To study (1) the differences in dietary climate impact between sociodemographic groups, (2) the differences in food consumption and macronutrient intake as absolute amounts and in relation to energy intake by dietary climate impact level and (3) food groups as contributors of dietary climate impact.

Food consumption and energy and macronutrient intakes were calculated based on two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls. Dietary climate impact was calculated using national coefficients produced with life cycle assessment. Regression analysis was used to test the mean differences between sociodemographic groups and sex-specific dietary climate impact tertiles.

Finnish national food consumption survey FinDiet 2017.

In total, 565 men and 682 women (age 18–74) after exclusion of energy under-reporters.

The mean daily dietary climate impact was higher in men than in women (5·6 v. 4·0 kg CO2eq) and in younger age group (18–44 years) than in older age group (65–74 years). The association of food consumption and dietary climate impact was mainly different for food consumption as absolute amounts (g/d) and in relation to energy (g/MJ). In relation to energy, the consumption of animal-based foods was higher and plant-based foods lower in the highest dietary climate impact tertile compared with the lowest tertile. Red and processed meat was a major contributor to dietary climate impact.

Our study emphasises the importance of considering food consumption and nutrient intake both as absolute amounts and in relation to energy intake. Our findings support the advantages of plant-based diets in being both healthier and more climate-friendly.

A high rate of food insecurity among college students has been documented in various studies. Knowledge gaps exist regarding food insecurity and cultural food access among international college students. We explored the demographic correlations of food insecurity and cultural food access and affordability for international college students.

Cross-sectional online survey from 2 to 16 November 2022.

A public university in the southwestern USA.

Three hundred and thirty-five international undergraduate and graduate students.

About 22 % of the sample reported high food security, 18 % marginal food security, 30 % low food security and 31 % very low food security. Twenty-seven percent reported that they were able to find cultural foods at the university, and 29 % reported that they were able to afford the cultural foods available on campus. Enrolment status, primary caregiver status, housing location and vehicle ownership predicted food security status. Region of origin, gender, being a primary caregiver for an adult with special needs and vehicle ownership were associated with access to cultural foods. Region of origin, being a primary caregiver for children, housing location and vehicle ownership were associated with being able to afford cultural foods on campus. The predictors differ between undergraduate and graduate international students.

Researchers and student services professionals who develop programmes and resources to support international students should consider differences within the group of international students, especially differences by region of origin and degree status (undergraduate v. graduate), and work to ensure students have access to reliable transportation.

We examined whether point-of-sale warning posters, compared with control posters, reduced Guatemalan adolescents’ purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) at school stores.

We used a difference-in-differences approach (4-week baseline and 4-week treatment). Our primary analysis compared two schools assigned to an intervention warning poster to one school that displayed a control poster. Based on purchase transaction data, the outcomes were volume of SSB, beverage kcal and sugar purchased per transaction.

Three private schools in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Students between 12 and 18 years of age.

Our primary analysis found that the warning poster decreased the overall volume of SSB (in ounces) that adolescents purchased in the warning poster intervention schools (−2·27 oz. 95 % CI = (−2·70, −1·85)) compared with the control school. This reduction was driven by a decrease in SSB purchases (OR = 0·64, 95 % CI = (0·49, 0·86)). The warning posters were associated with a significant reduction in likelihood of purchasing a beverage with kilocalories (calories) (OR = 0·68, 95 % CI = (0·49, 0·92)). These changes were associated with a significant overall decrease in sugar purchased (−5·54 g 95 % CI = (−6·69, −4·39)). The posters were associated with a significant increase in non-SSB purchases in the intervention schools compared with the control school (OR = 1·53, 95 % CI = (1·16, 2·02)).

Our results suggest that messages that warn adolescents about the high-sugar content in SSB may be an effective, low-cost way to modestly reduce purchases of these drinks. These findings provide evidence to support national front-of-package labelling, currently being considered in Guatemala.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are shown to promote disease. Research shows high UPF intake with food insecurity and SNAP participation. However, no research has quantitatively examined UPF acquisitions (which includes purchases) by food insecurity and SNAP status in US households. This analysis examines food insecurity and SNAP participation with UPF acquisitions for home consumption.

