the risk among the unexposed."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

"The proportional reduction in rates of harmful outcomes between experimental and control participants. It is calculated by dividing the rate of harmful outcome in the control group (CER) minus the rate of harmful outcome in the experimental group (EER) by the rate of harmful outcome in the control group [(CER–EER)/CER]. Used with a beneficial exposure or intervention."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

Inflammatory mediators such as histamine and degradative enzymes stored within the intracellular granules of mast cells are released into the surrounding tissues, resulting in symptoms of allergy after degranulation.

Reliability refers to the extent to which a measure or tool obtains similar results over repeated trials/ uses (i.e. the trustworthiness). There are several types of reliability: Test-retest Reliability - whether the self-administered measure obtains similar results when repeated by the same individuals over time. Inter-rater Reliability - whether the measure obtains similar results when rated or scored by different people. Intra-rater Reliability - whether the measure obtains similar results when rated or scored by the same person over time.

Source: The Cochrane Collaboration. Glossary. [cited 2019 Nov 4 17]. Available from: https://community.cochrane.org/glossary
Last JM. A dictionary of epidemiology. 4th Edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2001.

"1. “inter-observer bias: reflected in differences in the marginal distributions of the response variable for each of the observers
2. observer disagreement: indicated by how observers classify individual subjects into the same category on the measurement scale.

K Strength of agreement
0.01 Poor
0.00 - 0.20 Slight
0.21 – 0.40 Fair
0.41 – 0.60 Moderate
0.61 – 0.80 Substantial
0.81 – 1.00 Almost perfect"

Source: Everitt BS. Statistical methods for medical investigations. 2nd ed. New York: Halsted Press; 1994.

Renal solute load (RSL) refers to all solutes of endogenous or dietary origin that require excretion by the kidneys

"A class of activities designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge, consisting of theories, principles, or relationships, or accumulation of information on which these are based, that can be corroborated by acceptable scientific methods of observation, inference, and/or experiment."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

the effect that remains after one has attempted to statistically control variables that cannot be measured perfectly. These unknown variables could obscure or exaggerate existing associations, and could significantly change conclusions made on the basis of epidemiological research

Consists of activities that use muscular strength to move a weight or work against a resistant load. Examples include weight lifting and exercises using weight machines.

Factors or conditions that take place during the process of responding to surveys that affect the way responses are provided, leading to a nonrandom deviation of answers from their true value.

Resting metabolic rate extrapolated to 24 hours to be more meaningful. (see resting metabolic rate).

Energy expenditure under resting conditions.

Retinol, the dietary form of vitamin A, is a fat-soluble, antioxidant vitamin important in vision and bone growth. It belongs to the family of chemical compounds known as retinoids. Retinol is ingested in a precursor form; animal sources (milk and eggs) contain retinyl esters, whereas plants (carrots, spinach) contain carotenoids. Tissue cells convert these precursors to retinol, and then to either retinal or retinoic acid.

The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for vitamin A are listed as Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE) to account for the different activities of retinol and provitamin A carotenoids. Sometimes RDAs are also listed in International Units (IU) because food and some supplement labels list vitamin A content in International Units (1 RAE in micrograms = 3.3 IU).

"A summary of the literature on a topic; tend to be descriptive. The identification of studies and their interpretation is determined by the author(s) and may be biased."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

An immunologically-mediated hypersensitivity reaction in the nose and conjunctiva. Most cases are IgE-mediated.

a self-report form that has eight questions, each answered with a five-point Likert-type scale that measures the patient’s perceived duration, frequency and distress from nausea, vomiting and retching

Rickets is a childhood disease where growing bone matrix fails to mineralize, which can lead to skeletal deformities, bone pain and delayed motor development.

An organized framework for evaluating scientific information, which has as its objective a characterization of the nature and likelihood of harm resulting from excess human exposure to an environmental agent (in this case, a dietary nutrient). It includes the development of both qualitative and quantitative expressions of risk. The process of risk assessment can be divided into four major steps; hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization.

