Synne Groufh-Jacobsen

• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne; Hope Abel, Marianne; Brantsæter, Anne Lise; Andersson, Maria; Meyer, Haakon Eduard & Henjum, Sigrun (2023). National monitoring of iodine, sodium, and vitamin d status in toddlers and women of childbearing age – results and lessons learned from a pilot study in norway. Food & Nutrition Research (FNR). ISSN 1654-6628. 67. doi: 10.29219/fnr.v67.9088. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Norway is lacking a population-based national monitoring program for iodine, sodium, and vitamin D status.Objective: The aim of this study was to pilot-test a study design for collecting biological samples from a coun-try-representative sample of 2-year-old children and their mothers and to report results for iodine, salt, and vitamin D at baseline, before initiation of salt iodization in Norway.Design: In a cross-sectional study, we recruited 2-year-old children and their mothers during the routine 2-year check-up through 38 randomly selected health clinics in 2021. Spot urine samples were analyzed for iodine, creatinine, and sodium, and dried blood spots from the mothers were analyzed for thyroglobulin (Tg) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D).Results: We aimed at including 400 mother–child pairs but recruited only 55 pairs. Major challenges were closed health clinics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of motivation of the health personnel to prioritize recruiting, missing information about non-participation, and high workload for participants. The median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was 123 (95% CI: 76, 228) μg/L in the toddlers and 83 (95% CI: 72, 99) μg/L in the mothers. The median urinary sodium concentration (UNaC) was 62 (95% CI: 37, 91) mmol/L in the toddlers and 93 (95% CI: 77, 107) mmol/L in the mothers. Of the mothers, 18% had levels of 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L (suboptimal status).Discussion and conclusion: Lessons learned from the pilot study will be used to design a national monitoring program for toddlers and women of childbearing age in Norway. The results indicate that 2-year-old children and women of childbearing age in Norway may have inadequate iodine intakes at the group level, while for vitamin D, most of the mothers had adequate status.

• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne; Larsson, Christel; Van Daele, Wim; Margerison, Claire; Mulkerrins, Isabelle & Aasland, Lale Marie [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). Food literacy and diet quality in young vegans, lacto-ovo vegetarians, pescatarians, flexitarians and omnivores. Public Health Nutrition (PHN). ISSN 1368-9800. p. 1–11. doi: 10.1017/S1368980023002124. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objective: To investigate whether food literacy competencies and diet quality vary between 16-to-24-year-olds vegans, lacto-ovo vegetarians, pescatarians, flexitarians and omnivores and to assess whether food literacy is associated with diet quality. Design: Cross-sectional study. Food literacy (general nutrition knowledge, critical nutrition literacy and food skills) and diet quality were measured using an electronic questionnaire. Setting: Southern Norway, September 2021 – March 2022. Participants: Healthy 16–24-year-olds (n 165). Results: Overall, the mean general nutrition knowledge score was moderate (48·0 out of 67·0); the lowest mean score was found in omnivores and the highest in flexitarians (45·6 v. 51·5) (P = 0·034). The mean score of critical nutrition literacy was also moderate (3·7 out of 5·0); vegans showed higher scores compared to other dietary practices (P = 0·018). No difference was observed in food skills between the different dietary practices. The overall median diet quality score was 46·0 out of 80·0, lowest in omnivores and highest in vegans (42·0 v. 56·0) (P =< 0·001). In multivariate regression analyses, general nutrition knowledge, food skills and vegan dietary practice were significantly associated with higher diet quality. Conclusions: We found moderate levels of food literacy across all dietary practices. The food literacy competencies, general nutrition knowledge and food skills were associated with higher diet quality in our sample. Omnivores showed both the lowest general nutrition knowledge level and lowest diet quality scores. In contrast, both flexitarians and vegans scored highest on general nutrition knowledge and diet quality scores, despite being one of the less restrictive and one of the strictest plant-based dietary practices, respectively.

