The study’s objective was to investigate multiple underlying social, economic, and agricultural determinants of stunting among under-five children in three distinct ecological areas in rural Myanmar.

Repeated cross-sectional surveys in three states of Myanmar.

Rural households in Chin (mountainous), Magway (plains) and Ayeyarwady (delta).

From two purposively selected adjacent townships in each state, we randomly selected 20 villages and, in each village, 30 households with under-five children. Households in the first survey in 2016 were revisited in late 2017 to capture seasonal variations.

Stunting increased from 40.4 % to 42.0 %, with the highest stunting prevalence in Chin state (62.4%). Univariate Poisson regression showed factors contributing to child stunting varied across the regions. Adjusted Poisson regression models showed that child’s age and short maternal stature (aRR=1.14 for Chin, aRR=1.89 for Magway and aRR=1.86 for Ayeyarwady) were consistently associated with child stunting across three areas. For Chin, village-level indicators such as crop consumption (aRR=1.18), crop diversity (aRR=0.82) and land ownership (aRR=0.89) were significantly associated with stunting. In Magway, the number of household members (aRR=1.92), wealth status (aRR=0.46), food security status (aRR=1.14), land ownership (aRR=0.85), and in Ayeyarwady, women’s decision-making (aRR=0.67) and indicators related to hygiene (aRR=1.13) and sanitation (aRR=1.45) were associated with stunting.

Area-specific factors were associated with stunting. Maternal short stature and child age were consistent determinants of stunting. A multi-sectoral local approach, including improvements in transport, is needed to address the intergenerational malnutrition problem.

To examine the association between language use – predominantly English, English and Spanish equally, and predominantly Spanish – and food insecurity among Hispanic adults residing in the United States, 1999-2018.

Pooled cross-sectional study design.

United States.

15,073 Hispanic adults.

Compared to Hispanic adults who predominantly spoke English and after adjusting for age, sex, family income-to-poverty ratio, education level, and employment status, Hispanic adults who spoke English and Spanish equally (OR=1.28, 95%CI=1.05-1.56) or predominantly Spanish (OR=1.25, 95%CI=1.04-1.49) had higher odds of food insecurity. After stratifying by country of birth, language use was associated with higher odds of food insecurity only for Hispanic adults born outside of the United States, but not for Hispanic adults born in the United States. Hispanic adults born outside of the United States who spoke English and Spanish equally (OR=1.27, 95%CI=1.04-1.55) or spoke predominantly Spanish (OR=1.24, 95%CI=1.04-1.48) had higher odds of food insecurity when compared to those who predominantly spoke English.

Foreign-born Hispanic adults who speak predominantly Spanish, or English and Spanish equally, have higher odds of food insecurity. Food and nutrition assistance programs that serve Hispanic immigrants should make sure to provide linguistically- and culturally appropriate services to this population.

Dietary patterns express the combination and variety of foods in the diet. The Partial Least Squares (PLS) method allows extracting dietary patterns related to a specific health outcome. Few studies have evaluated obesity-related dietary patterns associated with telomeres length. This study aims to identify dietary patterns explaining obesity markers and to assess their association with leucocyte telomere length (LTL), a biological marker of the aging process.

Cross-sectional study.

University campuses in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

478 participants of a civil servants’ cohort study with data on food consumption, obesity measurements (total body fat, visceral fat, BMI, leptin, adiponectin), and blood samples.

Three dietary patterns were extracted: (1) fast food and meat; (2) healthy; and (3) traditional pattern, which included rice and beans, the staple foods most consumed in Brazil. All three dietary patterns explained 23.2% of food consumption variation and 10.7% of the obesity-related variables. The fast food and meat pattern was the first factor extracted, explaining 11-13% variation of the obesity-related response variables (BMI, total body fat and visceral fat), leptin and adiponectin showed the lowest percentage (4.5-0.1%). The healthy pattern mostly explained leptin and adiponectin variations (10.7 and 3.3%, respectively). The traditional pattern was associated with LTL (β= 0.0117; 95% CI 0.0001 - 0.0233) after adjustment for the other patterns, age, sex, exercise practice, income, and energy intake.

Leucocyte telomere length was longer among participants eating a traditional dietary pattern that combines fruit, vegetables, and beans.