Food insecurity was assessed through the ten-item Adult Food Security Survey. Household SNAP participation was considered affirmative if any member of the household reported receiving SNAP benefits. Household UPF acquisitions/purchases for home consumption (as a percentage of total energy acquired/purchased) were determined by the NOVA classification system. Multivariable linear regressions adjusted for household sociodemographic characteristics quantified associations between food insecurity and SNAP participation with UPF acquisitions for home consumption in US households.

The USA.

3949 households from the National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey.

15·5 % and 13·9 % of US households experienced marginal food security and food insecurity, respectively. Adjusted means for UPF acquisition for home consumption across food security and SNAP categories ranged from 53·2 % to 57·0 %. Marginal food security was associated with 3·8 % higher UPF acquisitions for home consumption (P = 0·0039) compared with households with high food security. However, there was no association with food insecurity or SNAP.

UPF acquisitions for home consumption were high for US households across food security and SNAP categories. Marginal food security was associated with higher UPF acquisitions for home consumption in US households. However, we observed no associations between food insecurity and SNAP participation with UPF acquisitions. More research on drivers of this association for households with marginal food security should be conducted.

The Dutch Children’s Food Literacy Questionnaire (DCFLQ) was developed and validated to assess food literacy among children aged 8–12 years. The DCFLQ is structured around farm-to-fork principles, including questions on food production, distribution, consumption, waste, and sustainability.

After initial item pool creation, the DCFLQ was developed in collaboration with experts and children. The validation process included assessments of reliability and construct validity, as well as a test–retest evaluation in a subgroup of children.

The expert panel consisted of domain-related researchers, a pedagogue, a paediatrician, dietitians and a primary school teacher. Children were recruited via primary schools and a sports club.

A total of eleven experts and twenty-seven children participated in the development process; 608 children participated in the validation process.

The final questionnaire comprised twenty-nine questions and demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0·80) and test–retest reliability (ICC = 0·81). DCFLQ scores positively correlated with age, indicating that food literacy is higher in older children.

The DCFLQ is a valuable tool for assessing the effectiveness of nutrition intervention programmes and monitoring Dutch children’s food literacy over time. International expert consensus on developing food literacy instruments is needed, as diversity in assessment tools impedes cross-cultural comparisons.

Nutrition plays a valuable role in health promotion and disease prevention. Nutrition education for healthcare professionals (HCPs) has been widely explored globally. However, it has not been investigated extensively within Ireland. This research aimed to assess references to nutrition within education programmes, accreditation curricula standards and registration requirements of professional bodies for primary care and community HCPs in Ireland.

A cross-sectional content analysis was conducted. Data collection was carried out in October 2024.

Ireland

A sample of primary care and community HCPs was included (n 10). An online search identified education programmes (undergraduate and postgraduate), accreditation curriculum standards and registration requirements from professional bodies governing primary care and community HCPs. Relevant webpages and documentation were reviewed to determine direct references to nutrition (e.g. ‘diet’, ‘nutrition’, ‘eating’, ‘food’) and/or indirect references to nutrition (e.g. ‘health promotion’ and ‘well-being’).

Out of fifty-two education programmes, 26·9 % (n 14) made direct reference to nutrition, with the majority (n 8) of these being postgraduate level. Furthermore, 20 % (n 2) of the HCP bodies referred directly to nutrition within their registration requirements (one of which was for dietitians), and 50 % (n 5) referred directly to nutrition within their accreditation standards.

This research demonstrates a sparsity of nutrition within key education standards for primary care and community HCPs in Ireland. Key recommendations include a call to action for formal and consistent embedding of nutrition within education for medical professionals in Ireland, in line with international best practice.

To map the spread of research on legumes, including beans, peas and other pulses; to identify research gaps and opportunities relating to the use of legumes for improved human nutrition, health and environmental outcomes; and to develop a novel method for clarifying research priorities.

Prospective mapping review, identifying and mapping ongoing research (2019–2023) across the value chain.

UK.

Academic research studies in three databases.

Fifty ongoing research projects were identified, revealing a focus on the two ends of the value chain: production (twenty-one projects) and consumption (twenty-one projects). Only four projects encompassed the entire value chain from producer to consumer. Research on production includes the role of legumes in crop rotations for soil health and reduced fertiliser use, productivity interventions and improved breeds. Research on consumption includes dietary and health outcomes, predominantly cardiometabolic impacts, and legumes as an alternative protein source. Few projects focused on the middle of the value chain (four projects on product development) with none focused on processing, food service or retail.

