To identify cut-off points for waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and BMI associated with hypertension in the Brazilian adult and elderly population.

Cross-sectional study. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the cut-off points of WC, WHtR and BMI in the prediction of hypertension. Those who had systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg and those who reported use of antihypertensive medication were considered hypertensive.

Brazil.

Participants from the National Health Survey, the Brazilian household-based survey conducted in 2013, of both sexes and age ≥20 years.

Cut-off points for WC and WHtR increased with age in both sexes. WC cut-off limits ranged between 88·0 and 95·9 cm in men and between 85·0 and 93·2 cm in women. For WHtR, cut-off scores ranged from 0·51 to 0·58 for men and from 0·53 to 0·61 for women. Additionally, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for all age and sex groups was greater than 0·60 while the lower limit of the AUC 95 % CI for both WC and WHtR was not less than 0·50. The performance of BMI was similar to that of indicators of fat location.

All analysed anthropometric indicators had similar performance in identifying hypertension in the Brazilian population.

To describe the relationship between adherence to distinct dietary patterns and nutrition literacy.

We identified distinct dietary patterns using principal covariates regression (PCovR) and principal components analysis (PCA) from the Diet History Questionnaire II. Nutrition literacy was assessed using the Nutrition Literacy Assessment Instrument (NLit). Cross-sectional relationships between dietary pattern adherence and global and domain-specific NLit scores were tested by multiple linear regression. Mean differences in diet pattern adherence among three predefined nutrition literacy performance categories were tested by ANOVA.

Metropolitan Kansas City, USA.

Adults (n 386) with at least one of four diet-related diseases.

Three diet patterns of interest were derived: a PCovR prudent pattern and PCA-derived Western and Mediterranean patterns. After controlling for age, sex, BMI, race, household income, education level and diabetes status, PCovR prudent pattern adherence positively related to global NLit score (P < 0·001, β = 0·36), indicating more intake of prudent diet foods with improved nutrition literacy. Validating the PCovR findings, PCA Western pattern adherence inversely related to global NLit (P = 0·003, β = −0·13) while PCA Mediterranean pattern positively related to global NLit (P = 0·02, β = 0·12). Using predefined cut points, those with poor nutrition literacy consumed more foods associated with the Western diet (fried foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, red meat, processed foods) while those with good nutrition literacy consumed more foods associated with prudent and Mediterranean diets (vegetables, olive oil, nuts).

Nutrition literacy predicted adherence to healthy/unhealthy diet patterns. These findings warrant future research to determine if improving nutrition literacy effectively improves eating patterns.

To use cognitive interviewing and pilot testing to develop a survey instrument feasible for administering in the food pantry setting to assess daily intake frequency from several major food groups and dietary correlates (e.g. fruit and vegetable barriers) – the FRESH Foods Survey.

New and existing survey items were adapted and refined following cognitive interviews. After piloting the survey with food pantry users in the USA, preliminary psychometric and construct validity analyses were performed.

Three US food banks and accompanying food pantries in Atlanta, GA, San Diego, CA, and Buffalo, NY.

Food pantry clients (n 246), mostly female (68 %), mean age 54·5 (sd 14·7) years.

Measures of dietary correlates performed well psychometrically: Cronbach’s α range 0·71–0·90, slope (α) parameter range 1·26–6·36, and threshold parameters (β) indicated variability in the ‘difficulty’ of the items. Additionally, all scales had only one eigenvalue above 1·0 (range 2·07–4·71), indicating unidimensionality. Average (median, Q1–Q3) daily intakes (times/d) across six dietary groups were: fruits and vegetables (2·87, 1·87–4·58); junk foods (1·16, 0·58–2·16); fast foods and similar entrées (1·45, 0·58–2·03); whole-grain foods (0·87, 0·58–1·71); sugar-sweetened beverages (0·58, 0·29–1·29); milk and milk alternatives (0·71, 0·29–1·29). Significant correlations between dietary groups and dietary correlates were largely in the directions expected based on the literature, giving initial indication of convergent and discriminant validity.

