Even though sub-Saharan African women spend millions of person-hours per day fetching water and pounding grain, to date, few studies have rigorously assessed the energy expenditure costs of such domestic activities. As a result, most analyses that consider head-hauling water or hand pounding of grain with a mortar and pestle (pilão use) employ energy expenditure values derived from limited research. The current paper compares estimated energy expenditure values from heart rate monitors v. indirect calorimetry in order to understand some of the limitations with using such monitors to measure domestic activities.

This confirmation study estimates the metabolic equivalent of task (MET) value for head-hauling water and hand-pounding grain using both indirect calorimetry and heart rate monitors under laboratory conditions.

The study was conducted in Nampula, Mozambique.

Forty university students in Nampula city who recurrently engaged in water-fetching activities.

Including all participants, the mean MET value for head hauling 20 litres (20·5 kg, including container) of water (2·7 km/h, 0 % slope) was 4·3 (sd 0·9) and 3·7 (sd 1·2) for pilão use. Estimated energy expenditure predictions from a mixed model were found to correlate with observed energy expenditure (r2 0·68, r 0·82). Re-estimating the model with pilão use data excluded improved the fit substantially (r2 0·83, r 0·91).

The current study finds that heart rate monitors are suitable instruments for providing accurate quantification of energy expenditure for some domestic activities, such as head-hauling water, but are not appropriate for quantifying expenditures of other activities, such as hand-pounding grain.

To measure the prevalence of food insecurity and explore related characteristics and behaviours among people who inject drugs (PWID).

Cross-sectional analysis of a community-based programme for HIV infection among PWID (ARISTOTLE programme). Food insecurity was measured by the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Computer-assisted interviews and blood samples were also collected.

A fixed location in Athens Metropolitan Area, Greece, during 2012–2013.

In total, 2834 unique participants with history of injecting drug use in the past 12 months were recruited over four respondent-driven sampling rounds (approximately 1400/round).

More than 50 % of PWID were severely or moderately food insecure across all rounds. PWID were more likely to be severely food insecure if they were older than 40 years [adjusted OR (aOR): 1·71, 95 % CI: 1·33–2·19], were women (aOR: 1·49, 95 % CI: 1·17–1·89), from Middle East countries (aOR v. from Greece: 1·80, 95 % CI: 1·04–3·11), had a lower educational level (primary or secondary school v. higher education; aOR: 1·54, 95 % CI: 1·29–1·84), had no current health insurance (aOR: 1·45, 95 % CI: 1·21–1·73), were homeless (aOR: 17·1, 95 % CI: 12·3–23·8) or were living with another drug user (aOR: 1·55, 95 % CI: 1·26–1·91) as compared with those living alone or with family/friends. HIV-infected PWID were more likely to be severely food insecure compared with uninfected (59·0 % v. 51·0 %, respectively, P = 0·002); however, this difference was attributed to the confounding effect of homelessness.

Moderate/severe food insecurity was a significant problem, reaching > 50 % in this sample of PWID and closely related to socio-demographic characteristics and especially homelessness.

We examined sex effects on growth faltering in an indigenous population of Bedouin Arab infants born in Israel, an economically developed country.

Retrospective cohort study. Height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) at age 6, 12, 18 and 24 months was calculated for full-term, normal-birth-weight Bedouin infants born during years 2000–2009 and attending maternal and child health (MCH) clinics. Multivariate linear regression analysis (MLRA) was used to calculate the association between sex and HAZ, controlling for year of birth, birth weight (BW) and residence by type of settlement (established settlement (ES); non-established settlement (NES)).

Bedouin are an indigenous poor community of semi-nomadic Arabs, with the highest infant mortality rate in Israel. Fifty per cent of Bedouin infants live in NES with inadequate access to running water, electricity, and rubbish and sewage disposal. All Bedouin receive free well-baby care in community-based MCH clinics.

Full-term, normal Bedouin infants (n 5426) born during 2000–2009 and attending computerized MCH clinics who had growth measurements at age 6, 12, 18 and 24 months.

At all ages, girls had significantly higher mean HAZ than boys (P < 0·05). Increasing birth year, residence in ES and increasing BW were positively associated with HAZ (P < 0·05) at all ages. In MLRA controlling for birth year, BW and type of settlement, sex still had a significant effect, with lower HAZ among boys at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of age (P < 0·001 at all ages).

