The food system, particularly animal agriculture, is a major contributor to environmental degradation, impacting critical Earth system processes such as climate change, freshwater use and biodiversity loss. There is a growing consensus that a shift from animal-based to plant-based diets is essential for both human health and environmental sustainability. This review explores the integration of sustainability competences into nutrition education, emphasising how systems thinking, strategic thinking, values thinking, futures thinking and interpersonal competences can contribute to the production of improved dietary guidelines. By applying these competences to the criticisms of the Planetary Health Diet, the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations and the Mediterranean diet as examples, this review highlights the tactics used by specific stakeholders to undermine sustainable healthy dietary guidelines. The review paper concludes by advocating for future dietary guidelines that are free of financial conflicts of interest, decolonised and developed through participatory processes in order to ensure that they are equitable, sustainable and aligned with the needs of diverse populations.

Family planning programmes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) often disseminate the proposition that birth spacing improves child survival. Yet, there are few examinations of this hypothesis that benefit from longitudinal data. This paper addresses this gap using 15 years of prospective data from three rural districts of Tanzania. The effect of birth interval durations on the risk of childhood mortality was estimated by fitting Weibull parametric hazard regression models with shared frailties to a dataset that comprised records of reproductive events and their succeeding survival trajectories of 25,762 mother-child dyads that lived in the sentinel areas of the Ifakara and Rufiji Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems from 2000 to 2015. The analysis was motivated by two hypotheses: First, that relatively short subsequent and preceding birth intervals would be associated with heightened risks of child mortality; however, that the effects of short subsequent birth intervals would be most pronounced among children between 12 and 59 months of age; and second, that the effects of short preceding birth intervals would be most acute during the neonatal and post-neonatal period. Results, which were adjusted for confounder effects at the individual, household, and contextual levels, demonstrated significant associations between subsequent and preceding birth interval durations and childhood mortality risk. Regarding subsequent birth intervals, relative to birth spacing of less than 18 months, durations 24–35 and ≥36 months were associated with 1–5-year-old mortality risks that were 0.29 and 0.21 times lower. Relative to preceding birth intervals of less than 18 months, those of 24–35 months were associated with a neonatal mortality risk that was 0.48 lower. Compared to the same referent group, preceding birth intervals of 18–23, 24–35, and ≥36 months were significantly associated with 12–23-month-old mortality risks that were 0.20, 0.39, and 0.33 times lower. The findings are compared with those from similar studies held in SSA, and the potential for family planning programmes to contribute to improved child survival in settings, such as Tanzania, is discussed.

A new species of parasitic isopod of the genus Ovobopyrus is described from one parasitized specimen of the snapping shrimp Alpheus carlae, collected from the state of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. It is the second species of the genus and the first record of the genus from Brazil. The adult female of Ovobopyrus odoya sp. nov. is diagnosed by having the head produced into small anterolateral projections: antennule with three articles; maxilliped subquadratic with a non-articulated palp bearing nine long setae, oostegite 1 having a digitate ridge with five small lobes, carpi of all pereopods with tufts of setae distally, and terminal pleomere bilobed. A comparative table, an identification key, and a distribution map for species of the genus are provided. In addition, an identification key for all Bopyrinae genera from Brazil is also provided.

The aim of this paper is to review several key aspects of undernutrition in later life, with a major focus on undernutrition in community-dwelling older adults. The prevalence of undernutrition in community-dwelling older adults is about 8.5%, but higher in vulnerable subgroups such as the oldest old (19.3%), those reporting poor appetite (22.4%), and those receiving home care (15.8%). Frequently reported risk factors for undernutrition in the community include poor appetite, functional limitations and previous hospitalisation. The Determinants of Malnutrition in Aged Persons (DoMAP) model provides a clear framework to structure the different direct and indirect potential determinants of undernutrition in old age. Low BMI as well as involuntary weight loss, both important phenotypic criteria of undernutrition, are associated with early mortality in older adults. Furthermore, undernutrition in community-dwelling older adults is associated with a subsequent increased risk of frailty, falls, functional decline and rehospitalisation. Qualitative studies indicate a poor undernutrition awareness among healthcare professionals working in community care as well as among older adults themselves. The Malnutrition Awareness Scale can be used to objectively measure an older persons’ undernutrition awareness. In conclusion, the prevalence of undernutrition among older adults living in the community is substantial and has several negative consequences for health and functioning. Strategies towards greater undernutrition awareness by primary care professionals as well as older adults themselves is therefore necessary.