The FRESH Foods Survey is efficient, tailored to food pantry populations, can be used to monitor dietary behaviours and may be useful to measure intervention impact.

The present study aimed to assess and decompose the socio-economic inequality in unhealthy snacks consumption among adolescent students in Kerman, Iran.

The data were obtained from a cross-sectional study. Principal component analysis was done to measure the socio-economic status (SES) of the adolescents’ families and the normalized concentration index (NCI) was used to measure the inequality in unhealthy snacks consumption among adolescent students of different SES. The contributions of environmental and individual explanatory variables to inequality were assessed by decomposing the concentration index.

Forty secondary schools of Kerman Province in Iran in 2015.

Eighth-grade adolescent students (n 1320).

The data of 1242 adolescent students were completed for the current study. Unhealthy snacks consumption was unequally distributed among adolescent students and was concentrated mainly among the high-SES adolescents (NCI = 0·179; 95 % CI 0·056, 0·119). The decomposition showed that higher SES (62 %) and receiving pocket money allowance (31 %), as environmental variables, had the highest positive contributions to the measured inequality in unhealthy snacks consumption. Taste and sensory perception (7 %) as well as cost sensitivity (5 %), as individual variables, followed them in terms of their contribution importance.

It is highly suggested that both environmental and individual factors should be addressed at different settings including schools, families and suppliers of unhealthy snacks. These findings can help future health promotion strategies in Iran to tackle the observed inequality in unhealthy snacks consumption.

(i) To assess diagnostic accuracy of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) for screening thinness and severe thinness in Indian adolescent girls aged 10–14 and 15–19 years compared with BMI-for-age Z-score (BAZ) <−2 and <−3 as the gold standard and (ii) to identify appropriate MUAC cut-offs for screening thinness and severe thinness in Indian girls aged 10–14 and 15–19 years.

Cross-sectional, conducted October 2016–April 2017.

Four tribal blocks of two eastern India states, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

Girls (n 4628) aged 10–19 years. Measurements included height, weight and MUAC to calculate BAZ. Standard diagnostic accuracy tests, receiver–operating characteristic curves and Youden index helped arrive at MUAC cut-offs at BAZ < −2 and <−3, as gold standard.

Mean MUAC and BMI correlation was positive (0·78, P = 0·001 and r2 = 0·61). Among 10–14 years, MUAC cut-off corresponding to BAZ < −2 and BAZ < −3 was ≤19·4 and ≤18·9 cm. Among 15–19 years, corresponding values were ≤21·6 and ≤20·7 cm. For both BAZ < −2 and BAZ < −3, specificity was higher in 15–19 v. 10–14 years. State-wise variations existed. MUAC cut-offs ranged from 17·7 cm (10 years) to 22·5 cm (19 years) for BAZ < −2, and from 17·0 cm (10 years) to 21·5 cm (19 years) for BAZ < −3. Single-age area under the curve range was 0·82–0·97.

Study provides a case for use of year-wise and sex-wise context-specific MUAC-cut-offs for screening thinness/severe thinness in adolescents, rather than one MUAC cut-off across 10–19 years, depending on purpose and logistic constraints.

We collected dietary records over the course of nine months to comprehensively characterize the consumption patterns of Malagasy people living in remote rainforest areas of north-eastern Madagascar.

The present study was a prospective longitudinal cohort study to estimate dietary diversity and nutrient intake for a suite of macronutrients, micronutrients and vitamins for 152 randomly selected households in two communities.

Madagascar, with over 25 million people living in an area the size of France, faces a multitude of nutritional challenges. Micronutrient-poor staples, especially rice, roots and tubers, comprise nearly 80 % of the Malagasy diet by weight. The remaining dietary components (including wild foods and animal-source foods) are critical for nutrition. We focus our study in north-eastern Madagascar, characterized by access to rainforest, rice paddies and local agriculture.

We enrolled men, women and children of both sexes and all ages in a randomized sample of households in two communities.