Further interdisciplinary projects, linking producers to consumers and with a greater focus on middle-chain actors, are needed. The food processing/manufacturing, food service and retail sectors hold significant power in food systems practice and governance. They play a crucial role in transitioning to a healthier and more sustainable food system. Understanding the drivers and barriers for these food systems actors in increasing production and consumption of beans, peas and pulses is required to inform future food policy and practice.

To examine the efficacy of a food-based intervention on preschool children’s (3–5 years) fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption, as measured by skin carotenoid status (SCS) using the Veggie Meter®.

Quasi-experimental intervention with baseline (T1), pre-intervention (T2) and post-intervention (T3) assessments of children’s SCS. Intervention classrooms (ICs) received the programme, which featured food-based learning (FBL) and gardening. Comparison classrooms (CC) received a standard curriculum. Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) aligned menus were identical across all centres. Intervention teachers participated in semi-structured interviews to contextualise quantitative findings.

Head Start centres (n 7) across three counties in North Carolina.

183 Head Start children (n 88 IC; n 95 CC)

During the intervention period (T2–T3), significant SCS increases were observed in both groups: IC (T2 = 253·7, sd = 77·7; T3 = 299·0, sd = 77·4) and CC (T2 = 226·6, sd = 77·5; T3 = 255·9, sd = 79·9). The IC demonstrated a greater gain in SCS (17·8 % gain) than the CC (12·9 % gain). However, additional analyses revealed no significant difference in the SCS rate of change over time (P = 0·33). Teachers reported that the intervention improved children’s willingness to try fruits and vegetables and encouraged positive feeding practices beyond the mealtime setting.

The findings suggest that increased access to FVs through CACFP-supported meals and snacks may influence children’s overall improved FV consumption. However, improved food access paired with FBL may also support higher gains in FV consumption.

To determine whether gestational vitamin D status modulates the effect of pre-pregnancy obesity on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk while stratifying by maternal age.

Birth cohort.

A major maternity hospital in Kuwait.

Pregnant women in their second/third trimester of gestation were enrolled. Pre-pregnancy BMI (kg/m2) was categorised as under/normal weight (< 25·0), overweight (25·0 to < 30·0) and obesity (≥ 30·0). Gestational 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were categorised as deficiency (< 50 nmol/l) or insufficiency/sufficiency (≥ 50 nmol/l). GDM status was ascertained according to international guidelines. Adjusted OR (aOR) and 95 % CI were estimated using logistic regression.

Data from 957 pregnant women were analysed, with GDM affecting 166 (17·4 %) pregnancies. Pre-pregnancy obesity and gestational vitamin D deficiency were ascertained in 275 (28·7 %) and 533 (55·7 %) pregnant women, respectively. The association between pre-pregnancy obesity and GDM risk differed according to maternal age and gestational vitamin D status (Pinteraction[BMI × age × vitamin D] = 0·041). Among women aged < 35 years (n 710), pre-pregnancy obesity compared to under/normal weight was associated with increased GDM risk among women with gestational vitamin D deficiency (aOR: 2·72, 95 % CI: 1·18, 6·23) and vitamin D insufficiency/sufficiency (2·55, 1·15, 5·62). In contrast, among women aged ≥ 35 years (n 247), pre-pregnancy obesity compared to under/normal weight was associated with increased GDM risk among women with gestational vitamin D deficiency (6·92, 1·45, 33·04), but not among women with vitamin D insufficiency/sufficiency (1·13, 0·36, 3·56).

Gestational vitamin D status modulates the effect of pre-pregnancy obesity on GDM risk in an age-specific manner.

To assess the feasibility of using large language models (LLM) to develop research questions about changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food packages.

We conducted a controlled experiment using ChatGPT-4 and its plugin, MixerBox Scholarly, to generate research questions based on a section of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) summary of the final public comments on the WIC revision. Five questions weekly for 3 weeks were generated using LLM under two conditions: fed with or without relevant literature. The experiment generated ninety questions, which were evaluated using the Feasibility, Innovation, Novelty, Ethics and Relevance criteria. t tests and multivariate regression examined the difference by feeding status, artificial intelligence model, evaluator and criterion.

The United States.

Six WIC expert evaluators from academia, government, industry and non-profit sectors.