• Henjum, Sigrun; Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne; Aakre, Inger; Gjengedal, Elin Lovise Folven; Langfjord, Mina Marthinsen & Heen, Espen Kolstad [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2023). Thyroid function and urinary concentrations of iodine, selenium, and arsenic in vegans, lacto-ovo vegetarians and pescatarians. European Journal of Nutrition. ISSN 1436-6207. 62, p. 3329–3338. doi: 10.1007/s00394-023-03218-5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Purpose Populations following a plant-based diet may be at particular risk of thyroid dysfunction due to low iodine and selenium intakes. The main purpose was to assess thyroid function and urinary concentration of iodine, selenium, and arsenic, in subjects following a vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, or pescatarian diet. Methods In Norway, a country without mandatory dietary iodine fortification, 205 adults, following vegan (n = 115), lacto-ovo vegetarian (n = 55) and pescatarian diet (n = 35) were included. Thyroglobulin (Tg), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), and serum anti-TPO (S-anti-TPO) were measured in a venous blood sample and concentrations of iodine (UIC), creatinine (UCC), selenium, and arsenic were measured from single spot urine samples. Results Subclinical hypothyroidism (TSH > 4.0 mU/L) was observed in 3% of subjects. The overall median (p25, p75) Tg was 17 (9, 30) µg/L and vegans had higher Tg compared to pescatarians. Vegans not consuming iodine-containing supplements (n = 43) had higher Tg, than supplement users (n = 72), 27 (11, 44) vs. 16 (8, 25) µg/L and higher fT4, 16 (15, 17) vs. 15 (14, 17) pmol/L, respectively. The overall median UIC was 57 (28, 130) µg/L, all dietary groups had median UIC below WHO thresholds. Median urinary selenium and arsenic concentration was 13 (6, 22) and 3 (2, 8) µg/L, respectively. Conclusion The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism was low and fT4 and fT3 were within the normal range for all dietary groups. Vegans had significantly increased Tg compared to pescatarians.

• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne & Medin, Anine Christine (2023). Food literacy competencies in youth – a mini-review. Frontiers in Public Health. ISSN 2296-2565. 11. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1185410. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Introduction: Young people’s transition into adulthood is an opportunity in the life course to establish adequate eating behaviors, hence exploring food literacy competencies in this period of life is especially important. Food literacy has recently gained increased attention in adults, adolescents, and younger children, but less is published about youth. This paper aims to summarize what tools have been used to measure food literacy and the sub-competence nutrition literacy in youth aged 16–24 years in the previous 5 years. Methods: A mini-literature review was conducted in MEDLINE and EMBASE via Ovid, in September 2022. Study eligible criteria; had to be an original article, using a tool to quantitatively assess food literacy and/or nutrition literacy, including participants between 16–24 years, full text available in English, published between 2017–2022. Results: A total of 958 articles were identified, of which 385 duplicates were removed. Thus, 573 articles were screened by title/abstract. Finally, nine articles were eligible for data extraction of which four proposed a tool to measure food literacy and five proposed a tool to measure nutrition literacy. Discussion and conclusion: Although four studies claimed to measure food literacy, none of these used tools comprehensive enough to measure all aspects of food literacy, and only one was validated in young people. This study shows that only few tools exist for the measurement of food literacy in youth, and those available are scant. Further work is needed to develop a food literacy tool for youth.

• Edvardsen Tonheim, Live; Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne; Stea, Tonje Holte & Henjum, Sigrun (2023). Consumption of meat and dairy substitute products amongst vegans, vegetarians and pescatarians. Food & Nutrition Research (FNR). ISSN 1654-6628. 67. doi: 10.29219/fnr.v67.9081. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: An increasing number of people adhere to plant-based diets, and the market for plant-based meat and dairy substitute products has been expanding rapidly. Objective: To examine total intake of macronutrients and salt in a sample of Norwegian vegans, vegetarians and pescatarians; the consumption frequency of plant-based meat and dairy substitutes and raw ingredients used in these products; and the contribution to total macronutrient and salt intake from these products. Design: A cross-sectional design using single 24-h dietary recall to assess the intake of macronutrients, salt and substitute products that the participants (n = 158 Norway residents [age 18–60 years]: vegans [n = 83]; vegetarians [n = 47]; pescatarians [n = 28]) consumed. The chi-square test with pairwise comparisons and the Kruskal-Wallis test with post hoc test were used to compare differences between diet groups. Macronutrient and salt intake were assessed relative to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR). Results: Dietary macronutrient intake fell within NNR recommendations, with a favourable distribution of fatty acids and high levels of dietary fibre. Most of the vegans (90%), vegetarians (68%) and pescatarians (64%) consumed meat or dairy substitutes. The main raw ingredient in the substitute products was soy, followed by oats and peas. Overall, substitute products contributed to 12% of total energy and 16% of total salt intake. The substitute products contributed to higher saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake amongst vegans (27% of total SFA intake) compared with vegetarians (10%) and pescatarians (8%). Moreover, substitute products contributed to higher protein intake in vegans (19%) compared with pescatarians (7%). Conclusion: Most participants consumed meat or dairy substitute products, suggesting that these products are included regularly in Norwegian plant-based diets. Furthermore, substitute products may contribute to dietary fat, SFA and protein intake amongst vegans.

