To map the scientific research on food environments in Brazil, based on the following questions: How many studies have addressed food environments?; What study designs and methodological approaches were applied?; What is the geographic scope of the studies?; What scenarios and dimensions of food environments were studied?; Which population groups were studied?; How were food environments conceptualised?; What are the main limitations of the studies?

Scoping review conducted in four databases, from January 2005 to December 2022, using different food environment-related terms to cover the main types and dimensions proposed in the literature. The studies were independently selected by two authors. A narrative synthesis was used to summarise the findings.

Brazil.

130 articles.

Scientific research on Brazilian food environments has been increasing. The analytical quantitative approach and the cross-sectional design were the most frequently used. Most articles were published in English. The majority of studies evaluated the community food environment, addressed aspects of the physical dimension, sampled the adult population, had food consumption as an outcome, used primary data, and were carried out in capital cities in the Southeast region. Furthermore, in most articles, no conceptual model was explicitly adopted.

Gaps in literature are related to the need for conducting studies in the Brazilian countryside, the support for the formulation of research questions based on conceptual models, the use of valid and reliable instruments to collect primary data, in addition to the need for a greater number of longitudinal, intervention and qualitative studies.

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) are implicated in the increasing risk of diabetes in the Caribbean. Few studies have examined associations between SSB consumption and diabetes in the Caribbean.

SSB was measured as teaspoon/d using questions from the National Cancer Institute Dietary Screener Questionnaire about intake of soda, juice and coffee/tea during the past month. Diabetes was measured using self-report, HbA1C and use of medication. Logistic regression was used to examine associations.

Baseline data from the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network Cohort Study (ECS), collected in Barbados, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago and US Virgin Islands, were used for analysis.

Participants (n 1701) enrolled in the ECS.

Thirty-six percentage of participants were unaware of their diabetes, 33% aware and 31% normoglycaemic. Total mean intake of added sugar from SSB was higher among persons 40–49 (9·4 tsp/d), men (9·2 tsp/d) and persons with low education (7·0 tsp/d). Participants who were unaware (7·4 tsp/d) or did not have diabetes (7·6 tsp/d) had higher mean SSB intake compared to those with known diabetes (5·6 tsp/d). In multivariate analysis, total added sugar from beverages was not significantly associated with diabetes status. Results by beverage type showed consumption of added sugar from soda was associated with greater odds of known (OR = 1·37, 95 % CI (1·03, 1·82)) and unknown diabetes (OR = 1·54, 95 % CI (1·12, 2·13)).

Findings indicate the need for continued implementation and evaluation of policies and interventions to reduce SSB consumption in the Caribbean.

To assess urban–rural disparities in the association between long-term exposure to high altitude and malnutrition among children under 5 years old.

A three-stage, stratified, cluster sampling was used to randomly select eligible individuals from July to October 2020. The data of participants, including demographic characteristics, altitude of residence, and nutritional status, were collected via questionnaire and physical examination.

Tibet, China.

Children under 5 years old in Tibet.

Totally, 1975 children under 5 years old were included in this study. We found that an additional 1000 m increase in altitude was associated with decreased Z-scores of height-for-age (β = –0·23, 95 % CI: –0·38, –0·08), Z-scores of weight-for-age (β = –0·24, 95 % CI: –0·39, –0·10). The OR for stunting and underweight were 2·03 (95 % CI: 1·51 to 2·73) and 2·04 (95 % CI: 1·38 to 3·02) per 1000 m increase in altitude, respectively; and OR increased rapidly at an altitude above 3500 m. The effects of long-term exposure to high altitudes on the prevalence of underweight in rural children were higher than that in urban children (P < 0·05).

High-altitude exposure is tightly associated with malnutrition among children under 5 years old. Improving children’s nutrition is urgently needed in areas above 3500 m, especially in rural ones.

We investigated the association between dietary oxidative balance score (DOBS) and mortality and whether this association can be modified by sleep duration.

We calculated DOBS to estimate the overall oxidative effects of the diet, with higher DOBS reflecting more antioxidant intake and less pro-oxidant intake. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to examine the associations between DOBS and all-cause, CVD and cancer mortality in the general population and people with different sleep durations.

Prospective analysis was conducted using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2005–2015).

