Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
Date Submitted: Mar 11, 2021
Open Peer Review Period: Mar 11, 2021 - Mar 28, 2021
Date Accepted: Apr 9, 2021
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Dietary structure and nutritional status of Chinese beekeepers
ABSTRACT
Purpose: By comparing the health status of apiculturists (beekeepers) and vegetable farmers in plain areas of Hubei Province, and analyzing the influence of dietary structure and intake on their nutritional level, this paper provides a scientific theoretical basis for the further development of health education and disease prevention for beekeepers. Method: A total of 191 beekeepers (81% of the total beekeepers) with large scale breeding (300-500 colonies) and 182 vegetable farmers in the same area were sampled by cluster sampling method. Nutrient composition was analyzed by human body composition analyzer, dietary frequency query method was used to collect dietary structure information, and cognitive function was investigated and blood samples were collected.
Results:
362 valid questionnaires (beekeepers/vegetable farmers:185/177) were collected, with an effective response rate of 97.1%. Both the beekeepers and the vegetable farmers were overweight, and the bee-farmers' grip strength was much stronger than that of the vegetable farmers regardless of gender. The dietary structure of beekeepers is very special:(1) 29.7% of beekeepers insist on eating royal jelly regularly for more than 10 years; (2) the main food is grain, cereals and fresh vegetables, among which 68.1% of the farmers never drink milk and other dairy products, and the nutrient intake is unbalanced; The average intake of cellulose in this group was also significantly higher than that in the epidemiological survey of the same sex and age group. The intake of vitamin A and selenium in beekeepers group was significantly higher than that in vegetable-farmers group (all P <0.05). (3) The blood indexes of creatinine, uric acid and blood copper in beekeepers group were significantly higher than those in vegetable-farmers group, and the total protein, albumin, calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, folic acid and vitamin B12 in beekeepers group were significantly lower than those in vegetable-farmers group. (4) The total Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) score of the beekeepers group was 28.1, significantly higher than that of the vegetable-farmers group (23.3). Conclusion: The beekeepers in this area have their special dietary structure, body nutrient level and disease characteristics. The cognitive level of the beekeepers who regularly eat royal jelly is significantly higher than that of their peers. The chronic diseases of this special occupational group are closely related to their life style and nutritional status, so more attention and in-depth study are needed to improve the quality of life of this group.
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