• Henjum, Sigrun; Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne; H. Allen, Lindsay; Raael, Ellen; Israelsson, Anna Maria & Shahab-Ferdows, Setareh [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). Adequate vitamin B 12 and folate status of Norwegian vegans and vegetarians. British Journal of Nutrition. ISSN 0007-1145. 129(12), p. 2076–2083. doi: 10.1017/S0007114522002987. Full text in Research Archive
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne; Bugge, Annechen Bahr; Morseth, Marianne S.; Pedersen, Julia Tsuruta & Henjum, Sigrun (2022). Dietary Habits and Self-Reported Health Measures Among Norwegian Adults Adhering to Plant-Based Diets. Frontiers in Nutrition. ISSN 2296-861X. 9. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.813482. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: As plant-based diets is increasing, we aimed to investigate dietary habits, dietary motivation and self-reported health of Norwegian adults who adhere to different types of plant-based diets. Methods: In 2020, 808 subjects (530 women and 278 men) participated in an online survey, including vegans (8%), lacto-ovo vegetarians (16%), pescatarians (23%), and flexitarians (53%). Results: Half of the participants reported to consume fruits daily, three quarters consumed vegetables daily, and one quarter consumed whole grain products daily. Half of the participants reported weekly consumption of sweets and salted snacks, and 10% reported daily consumption of sugary drinks. Daily consumption of milk and dairy substitutes were reported by vegans (49%), lacto-ovo vegetarians (33%), pescatarians (32%), and flexitarians (25%). Daily consumption of meat replacement products was reported by vegans (3%), lacto-ovo vegetarians (5%), pescatarians (2%). Reported supplement use was highest among vegans (62%) and lowest among flexitarians (28%). Dietary motivations were driven by environmental (71%), health (64%), and animal welfare (49%) concerns, across all dietary groups. 75% reported their self-perceived health to be good or very good. Conclusion: We found that Norwegian adults adhering to plant-based diets consumed less fruit, vegetables, and whole grain products, together with more sugar than recommended in the Norwegian dietary guidelines. The participants reported their self-perceived health to be good or very good.

• Henjum, Sigrun; Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne; Aakre, Inger & Terragni, Laura (2021). Life-course perspectives of milk consumption among young Norwegian women and their knowledge of milk as a source of iodine: a qualitative study. Food & Nutrition Research (FNR). ISSN 1654-6628. 65. doi: 10.29219/fnr.v65.7758. Full text in Research Archive
• Bakken, Kjersti Sletten; Aarsland, Tonje Eiane; Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne; Solvik, Beate Stokke; Gjengedal, Elin Lovise Folven & Henjum, Sigrun [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Adequate urinary iodine concentration among infants in the inland area of Norway. Nutrients. ISSN 2072-6643. 13(6). doi: 10.3390/nu13061826. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Considering the importance of iodine to support optimal growth and neurological development of the brain and central nervous system, this study aimed to assess and evaluate iodine status in Norwegian infants. We collected data on dietary intake of iodine, iodine knowledge in mothers, and assessed iodine concentration in mother's breast milk and in infant's urine in a cross-sectional study at two public healthcare clinics in the inland area of Norway. In the 130 mother-infant pairs, the estimated infant 24-h median iodine intake was 50 (IQR 31, 78) µg/day. The median infant urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was 146 (IQR 93, 250) µg/L and within the recommended median defined by the World Health Organization for this age group. Weaned infants had a higher UIC [210 (IQR 130, 330) µg/L] than exclusively breastfed infants [130 (IQR 78, 210) µg/L] and partially breastfed infants [135 (IQR 89, 250) µg/L], which suggest that the dietary data obtained in this study did not capture the accurate iodine intake of the included infants. The iodine status of infants in the inland area of Norway seemed adequate. Weaned infants had higher UIC compared to breastfed infants, suggesting early access and consumption of other sources of iodine in addition to breast milk. Keywords: Norway; UIC; infants; inland area; iodine; iodine intake; knowledge; urinary iodine concentration.

