Predictors and consequences of childhood anaemia in settings with high HIV prevalence are not well known. The aims of the present study were to identify maternal and child predictors of anaemia among children born to HIV-infected women and to study the association between childhood anaemia and mortality.

Prospective cohort study. Maternal characteristics during pregnancy and Hb measurements at 3-month intervals from birth were available for children. Information was also collected on malaria and HIV infection in the children, who were followed up for survival status until 24 months after birth.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The study sample consisted of 829 children born to HIV-positive women.

Advanced maternal clinical HIV disease (relative risk (RR) for stage ≥2 v. stage 1: 1·31, 95 % CI 1·14, 1·51) and low CD4 cell counts during pregnancy (RR for <350 cells/mm3v. ≥350 cells/mm3: 1·58, 95 % CI 1·05, 2·37) were associated with increased risk of anaemia among children. Birth weight <2500 g, preterm birth (<34 weeks), malaria parasitaemia and HIV infection in the children also increased the risk of anaemia. Fe-deficiency anaemia in children was an independent predictor of mortality in the first two years of life (hazard ratio 1·99, 95 % CI 1·06, 3·72).

Comprehensive care including highly active antiretroviral therapy to eligible HIV-infected women during pregnancy could reduce the burden of anaemia in children. Programmes for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and antimalarial treatment to children could improve child survival in settings with high HIV prevalence.

To describe the results of a nutritional intervention programme among Japanese-Brazilians according to gender.

A non-controlled experimental study.

The research included three points of clinical, nutritional and physical activity evaluation: at baseline (in 2005), after the first year and at the end of the second year (in 2007). The paired Student t test and multiple linear regression analysis were used to evaluate changes in the subjects’ profile (clinical, nutritional and physical activity variables).

Japanese-Brazilians (n 575) of both genders, aged over 30 years.

We verified statistically significant reductions in body weight (0·9 kg), waist circumference (2·9 cm), blood pressure, fasting blood glucose (>3 mg/dl) and total cholesterol (>20 mg/dl) and its fractions, in both genders. We also found reductions in intake of energy (among men), protein (among women) and fat (both genders) and increases in intake of total fibre (among women) and carbohydrate (among men).

The intervention programme indicated meaningful benefits for the intervention subjects, with changes in their habits that led to a ‘healthier’ lifestyle positively impacting their nutritional and metabolic profile.

To investigate the efficacy of biscuits fortified with different doses of vitamin A on improving vitamin A deficiency (VAD), anaemia and physical growth of pre-school children.

A randomised double-masked population-based field interventional trial with a positive control group.

Banan district of Chongqing, China.

A total of 580 pre-school children aged 3–6 years were randomly recruited into four groups. Children in groups I and II were given biscuits fortified with vitamin A at 30 % of the recommended daily intake (RDA) and 100 % of the RDA once a day for 9 and 3 months, respectively. Children in group III received biscuits containing 20 000 IU of vitamin A once a week for 3 months. Initially, the children in group IV received a 200 000 IU vitamin A capsule just once. At the beginning and end of the study, blood samples were collected to measure Hb, serum retinol, retinol-binding protein and prealbumin, and weight and height were measured.

All the fortification types significantly decreased the prevalence of VAD and anaemia in each group (P < 0·05). The effect of 9-month intervention on group I was the most efficient (P < 0·0045). After intervention, the Z-scores of height-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-height in all groups increased markedly compared with baseline (P < 0·05), but no significant difference was observed among the groups.

Data indicated that consuming vitamin A-fortified biscuits with daily 100 % RDA for 3 months has the same effect on the improvement of VAD, anaemia and physical growth as did the weekly 20 000 IU and single 200 000 IU administration in pre-school children.

Television, Internet and print media are saturated with advertisements for unhealthy food that use marketing tactics aimed to build long-term brand loyalty and ‘relationships’ with children. While research in this area has largely focused on television, the current study examines children’s responses to relationship-building marketing communications found in popular children’s magazines.