Parental care is a fundamental aspect of bird behaviour and is crucial for offspring survival. In species exhibiting biparental care, the differing strategies employed by each parent can significantly influence the reproductive success of the breeding pair. For threatened species in captive breeding programmes, the impact of captive conditions adds further complexity and importance to understanding the dynamics of parental care and their effects on reproduction. Our study examines the relationship between parental care behaviours and reproductive success in the Critically Endangered Puerto Rican Parrot Amazona vittata, specifically investigating how these behaviours may differ between captive and reintroduced populations and female and male parents. We hypothesised that parental care behaviours influence reproductive success and predicted differences based on sex and population. Using video recordings, we quantified key metrics, including the number of feeding bouts per visit, the mean feeding bout duration per visit, and the duration of a nest visit. We examined the relationship between parental care behaviours and reproductive success and analysed factors that affect parental care behaviours. Our findings indicate that parental care behaviours are independently influenced by both sex and population, with no evidence of an interaction between these factors. Furthermore, parental care behaviours are associated with reproductive success. Males spent less time inside the nest than females, while captive birds exhibited fewer and shorter feeding bouts, suggesting that captivity influences parental care strategies. With multiple factors impacting wild populations, captivity may become a resource to avoid extinction for many species. By documenting potential challenges for species with biparental care, video monitoring could help to refine captive breeding programmes and conservation efforts for other threatened bird populations.

Suicidal ideation not only indicates severe psychological distress but also significantly raises the risk of suicide, whereas food insecurity may further increase this risk. To examine the relationship between food insecurity and suicidal ideation, we used the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) data from 2007 to 2016. The association between the risk of suicidal ideation and food security status was examined using multivariate logistic regression models. To ensure the robustness of our findings, we also conducted subgroup and sensitivity analyses, which were crucial for assessing the consistency and precision of the research findings. This study included 22 098 participants, of whom 50·30 % were female and 49·70 % were male. In the comprehensive analysis of the population, after full adjustment, the OR were 1·14 (95 % CI 0·89, 1·46) for marginal food security, 1·40 (95 % CI 1·12, 1·76) for low food security and 1·59 (95 % CI 1·27, 1·99) for very low food security. In the subgroup analysis, we identified a significant interaction between depression and food security (P = 0·004). Additionally, the results of the sensitivity analysis were consistent with previous findings. Our study revealed that food insecurity significantly increased the risk of suicidal ideation, emphasising the importance of addressing food security to improve mental health. These findings support the need for national food assistance programmes integrated with mental health services. More longitudinal studies are needed to validate the long-term impact of food insecurity on suicidal ideation to optimise intervention measures and policy adjustments.

By 2050, 1.31 billion people will be living with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Those with social disadvantage experience greater diabetes prevalence, morbidity and mortality. Gestational diabetes (GDM) is an established factor for T2DM, with 3–4 times greater risks among women who are Black, Hispanic and South and South East Asians. Lifestyle interventions that include diet and physical activity reduce T2DM in at-risk populations, including women with prior GDM, regardless of ethnicity. However, migrant women from non-Western backgrounds are less likely to engage with the programme despite its efficacy. This review paper aims to describe the social disparities in GDM globally, with a focus on equity issues and interventions in Australia. It outlines a five-part approach to solutions that move us towards equity in reach and uptake for women from non-Western migrant backgrounds in Australia. Culturally inclusive solutions start with evaluating reach in underserved groups through equity audits or stratified analyses and identifying groups where reach is low. Community partnerships can then be formed with key actors across health and social sectors identified through stakeholder mapping. Effective reach strategies, including implementation and evaluation plans, will be co-developed through these partnerships, addressing risk factors, enablers and barriers to a healthy lifestyle. Solutions that integrate medical and social services, such as social prescribing, could facilitate healthy lifestyle choices through restructuring the social environment of the individual. These steps lead to interventions that promote social cohesion and resilience, enabling individuals to attain health and well-being in the face of external challenges.

Earthworms are postdispersal seed predators that can influence weed communities in temperate agroecosystems. Recent studies have found that seed feeding by earthworms tends to be driven by the active selection of certain seed species rather than random encounter. Numerous seed traits are expected to affect seed selection by earthworms, including seed size, shape, coat hardness, and nutritional content. The impact of these traits on seed selection by earthworms tends to vary depending on seed species identity and earthworm species identity, rendering the outcome of earthworm–seed interactions hard to predict. We carried out laboratory experiments to investigate the impact of seed physical and chemical traits on seed choice by the common earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris). Seeds of six weed species typical of the Northern Great Plains agroecosystem, wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis L.), field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.), shepherd’s purse [Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik.], catchweed bedstraw (Galium aparine L.), green foxtail [Setaria viridis (L.) P. Beauv.], and redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), were offered to L. terrestris in multiple-choice feeding arenas. The results showed that seeds of S. arvensis and C. bursa-pastoris, both of which have high lipid content, were the most consumed. Seed ingestion was negatively influenced by irregular seed shapes and long seed length, but these physical traits did not override the strong preference for lipid-rich seeds. These findings suggest that seed selection by L. terrestris earthworms was strongly influenced by the lipid content of the seed when seed morphology (i.e., size and shape) varied within certain limits. Therefore, seed nutrients are likely to play an important role in weed seed choice by L. terrestris earthworms when seed physical traits do not impose major constraints on ingestion.

