World Nutrition

Introduction to World Nutrition’s first issue for 2025: Advancing Public Health Nutrition Through Research, Policy, and Advocacy

Ted Greiner — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Sex differences in child stunting in sub-Saharan Africa: A meta-analysis of twenty countries from 2010 to 2016

Bernard Dembele — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Globally, the prevalence of child stunting is almost the same for both sexes. However, in developing countries, boys are more likely to be shorter than the norm for their age and sex. In sub-Saharan Africa, there is a need to understand this widespread phenomenon in order to help reduce the high prevalence and low decreasing level of stunting observed, in comparison to other parts of the world. In this perspective, we used pooled data from the demographic and health surveys conducted in twenty sub-Saharan countries. On the basis of 134,814 children under the age of five years with a valid anthropometric index constituted, the prevalence of child stunting obtained is 33.4%, with 35.4% (CI=[34.7%; 36.1%]) for boys and 31.3% (CI=[30.6%; 32.0%]) for girls; the largest gender gaps are found in the Great Lakes countries (Rwanda (8.1 points) and Burundi (8.9 points)). It appears that the gender gap in stunting in sub-Saharan Africa is more related to the size of the child at birth, the number of siblings, the birth assistance and wasting. Intensified action on these modifiable factors could help to reduce the observed gender differences and ultimately improve the overall nutritional status of children.

Nutritional knowledge and practices among residents in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria

Nasir Sirajo Sadi, Abdullahi Muhammad Umar, Amina Shehu — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Poor nutrition knowledge and unhealthy dietary practices contribute to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases in many low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria. This study aimed to assess the nutritional knowledge and practices of residents in Kano Metropolis, a rapidly urbanizing region in northern Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 participants (186 males, 234 females), aged 15–70 years. A validated FAO-UN questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic variables and nutrition-related knowledge and practices. Data were analyzed using STATA v24.0, employing Chi-square tests to assess associations. Female participants exhibited higher levels of nutritional knowledge and healthier dietary practices than males (p < 0.05). This may be attributed to education exposure, particularly nutrition-related subjects in secondary schools. Participants had good awareness of balanced diets, but knowledge gaps existed in nutritional risks and harmful food choices. Most participants stated that they often did not plan for a balanced diet, often did not consume high-fiber foods, and did not exercise regularly. Women more often stated they ate nutrient dense and high protein foods and men more often used nutritional supplements. These results underscore the need for widespread nutrition education programs and the integration of nutrition curricula in schools.

Assessing the association between diet, health-related quality of life, and anthropometric status in paediatric HIV

Oluwafunke Akinbule, Olajumoke M. Aoofolaju, Adedotun A. Sultan — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Diet quality plays a significant role in the reduction of malnutrition and improving the immune system and hence may positively impact the quality of life of children living with HIV (CLHIV). The present study compared diet quality, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and anthropometric status of children with or without HIV, and investigated the relationship between HRQoL, diet and anthropometric status of children with or without HIV. A case-control comparison design included 105 CLHIV and 105 HIV-negative controls aged 8-19 years. Cases were selected from those receiving their ART at the state hospital, Ijaiye, Nigeria, between February and April, 2022 and controls (children living without HIV residing in the immediate vicinity of the cases within Abeokuta, who gave their consent) were chosen. Dietary intake, quality-of-life (QoL), dietary habits, diet quality and anthropometry were assessed using standard instruments and procedures. Data were analysed with significance set at p<0.05. Respondents with HIV had higher intakes of nuts and seeds (p = 0.04), and drank more sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) (p = 0.01). They also had significantly lower intakes of vegetables (p = 0.00), dietary fibre (p = 0.04) and calcium (p = 0.00) compared to respondents without HIV. All the HRQoL domains generally declined with age in both groups based on child’s and on parent’s report. Respondents living with HIV were more often excessively thin. The physical health summary score of the control group was significantly higher compared to the case group for the children’s report (p < 0.05). BMI-for-age had a significant relationship with the physical health (p = 0.01), social (p = 0.00) and school functioning (p = 0.00) domains of the HRQoL, but only for respondents living with HIV. This study highlights the importance of dietary interventions to improve the HRQoL of CLHIV.