A qualitative study consisting of friendship-pair interviews in which children were interviewed and asked to comment on a range of recent food advertisements.

A university-based after-school care programme in New South Wales, Australia.

Ten children aged 6–13 years, interviewed in self-selected friendship pairs.

The children reported being attracted to the advertisements because of specific elements of the marketing strategies utilised. Some children were able to recognise the persuasive intent of the media, whereas others did not even identify the pages as advertisements.

It was clear from the children’s responses that these types of relationship-building marketing communications influence children’s attitudes towards branded food products and their views on the nutritional value and social meanings of food.

To assess the effect of an improved local ingredient-based gruel fortified or not with selected multiple micronutrients (MM) on Hb concentration of young children.

In a nutrition centre that we opened in their villages, children received either MM supplement (containing iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C and iodine) with the improved gruel (MMGG) or the improved gruel only (GG), twice daily, 6 d/week, for 6 months. We assessed baseline and endpoint Hb concentration and anthropometric indices.

Kongoussi, a rural and poor district of Burkina Faso.

In a community-based trial, we randomly assigned 131 children aged 6–23 months with Hb concentrations in the range of 80–109 g/l into two groups.

The groups did not differ significantly at baseline. Mean baseline Hb concentration was 89·2 (sd 6·5) g/l and 90·3 (sd 8·4) g/l in the GG and the MMGG, respectively (P = 0·42). It increased to 104·1 (sd 11·4) g/l in the GG (P < 0·001) and 107·6 (sd 14·7) g/l in the MMGG (P < 0·001). The between-group difference of 3·5 (95 % CI −1·0, 8·1) g/l in mean (sd) endpoint Hb concentration was not significant (P = 0·13). The endpoint anthropometric indices were not different between the groups.

This MM supplement had no additional effect on Hb concentration. Thorough studies are needed to evaluate the actual efficacy of the gruel before its introduction into household routine.

To investigate whether the socio-economic status (SES) of elderly eastern Mediterranean islanders is associated with their dietary habits, particularly with adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet.

Cross-sectional.

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was measured by the MedDietScore (range: 0–55), whereas SES was estimated using education and financial status.

During 2005–2007, 300 men and women from Cyprus, 100 from Samothraki, 142 from Mitilini, 114 from Kefalonia, 131 from Crete, 150 from Lemnos, 150 from Corfu and 103 from Zakynthos (aged 65–100 years), free of known chronic diseases, participated in the survey.

Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that belonging to the highest SES was associated with a higher MedDietScore (P < 0·01), after adjusting for potential sociodemographic, lifestyle, dietary and clinical confounders. A significant positive association was also found between MedDietScore and years of school (P = 0·004), as well as financial status (P = 0·001).

Older Greek people of higher SES seem to follow a relatively healthier diet. Both education and income seem to play a role in this issue. Thus, public health policy makers should focus on people with low SES in order to improve their quality of diet and, consequently, their health status.

To investigate the impact of school garden-enhanced nutrition education (NE) on children’s fruit and vegetable consumption, vegetable preferences, fruit and vegetable knowledge and quality of school life.

Quasi-experimental 10-week intervention with nutrition education and garden (NE&G), NE only and control groups. Fruit and vegetable knowledge, vegetable preferences (willingness to taste and taste ratings), fruit and vegetable consumption (24 h recall × 2) and quality of school life (QoSL) were measured at baseline and 4-month follow-up.

Two primary schools in the Hunter Region, New South Wales, Australia.

A total of 127 students in Grades 5 and 6 (11–12 years old; 54 % boys).

Relative to controls, significant between-group differences were found for NE&G and NE students for overall willingness to taste vegetables (P < 0·001) and overall taste ratings of vegetables (P < 0·001). A treatment effect was found for the NE&G group for: ability to identify vegetables (P < 0·001); willingness to taste capsicum (P = 0·04), broccoli (P = 0·01), tomato (P < 0·001) and pea (P = 0·02); and student preference to eat broccoli (P < 0·001) and pea (P < 0·001) as a snack. No group-by-time differences were found for vegetable intake (P = 0·22), fruit intake (P = 0·23) or QoSL (P = 0·98).