To map the scientific research on food environments in Brazil, based on the following questions: How many studies have addressed food environments?; What study designs and methodological approaches were applied?; What is the geographic scope of the studies?; What scenarios and dimensions of food environments were studied?; Which population groups were studied?; How were food environments conceptualized?; What are the main limitations of the studies?

Scoping review conducted in four databases, from January 2005 up to December 2022, using different food environment-related terms to cover the main types and dimensions proposed in the literature. The studies were independently selected by two authors. A narrative synthesis was used to summarize the findings.

Brazil.

130 articles.

Scientific research on Brazilian food environments has been increasing. The analytical quantitative approach and the cross-sectional design were the most frequently used. Most articles were published in English. The majority of studies evaluated the community food environment, addressed aspects of the physical dimension, sampled the adult population, had food consumption as an outcome, used primary data, and were carried out in capital cities in the Southeast region. Furthermore, in most articles, no conceptual model was explicitly adopted.

Gaps in literature are related to the need for conducting studies in the Brazilian countryside, the support for the formulation of research questions based on conceptual models, the use of valid and reliable instruments to collect primary data, in addition to the need for a greater number of longitudinal, intervention and qualitative studies.

To describe the time trends and socioeconomic inequalities in infant and young child feeding practices in accordance with the Brazilian deprivation index (BDI).

This time-series study analysed the prevalence of multiple breastfeeding and complementary feeding indicators based on data from the Brazilian Food and Nutrition Surveillance System, 2008–2019. Prais-Winsten regression models were used to analyse time trends. Annual percent change (APC) and 95% Confidence Intervals were calculated.

Primary health care services, Brazil.

911,735 Brazilian children under two years old.

Breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices differed between the extreme BDI quintiles. Overall, the results were more favourable in the municipalities with less deprivation (Q1). Improvements in some complementary feeding indicators were observed over time and evidenced such disparities: minimum dietary diversity (Q1: Δ 47.8% - 52.2%, APC +1.44, p=0.006), minimum acceptable diet (Q1: Δ 34.5% - 40.5%, APC +5.17, p=0.004), and consumption of meat and/or eggs (Q1: Δ 59.7% - 80.3%, APC +6.26, p<0.001; and Q5: Δ 65.7% - 70.7%, APC +2.20, p=0.041). Stable trends in exclusive breastfeeding and decreasing trends in the consumption of sweetened drinks and ultra-processed foods were also observed regardless the level of the deprivation.

Improvements in some complementary food indicators were observed over time. However, the improvements were not equally distributed among the BDI quintiles, with children from the municipalities with less deprivation benefiting the most.

To evaluate the relationships of fiber intake with subsequent body mass index SD-score, waist-to-height ratio, and serum fasting glucose levels among school-age Japanese children.

A prospective study of school-age Japanese children. Participants were followed from 6–7 to 9–10 years of age (follow-up rate: 92.0%). Fiber intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Serum fasting glucose was measured by a hexokinase enzymatic method. Using a general linear model, the associations between dietary fiber intake at baseline and body mass index SD-score, waist-to-height ratio, and serum levels of fasting glucose at follow-up were evaluated after considering potential confounding factors.

Public elementary schools in a city in Japan

A total of 2,784 students.

The estimated means for fasting glucose at 9–10 years of age were 86.45, 85.68, 85.88, and 85.58 mg/dl in the lowest, second, third, and highest quartile of fiber intake at 6–7 years of age, respectively (p= 0.033, trend p= 0.018). Higher fiber intake at 6–7 years of age was associated with lower waist-to-height ratio at 9–10 years of age (trend p= 0.023). The change in fiber intake was inversely associated with concurrent change of body mass index SD-score (trend p= 0.044).

These results suggest that dietary fiber intake may be potentially effective to limit excess weight gain and lower glucose levels during childhood.

Our objectives were to describe sociodemographic characteristics associated with the purchase of 1) any fruit drinks and 2) fruit drinks with specific front of package (FOP) nutrition claims.

Cross-sectional

United States

We merged fruit drink purchasing data from 60,712 household-months from 5,233 households with children 0-5y participating in Nielsen Homescan in 2017 with nutrition claims data. We examined differences in predicted probabilities of purchasing any fruit drinks by race/ethnicity, income, and education. We constructed inverse probability (IP) weights based on likelihood of purchasing any fruit drinks. We used IP weighted multivariable logistic regression models to examine predicted probabilities of purchasing fruit drinks with specific FOP claims.