The process by which risk assessment results are integrated with other information to make decisions about the need for, method of, and extent of risk reduction. In addition to risk assessment results, risk management considers such issues as the public health significance of the risk, the technical feasibility of achieving various degrees of risk control, and the economic and social cost of this control.

A chronic inflammatory disorder consisting of vascular and follicular dilation primarily of the skin of the nose, forehead and cheeks. It is characterized by erythema (redness due to capillary dilation), hyperplasia of sebaceous glands, papules and pustules, and telangiectasia (dilation of the vessels).

The most common form of gastric by-pass surgery is a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. In this procedure the stomach is made smaller by creating a small pouch at the top of the stomach with surgical staples or a plastic band. The smaller stomach is connected directly to the middle portion of the small intestine (jejunum), bypassing the rest of the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine (duodenum).

"A period before a trial is commenced when no treatment is given. The data from this stage of a trial are only occasionally of value but can serve a valuable role in screening out ineligible or non-compliant participants, in ensuring that participants are in a stable condition, and in providing baseline observations. A run-in period is sometimes called a washout period if treatments that participants were using before entering the trial are discontinued."

Source: The Cochrane Collaboration. Glossary. [cited 2019 Aug 17]. Available from: https://community.cochrane.org/glossary.

A gluten-free whole grain which is white in colour. It is obtained from the original herbaceous plant Salvia hispanica L., which is over 90 per cent black grain in colour and 10 per cent white grain (1). Salvia hispanica L. is also known as chia.

Salt sensitivity is expressed as either the reduction in blood pressure in response to a lower salt intake or the rise in blood pressure in response to sodium loading. Salt sensitivity differs among subgroups of the population and among individuals within a subgroup.

Sarcopenia refers to a decline in muscle mass and strength.

Sarcopenic obesity refers to a combination of sarcopenia and excess body fat.

Any person who assists in the process of administering and collecting information related to the administration of your screening initiative. This includes collection of the nutritional risk data, demographic information and potentially data for evaluation.

Any edible animal obtained from the sea, including fish, crustaceans, and molluscs.

Application of interventions to prevent the progression of cardiovascular disease in individuals with a history of CVD and individuals at high CVD risk (as determined by Cardiovascular Risk Assessment) or those with metabolic syndrome presenting with a constellation of risk factors including abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and/or impaired glucose tolerance. To view Cardiovascular Risk Assessment, use the PEN search function.

A lactase deficiency that results from small intestinal injury including acute chemotherapy, gastroenteritis, persistent diarrhea or small bowel overgrowth.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health (NIH): National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI Dictionaries. Selection bias. [cited 2021 Aug 19]

Keeping detailed records of situations where unhealthy behaviours occur. Details of the precipitants, consequences and moderating factors are recorded and analyzed to determine goals for change.

The sensitivity of a scale or index refers to the statistical likelihood that it will correctly identify individuals with the condition of interest. In the case of nutritional screening, the higher the sensitivity of the index the more likely it will correctly identify individuals who are genuinely "at risk". If an index is 100% sensitive there would be no false negatives.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Section 2: Morbidity frequency measures. In Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice. 3rd Edition. 2012. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson3/section2.html
Last JM. A dictionary of epidemiology. 4th Edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2001.

Associated with need for assistance to treat and BG level < 2.8 mmol/L.

Blood pressure: 160 mm Hg or higher systolic or 110 mm Hg or higher diastolic on two occasions at least 6 hours apart in a woman on bed rest / Proteinuria: 5 g or higher in a 24-hour urine collection or 3+ on urine dipstick testing of two random urine samples collected at least 4 hours apart / Other features: oliguria (less than 500 mL in 24 hours), cerebral or visual disturbances, pulmonary edema or cyanosis, epigastric or right upper-quadrant pain, elevated liver enzymes, thrombocytopenia, or intrauterine growth restriction.

End product of bacterial hydrolysis and fermentation of complex carbohydrate that reaches the colon.