Formulation and nutritional evaluation of ready-to-use therapeutic food using locally available food ingredients

Linda Obianuju Edafioghor, Vivienne Ibeanu, Nkechi Onodugo, Ijioma Okorie — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Background
Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is a specially formulated high protein and nutrient dense meal used to treat children over 6 months of age who are severely malnourished.
Objective
The aim of this study was to formulate and evaluate 3 RUTF products with graded ratios of the base ingredients - rice, soybean, groundnut, carrot and date palm.
Methods
The products which were coded as RSG-RUTF-1, RSG-RUTF-2, RSG-RUTF–3 (rice, soy bean, and groundnut) were evaluated for nutrient/energy composition and sensory attributes using standard methods. Data obtained were statistically analyzed using IBM-SPSS version 23.
Results
The moisture content of the products ranged from 9.26 - 11.11%, crude fiber 2.39 - 2.79%, and ash 0.99 - 1.07%. The proportions of energy from the macronutrients were protein 6.85 - 9.75%, fat 6.81 - 26.49%, and carbohydrate 50.22 - 71.01%. While the vitamins A (1.14 -1.33mg), and E (20.20 – 20.27mg) and sodium (5.55 – 6.02mg) were within the recommended levels for RUTF, iron (0.68 – 0.85mg), potassium (16.22 – 24.24mg), copper (0.00 – 0.01mg), magnesium (4.27 – 5.22mg) and zinc (0.01 – 0.06mg) were slightly low. However, the energy content of the products which ranged from 374Kcal in RSG-RUTF-2 to 478Kcal in RSG-RUTF-3 was adequate. There were significant (p<0.05) differences among the products for taste, texture and general acceptability. The RSG-RUTF-3 had the highest general acceptability score (7.17± 0.25).
Conclusions
All the formulated RSG-RUTFs have potentials of serving as alternatives to the imported RUTF. However, the content of protein, and a few other nutrients would need to be increased slightly.

A comparison of chrononutrition profile, chrononutrition misalignment, dietary intake and obesity indicators in urban and rural adults residing in Delhi-NCR, India

Suyasha Gupta, Swati Jain — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Background

Circadian misalignment is a known cause of various metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Chrononutrition (timing of meals) has garnered attention in identifying behaviours which lead to circadian misalignment. Urban and rural population have different lifestyle owing to their nature of work and physical environment.

Objectives

This cross-sectional analytical study aims to compare urban and rural population of Delhi- National Capital Region of India in chrononutrition profile, misalignment, dietary intake, obesity indicators and associated variables- chronotype, sleep efficiency, physical activity and energy intake.

Materials and methods

Participants (N=151, 75- urban, 76-rural) were recruited by convenience sampling. Data was collected by face-to-face interview using validated questionnaire.

Results

There was significant difference between the urban and rural groups in obesity indicators, chronotype, chrononutrition profile and physical activity status (p<0.001).

Evaluating the physical and nutritional environments of rural communities in Illinois

Ravneet Kaur, Emily Orr, Matthew Dalstrom — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Background
Rural communities often have higher rates of physical inactivity and obesity than their urban counterparts. Numerous studies have shown that physical environments and access to unhealthy food are linked to poor health outcomes.
Objective
The objective of this descriptive study was to measure the physical activity and nutrition environments of three rural counties in Northern Illinois, where the prevalence of obesity is high.
Methods
The physical activity and nutrition environments of nine rural towns in three Illinois counties were assessed between December 2022 and June 2023 using adapted versions of the Rural Active Living Assessment (RALA) and Nutritional Environment Measurement Survey (NEMS). This study aimed to assess the physical and nutritional environments of rural towns so that a coalition of community stakeholders could make data-informed policy and intervention decisions.
Results
The RALA Program and Policy (PPA) and Town Wide (TWA) assessments were conducted in all nine towns and were scored from (0-100). The PPA scores ranged from 13 to 76, and the TWA scores ranged from 49 to 96. The NEMS with a possible score range of 0-45 was conducted in 51 stores in nine towns, and the score ranged from 11.3-21.5. NEMS availability scores for each type of store (convenience, grocery, and other) were significantly different from each other (p<0.0001). Differences across counties for the same type of store were not statistically significant.
Conclusions
Each town had different facilitators and barriers to being physically active and eating healthy. Most towns had a variety of amenities but lacked policies and programs that supported physical activity. There was no consistent pattern between amenities for physical activity and healthy eating. The results also suggest that access to healthy food and physical activity amenities are not the only determinants of whether a town is a healthy place to live.

Bioremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils in Sub Saharan Africa: Implications for Food Safety and Public Health Nutrition

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Most Sub-Saharan African nations are faced with increasing build-up coupled with persistence of compounds which are toxic in their soil. These persistent toxic materials constitute a significant danger to the environment. Heavy metals are major contaminants consistently found in sediments, air, water, and soil and has bio-accumulative potential in the food chain. They often enter the environment as a consequence of industrial processes such as electroplating, extraction and refining of mineral ores etc. Heavy metals accumulate in some plants, leading to biomagnification in humans when such plants are consumed, creating a serious threat to food safety and public health. At minute levels, some heavy metals are co-factors partaking in the production of enzymes in the body. Occurrence of these metals above threshold limits can be responsible for their behaving in a deleterious manner in which they displace other metal ions, block specific functional groups, or modify the active configuration of some molecules needed for biological functions The use of technologies such as excavation, soil washing, incineration, landfilling and soil flushing in treating soils contaminated with heavy metals is not cost effective and also not environmentally friendly. Bioremediation which is the use of microorganisms facilitates the breakdown of environmental contaminants like organic wastes and heavy metals to an innocuous state under controlled conditions, Various microorganisms have been used in attenuating the harmful effects of heavy metals in the environment and the process have been observed to be an eco-friendly and cost-effective substitute to the conventional treatment approaches and it enhances both the soil quality and its usage, especially in Sub-Saharan African nations. This review is consequently focusing on the impact of microorganisms in bioremediation.

Use your Power

Stuart Gillespie — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Trade, investment and nutrition: Status update and policy coherence challenges of the United Nations decade of action on nutrition

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

The United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016 - 2025) followed the Second International Conference on Nutrition in 2014. The Decade of Action aimed to accelerate global action on nutrition and diet-related non-communicable diseases, however there are still significant challenges surrounding all forms of malnutrition, as well as food systems that are unsustainable and inequitable. Addressing these inequities requires policy action on nutrition across multiple sectors, including trade. This paper provides an overview of recommendations relevant to trade and investment of the Second International Conference on Nutrition and concludes with an analysis of opportunities to promote policy coherence regarding nutrition. Recommendations relate to engaging with trade-related institutions on nutrition, promoting and protecting nutrition and the right to adequate food through trade and investment agreements, integrating nutrition into food and agriculture policy, and strengthening local food systems and equity. Addressing these recommendations and achieving policy coherence between trade and nutrition requires robust research into the interaction between trade and nutrition, engagement and capacity building with diverse actors, carving space for nutrition in trade and investment agreements, and creating institutional mechanisms that enable nutrition and trade policy actors to create trade policy that is coherent with global and national nutrition goals.

The right to adequate food in UN systems: Human rights mechanisms in practice

Jody Harris, Ellen Johnson — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Those seeking that the right to adequate nutritious food is protected, respected and fulfilled globally need to understand the international rules and systems that are in place to underpin relevant action. As the pre-eminent multilateral body on human rights, the systems of the United Nations (UN) are key to this understanding. While there is already a large body of literature analysing and synthesising the various written documents (instruments) produced in support of the right to adequate food, this paper focuses on the practical bodies and agencies (mechanisms) that have been established to support the creation, use and monitoring of various UN instruments, and how these institutions have co-evolved over time. Mechanisms reviewed include over-arching rights bodies, treaty-based mechanisms, charter-based mechanisms including special rapporteurs and the Universal Periodic Review process, and supportive institutions. In the year of the 20th anniversary of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food, this paper explores and explains – for academic, policy and practice audiences – how the major UN human rights mechanisms work to underpin the right to adequate food, and how they interact with the published instruments guiding and defining the issue, as a contribution to working towards the right to adequate food at a global level.