Although the Household Dietary Diversity Score and Food Consumption Score reflect high dietary diversity, the Minimum Dietary Diversity–Women indicator suggests poor micronutrient adequacy. The food intake data confirm a mixed nutritional picture. We found that the median individual consumed less than 50 % of his/her age/sex-specific Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for vitamins A, B12, D and E, and Ca, and less than 100 % of his/her EAR for energy, riboflavin, folate and Na.

Malnutrition in remote communities of north-eastern Madagascar is pervasive and multidimensional, indicating an urgent need for comprehensive public health and development interventions focused on providing nutritional security.

To estimate the changes in the prevalence of underweight among girls and boys living in Kraków that occurred between 1983 and 2010.

The study was based on two cross-sectional surveys conducted in 1983 and 2010. The prevalence of underweight was estimated based on the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cut-off points.

The study was conducted in Kraków, Poland.

Children aged 3–18 years (n 5245).

Between 1983 and 2010 the prevalence of underweight decreased in both sexes. Using the IOTF criteria, the prevalence of underweight decreased from 10·5 to 10·3 % in girls and from 8·9 to 7·5 % in boys, but it was still higher in girls than in boys. According to the CDC criteria, this prevalence decreased from 5·1 to 4·4 % and from 5·9 to 4·6 %, respectively, and was slightly lower in girls. According to the IOTF criteria, underweight prevalence increased slightly during childhood in both sexes while according to the CDC criteria it decreased in boys and did not change in girls. Among juveniles and adolescents, it decreased regardless of the method used.

The frequency of underweight in the population of children and adolescents from Kraków changed slightly in 1983 and 2010 despite economic and social changes. Depending on the cut-off points used, not only the magnitude but also the direction of changes between series could be different. In order to aid global monitoring, the prevalence of underweight as well as overweight should always be evaluated by several methods.

To describe low-income parents’ and caregivers’ perceptions of the Cooking Matters Mobile Application (CM App) meal planning and preparation features.

Explanatory mixed-methods design where data were gathered via online surveys based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Theory of Reasoned Action, followed by telephone interviews.

CM App, a mobile phone-based resource geared towards low-income parents and caregivers of young children (pregnancy/infant to age 5 years) for meal planning and preparation, with features based on skills taught in the Cooking Matters course: recipes, shopping list and meal planning.

Low-income parents and caregivers (survey participants, n 461; interview participants, n 20) who had downloaded the CM App to their smartphone and agreed to participate in the current evaluation.

Attitudes and self-efficacy related to CM App’s subject matter and functions (meal planning; recipe use; creating and using a shopping list) were measured via surveys and interviews. Mean (sd) responses were positive towards ‘meal planning’ and ‘shopping and cooking’ (4·17 (0·63) and 3·49 (0·86) on a 5-point Likert scale, respectively). Interviewees described meal planning and preparation behaviours as intrinsic, based on habit, and influenced by family preference and food costs. Early adopters of the CM App may already be engaged in and/or are motivated to engage in the targeted health behaviours.

Users may benefit most from incorporating into their routines new ways to prepare easy, cost-efficient, healthy meals at home that their families will enjoy.

Excess gestational weight gain (GWG) in obese women is linked to adverse maternal outcomes and is particularly pervasive among African Americans, who have the highest obesity rates in the USA. A better understanding of culturally relevant attitudes and perceptions of GWG is needed to develop targeted interventions to prevent excess GWG among this group.

Using the constructs of Social Cognitive Theory, we explored attitudes and perceptions surrounding diet and exercise among low-income obese African-American pregnant women in Baltimore. We conducted twenty-one semi-structured in-depth interviews with pregnant adult women.

Participants were recruited from a referral clinic for obese pregnant women at a large urban hospital in Baltimore, MD, USA.

Twenty-one low-income African-American adult females in the first two trimesters of pregnancy with BMI > 30·0 kg/m2.