Our results indicated that sex effects on growth faltering can occur in an indigenous population with low socio-economic status within an economically developed country.

The aim of this study is to explore nutrition-related health needs, the perceptions and beliefs regarding the double burden of malnutrition, as well as barriers and facilitators in accessing nutritious food among the local population in rural Tanzania.

A qualitative study design using semi-structured individual interviews and focus-group discussions (FGD) was used. Basic socio-demographic information was obtained from all participants.

The study was conducted in four villages within the catchment area of the Shirati KMT Hospital in Rorya district, in north-western Tanzania.

Men and women in the reproductive age as well as Community Health Workers (CHW) were included.

In total, we performed fourteen interviews (N 41), consisting of four FGD, one dual and nine individual interviews. The three most significant topics that were identified are the large knowledge gap concerning overweight and obesity as a health problem, changing weather patterns and its implications on food supply and the socio-cultural drivers including gender roles and household dynamics.

Environmental and socio-cultural factors play a crucial role in the determinants for DBM, which underlines the importance of understanding the local context and the nutrition practices and beliefs of the communities. Future nutritional interventions should aim towards more inclusion of men in project implementation as well as support of women empowerment. CHW could play a key role in facilitating some of the suggested interventions, including nutritional counselling and increasing awareness on the drivers of the double burden of malnutrition.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of food insufficiency and its association with mental disorders and adverse childhood experiences (ACE) in Singapore.

This analysis utilised data from the Singapore Mental Health Study (SMHS 2016).

SMHS 2016 was a population-based, psychiatric epidemiological study conducted among Singapore residents.

Interviews were conducted with 6126 respondents. Respondents were included if they were aged 18 years and above, Singapore citizens or permanent residents and able to speak in English, Chinese or Malay.

The prevalence of food insufficiency was 2·0 % (95 % CI (1·6, 2·5)) among adult Singapore residents. Relative to respondents who did not endorse any ACE, those with ACE (OR: 2·9, 95 % CI (1·2, 6·6)) had higher odds of food insufficiency. In addition, there were significant associations between lifetime mental disorders and food insufficiency. Bipolar disorder (OR: 2·7, 95 % CI (1·2, 6·0)), generalised anxiety disorder (OR: 4·5, 95 % CI (1·5, 13·5)) and suicidal behaviour (OR: 2·37, 95 % CI (1·04, 5·41)) were shown to be significantly associated with higher odds of food insufficiency.

The prevalence of food insufficiency is low in Singapore. However, this study identifies a vulnerable group of food-insufficient adults that is significantly associated with mental disorders, including suicidality. Government-funded food assistance programmes and multi-agency efforts to deal with the social determinants of food insufficiency, such as income sufficiency and early detection and intervention of mental distress, are key to ensuring a sustainable and equitable food system.

Misreporting of energy intake (EI) in nutritional epidemiology is common and even severe among adolescents. Thus, the current study aims to examine the presence, bias and impact introduced by implausible reporters.

Cross-sectional.

Central and eastern regions of Peninsular Malaysia.

A stratified random sampling was employed to select 917 secondary school-going adolescents (aged 15–17 years).

The prevalence of under-reporters was 17·4 %, while no over-reporters were identified. Under-reporters had higher body composition and lower dietary intakes (except for vitamin C, Cr and Fl) compared with plausible reporters (P < 0·05). Adolescents with overweight and obesity had a higher odds of under-reporting compared with under-/normal weight adolescents (P < 0·001). In model 3, the highest regression coefficient (R2 = 0·404, P < 0·001) was obtained after adjusting for reporting status.

Overweight and obese adolescents were more likely to under-report their food intake and consequently affect nutrient intakes estimates. Future analyses that include nutrient intake data should adjust for reporting status so that the impact of misreporting on study outcomes can be conceded and consequently improve the accuracy of dietary-related results.

This research provides the first population-based investigation of intimate partner violence (IPV) and women’s dietary intake of iron and Vitamin A-rich foods using representative data from eight low- and middle-income countries.

Using multivariable logistic regression, we estimated the relationship between various forms of past year IPV (physical, emotional and sexual) and consumption of Vitamin A and iron-rich foods.