The sick quitter bias occurs when studies examining potentially hazardous lifestyle habits do not differentiate between participants who have abstained from the habit over their lifetime and participants who used to partake but have since abstained due to illness.

Reference: Visontay R, Sunderland M, Slade T, Wilson J, Mewton L. Are there non-linear relationships between alcohol consumption and long-term health?: a systematic review of observational studies employing approaches to improve causal inference. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2022 Jan 14;22(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s12874-021-01486-5. PMID: 35027007; PMCID: PMC8759175.

Sickle cell trait is when an individual inherits a normal Hb gene (from one parent) and a sickle cell Hb gene Hb S (from their other parent) and rarely have symptoms.

Source: Braunstein EM. Thalassemias. Merck Manuals, 2020 Sep. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/professional/hematology-and-oncology/anemias-caused-by-hemolysis/thalassemias

A genetic variation caused by a change in a single DNA nucleotide; most of the variation among individuals results from SNPs. The number of different SNPs in the human population is thought to be 6 million.

Sizeism is being discriminated against because of one’s body size (height or weight).

means exposure of skin, face and arms or an equivalent surface area of skin. The time involved is five to 15 minutes per day in summer months for people with light skin colour.

The skin test is designed to detect any IgE that has been made by the immune system in a previous response to the allergen. A drop of commercial allergen extract is placed onto the surface and the skin underneath is pricked with a lancet.

A lay term for a skin eruption.

The skin test is a method of measuring the patient's level of IgE antibodies to specific allergens. Using diluted solutions of specific allergens, the physician either injects the patient with the solutions (intradermal test), or scratches (scratch test) or pricks the skin with a sharp lancet (prick test) through the allergen drop. A positive reaction appears as a small raised area surrounded by a flat red area on the skin (the wheal and flare reaction). A positive reaction to the skin test, especially with food allergens, does not always mean that the patient is will develop symptoms when the food is eaten.

When a vitamin or mineral has a time-release factor, it means that the ingredients have been scientifically coated and calibrated in tiny "memory granules" that are released over a period of 2-6 hours. The advantage of time release is it gives the body the vitamin or mineral gradually instead of all at one time.

"Study participants misrepresent their responses in the direction of answers consistent with prevailing social norms or socially desirable behavior rather than their true feelings."

Source: Grimm P. Social desirability bias. Wiley International Encyclopedia of Marketing; 2010. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781444316568.wiem02057/references.

Social justice is having equal distribution of personal opportunities and social privileges.

the application of commercial marketing concepts and techniques to target populations to achieve the goal of positive social change.

involuntary passage of stool into places, and at times, that are socially inappropriate. It is often associated with fecal impaction.

Soluble fiber attracts water and turns to gel during digestion which slows digestion. Soluble fiber is found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, and some fruits and vegetables.

A sugar alcohol that is found naturally in some fruit and is used as a low-calorie sweetener by the food industry.

Source: MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary. Sorbitol. [cited October 25, 2020]. Available from: http://c.merriam-webster.com/medlineplus/sorbitol

The specificity of a scale or index refers to the statistical likelihood that it will correctly identify individuals who do not have the condition of interest. In the case of nutritional screening, the higher the specificity of the index the more likely it will correctly identify individuals who are genuinely not "at risk". If an index is 100% specific there would be no false positives.

The male gamete or sex cell that contains the genetic information to be transmitted by the male and is able to effect zygosis with an oocyte.

Multiple tiny longitudinal subungual hemorrhages under a finger or a toenail.

Mucus and other matter that is brought up from the lungs by coughing.

Standard deviation is the statistical measure of variability used in describing normal distribution.

A particularly severe episode of asthma, usually requiring hospitalization, that does not respond adequately to ordinary therapeutic measures

An abnormal amount of fat in the feces. Normal fecal fat excretion is ≤7 g/day. In CF, the treatment goal for steatorrhea is to attain a fecal fat excretion rate of <15 g/day. Steatorrhea is associated with an increased risk for malabsorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

An overarching term for hepatic steatosis identified by imaging or biopsy.