To explore the longitudinal associations between a Chinese healthy diet and the progression of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) development among Chinese adults. A prospective analysis was conducted utilising data from 18 720 participants in the China Health and Nutrition Survey, spanning from 1997 to 2018. Dietary data were collected by three consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with the weighing method. A Chinese healthy diet score was developed by assigning scores to various food components. CMM was defined as the coexistence of two or more cardiometabolic diseases (CMD), including myocardial infarction, stroke and type 2 diabetes, diagnosed through blood indicators and clinical diagnosis. We employed a multistate model to examine the associations between the Chinese healthy diet and the longitudinal progression from being free of CMD to first CMD and then to CMM. Quantile G-computation was utilised to evaluate the relative contribution of each food component. Over a median follow-up period of 7·3 years, 2214 (11·8 %) participants developed first CMD, and 156 (0·83 %) progressed to CMM. Comparing participants in the highest quintile of dietary scores with those in the lowest, we observed a 55 % lower risk of transitioning from baseline to CMM (HR = 0·45, 95 % CI: 0·23, 0·87) and a 60 % lower risk of transition from first CMD to CMM (HR = 0·40, 95 % CI: 0·20, 0·81). Fresh fruits contributed to 42·8 and 43·0 % for delaying CMM and transition from first CMD to CMM, respectively. Our study revealed that greater adherence to the Chinese healthy diet is negatively associated with the risk of CMM.

Recent literature has shown that appetite loss during ageing can lead to negative health outcomes in older adults, particularly malnutrition and mortality. However, its association with functional decline and the mechanisms driving this relationship are not well explored. This review summarises the current evidence regarding the potential effects of appetite loss on frailty and functional outcomes. Despite the limitations due to heterogeneous methodologies, including study designs, population characteristics and appetite assessments, most studies indicate that older adults with poor appetite tended to exhibit poor physical performance and increased functional limitations. Furthermore, the simultaneous weight loss in individuals experiencing appetite loss was associated with a higher risk of functional impairments. Finally, emerging evidence connects reduced appetite to biomarkers of ageing, including epigenetic alterations, chronic inflammation and the upregulation of GDF-15. Therefore, loss of appetite is a potential earlier marker of loss of function that deserves further investigation. Adopting a geroscience perspective may enhance our understanding of appetite loss during ageing and foster the development of effective interventions.

Aging is a process preserved in all living beings, progressive over time and inexorable. Despite the existence of several theories that attempt to explain changes associated with aging, scientists have not managed to satisfactorily explain the causes of aging. However, during the last decade, several cellular processes involved in the aging process have been shown to be involved, allowing scientists to identify new biomolecules as aging biomarkers and control the progression of aging. Currently, there is no single biomarker sensitive and specific enough to predict aging, so it is necessary to find a set of specific biomarkers of cellular processes involved in aging. These biomarkers must be accessible for quantification in biological samples in a noninvasive way to implement them in clinical practice. By 2050, it is estimated that approximately one in six people in the world will be over 65 years old, doubling the percentage of population over 60 years old. Therefore, the research of new biomarkers represents a novel strategy to counteract against aging and improve quality of life. In this review we summarize the potential biomarkers of aging that could be used in a noninvasive manner.

Camera traps have revolutionised wildlife monitoring. However, no consensus method exists for analysing these data. We investigated how commonly used modelling procedures affect the detection of environmental effects and quantified how this affected species distribution maps, which are essential tools for conservation planning. We used the tapeti Sylvilagus brasiliensis sensu lato, monitored using camera traps in a Brazilian indigenous reserve. We compared the ability of two commonly used modelling procedures (occurrence- vs abundance-based models, controlling or not for imperfect detection, using or not time-to-independence thresholds) to detect species responses to environmental variables. We then compared the species distribution predicted from each modelling procedure. Abundance models detected additional effects compared with occurrence models. Occurrence models detected the same environmental effects whether or not they accounted for imperfect detection. In contrast, abundance models were sensitive to imperfect detection. N-mixture models that controlled for detection provided consistent results regarding the nature, sign, and magnitude of effects, whether no time-to-independence, 30-min or 60-min thresholds were applied. Ignoring imperfect detection should not be an option for analysing camera-trap data of unmarked individuals. Hierarchical modelling, allowing detection and ecological processes to be modelled separately, should be preferred. We advocate for developing guidelines for analysing camera-trap data.