Lack of knowledge was not the main obstacle to healthy behaviours during pregnancy. Rather, food cravings and fatigue, an unhealthy physical food environment, limited self-efficacy for controlling excessive GWG, and a lack of adequate emotional and informational support impacted women’s agency. While digital technology was discussed as a vehicle to promote maintenance of a healthy weight in pregnancy, further research is needed to test how it can be used to empower women to engage in healthy behaviours during pregnancy.

Interventions to prevent excess GWG among African-American pregnant women should harness support from partners and family and must go beyond sharing of clinical knowledge to also include strategies that improve the food environment, diet quality and self-efficacy.

The present study aimed to identify nutrition transition (NT) profiles in Argentina (2005–2013) and assess their association with obesity in the adult population.

A large cross-sectional study was performed considering data sets of nationally representative surveys. A multiple correspondence analysis coupled with hierarchical clustering was conducted to detect geographical clusters of association among sociodemographic and NT indicators. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to assess the effect of NT profile (proxy variable of contextual order) on obesity occurrence.

First, we used geographically aggregated data about the adult and child populations in Argentina. Second, we defined the population of adults who participated in the National Survey of Chronic Disease Risk Factors (2013) as the study population.

Twenty-four geographical units that make up the territory of Argentina and 32 365 individuals over 18 years old living in towns of at least 5000 people.

Three NT profiles were identified: ‘Socionutritional lag’ (characterized by undernutrition and socio-economically disadvantaged conditions; profile 1); ‘Double burden of malnutrition’ (undernutrition and overweight in highly urbanized scenarios; profile 2); and ‘Incipient socionutritional improvement’ (low prevalence of malnutrition and more favourable poverty indicator values; profile 3). Profiles 1 and 2 were significantly associated (OR; 95 % CI) with a higher risk of obesity occurrence in adults (1·17; 1·02, 1·32 and 1·44; 1·26, 1·64, respectively) compared with profile 3.

Argentina is facing different NT processes, where sociodemographic factors play a major role in shaping diverse NT profiles. Most of the identified profiles were linked to obesity burden in adults.

The present study explored chronic disease management over the monthly benefit cycle among primary food shoppers from households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Philadelphia, PA, USA.

In-depth interviews, participant observation and surveys were conducted with the primary food shopper of SNAP households.

Interviews and surveys were conducted in a clinical setting at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, at participants’ homes, and in food procurement settings including grocery stores, food pantries and soup kitchens.

Eighteen adults who received SNAP; five with a diet-related chronic condition, five managing the chronic condition of a family member and thirteen with overweight or obesity.

All households had at least one member with a chronic disease or condition. Households reported that the dietary demands of managing chronic illnesses were expensive and mentally taxing. Food and financial shortfalls at the end of the benefit cycle, as well as reliance on charitable food assistance programmes, often had negative impacts on chronic disease self-management.

Drawing from nearly 50 h of in-depth qualitative interviews with SNAP participants, the study highlights the dual cognitive burden of poverty and chronic disease and elucidates the particular challenges of food procurement and maintenance of diet quality throughout the benefit month faced by SNAP households with diet-related chronic diseases. Interventions targeted at reducing the cost of medically appropriate, healthy foods may help to improve chronic disease self-management within SNAP populations.

To increase our understanding about food insecurity among urban adolescents, we conducted a qualitative study in Baltimore City with adolescents to: (i) explore how adolescents experience and cope with food insecurity; and (ii) identify community-based approaches or interventions for addressing food insecurity.

A total of eight focus groups were conducted across six neighbourhoods. To gather sociodemographic characteristics and personal data on food insecurity, all consented adolescents completed a brief questionnaire.

Six purposively selected neighbourhoods in Baltimore City, USA.

A total of fifty-three adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19 years participated in the study.

Although half of our sample was classified as food insecure, everyone in the focus groups was aware of adolescents who engaged in risky behaviours to get money for food. Among girls, prostituting was the most commonly mentioned behaviour, whereas for boys, it was selling drugs or stealing to get money for food. Adolescents also described tremendous stigma associated with food insecurity and agreed that food insecurity has to be viewed within a broader set of economic challenges.

