Reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing is crucial to combat childhood obesity. We aimed to estimate the reduction of children’s exposure to food marketing under different policy scenarios and assess exposure differences by socio-economic status.

Data on children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing were compiled from a previous cross-sectional study in which children (n 168) wore wearable cameras and Global Positioning System (GPS) units for 4 consecutive days. For each exposure, we identified the setting, the marketing medium and food/beverage product category. We analysed the percentage reduction in food marketing exposure for ten policy scenarios and by socio-economic deprivation: (1) no product packaging, (2) no merchandise marketing, (3) no sugary drink marketing, (4) no confectionary marketing in schools, (5) no sugary drink marketing in schools, (6) no marketing in public spaces, (7) no marketing within 400 m of schools, (8) no marketing within 400 m of recreation venues, (9) no marketing within 400 m of bus stops and (10) no marketing within 400 m of major roads.

Wellington region of New Zealand.

168 children aged 11–14 years.

Exposure to food marketing varied by setting, marketing medium and product category. Among the ten policy scenarios, the largest reductions were for plain packaging (60·3 %), no sugary drink marketing (28·8 %) and no marketing in public spaces (22·2 %). There were no differences by socio-economic deprivation.

The results suggest that plain packaging would result in the greatest decrease in children’s exposure to food marketing. However, given that children are regularly exposed to unhealthy food marketing in multiple settings through a range of marketing mediums, comprehensive bans are needed to protect children’s health.

Inflammation is implicated in chronic diseases including cancer and CVD, which are major causes of mortality. Diet can influence inflammation status. We therefore examined whether the inflammatory potential of a person’s diet is associated with mortality.

The inflammatory potential of the usual diet was assessed by calculating Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) scores from repeated FFQ data (collected in 1992, 1994 and 1996), placing each participant’s diet on a continuum from anti- to pro-inflammatory. DII scores were analysed as a continuous variable and as categories by creating quartile groups. Death registry data were used to ascertain all-cause mortality and separately mortality from CVD, cancers and other causes between 1992 and 2022. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with 95 % CI, comparing higher and lowest quartile groups, or HR change per one DII unit increase.

Nambour, Australia.

A community-based sample of 1440 adults aged 25–75 years.

During follow-up, 488 participants died, including 188 from CVD, 151 from cancer and 170 from other causes. Participants in the most pro-inflammatory diet group were at increased risk of all-cause mortality (HRQ4 v. Q1 = 1·55; 95 % CI 1·19, 2·03; P < 0·001) and other-cause mortality (HRQ4 v. Q1 = 1·69; 95 % CI 1·12, 2·54; P 0·01). A one-unit increase in DII score was associated with a 36 % increased risk of CVD among those younger than 55 years of age (HR for a one-unit increase in DII score 1·36, 95 % CI 1·04, 1·78). The risk of cancer mortality was also increased for those with a more pro-inflammatory diet in age ≤ 55 years (HR for a one-unit increase in DII score 1·20, 95 % CI 1·02, 1·40) and age 56–65 years (HR for a one-unit increase in DII score 1·11, 95 % CI 1·00, 1·23).

A pro-inflammatory diet increases the risk of all-cause mortality. Our results support the promotion of anti-inflammatory diets to help promote longevity.

To characterise the food environment of Dutch small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), encompassing physical, sociocultural, economic and policy features and to explore variations within SMEs according to company characteristics (number of employees, location of work and presence of worksite cafeteria).

Online cross-sectional survey study of a representative Dutch SME sample by a panel agency.

Dutch SMEs.

Three hundred and fifteen employees of Dutch SMEs responsible for food and drink in their company.