A total of 15 991 US adults with complete information on dietary intake, sleep duration and mortality were included.

During a median follow-up of 7·4 years, 1675 deaths were observed. Participants in the highest quartile of DOBS were significantly associated with the lower risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 0·75; 95 % CI 0·61, 0·93) compared with those in the lowest. Furthermore, we found statistically significant interactions between DOBS and sleep duration on all-cause mortality (P interaction = 0·021). The inverse association between DOBS and all-cause mortality was significant in short sleepers (HR = 0·66, 95 % CI 0·48, 0·92), but not in normal and long sleepers.

Our study observed that higher DOBS was associated with lower all-cause mortality, and this association appeared to be stronger among short sleepers. This study provides nutritional guidelines for improving health outcomes in adults, especially for short sleepers.

The school food environment (SFE) is an ideal setting for encouraging healthy dietary behaviour. We aimed to develop an instrument to assess whole-SFE, test the instrument in the school setting and demonstrate its use to make food environment recommendations.

SFE literature and UK school food guidance were searched to inform instrument items. The instrument consisted of (i) an observation proforma capturing canteen areas systems, food presentation and monitoring of food intake and (ii) a questionnaire assessing food policies, provision and activities. The instrument was tested in schools and used to develop SFE recommendations. Descriptive analyses enabled narrative discussion.

Primary schools.

An observation was undertaken at schools in urban and rural geographical regions of Northern Ireland of varying socio-economic status (n 18). School senior management completed the questionnaire with input from school caterers (n 16).

The instrument captured desired detail and potential instrument modifications were identified. SFE varied. Differences existed between food policies and how policies were implemented and monitored. At many schools, there was scope to enhance physical eating environments (n 12, 67 %) and food presentation (n 15, 83 %); emphasise healthy eating through food activities (n 7, 78 %) and increase parental engagement in school food (n 9, 56 %).

The developed instrument can measure whole-SFE in primary schools and also enabled identification of recommendations to enhance SFE. Further assessment and adaptation of the instrument are required to enable future use as a research tool or for self-assessment use by schools.

This study aims to explore the association between coffee consumption and the prevalence of hearing loss in American adults based on a national population-based survey.

Cross-sectional analysis of reported audiometric status and coffee intake from the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Multivariate logistic regression, forest plots and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to explore the associations and dose–response relationships between coffee consumption frequency and hearing loss.

The USA.

This study included 1894 individuals aged ≥ 20 from the 2003–2006 NHANES.

In this study, the prevalence of speech-frequency hearing loss (SFHL) and high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL) among the participants was 35·90 % and 51·54 %, respectively. Compared with those who no consumed coffee, non-Hispanic White who consumed ≥ 4 cups/d had higher prevalence of SFHL (OR: 1·87; 95 % CI: 1·003. 3·47). And a positive trend of coffee consumption frequency with the prevalence of HFHL was found (Ptrend = 0·001). This association of HFHL was similar for participants aged 20–64 (Ptrend = 0·001), non-Hispanic White (Ptrend = 0·002), non-noise exposure participants (Ptrend = 0·03) and noise-exposed participants (Ptrend = 0·003). The forest plots analysis found that the association between 1 cup-increment of daily coffee consumption and the prevalence of HFHL was statistically significant in males. RCS model supported a positive linear association of coffee consumption with SFHL (P for overall association = 0·02, P for nonlinearity = 0·48) and a positive non-linear association of coffee consumption with HFHL (P for overall association = 0·001, P for nonlinearity = 0·001).

Our findings suggested that coffee consumption was associated with higher prevalence of hearing loss. Further cohort studies in larger population are needed to investigate these findings.

To investigate whether the combined consumption of fresh/minimally processed and ultra-processed food is associated with food insecurity (FI) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cross-sectional observational study was derived from a survey using a population-based search of a complex sample. FI was assessed using the validated Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Food consumption was assessed using a qualitative FFQ and the NOVA classification for fresh/minimally processed food and ultra-processed food. A scoring system was used to evaluate combined food consumption according to the extent and purpose of processing, considering the weekly consumption of the two groups (according to the NOVA classification). Higher punctuation reflects worse diet quality (higher consumption of ultra-processed foods and lower consumption of fresh/minimally processed foods). A theoretical causality model was constructed using a directed acyclic graph, and multivariate analysis was performed using Poisson regression to test the association between FI and food consumption.