Source: Rinella ME, Lazarus JV, Ratziu V, Francque SM, Sanyal AJ, Kanwal F, Romero D, Abdelmalek MF, Anstee QM, Arab JP, Arrese M, Bataller R, Beuers U, Boursier J, Bugianesi E, Byrne C, Castro Narro GE, Chowdhury A, Cortez-Pinto H, Cryer D, Cusi K, El-Kassas M, Klein S, Eskridge W, Fan J, Gawrieh S, Guy CD, Harrison SA, Kim SU, Koot B, Korenjak M, Kowdley K, Lacaille F, Loomba R, Mitchell-Thain R, Morgan TR, Powell E, Roden M, Romero-Gómez M, Silva M, Singh SP, Sookoian SC, Spearman CW, Tiniakos D, Valenti L, Vos MB, Wai-Sun Wong V, Xanthakos S, Yilmaz Y, Younossi Z, Hobbs A, Villota-Rivas M, Newsome PN; NAFLD Nomenclature consensus group. A multi-society Delphi consensus statement on new fatty liver disease nomenclature. J Hepatol. 2023 Jun 20:S0168-8278(23)00418-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.06.003. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37364790.

The process of identifying and modifying stimuli (e.g. situations, times, people, emotions) that elicit unhealthy eating behaviour.

Stomatitis is an inflammation of the mucosal lining of the mouth. There are many possible causes, including infections (bacterial, fungal, or viral), vitamin deficiencies, lead and mercury poisoning and local irritation or trauma (such as from cheek biting, or poorly fitting dentures). It can also be a side-effect of radiation or chemotherapy for cancer. Stomatitis generally resolves once the underlying cause is addressed.

The major contributor to tooth decay.

The measured energy expenditure divided by the predicted energy expenditure.

Stress ulcers are multiple, superficial mucosal erosions, which may occasionally extend deeper into the submucosa of the upper gastrointestinal tract, mainly occurring in the fundus and body of the stomach. They develop after shock, sepsis and trauma and are often found in individuals with peritonitis and other chronic medical illness.

Success indicators are measures that link directly to the success of a project.

"A daily average intake from food and beverages for certain nutrients that may help in prevention of chronic disease."

Source: Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. Available from: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/sites/default/files/images/Nutrient-reference-aus-nz-executive-summary.pdf

Evaluation occurring at the end of learning experiences or programs. In the context of preceptoring, to assess student completion of learning activities and performance objectives.

"Observational study that focuses on obtaining information about activities, beliefs, preferences, knowledge, or attitudes from respondents through interviewer-administered or self-administered methods."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

Genes with functional variants that affect the causes of disease, they are routinely being identified for simple mendelian (inherited) diseases and more common genetic disorders.

Sustainable diets are broadly defined as: “diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations… (and) are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and affordable; nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy; while optimizing natural and human resources.”

Source
Burlingame B, Dernini S. Sustainable diets and biodiversity – directions and solutions for policy, research and action. FAO. 2010. Available from:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/016/i3004e/i3004e.pdf

“a mixture comprising live microorganisms and substrate(s) selectively utilized by host microorganisms that confers a health benefit on the host”.

Source: https://www.gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/a-panel-of-experts-provide-guidance-regarding-appropriate-use-and-scope-of-the-term-synbiotic/?utm_source=Gut+Microbiota+For+Health+-+RP&utm_campaign=7c013931cd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_07_26_02_08_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9a41aba3d5-7c013931cd-128363525

Clear viscid lubricating fluid of the joint, bursae, and tendon sheaths, secreted by the synovial membrane of a joint. It contains mucin, albumin, fat, and electrolytes.

An inflammation of a synovial membrane, which is a layer of connective tissue that lines a joint, such as a hip, knee or shoulder.

“the identification, selection, appraisal and summary of primary studies that address a focused clinical question using methods to reduce the likelihood of bias.”

Source: JAMAevidence. JAMAevidence glossary. American Medical Association; 2021.