We conducted secondary data analysis of cross-sectional demographic and health surveys from Cambodia (2021, n 5640), Nepal (2022, n 4179), Sierra Leone (2019, n 3812), Nigeria (2018, n 8313), Tajikistan (2017, n 4800), Cote D’Ivoire (2021, n 3656), Kenya (2022, n 10 758) and the Philippines (2022, n 12 278).

Women of reproductive age (15–49 years) comprised the analytical sample.

Results revealed distinct relationship patterns between various IPV forms and women’s dietary consumption of micronutrient-rich foods. The most consistent relationships being that past year (i) sexual IPV (adjusted OR (aOR): 0·72, 95 % CI: 0·53, 0·98), (ii) physical IPV (aOR: 0·86, 95 % CI: 0·73, 1·01) and (iii) emotional IPV (aOR: 0·81, 95 % CI: 0·70, 0·94) significantly reduced the odds of consuming iron-rich foods in the pooled analyses. Due to between-country heterogeneity concerning the relationship between IPV and Vitamin A, pooled estimates for dietary vitamin A consumption were non-significant. However, in the Philippines, IPV was associated with reduced dietary Vitamin A intake.

IPV is associated with altered dietary intake patterns and between-country differences could be due to different food environments. Mechanisms explaining our findings may involve consequences of IPV that impact diet and dietary practices: depression, control of resources and physical trauma.

To examine diet quality and diet-related factors among male adults of reproductive age with and without disabilities.

Cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2013–2018.

Disability was reported as serious difficulty hearing, seeing, concentrating, walking, dressing and/or running errands due to physical, mental or emotional conditions. Diet quality was assessed by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 and diet-related factors included self-rated diet healthfulness, food security and food assistance programmes. Multivariable linear regression estimated differences in HEI-2015 scores. Multivariable Poisson regression estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95 % CI for diet-related factors.

In total, 3249 males, 18–44 years; of whom, 441 (13·4 %) reported having disabilities.

Compared with males without disabilities, those with disabilities had a 2·69-point (95 % CI: –4·18, –1·20) lower mean total HEI-2015 score and approximately one-third to half of a point lower HEI-2015 component scores for greens and beans, total protein foods, seafood and plant proteins, fatty acids and added sugars. Males with any disabilities were more likely to have low food security (aPR = 1·57; 95 % CI: 1·28, 2·92); household participation in food assistance programmes (aPR = 1·61; 95 % CI: 1·34, 1·93) and consume fast food meals during the previous week (1–3 meals: aPR = 1·11; 95 % CI: 1·01–1·21 and 4 or more meals: aPR = 1·18; 95 % CI: 1·01–1·38) compared with males with no disabilities.

Factors affecting diet and other modifiable health behaviours among male adults of reproductive age with disabilities require further investigation. Health promotion strategies that are adaptive to diverse populations within the disability community are needed.

Limited research is available on how motivations to adopt plant-based diets and nutrition literacy influence diet quality. This study assessed diet quality, diet motives and nutrition literacy in vegans, vegetarians and semi-vegetarians and investigated predictors of dietary quality.

Cross-sectional study, participants completed an online survey about diet-related motives and nutrition literacy. Dietary intake was assessed with the Diet History Questionnaire III, and diet quality was calculated with the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015. A one-way ANCOVA was used to compare diet quality, nutrition literacy and diet motives among diets. Hierarchical regression analysis was performed to identify significant predictors of diet quality.

Online survey, participants were recruited through paid targeted social media (Facebook/Instagram) advertising.

Adults following a plant-based diet, including 117 (52·5 %) vegans, 51 (22·9 %) vegetarians and 55 (24·6 %) semi-vegetarians.

Vegans had higher HEI-2015 scores (80·8 (sd 6·5), P < 0·001) compared to vegetarians (75·1 (sd 9·1)) and semi-vegetarians (76·8 (sd 7·5)). Most participants (74 %) had good nutrition literacy scores. Total nutrition literacy did not differ between groups, but vegans had higher vegetarian nutrition literacy than vegetarians and semi-vegetarians (P < 0·001). Ecological welfare, health and sensory appeal were highly important to all participants. Motives accounted for 12·8 % of the variance in diet quality scores. HEI-2015 scores were positively associated with motives of health and natural content, but negatively associated with weight control motivation (all P < 0·05).

Individuals following plant-based dietary patterns have high diet quality and nutrition literacy. Messages valuing intrinsic over extrinsic factors may facilitate healthier dietary adherence in this population.