Ouro Preto and Mariana, Brazil, between October and December 2020.

An epidemiological household survey was conducted with 1753 individuals selected through a stratified and clustered sampling design in three stages.

Those with food consumption scores in the fourth quartile had a 60 % higher prevalence ratio (PR) for FI (PR: 1·60 and 95 % CI: 1·06 - 2·40). Also, the increased consumption of fresh/minimally processed foods and low consumption of ultra-processed foods presented a 45 % lower prevalence ratio of FI (PR: 0·55 and 95 % CI: 0·40 – 0·80).

These results indicate an inverse association between FI and diet quality.

The relationship of a diet low in fibre with mortality has not been evaluated. This study aims to assess the burden of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCD) attributable to a diet low in fibre globally from 1990 to 2019.

All data were from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019, in which the mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALY) and years lived with disability (YLD) were estimated with Bayesian geospatial regression using data at global, regional and country level acquired from an extensively systematic review.

All data sourced from the GBD Study 2019.

All age groups for both sexes.

The age-standardised mortality rates (ASMR) declined in most GBD regions; however, in Southern sub-Saharan Africa, the ASMR increased from 4·07 (95 % uncertainty interval (UI) (2·08, 6·34)) to 4·60 (95 % UI (2·59, 6·90)), and in Central sub-Saharan Africa, the ASMR increased from 7·46 (95 % UI (3·64, 11·90)) to 9·34 (95 % UI (4·69, 15·25)). Uptrends were observed in the age-standardised YLD rates attributable to a diet low in fibre in a number of GBD regions. The burden caused by diabetes mellitus increased in Central Asia, Southern sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Europe.

The burdens of disease attributable to a diet low in fibre in Southern sub-Saharan Africa and Central sub-Saharan Africa and the age-standardised YLD rates in a number of GBD regions increased from 1990 to 2019. Therefore, greater efforts are needed to reduce the disease burden caused by a diet low in fibre.

To identify ultra-processed foods (UPF) contribution to daily energy and nutrient intake in Iranians and examine whether UPF intake is associated with nutrient profile and diet quality.

In this cross-sectional study, a validated FFQ was used to evaluate usual dietary intake over the preceding year. NOVA system was applied to categorise foods based on their levels of processing. Diet quality was evaluated using the nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), Nutrient Rich Food Index (NRF) and hybrid nutrient density.

The LIPOKAP study conducted in five cities of Iran (Isfahan, Birjand, Bandar Abbas, Kermanshah and Shahrekord).

A total of 1994 adults aged ≥18 years were recruited using stratified multistage random cluster sampling method.

UPF were responsible for 8·5 % of daily energy intake. In the adjusted model, UPF consumption was inversely associated with carbohydrate, protein, refined and whole grains, fibre, fruit and meat, but was positively linked to energy, total fat, saturated and trans fatty acids and cholesterol. Compared with those in the lowest tertile, individuals in the highest tertile of UPF had smaller NAR for Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, phosphorus, thiamin, niacin, folate and vitamin C. Both NRF and hybrid nutrient density decreased when the share of daily energy intake from UPF increased.

The higher consumption of UPF is associated with poorer diet quality and lower nutrient intake. It is recommended that UPF be replaced with minimally processed foods to improve diet quality and nutrient profile.

To examine Hb level and anaemia status among infants under 6 months of age in rural China.

A cross-sectional survey collected data among infants under 6 months and their primary caregivers in Sichuan, China. Anaemia was defined using both the WHO and China Pediatrics Association thresholds. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify relevant factors among two age groups (<4 months; 4–5 months).

Eighty townships were selected in Sichuan, China from November to December 2019.

Nine hundred and forty-two infants under 6 months, while Hb level was tested for 577 infants.