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force applied to the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood through the body. The pressure is determined by the force and amount of blood pumped, and the size and flexibility of the arteries. Blood pressure readings are usually given as 2 numbers: for example, 110 over 70 (written as 110/70). The first number is the systolic blood pressure reading, and it represents the maximum pressure exerted when the heart contracts. The second number is the diastolic blood pressure reading, and it represents the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest.

The group of astringent and bitter compounds found in the seeds and skins of grapes which slow oxidation and promote aging.

Selected group of people who share similar needs or demographic characteristics such as age, income, sex, education or occupation and best represent the most likely potential recipients of an organization's message.

An increased transient shedding of normal club hairs by the premature development of telogen in anagen follicles.

Impaired hair growth as a result of sudden weight loss or decreased protein intake.

Anything which produces nonheritable birth defects is said to be teratogenic.

A condition characterized by the presence of malformed spermatozoa in the semen.

A condition where the nails look opaque but the tip has a dark band.

The psychoactive ingredient of the Cannabis plant family which occurs naturally in hemp plant resins.

The balance between Th1 and Th2 cytokines determines whether the response against a food will result in allergy

Th2 cytokines produced in the Th(T helper cell)2 response of T-cell lymphocytes to allergens, mediate the production of IgE, and thus the allergic response. Th1 cytokines mediate the protective response against, for example, infective micro-organisms.

Allergy occurs when the Th2 response dominates.

A category of familial microcytic, hemolytic anemias leading to impaired hemoglobin synthesis. May be characterized as alpha thalassemia (impaired production of the hemoglobin molecule's alpha polypeptide chain) or beta thalassemia (impaired production of the hemoglobin molecule's beta polypeptide chain).

Source:
Braunstein EM. Thalassemias. Merck Manual Professional Version. Updated September 2020. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/professional/hematology-and-oncology/anemias-caused-by-hemolysis/thalassemias

identifies five components (assess, advise, agree, assist, and arrange) that can be sequenced to help patients address unhealthy behaviours 'Assess' dietary practices and related risk factors, 'Advise' to change dietary practices, 'Agree' on individual diet change goals, 'Assist' to change dietary practices or address motivational barriers, and 'Arrange' regular follow-up and support or refer to more intensive behavioral nutritional counseling (e.g., medical nutrition therapy) if needed.

The act of food consumption eliciting an increase in basal energy expenditure, determined primarily by the amount and composition of the foods consumed, mainly due to the metabolic costs incurred in handling and storing ingested nutrients

The process by which humans regulate their body temperature within narrow limits.

The dose that elicits allergic reactions in a given (small) proportion of susceptible patients

Any disorder where there is an abnormally low amount of platelets.

Thyroglobulin is an iodine-containing protein of the thyroid gland that yields thyroxine and triiodothyronine on proteolysis.

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is a glycoprotein hormone produced by the anterior lobe of the hypophysis that stimulates the growth and function of the thyroid gland. TSH is also a diagnostic test to differentiate between primary and secondary hypothyroidism. Also called thyrotropin.

Thyroxine, also known as T4, is an iodine-containing hormone produced by the thyroid gland and also produced synthetically to treat hypothyroidism.

The time to fatigue at a fixed exercise intensity or pace also known as endurance capacity.

The time taken to complete a prescribed distance or work load (or the amount of distance covered or work completed in a set amount of time); also known as performance trial.

Tocopherols are characterized by a substituted, hydroxylated ring system (chromanol ring) with a long, saturated (phytyl) side chain. Of the four tocopherols - alpha, beta, gamma and delta, only the alpha-tocopherol has biologic activity and is classified as "vitamin E".

The highest level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in the general population. As intake increases above the UL, the potential risk of adverse effects increases.

This ratio shows how high the HDL cholesterol is relative to the overall cholesterol level. The total cholesterol/HDL ratio is calculated
by dividing the total cholesterol by the HDL cholesterol.

The sum of basal energy expenditure, the thermic effect of food, physical activity level and thermoregulation.

sum of dietary fibre and functional fibre.

Refers to all time spent in front of a "flickering screen" such as television, computer, VCR/DVD player, and video games.