To develop a child- and adolescent-appropriate physical activity frequency questionnaire (PAFQ) in Tunisia, North Africa.

A PAFQ was developed from a physical activity (PA) inventory that comprised major activity components (at home, preparing meals, school time, transport, non-sport leisure, sports, prayer and sleeping time). Then, type and duration of each activity undertaken during the past week were estimated. Total energy expenditure (TEE) estimated by the PAFQ was compared with data derived from two criterion methods: heart-rate monitoring (HRM) and a 24 h PA recall (24h-R), both collected during a 3 d period including one weekday and two weekend days.

Two elementary schools and two high schools of the most developed and urbanized area, Greater Tunis.

One hundred and forty-two volunteer children and adolescents aged 10–19 years.

The PAFQ strongly was correlated with both HRM (r = 0·70; 95 % CI 0·62, 0·76) and 24h-R (r = 0·81; 95 % CI 0·77, 0·84). It featured acceptable agreement with both criterion measures, slightly underestimating TEE compared with 24h-R (−2·8 %, mean of individual differences −272·7 kJ/d; 95 % CI −490·6, −57·4 kJ/d) and moderately overestimating it compared with HRM (+11·3 %, mean of individual differences +1106·2 kJ/d; 95 % CI 845·8, 1366·6 kJ/d). Reliability ranged from moderate to good (weighted kappa coefficients from 0·47 to 0·78 and intra-class correlation coefficients between 0·79 and 0·86 for energy expenditure by PA categories), indicating strong agreement between the two assessments.

This PAFQ could be useful in the description and surveillance of PA patterns or for the evaluation of population-based interventions directed at promoting PA in Tunisian children and adolescents.

Consideration of future consequences (CFC) distinguishes individuals who adopt behaviours based on immediate needs and concerns from individuals who consider the future consequences of their behaviours. We aimed to assess the association between CFC and diet, and testing the mediating role of food choice motives on this relationship.

Individuals (aged ≥ 18 years) completed the CFC-12 questionnaire in 2014, at least three 24-h dietary records, and a food choice motive questionnaire. A multiple mediator analysis allowed to assess the mediating effect of food choice motives on the cross-sectional association between CFC and diet, adjusted for socio-demographic factors.

Data from the NutriNet-Santé cohort study.

27 330 participants.

CFC was associated with all food choice motives (P < 0·001), with the strongest positive associations for avoidance for environmental reasons, absence of contaminants and health motives and the strongest negative associations for innovation and convenience. Positive total effects were found between CFC and the consumption of healthy food groups (fruits and vegetables, whole-grain foods, legumes), and negative total effects for alcohol, meat and poultry and processed meat (P < 0·001). CFC was positively associated with diet quality (P < 0·001). Across food groups, major mediators of these relationships were higher health (8·4–32·6%), higher environmental (13·7–22·1 %) and lower innovation (7·3–25·1 %) concerns.

CFC was associated with healthier dietary intake, essentially mediated by a greater motivation of future-oriented participants for self-centred and altruistic outcomes, including health and environment. Focusing on the awareness of future benefits in public health interventions might lead to healthier dietary behaviours.

Dietary assessment tools should be designed for the target population. We developed an FFQ designed to assess diet in South Asian women in Norway. The study objective was to evaluate this FFQ using 24-h dietary recalls as reference method.

Approximately 3 weeks after the participants (n 40) had filled in the FFQ, the first of three non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls was completed. The recalls were telephone-based, unannounced and performed by a trained dietitian, with 2–3 weeks between each interview.

The DIASA 1 study, in Oslo, Norway.

Women of South Asian ethnic origin participating in the DIASA 1 study were invited to participate in the evaluation study.

The WebFFQasia significantly overestimated the absolute intake of energy, protein, fat and carbohydrates compared with the 24-h dietary recalls. Absolute intakes of sugar, starch and fibre did not differ significantly between the methods. For energy percentages (E%), there were no significant differences, except for monounsaturated fat. Correlations were strong for E% from sugar and saturated fat and moderate for E% from fibre, carbohydrate, total fat and protein. Fourteen food groups out of twenty three were not significantly different compared with the reference method, and sixteen groups showed strong to moderate correlations.

The WebFFQasia may be used to assess E% from habitual diet and can adequately estimate intakes and rank participants according to nutrient intake and main food categories at group level.