Five themes were identified: administrative barriers, nutrition outcomes, participant preferences, economics and other topics. Feeding and non-feeding groups had no significant differences (Coeff. = 0·03, P = 0·52). MixerBox-generated questions received significantly lower scores than ChatGPT (Coeff. = –0·11, P = 0·02). Ethics scores were significantly higher than feasibility scores (Coeff. = 0·65, P < 0·001). Significant differences were found between the evaluators (P < 0·001).

The LLM applications can assist in developing research questions with acceptable qualities related to the WIC food package revisions. Future research is needed to compare the development of research questions between LLM and human researchers.

This study sought to explore how food company representatives perceive the food industry’s role in responding to and driving consumer demand for healthy and unhealthy foods.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2022 by 2–3 researchers to explore food company representatives’ perspectives related to consumer demand for healthy and unhealthy food. Detailed field notes, including verbatim quotes, were recorded, and the data were analysed thematically.

This study was part of a government-funded 12-month intervention programme to assess the impact of tailored support for food companies on company nutrition-related policies and practices.

Thirty-two food company representatives from thirteen large food and beverage manufacturers in Australia.

Six themes were identified. Company representatives acknowledged that manufacturers actively shaped demand for both healthy and unhealthy foods. Healthy reformulation and aspects of nutrition labelling were constrained by anticipated consumer resistance, while demand for ‘less healthy’ products was driven by non-health attributes such as taste, comfort and affordability. Internal company marketing teams held significant influence regarding product development, promotion and labelling. Supermarkets were perceived as shaping demand via their marketing strategies. The competitive landscape, driven by the pursuit of market share, was seen to fuel an ongoing cycle of promotion of ‘less healthy’ products.

Food companies acknowledge playing an active role in influencing consumer demand for healthy and unhealthy food and beverages. A whole-of-system response, including changes in government regulation and practice change by the food industry, is needed to drive stronger action and accountability from food companies to support healthier diets.

To investigate the extent to which the associations of socio-economic position (SEP) with stunting and wasting are mediated by minimum acceptable diet (MAD) and a family care indicator (FCI) in Sri Lanka.

Secondary data analysis of children from the 2016 Sri Lanka Demographic and Health Survey. The outcomes were stunting and wasting, the exposure was a composite measure combining maternal education and household wealth, and the mediators were binary MAD and FCI variables (adequate v. inadequate). Analyses were performed using counterfactual mediation models adjusted for age, sex and place of residence.

A nationally representative sample of children from Sri Lanka.

Mothers/caregivers of children under 36 months (4325).

Twenty per cent of children were stunted, and 14 % were wasted. Lower SEP was associated with higher odds of stunting and wasting and inadequate MAD and FCI. Inadequate FCI was associated with higher odds of stunting (OR = 1·47, 95 % CI = 1·24, 1·74) but not wasting (OR = 1·14, 95 % CI = 0·94, 1·38), whereas MAD was not associated with stunting or wasting. Neither MAD nor FCI significantly mediated the relationship between SEP and stunting and wasting. All mediation estimates were statistically non-significant at the 5 % level. For example, the proportion mediated by FCI on the association between the lowest composite SEP and stunting was 13 % (mean difference = 0·13, 95 % CI = < 0·00, 0·26).

We did not find consistent or strong evidence that the associations of SEP with childhood stunting and wasting in Sri Lanka are mediated by MAD and FCI. Research with larger samples is needed for more precise estimates.

Existing evidence suggests a potential association between coffee consumption and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, now known as MASLD), yet the nature of this relationship remains ambiguous. The primary objective of this study was to comprehensively investigate and clarify the association between coffee intake and the occurrence of NAFLD.

A cross-sectional study design was employed, analysing data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning from 2013 to 2018. Weighted univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were utilised to assess the relationship between coffee consumption and NAFLD. Restricted cubic spline analysis was conducted to explore any potential nonlinear associations. Forest plots were generated to visualise the impact of coffee consumption on NAFLD across different subgroups, and threshold effect analysis was performed to evaluate the nonlinear relationship between coffee consumption and NAFLD prevalence specifically in women.

Data were from the US – representative NHANES.

8062 subjects aged ≥ 20 years were included.

The weighted prevalence of NAFLD among the participants was 44·18 %. After controlling for confounding variables, coffee consumption was found to be negatively associated with the risk of NAFLD (OR = 0·96, 95 % CI: 0·94, 0·99). The association between coffee consumption and NAFLD was observed to vary by gender and education level. For the prevention of NAFLD in women, the optimal coffee intake was determined to be two cups.