• Henjum, Sigrun; Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne; Stea, Tonje Holte; Tonheim, Live Edvardsen & Almendingen, Kari (2021). Iron Status of Vegans, Vegetarians and Pescatarians in Norway. Biomolecules. ISSN 2218-273X. 11(3). doi: 10.3390/biom11030454. Full text in Research Archive
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne; Hess, Sonja; Aakre, Inger; Gjengedal, Elin Lovise Folven; Pettersen, Kristina Blandhoel & Henjum, Sigrun (2020). Vegans, Vegetarians and Pescatarians Are at Risk of Iodine Deficiency in Norway. Nutrients. ISSN 2072-6643. 12(11). doi: 10.3390/nu12113555. Full text in Research Archive
• Bakken, Kjersti Sletten; Oma, Ingvild; Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne; Solvik, Beate Stokke; Mosand, Lise Mette & Langfjord, Mina Marthinsen [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2020). The Reliability of Iodine Concentration in Diaper-Retrieved Infant Urine Using Urine Collection Pads, and in Their Mothers' Breastmilk. Biomolecules. ISSN 2218-273X. 10(2). doi: 10.3390/biom10020295. Show summary

  Mild to moderate iodine deficiency is common among women of childbearing age. Data on iodine status in infants are sparse, partly due to the challenges in collecting urine. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) is considered a good marker for recent dietary iodine intake and status in populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of iodine concentration measured in two spot-samples from the same day of diaper-retrieved infant urine and in their mothers’ breastmilk. We collected urine and breastmilk from a sample of 27 infants and 25 mothers participating in a cross-sectional study at two public healthcare clinics in Norway. The reliability of iodine concentration was assessed by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and the coefficient of variation (CV). The ICC for infants’ urine was 0.64 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36–0.82), while the ICC for breastmilk was 0.83 (95% CI 0.65–0.92) Similarly, the intraindividual CV for UIC was 0.25 and 0.14 for breastmilk iodine concentration (BIC). Compared to standard methods of collecting urine for measuring iodine concentration, the diaper-pad collection method does not substantially affect the reliability of the measurements.

• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne; Mosand, Lise Mette; Oma, Ingvild; Bakken, Kjersti Sletten; Solvik, Beate Stokke & Gjengedal, Elin Lovise Folven [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2020). Mild to Moderate Iodine Deficiency and Inadequate Iodine Intake in Lactating Women in the Inland Area of Norway. Nutrients. ISSN 2072-6643. 12(3). doi: 10.3390/nu12030630. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Breastfed infants are dependent on an adequate supply of iodine in human milk for the production of thyroid hormones, necessary for development of the brain. Despite the importance of iodine for infant health, data on Norwegian lactating women are scarce. We measured iodine intake and evaluated iodine status and iodine knowledge among lactating women. From October to December 2018, 133 mother–infant pairs were recruited in a cross-sectional study through two public health care centers in Lillehammer and Gjøvik. Each of the women provided two human milk specimens, which were pooled, and one urine sample for analysis of iodine concentration. We used 24-h dietary recall and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to estimate short-term and habitual iodine intake from food and supplements. The median (P25, P75) human milk iodine concentration (HMIC) was 71 (45, 127) µg/L—of which, 66% had HMIC <100 µg/L. The median (P25, P75) urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was 80 µg/L (52, 141). The mean (± SD) 24-h iodine intake and habitual intake was 78 ± 79 µg/day and 75 ± 73 µg/day, respectively. In conclusion, this study confirms inadequate iodine intake and insufficient iodine status among lactating women in the inland area of Norway and medium knowledge awareness about iodine.