This is a blood test that measures the total iron binding capacity (TIBC) as an indirect measure of transferrin.

The process by which the information stored in DNA is converted into messenger RNA.

A beta globulin in blood plasma capable of combining with ferric ions and transporting iron in the body -- called also siderophilin

The process by which the information in messenger RNA directs the synthesis of proteins; this process involves messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA).

Triiodothyronine, also known as T3, is an iodine-containing thyroid hormone derived from thyroxine.

Diverticula which protrude through all layers of the gastrointestinal wall (e.g. esophageal diverticula, Meckel diverticula).

Source: Baum JA, Ching Companioni RA. Definition of Diverticular Disease. Merck Manual Professional Version. 2019 Mar. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/diverticular-disease/definition-of-diverticular-disease

An enzyme in the Leloir pathway which assists in the conversion of UDP-galactose into UDP-glucose, deficiency of this enzyme causes a type of galactosemia.

Source: Demirbas D, Coelho AI, Rubio-Gozalbo ME, Berry GT. Hereditary galactosemia. Metabolism. 2018;83:188-96.. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2018.01.025. Epub 2018/02/08. Abstract available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29409891/

Localized diverticulitis without presence of abscess, fistula, obstruction, perforation; the most common form of diverticulitis.

Source: Baum JA, Ching Companioni RA. Colonic Diverticulosis. Merck Manual Professional Version. 2019 Mar. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/diverticular-disease/colonic-diverticulitis

A scale to evaluate symptom severity that includes an evaluation of mentation, behaviour and mood; activities of daily living; motor examination; and complications of therapy.

Accompanied by rigidity and bradykinesia.

Unproven methods are procedures used in diagnosis and treatment that lack scientific credibility and have not been shown to have clinical efficacy.

A urine color chart is a tool to measure hydration status. Urine color is graded using the chart which has eight colors to assess urine color ranging from pale straw to greenish brown.

Urticaria is a skin condition, common known as hives, characterized by the development of itchy, raised white lumps surrounded by an area of red inflammation.

This is the individual's average intake over a long period of time. For most individuals, intakes vary tremendously from one day to the next, so intake of a nutrient on any one day (or three days, or seven days), will not reflect their "usual" long-term intake. Moreover, the number of days needed to accurately assess usual intake differs among nutrients, as well as among individuals.

Also known as maximal oxygen uptake or consumption. Determined during a graded exercise test (progressive intensity) and determined as the point where oxygen uptake plateaus and shows no further increases or increases only slightly with an additional workload or an increase in exercise intensity.

Validity refers to the extent to which a measure or tool accurately represents what it is supposed to. There are several types of validity: Face Validity - whether the items on the measure make sense. Convergent Validity - whether the measure correlates with other constructs. Criterion Validity - whether the measure correlates with a gold-standard measurement of a construct. E.g. Standing height would be a criteria for knee height.

Source: JAMAevidence. Glossary. American Medical Association: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; 2014. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary
Guyatt G, Rennie D. Users’ guides to the medical literature. Essentials of evidence-based clinical practice. AMA Press; 2002.
Last JM. A dictionary of epidemiology. 4th Edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2001.

In the statistical sense, reflects the spread of the distribution of usual intakes or requirements on both sides of the mean intake or requirement. When the variance of a distribution is low, the likelihood of seeing values that are far away from the mean is low; in contrast, when the variance is large, the likelihood of seeing values that are far away from the mean is high. For usual intakes and requirements, variance reflects the person-to-person variability in the group.

A condition manifested by abnormal dilation of the veins of the spermatic cord, caused by incompetent valves in the internal spermatic vein, and resulting in impaired drainage of blood into the spermatic cord veins when the patient assumes the upright position.

An eating pattern based on grains, vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts, but excludes meat, fish or fowl, dairy and eggs or products containing these foods.

An eating pattern that excludes animal and fish products.

"Results of a diagnostic test influence whether patients are assigned to intervention group (sometimes called work-up bias)."