Increasing coffee intake emerges as a potentially effective non-pharmacological strategy for the prevention and management of NAFLD. Notably, for women, consuming two cups of coffee appears to represent the optimal threshold for maximising this beneficial effect.

To examine how race, income and food insecurity (FI) interact during pregnancy and whether FI contributes to disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.

Observational cohort study employed sequential explanatory a mixed-methods design, with a survey phase (including Household Food Security Survey Module [HFSSM] six-item) and medical record abstraction followed by semi-structured interviews.

Online survey, virtual interviews.

The participants were individuals who gave birth in Louisiana, USA, between June 2020 and June 2021. The quantitative phase comprised 1691 individuals who completed the survey. A nested cohort of forty individuals (evenly split by race (Black v. White) and income (low v. high)) subsequently completed semi-structured interviews.

Race and income were independently associated with both FI and maternal and infant health outcomes. When considering both income and FI, low-income individuals with FI were 1·73 times more likely to deliver low birthweight (LBW) infants (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 95 % CI: 1·07, 2·82) and 1·43 times more likely to experience adverse infant outcomes (aOR 95 % CI: 1·02, 2·00) than high-income individuals without FI. Black individuals with FI were 2·49 times more likely to deliver LBW infants (aOR 95 % CI: 1·45, 4·29) than White individuals without FI. Interview findings revealed low-income individuals faced disproportionate barriers to accessing healthy food and making dietary choices, which were further complicated by pregnancy-related conditions.

The interplay between race, income and FI significantly increases the risk of adverse infant health outcomes, demonstrating a synergistic effect. Targeted efforts to address FI, particularly among low-income pregnant individuals, are essential to improving maternal and infant health outcomes.

To estimate the prevalence of nutrition security and examine its association with community food environment factors, including food access and affordability.

This cross-sectional study used data from the 2012–2013 National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey, including its restricted-use Geography Component (FoodAPS-GC). Household nutrition security measure was derived by combining self-assessed food security and self-rated diet quality indicators into four categories: food secure with high diet quality (FSHD), food secure with low diet quality (FSLD), food insecure with high diet quality (FIHD) and food insecure with low diet quality (FILD). Only FSHD households were considered nutrition secure. Multinomial logit analysis identified factors associated with nutrition security.

4685 households with primary respondents aged 20 years or older

Nationally representative sample of US households

Approximately 31·0 % of households were classified as nutrition insecure, including 15·0 % as FSLD, 9·3 % as FIHD and 6·7 % as FILD. The remaining 69·0 % were nutrition secure (FSHD). Nutrition insecurity was significantly associated with younger age, lower educational attainment, lower income, obesity, smoking and poorer self-rated health. Food environment factors, including low geographic access to food and higher local food prices, were not significantly associated with nutrition security. Relying on someone else’s car to reach a primary food store was linked to higher odds of nutrition insecurity.

The proposed nutrition security measure can be used to monitor nutrition security in national surveys. Comprehensive measures of the food environment are needed to understand its relationship with nutrition security and to guide targeted policy interventions.

This study aimed (1) to characterise the use and prevalence of nutrition and health claims (NHC) and (2) to examine the association between NHC and the potential presence of Health Canada’s front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition symbol indicating high saturated fats, sugars and/or Na on a sample of Canadian prepackaged food products.

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on five categories of prepackaged food products. Label components were classified using the International Network for Food and Obesity/non-communicable diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS) labelling taxonomy. Products’ nutritional profile was evaluated using Health Canada’s FOP symbol nutrient thresholds for saturated fats, sugars and Na.

Data were obtained from the Food Quality Observatory database, collected between 2018 and 2022 from food retailers in Québec City and the Greater Montreal Area or online.

A total of 2937 food products were evaluated from five food categories: breakfast cereals (n 392), cookies and granola bars (n 983), flavoured milks and plant-based alternative beverages (n 202), salty snacks and crackers (n 1063) and yogurts and plant-based yogurt alternatives (n 297).

Overall, 74·2 % of food products had an NHC and 28·9 % had an NHC and would require to display the FOP symbol. Food products that would require the FOP symbol were less likely to carry an NHC.

The results demonstrate substantial use of marketing techniques highlighting positive product attributes. Given the potential for inconsistent messaging on food products carrying NHC and the FOP symbol, these results highlight an opportunity to improve Canadian labelling regulations by restricting the use of NHC on products high in saturated fats, sugars and/or Na.