Most SMEs did not have a worksite cafeteria, no provision of fruits or vegetables, and did not offer discounts on food or drinks. The food environment of these SMEs varied significantly based on company characteristics. For example, SMEs with a worksite cafeteria were significantly more likely to have fruits (OR = 8·76, 95 % CI (4·50, 17·06)), vegetables (OR = 10·29, 95 % CI (5·49, 19·31)) and company food policies (OR = 5·04, 95 % CI (2·08, 12·20)) than SMEs without. Additionally, SMEs with ≥ 50 employees were more likely to have fruits (OR = 2·39, 95 % CI (1·42, 4·03)), vegetables (OR = 1·89, 95 % CI (1·04, 3·46)) and company food policies (OR = 2·82, 95 % CI (1·09, 7·29) than SMEs with < 50 employees. Moreover, having a worksite cafeteria (B = 0·23, 95 % CI (0·08, 0·38)) and employees working mostly on-site (B = 0·14, 95 % CI (0·01, 0·28)) were associated with stronger social norms of healthy and sustainable eating at work compared to SMEs without a worksite cafeteria and working mostly off-site.

In SMEs, an overall comprehensive picture of the food environment points to its limited active encouragement of healthy food choices, particularly so in small SMEs without a worksite cafeteria. Company characteristics strongly influence SME food environments and should be considered when developing interventions improving SME workplace food environments.

To assess the comprehensiveness (scope of nutrition guidance) and strength (clarity of written language) of centre-based nutrition policies (CBNP) within early childhood education (ECE) centres. To also consider the applicability of an existing CBNP assessment tool and policy alignment with best practice food provision and feeding practices.

Cross-sectional online study to assess written ECE CBNP using the Wellness Child Care Assessment Tool.

Licenced ECE centres in the state of Victoria, Australia.

ECE centres (operating at least 8 h per d, 48 weeks per annum), stratified by location (rural and metropolitan), centre management type (profit and not-for-profit) and socio-economic area (low, middle, high).

Included individual CBNP (n 118), predominantly from metropolitan centres (56 %) and low-medium socio-economic areas (78 %). Policies had low overall Wellness Child Care Assessment Tool scores, particularly strength scores which were low across all four domains (i.e. nutrition education, nutrition standards, health promotion and communication/evaluation). The nutrition standards domain had the lowest strength score. The communication/evaluation domain had the lowest comprehensiveness score. Content analysis indicated low scores may relate to the Wellness Child Care Assessment Tool applicability for the Australian context due to differences in best practice guidance.

Despite the presence of written nutrition policies in ECE centres, many showed weak language and lacked comprehensiveness and strength. This may relate to poor implementation of best practice food provision or feeding practices. Low scores, however, may partly stem from using an assessment tool that is not country-specific. The redevelopment of country-specific tools to assess ECE CBNP may be warranted.

Several meta-analyses have suggested the beneficial effect of vitamin D on patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2. This umbrella meta-analysis aims to evaluate influence of vitamin D supplementation on clinical outcomes and the mortality rate of COVID-19 patients.

Present study was designed as an umbrella meta-analysis. The following international databases were systematically searched till March 2023: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase.

Random-effects model was employed to perform meta-analysis. Using AMSTAR critical evaluation tools, the methodological quality of the included meta-analyses was evaluated.

Adult patients suffering from COVID-19 were studied.

Overall, 13 meta-analyses summarising data from 4 randomised controlled trial and 9 observational studies were identified in this umbrella review. Our findings revealed that vitamin D supplementation and status significantly reduced mortality of COVID-19 [Interventional studies: (ES = 0·42; 95 % CI: 0·10, 0·75, P < 0·001; I2 = 20·4 %, P = 0·285) and observational studies (ES = 1·99; 95 % CI: 1·37, 2·62, P < 0·001; I2 = 00·0 %, P = 0·944). Also, vitamin D deficiency increased the risk of infection and disease severity among patients.

Overall, vitamin D status is a critical factor influencing the mortality rate, disease severity, admission to intensive care unit and being detached from mechanical ventilation. It is vital to monitor the vitamin D status in all patients with critical conditions including COVID patients.