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• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2023). Unge kan ikke nok om sunt kosthold. [Radio]. Sørlandssendinga.
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2023). Young people lack knowledge about what food contains, and meat eaters know the least. [Internet]. https://partner.sciencenorway.no/adolescents-food-and-nutrit.
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2023). Study explores the knowledge and eating habits of young people with various plant-based diets. [Internet]. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20231212/Study-explores-th.
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2023). Unge vet ikke nok om sunn mat. [Internet]. https://www.uia.no/nyheter/unge-vet-ikke-nok-om-sunn-mat.
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2023). Unge forstår ikke hva maten inneholder, og kjøttspisere kan minst. [Internet]. forskning.no.
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2023). Unge kan for lite om sunt kosthold. [Internet]. NRK. Show summary

  Ny forskning viser at unge nordmenn har for lite kunnskap om sunt kosthold. Mange sliter med å lese næringsinnhold, forstå merkeordninger og ta gode valg i butikken. Unge får mye informasjon om kosthold fra forskjellige kilder, noe som kan skape forvirring. Forskningen viser at de som vet mest har best kosthold. Unge som ikke har kuttet ut store matvaregrupper, har minst kunnskap og dårligst kvalitet på maten.

• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2023). Unge kan for lite om sunt kosthold. [TV]. NRK, Helgemorgen.
• Valand, Ida Ulrikke & Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2023). Skills for life-podden, episode 6: VeggiSkills og vegetarmat. [Internet]. Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts. Show summary

  Doktorgradsstipendiat Synne Groufh-Jacobsen forteller om VeggiSkills-prosjektet samt fordeler og ulemper med å spise plantebasert!

• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne; Larsson, Christel; Margerison, Claire; Mulkerrins, Isabelle; Aune, Dagfinn & Medin, Anine Christine (2023). Dietary intake and status of B12, iron and iodine in young vegans, lacto-ovo vegetarians, pescatarians, flexitarians and omnivores.
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2023). Bærekraftig plantebasert kosthold blant unge.
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2023). Kor sunt er eigentleg vegetarisk «kjøt»? [Newspaper]. nationen.no. Show summary

  Nationen spurt eit par ekspertar om å samanlikne eit knippe kjøtprodukt og deira vegetariske erstatningar. "Synne Groufh-Jacobsen, doktorgradsstipendiat i ernæring hjå Universitetet i Agder, er ikkje like krass som Svihus. Ho er først og fremst klar på at det ikkje er nok dokumentasjon til å seie noko om helseeffekten av å velje plantebaserte burgarar eller pølser, framfor kjøtprodukt." "Groufh-Jacobsen summerer opp med å presisere at det er ønskeleg at vi et mindre kjøt, men også viktig å lese næringsdeklarasjonen, då innhaldet i dei ulike vegetar alternativa varierer svært mykje."

• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2022). Derfor forsker hun på unge vegetarianere i Agder. [Newspaper]. Fædrelandsvennen.
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2022). The 5th Nordic Iodine seminar. Show summary

  Groufh-Jacobsen presented about iodine and plant-based diets and presented her ongoing PhD-project.

• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2022). Nytt innen ernæringsforskning - NTFE-konferansen 2022. Show summary

  Holdt et kort innsalg innen nytt innen ernæringsforskning.

• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2022). Vegetarianarar et ikkje nok frukt. [Internet]. forskning.no.
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2022). Ny studie: Vegetarianere spiser ikke nok frukt og grønt. [Internet]. NRK.no.
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2022). Vegetarianere spiser ikke nok frukt og grønt. [Radio]. P4.
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2022). Ny studie: Vegetarianere spiser ikke nok frukt og grønt . [Radio]. NRKP1 Sørlandet.
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2022). Norsk forsker: Vegetarianere spiser for lite frukt og grønt. [Internet]. Nettavisen.
• Groufh-Jacobsen, Synne (2022). Vegetarianarar et ikkje nok frukt og grønt. [Internet]. Nyheter fra Universitetet i Agder.

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