ISSN: 2155-9600
+32 25889658
Jose Rodriguez Gomez
University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nutr Food Sci
Introduction: Different specialists point out that modern diet could be changing deeply the architecture and
functioning of our brain, which can influence the behavior of subjects. In Puerto Rico, due to inadequate nutritional
intake, persons may have inadequate behavior, especially, those people who are nutritional deprived, thus, personality
development can be altered, translated into an inability to recognize social regulation and be classified as deviants,
with the usual negative implications of marginalization and criminality that can arise.
Method: We explore, main diagnostics, in two leading hospitalized patients psychiatric units of community-based
hospitals in Puerto Rico, via secondary data analyses of the last year, to identify most prevalent mental health
disorders and if they are related to nutritional patterns limitations.
Results: Major diagnoses of admissions to psychiatric units of community-based corresponding to affective mood
disorders with a 53% (95% CI=41-72) and mental disorders, due to substances psychoactive abuse 19% (95% CI=11-
32). Dietary restrictions are correlated inversely and significantly (high-moderate correlation according to Champion
(1981) r=-.56 (p<.05) with both main diagnoses.
Discussion: Limitations of nutritional intake reinforce an improper capacity of adequate access to a balanced diet in
patients, factor that influence patient recovery of their conditions.
Conclusions: It is necessary to strength educational, public health trainings and to promote balanced diets in mental
health hospital patientâ??s and professionals, in order to ensure a better recovery and diminished co-morbidities and
mortality indexes.
Jose Rodríguez Gomez, Doctor in Medicine, Gerontologist and Epidemiologist, is current Director of the Department of General Social Sciences at the Social Sciences Faculty of the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. He has Fellow status at the American College of Nutrition and is a Certify Nutrition Specialist, in USA. He has published over 115 peer-review academic articles in well know national and international journals. He has been in multiple editorial boards, research panels and governmental agencies as Consultant.
E-mail: jose.rodriguez15@upr.edu