School gardens can impact positively on primary-school students’ willingness to taste vegetables and their vegetable taste ratings, but given the complexity of dietary behaviour change, more comprehensive strategies are required to increase vegetable intake.

To determine factors which predict non-completion of group non-dieting interventions for overweight women, and to investigate whether completion improves outcomes.

First, baseline predictors of non-completion were identified; then changes at 10 weeks and 12 months were compared between completers and non-completers of 10-week non-dieting interventions.

General community.

Participants were 119 women (aged 25–65 years, BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2) with at least one cardiovascular risk factor. Participants who attended at least eight of the ten sessions were classified as completers, and non-completers were those who attended fewer than eight sessions. Measures included BMI, blood pressure, psychological distress, lifestyle behaviours and eating self-efficacy.

Logistic regression analyses indicated that women were less likely to be non-completers at non-dieting group programmes if, at baseline, they were more highly educated or had healthier nutrition behaviours (controlling for education). Only healthier nutrition behaviour was negatively associated with non-completion in the final model. Twelve months after the intervention, completers showed significantly greater improvements in body weight (mean change −0·53 kg), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (−6·3 and −4·1 mmHg, respectively), stress management behaviour score (+0·5) and psychotic symptoms score (−0·1) than non-completers (all P < 0·05).

Highly educated women already engaging in some healthier lifestyle choices were less likely to be non-completers in non-dieting group programmes. Since important treatment outcomes vary according to attendance, future trials of non-dieting interventions should report the effects of completion on outcomes.

Insulin sensitivity could determine the effectiveness of weight-loss diets with different protein:carbohydrate ratios. Our aim was to evaluate whether or not energy-restricted diets with different protein:carbohydrate ratios in obese individuals with (IR) or without (IS) insulin resistance could lead to differences in weight loss or insulin sensitivity.

Prospective, randomized, clinical intervention study. Thirty-six obese patients, allocated to the IR or IS group after a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test and calculation of the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA) index, were assigned to follow an energy-restricted diet with either 40 % carbohydrate/30 % protein/30 % fat (diet A) or 55 % carbohydrate/15 % protein/30 % fat (diet B) and followed up to 16 weeks.

Twenty-one IR and fifteen IS patients were randomized to diet A or B. After 16 weeks, there was no difference in weight loss between diets A and B in each group. Glucose and insulin levels and HOMA were significantly reduced at 16 weeks, but no differences related to the type of diet were detected either in the IR or the IS group.

Varying the macronutrient composition of a hypoenergetic diet, regarding the percentage protein:carbohydrate ratio, did not produce different weight loss or result in an improvement in insulin sensitivity in people with or without insulin resistance.

To assess the prevalence of enlarged thyroid volume (Tvol) in Saharawi refugee children, and their urinary iodine concentration (UIC), and to identify possible sources of excess iodine intake.

A cross-sectional survey was performed during January–February 2007. Tvol was measured by ultrasound and iodine concentration was analysed in casual urine samples, in household drinking water and in milk samples from household livestock.

The study was undertaken in four refugee camps in the Algerian desert.

The subjects were 421 Saharawi children, 6–14 years old.

Enlarged Tvol was found in 56 % (Tvol-for-age) and 86 % (Tvol-for-body-surface-area) of the children. The median (25th percentile–75th percentile, P25–P75) UIC was 565 (357–887) μg/l. The median (P25–P75) iodine concentration in household drinking water was 108 (77–297) μg/l. None of the children had UIC below 100 μg/l, 16 % had UIC between 100 and 299 μg/l, and 84 % had UIC above 300 μg/l. There was a positive association between Tvol and whether the household possessed livestock.

The children are suffering from endemic goitre and high UIC caused probably by an excessive intake of iodine. The excessive iodine intakes probably originate from drinking water and milk.