Source: JAMA evidence. American Medical Association; 2014 Jun. Available from: http://www.jamaevidence.com/glossary.

An infant weighing 1500 grams or less.

includes vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol); also referred to as native or nutritional vitamin D.

Conversion factors for d-alpha-tocohopherol (natural vitamin E):
- IU x 0.67 = mg d-alpha-tocopherol
- mg alpha-tocopherol x 1.5 = IU
Conversion factors for dl-alpha-tocopherol (synthetic vitamin E):
- IU x 0.45 = mg dl-alpha-tocopherol
- mg dl-alpha-tocopherol x 2.2 = IU

Expulsion of the refluxed gastric contents from the mouth.

A simple anthropometric measure used to determine an approximate index of the absolute amount of abdominal fat, intra-abdominal fat mass and total body fat.

An anthropometric measure that provides and estimate of the relative accumulation of abdominal fat. It is a calculation of the waist circumference divided by hip circumference.

"That stage in a study, especially a therapeutic trial, when treatment is withdrawn so that its effects disappear and the subject’s characteristics return to their baseline state."

Source: Porta M, ed. A Dictionary of epidemiology, 6th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2014.

Weight bias is having personal negative attitudes towards and beliefs about others based on their body weight, shape and/or size.

Weight discrimination refers to individuals or groups of people being treated unfairly based on body weight, shape and/or size.

“Accept[ing] and respect[ing] the inherent diversity in body shapes and sizes, and rejecting the idealizing or pathologizing of specific weights.”

Source: Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH). The Health At Every Size® (HAES®) Approach. 2014.

An intervention that does not affect weight or does not include weight loss goals.

Source: Mensinger JL, Calogero RM, Stranges S, Tylka TL. A weight-neutral versus weight-loss approach for health promotion in women with high BMI: A randomized-controlled trial. Appetite. 2016 Oct;105:364-74.

Weight stigma is the labelling and social stereotyping of individuals based on their body weight, shape or size.

Negative thoughts and attitudes about body weight, and exposure to teasing, harassment, stigma, prejudice and discrimination based on body weight.

Sources:
Cameron E, Russell C. (Eds). The Fat Pedagogy Reader: Challenging Weight-Based Oppression Through Critical Education. Austria: Peter Lang; 2016.

Wann M. Foreword: Fat Studies: An Invitation to Revolution. In: Rothblum ED, Solovay S (Eds.) The Fat Studies Reader. New York: New York University Press; 2009.

also called Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a brain disorder involving loss of specific brain functions caused by a thiamine deficiency

Smooth, slightly elevated area on the skin, paler or redder than the surrounding area. Caused by the release of histamine, and its action on the local tissues. The area is often itchy, and the wheal may change in size and shape. Usually disappears within a few hours.

A positive response to a skin test. The wheal is a central 'blister' which is surrounded by a flat reddened area (the flare). The reaction is caused by the release of histamine and other inflammatory mediators from mast cells in the skin in response to the application of the matching (homologous) antigen (allergen) applied in the test reagent.

A continuous musical sound caused by narrowing of the lumen of a respiratory passageway. Often noted only by the use of a stethoscope, it occurs in asthma, croup, hay fever, mitral stenosis, and bronchitis. It may result from asthma, tumours, foreign body airway obstructions, bronchial spasm, pulmonary infections, emphysema and other chronic obstructive lung diseases, or pulmonary edema.

also called a pancreaticoduodenectomy, it is generally the removal of the gallbladder, common bile duct, part of the duodenum, and the head of the pancreas

Refers to memory that is used to plan and carry out behaviour.

Xerostomia is a dry mouth due to a reduced or absent saliva flow.

Source:
The Oral Cancer Foundation. Xerostomia. 2021. Available from: https://oralcancerfoundation.org/complications/xerostomia/#:~:text=Xerostomia%20is%20defined%20as%20dry,a%20wide%20variety%20of%20medications

z-scores describe how far a measurement is from the mean (average) or median; also referred to as standard deviation (SD) scores.