Addressing food insecurity among adolescents in disadvantaged neighbourhoods should be a high priority for policy makers and practitioners. Current feeding programmes are not addressing the needs of adolescents; as a result, adolescents are at risk for a variety of harmful behaviours and outcomes, with long-term negative health and social consequences.

To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the Takeaway Masterclass, a three-hour training session delivered to staff of independent takeaway food outlets that promoted healthy cooking practices and menu options.

A mixed-methods study design. All participating food outlets provided progress feedback at 6 weeks post-intervention. Baseline and 6-week post-intervention observational and self-reported data were collected in half of participating takeaway food outlets.

North East England.

Independent takeaway food outlet owners and managers.

Staff from eighteen (10 % of invited) takeaway food outlets attended the training; attendance did not appear to be associated with the level of deprivation of food outlet location. Changes made by staff that required minimal effort or cost to the business were the most likely to be implemented and sustained. Less popular changes included using products that are difficult (or expensive) to source from suppliers, or changes perceived to be unpopular with customers.

The Takeaway Masterclass appears to be a feasible and acceptable intervention for improving cooking practices and menu options in takeaway food outlets for those who attended the training. Further work is required to increase participation and retention and explore effectiveness, paying particular attention to minimising adverse inequality effects.

To investigate the relationship between maternal autonomy and various indices of child undernutrition among children aged <2 years in Nigeria, considering the cultural context and sociodemographic factors.

Population-based, cross-sectional study. Associations between various indices of maternal autonomy and child undernutrition (specifically stunting, underweight and wasting) were determined using weighted bivariate and multivariable logistic regression modelling.

2013 Nigerian Demographic Health Survey.

Children aged between 3 and 24 months (n 7532).

Overall, 31·4 % (n 2270), 29·8 % (n 2060) and 25·0 % (n 1755) of children in the sample were stunted, underweight and wasted, respectively. Women with acceptance of domestic violence (low autonomy) were approximately 18 and 14 % less likely to have stunted (OR = 0·82; 95 % CI 0·71, 0·94) and underweight children (OR = 0·86; 95 % CI 0·75, 0·99), respectively. Similarly, women with low power in their couple relations were 17 % less likely to have children who were wasted (OR = 0·83; 95 % CI 0·72, 0·97). Sociodemographic predictors of all indices of undernutrition included maternal education and Hausa ethnicity. Additionally, stunting was predicted by lack of exclusive breast-feeding, low income and being of Fulani ethnicity; wasting by having mothers with low BMI; and underweight by breast-feeding initiation within 1 h hour of birth, polygamous homes, mothers with low BMI and being of Fulani ethnicity.

Women with acceptance of domestic violence and low power in couple relations were found to be less likely to have children with indices of undernutrition. This unexpected finding calls for future exploratory research, and policies and interventions that target at-risk subgroups.

The focus of interventions for adults living with HIV (ALH) in Nigeria has been mostly on prevention and provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) with little consideration to nutrition-related matters. Therefore, the present study aimed to improve the quality of life (QoL) and anthropometric status of ALH in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

A quasi-experimental design where 200 conveniently selected participants were stratified by gender and duration on ART. The intervention group (n 100) received the nutrition education programme (NEP) for 12 weeks. The control group received a brochure on nutrition guidelines for ALH. Socio-biographical information, QoL and anthropometric status were assessed using previously validated questionnaires and standard techniques at baseline, week 12 and week 24. Generalised least squares (GLS) regression analysis was used for group comparisons. Anthropometric status was summarised by gender.

Two tertiary hospitals in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

ALH.

The NEP led to significant improvement in the physical functioning (week 12 and 24: P < 0·01), role limitation due to physical health (week 12: P = 0·01; week 24: P = 0·002) and pain (week 12: P = 0·01) constructs of the QoL of the intervention group compared with the control group. There was no significant difference (P = 0·07) between the mean weights of the two groups at baseline.

There was a significant improvement at week 12 and week 24 in the QoL of the intervention participants. The results indicated that a tailored NEP could make a positive contribution to the management of ALH.

