This review aimed to summarise the nutrition education programs and interventions that have sought to improve maternal health outcomes. Pregnancy is often considered a “teachable moment” when mothers may be motivated to adopt positive behavioural changes, including improving their nutrition habits. Pregnancy nutrition education is the provision of information and guidance on optimal nutritional practices that aim to support a healthy pregnancy. This scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Eight electronic databases were searched (Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Global Health, Scopus, PsycARTICLES, SocINDEX, Academic Search Complete) for studies reporting on nutrition education programs and interventions with pregnant women. Studies were included based on PICOS criteria, with no limitations on time and study design. Data were extracted and thematically analysed to identify the scope of diet, nutrition knowledge, and maternal outcomes included. This review includes 169 studies, which included various maternal outcomes, gestational weight gain; gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and anaemia; dietary outcomes; nutritional status; and nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and/or behaviours. Significant positive results were observed for many health and dietary outcomes, with the exception of prevention of gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. A range of strategies have been used to deliver nutrition education. This inconsistency makes it challenging to summarize the key components of effective nutrition education and highlights the need for targeted approaches tailored to specific maternal outcomes.

Obtaining accurate estimates of children’s dietary intake is important because these estimates are used to characterize diet-disease relationships and inform nutrition interventions. This systematic review synthesized findings from validation studies of dietary assessment tools for children (aged 1-10 years), in which parents were proxy-reporters. Database searches (Ovid Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane) in January 2026 for validation studies of dietary assessment tools used for estimating daily intake of macronutrients and micronutrients yielded 4,545 citations. Articles were uploaded to Covidence for screening. Sixty-six articles met the inclusion criteria. Median sample size was 103. Eighty-six percent of studies (n=57) validated a food frequency questionnaire; the remainder validated dietary recalls (11%, n=8) or food diaries (2%, n=1). Many studies (67%, n=44) used another parent-proxy report tool as the reference method. For most nutrients, over a quarter of the 66 studies failed to find a significant correlation between the assessment tool and reference method. Among the 69% of analyses that did show a significant correlation, the median correlation for each nutrient ranged from 0.37 to 0.40 for macronutrients and 0.29 to 0.55 for micronutrients. Studies were limited by lack of generalizability, use of reference methods prone to error, and misalignment between the assessment tool and reference method. Overall, this review found no correlation or low-to-moderate correlations between dietary assessments and the reference method. The studies had significant methodological limitations. Future studies should validate parent-proxy report dietary assessments against objective measures, such as biomarkers. The development of novel assessment tools may also be warranted.

Obesity is a multifactorial condition arising from complex interactions between genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and behavioural factors. Among the genetic contributors identified through genome-wide association studies, variants within the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene represent some of the most consistently replicated loci associated with body mass index, adiposity, and appetite regulation across populations. Experimental and observational evidence suggests that FTO variants may influence energy intake, food preference, and metabolic pathways through effects on hypothalamic signalling, adipocyte biology, and epigenetic regulation. These findings have stimulated interest in precision nutrition approaches that aim to tailor dietary strategies according to individual genetic profiles. This narrative review critically examines the role of FTO gene variants in polygenic obesity and evaluates the current evidence supporting gene-diet interactions relevant to personalized weight management. We synthesized data from mechanistic studies, observational cohorts, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analyses to assess whether dietary interventions, including macronutrient composition, mediterranean-style dietary patterns, and discretionary food intake, can meaningfully modify obesity risk in individuals carrying FTO risk alleles. While mechanistic plausibility and observational associations are well established, evidence from intervention studies indicates that genotype-specific responses are generally modest and context-dependent. Overall, current findings support the potential of precision nutrition as a complementary framework rather than a deterministic approach to obesity management. Further large-scale, long-term, and ethnically diverse intervention studies are required to clarify clinical utility and inform evidence-based implementation.

Neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) are a heterogeneous group of conditions characterized by progressive muscle weakness, motor impairment and risk of malnutrition, affecting the quality of life (QoL) of patients. While pharmacological treatments are essential for the management of symptoms, the role of diet, nutrition and other lifestyle factors remains underexplored. This narrative systematic review, performed on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus following PRISMA guidelines, aimed to investigate the relationship between lifestyle, the progression of NMDs and the QoL. A total of 30 studies (n=5055 patients) met inclusion criteria. According to our search strategy, the most representative lifestyle factors were diet (70%), physical activity (53.3%) and emotional perception and care (36.7%); 7 papers (23.3%) evaluated three or more lifestyle aspects. Overall, both quantitative and qualitative deficiencies emerged: calories, proteins, lipids and fibres, as well as vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium and calcium were lower than recommended. A reduced consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, replaced by ultra-processed foods, was detected. Diets optimised for calorie and nutrients intake, rich in anti-inflammatory foods, have shown benefits both in mitigating oxidative stress and muscle degeneration. Regarding other aspects of lifestyle, although physical activity was associated with improved motor performance and QoL, adherence was low, particularly among females. Negative emotional status emerged as a critical factor influencing patients’ overall well-being. Even in the most complex neuromuscular disease settings, addressing nutrition and dietary habits, in the context of lifestyle, could support patients and their families throughout the disease course and improve their QoL.

Sarcopenia is a progressive skeletal muscle disorder characterized by the loss of muscle mass and strength. The concept of pro-anabolic modulators (including vitamin D, leucine, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics) as nutritional agents to counteract sarcopenia has been introduced as a promising strategy to restore anabolic balance in aging muscle. This systematic review aimed to synthesize recent evidence on the effectiveness of these compounds on muscle mass and physical performance. A total of 53 randomized controlled trials were included: 30 evaluated vitamin D, 8 leucine, 9 omega-3, and 6 probiotics. Across studies, although results for vitamin D were heterogeneous, daily supplementation suggested a more consistent potential for beneficial effects compared to bolus regimens, particularly when co-administered with other agents or physical exercise. Leucine demonstrated greater efficacy when combined with resistance training or other pro-anabolic agents. Most studies on omega-3 fatty acids reported improvements in muscle strength and functional outcomes, especially in long-duration interventions. Probiotics also showed promising results, with almost all studies reporting positive effects on muscle mass and strength, despite variability in strains and protocols. Given the low to very low certainty of evidence for most outcomes (except for physical performance, which reached moderate certainty), these results should be interpreted with caution, despite a general trend toward favorable outcomes. These findings suggest that combining pro-anabolic modulators (or pairing them with exercise or additional nutrients) may enhance their efficacy on muscle-related outcomes. Further research is warranted to define optimal protocols and to clarify the mechanisms underlying their potential synergistic effects.