One third of households with young children purchased any fruit drinks. Non-Hispanic (NH) Black (51.6%), Hispanic (36.3%), lower-income (39.3%), and lower-educated households (40.9%), were more likely to purchase any fruit drinks than NH White (31.3%), higher-income (25.8%), and higher-educated households (30.3%) (all p<0.001). In IP weighted analyses, NH Black households were more likely to purchase fruit drinks with “Natural” and fruit or fruit flavor claims (6.8% and 3.7%) than NH White households (4.5% and 2.7%) (both p<0.01). Lower- and middle-income (15.0% and 13.8%) and lower- and middle-educated households (15.4% and 14.5%) were more likely to purchase fruit drinks with “100% Vitamin C” claims than higher-income (10.8%) and higher-educated households (12.9%) (all p<0.025).

We found a higher likelihood of fruit drink purchases in lower-income, lower-educated, NH Black, and Hispanic households. Experimental studies should determine if nutrition claims may be contributing to disparities in fruit drink consumption.

The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a five-week text-message-based IE intervention on IE, while correcting for perceived stress (PS) and self-compassion (SC).

A randomized control trial.

Online, in Lebanon.

Adults (n=195) were randomized into one of three groups: the active IE group receiving IE-related messages with a practice exercise, the passive IE group receiving only IE-related messages and the control group receiving general health-related tips. Ten messages were delivered over five weeks. Two follow-ups were made: directly post-intervention and five weeks later. Baseline data and follow-ups included demographics, nutrition-related variables and measures of IE, SC and PS.

Results indicated improvements in IE scores in the two intervention groups (p=0.05), with the passive IE group showing the most improvement. Also, a significant improvement in SC (Λ= 0.88, F (2, 63)=4.40, p=0.01), and reduction in PS (Λ= 0.86, F (2, 63)=5.21, p=0.008) were observed in the active IE group.

Text-messaging interventions might be efficient in enhancing IE. Results shed light on the need for further large-scale interventions that use visual aids and provide practical guidance to teach IE, while further characterizing the relation between IE, SC and stress.

To support school foods programs by evaluating the relationship between nutritional quality, cost, student consumption, and the environmental impacts of menus.

Using linear programing and data from previously served menu items, the relationships between the nutritional quality, cost, student consumption, and the environmental impacts of lunch menus were investigated. Optimized lunch menus with the maximum potential student consumption and nutritional quality and lowest costs and environmental impacts were developed and compared to previously served menus (baseline).

Boston Public Schools, Boston Massachusetts, United States of America.

Menu items served on the 2018-2019 Boston Public School lunch menu (n=142).

Using single-objective models, tradeoffs were observed between most interests, but the use of multi-objective models minimized these tradeoffs. Compared to the current weekly menus offered, multi-objective models increased potential caloric intake by up to 27% and healthy eating index scores by up to 19%, and reduced costs and environmental impacts by up to 13% and 71%, respectively. Improvements were made by reducing the frequency of beef and cheese entrées and increasing the frequency of fish and legume entrées on weekly menus.

This work can be extrapolated to monthly menus to provide further direction for school districts, and the methods can be employed with different recipes and constraints. Future research should test the implementation of optimized menus in schools and consider the broader implications of implementation.

To measure incidence of conflicts of interest (COI) with food and pharmaceutical industry actors on the advisory committee for the 2020- 2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) and assess the adequacy of current mechanisms to disclose and manage COI among the committee’s members.

We compiled longitudinal data from archival sources on connections between members of the DGA’s advisory committee and actors. We hypothesed that these committee members, who oversee the science for the most influential dietary policy in the U.S, might have significant COI that would be relevant to their decision making. Disclosure of COI on this committee was recommended in 2017 by the National Academies of Sciences in order to increase transparency and manage bias, but public disclosure of the committee’s COI does not appear to have taken place.

the committee was comprised of 20 experts.

None.

Our analysis found that 95% of the committee members had COI with the food, and/or pharmaceutical industries and that particular actors, including Kellogg, Abbott, Kraft, Mead Johnson, General Mills, Dannon, and the International Life Sciences had connections with multiple members. Research funding and membership of an advisory/executive board jointly accounted for more than 60% of the total number of COI documented.

Trustworthy dietary guidelines result from a transparent, objective, and science-based, process. Our analysis has shown that the significant and widespread COI on the committee prevent the DGA from achieving the recommended standard for transparency without mechanisms in place to make this information publicly available.