To test the effect of a behavioural economics intervention in two food pantries on the nutritional quality of foods available at the pantries and the foods selected by adults visiting food pantries.

An intervention (SuperShelf) was implemented in two food pantries (Sites A and B), with two other pantries (Sites C and D) serving as a control for pantry outcomes. The intervention aimed to increase the amount and variety of healthy foods (supply), as well as the appeal of healthy foods (demand) using behavioural economics strategies. Assessments included baseline and 4-month follow-up client surveys, client cart inventories, pantry inventories and environmental assessments. A fidelity score (range 0–100) was assigned to each intervention pantry to measure the degree of implementation. A Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) score (range 0–100) was generated for each client cart and pantry.

Four Minnesota food pantries, USA.

Clients visiting intervention pantries before (n 71) and after (n 70) the intervention.

Fidelity scores differed by intervention site (Site A=82, Site B=51). At Site A, in adjusted models, client cart HEI-2010 scores increased on average by 11·8 points (P<0·0001), whereas there was no change at Site B. HEI-2010 pantry environment scores increased in intervention pantries (Site A=8 points, Site B=19 points) and decreased slightly in control pantries (Site C=−4 points, Site D=−3 points).

When implemented as intended, SuperShelf has the potential to improve the nutritional quality of foods available to and selected by pantry clients.

In politically contested health debates, stakeholders on both sides present arguments and evidence to influence public opinion and the political agenda. The present study aimed to examine whether stakeholders in the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) debate sought to establish or undermine the acceptability of this policy through the news media and how this compared with similar policy debates in relation to tobacco and alcohol industries.

Quantitative and qualitative content analysis of newspaper articles discussing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxation published in eleven UK newspapers between 1 April 2015 and 30 November 2016, identified through the Nexis database. Direct stakeholder citations were entered in NVivo to allow inductive thematic analysis and comparison with an established typology of industry stakeholder arguments used by the alcohol and tobacco industries.

UK newspapers.

Proponents and opponents of SSB tax/SDIL cited in UK newspapers.

Four hundred and ninety-one newspaper articles cited stakeholders’ (n 287) arguments in relation to SSB taxation (n 1761: 65 % supportive and 35 % opposing). Stakeholders’ positions broadly reflected their vested interests. Inconsistencies arose from: changes in ideological position; insufficient clarity on the nature of the problem to be solved; policy priorities; and consistency with academic rigour. Both opposing and supportive themes were comparable with the alcohol and tobacco industry typology.

Public health advocates were particularly prominent in the UK newspaper debate surrounding the SDIL. Advocates in future policy debates might benefit from seeking a similar level of prominence and avoiding inconsistencies by being clearer about the policy objective and mechanisms.

Maximising synergies and minimising conflicts (i.e. building policy coherence) between trade and nutrition policy is an important objective. One understudied driver of policy coherence is the alignment in the frames, discourses and values of actors involved in the respective sectors. In the present analysis, we aim to understand how such actors interpret (i.e. ‘frame’) nutrition and the implications for building trade–nutrition policy coherence.

We adopted a qualitative single case study design, drawing on key informant interviews with those involved in trade policy.

We focused on the Australian trade policy sub-system, which has historically emphasised achieving market growth and export opportunities for Australian food producers.

Nineteen key informants involved in trade policy spanning the government, civil society, business and academic sectors.

Nutrition had low ‘salience’ in Australian trade policy for several reasons. First, it was not a domestic political priority in Australia nor among its trading partners; few advocacy groups were advocating for nutrition in trade policy. Second, a ‘productivist’ policy paradigm in the food and trade policy sectors strongly emphasised market growth, export opportunities and deregulation over nutrition and other social objectives. Third, few opportunities existed for health advocates to influence trade policy, largely because of limited consultation processes. Fourth, the complexity of nutrition and its inter-linkages with trade presented difficulties for developing a ‘broader discourse’ for engaging the public and political leaders on the topic.

Overcoming these ‘ideational challenges’ is likely to be important to building greater coherence between trade and nutrition policy going forward.