Switching regular salt (sodium chloride) to salt enriched with potassium chloride (25 % potassium chloride, 75 % sodium chloride) has been shown to reduce blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. We sought to define the potential for the current production of sodium chloride and potassium chloride to support a global switch to the use of potassium-enriched salt.

We summarised data from geological surveys, government reports and trade organisations describing the global production and supply of sodium chloride and potash (the primary source of potassium chloride) and compared this to potential requirements for potassium-enriched salt.

Global.

Not applicable.

Approximately 280 million tonnes of sodium chloride were produced in 2020 with China and the USA the main producers. Global production of potash from which potassium chloride is extracted was about forty-four million tonnes with Canada, Belarus, Russia and China providing 77 % of the world’s supply. There were forty-eight countries in which potassium-enriched salt is currently marketed with seventy-nine different brands identified. Allowing for loss of salt between manufacture and consumption, a full global switch from regular salt to potassium-enriched salt would require about 9·7 million tonnes of sodium chloride to be replaced with 9·7 million tonnes of potassium chloride annually.

Significant upscaling of the production of potassium chloride and the capacity of companies able to manufacture potassium-enriched salt, as well as a robust business case for the switch to potassium chloride, would be required.

To assess the nutritional status, growth parameters and lifestyle behaviours of children between 0·5 and 12 years in nationally representative samples in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in the four countries, between May 2019 and April 2021. Data collected can be categorised into four categories: (1) Growth – anthropometry, body composition, development disorder, (2) nutrient intake and dietary habits – 24-h dietary recall, child food habits, breast-feeding and complementary feeding, (3) socio-economic status – food insecurity and child health status/environmental and (4) lifestyle behaviours – physical activity patterns, fitness, sunlight exposure, sleep patterns, body image and behavioural problems. Blood samples were also collected for biochemical and metabolomic analyses. With the pandemic emerging during the study, a COVID-19 questionnaire was developed and implemented.

Both rural and urban areas in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Children who were well, with no physical disability or serious infections/injuries and between the age of 0·5 and 12 years old, were recruited.

The South East Asian Nutrition Surveys II recruited 13 933 children. Depending on the country, data collection from children was conducted in schools and commune health centres, or temples, or sub-district administrative organisations.

The results will provide up-to-date insights into nutritional status and lifestyle behaviours of children in the four countries. Subsequently, these data will facilitate exploration of potential gaps in dietary intake among Southeast Asian children and enable local authorities to plan future nutrition and lifestyle intervention strategies.

Most evidence supporting screening for undernutrition is for children aged 6–59 months. However, the highest risk of mortality and highest incidence of wasting occurs in the first 6 months of life. We evaluated relationships between neonatal anthropometric indicators, including birth weight, weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), weight-for-length Z-score (WLZ), length-for-age Z-score (LAZ) and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and mortality and growth at 6 months of age among infants in Burkina Faso.

Data arose from a randomised controlled trial evaluating neonatal azithromycin administration for the prevention of child mortality. We evaluated relationships between baseline anthropometric measures and mortality, wasting (WLZ < –2), stunting (LAZ < –2) and underweight (WAZ < –2) at 6 months of age were estimated using logistic regression models adjusted for the child’s age and sex.

Five regions of Burkina Faso.

Infants aged 8–27 d followed until 6 months of age.

Of 21 832 infants enrolled in the trial, 7·9 % were low birth weight (<2500 g), 13·3 % were wasted, 7·7 % were stunted and 7·4 % were underweight at enrolment. All anthropometric deficits were associated with mortality by 6 months of age, with WAZ the strongest predictor (WAZ < –2 to ≥ –3 at enrolment v. WAZ ≥ –2: adjusted OR, 3·91, 95 % CI, 2·21, 6·56). Low WAZ was also associated with wasting, stunting, and underweight at 6 months.

Interventions for identifying infants at highest risk of mortality and growth failure should consider WAZ as part of their screening protocol.