The overall mean (±sd) Hb level was 106·03 (± 12·04) g/l. About 62·6 % (95 % CI 58·5, 66·6) of sample infants were anaemic using the WHO threshold, and 20·5 % (95 % CI 17·3, 24·1) were anaemic using the China Pediatrics Association thresholds. Anaemia rates rose with increasing age in months. Multivariable linear regressions revealed that lower Hb levels were significantly associated with lower birth weight (<4 months: β = 4·14, 95 % CI 0·19, 8·08; 4–5 months: β = 6·60, 95 % CI 2·94, 10·27) and delivery by caesarean section (<4 months: β = −4·64, 95 % CI −7·79, −1·49; 4–5 months: β = −4·58, 95 % CI −7·45, −1·71).

A large share of infants under 6 months in rural western China are anaemic. Infants with low birth weight and caesarean delivered should be prioritised for anaemia testing. Future studies should move the point of focus forward to at least 4 months of age and examine the link between caesarean section and anaemia to promote health and development in infancy.

To examine prevalence and factors associated with food insecurity among people who use drugs (PWUD) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and the overdose crisis.

This cross-sectional study employs multivariable logistic regression to identify factors associated with self-reported food insecurity.

PWUD who are part of three community-recruited cohorts.

Interviews conducted in Vancouver, Canada, via phone between July and November 2020 in adherence to COVID-19 safety procedures.

Among 765 participants, including 433 (56·6 %) men, eligible for this study, 146 (19·1 %; 95 % CI: 16·3 %, 21·9 %) reported food insecurity in the past month. Of the participants reporting food insecurity, 114 (78·1 %) reported that their hunger levels had increased since the beginning of the pandemic. In multivariable analyses, factors independently and positively associated with food insecurity included: difficulty accessing health or social services (adjusted OR (AOR) = 2·59; 95 % CI: 1·60, 4·17); having mobility difficulties (AOR = 1·59; 95 % CI: 1·02, 2·45) and engaging in street-based income generation (e.g. panhandling and informal recycling) (AOR = 2·31; 95 % CI: 1·45, 3·65).

Approximately one in five PWUD reported food insecurity during this time. PWUD with mobility issues, who experienced difficulty accessing services and/or those engaged in precarious street-based income generation were more likely to report food insecurity. Food security is paramount to the success of interventions to prevent COVID-19 and drug toxicity deaths. These findings suggest a need for a more unified state response to food insecurity that prioritises and incorporates accessibility and autonomy of the communities they serve.

Undernutrition, stunted growth and obesity remain a concern in Algeria. Currently, limited data are available on nutrient intakes among children. Our study aimed to describe food and nutrient intakes and the role of milk formulas among Algerian children.

Dietary intakes were collected using a 4-d interview-based survey for children aged 0–24 months, living in urban areas in Algeria in 2019.

Food consumptions were described. For children aged 6–24 months, nutrient intakes and adequacy were estimated. Modelling was used to estimate the nutritional impact of substituting cow’s milk for age-appropriate infant formulas (IF).

Totally, 446 children aged 0–24 months.

Before 6 months, 91·6 % of infants were breastfed. Breastmilk was also the main milk consumed between 6 and 12 months, whereas cow’s milk predominated after 12 months. In children aged 6–24 months, nutrient adequacy prevalence was above 75 % for the majority of nutrients. However, less than 30 % of the children had adequate intakes for total fats, Fe and vitamin D. Simulated substitution of cow’s milk for IF led to improved adequacy for proteins, Fe, and vitamins D and E.

Our study showed that breast-feeding rates were high until 6 months, then declined with age. Consumed foods allowed Algerian children aged 6–24 months to meet most of their nutritional needs, but inadequate intakes were reported for some key nutrients. Our modelling suggested that milk formulas may help to improve nutrient adequacy among non-breastfed infants. Other dietary changes could also be further investigated to enable children to meet all nutritional recommendations.

This systematic review aimed to investigate the association between dietary inflammatory potential and liver cancer to provide evidence regarding scientific dietary health education.

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify case–control or cohort studies that involved dietary inflammation index (DII)/empirical dietary inflammation pattern (EDIP) and liver cancer in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases. Using a combination of DII/EDIP and liver cancer as the search terms, the associations between DII/EDIP and liver cancer were then assessed.

Three case–control studies and two cohort studies were brought into the meta-analysis, with 225 713 enrolled participants.

Meta-analysis of categorical variables showed that DII/EDIP in the highest category increased the risk of liver cancer compared to DII/EDIP in the lowest category (relative risk (RR) = 2·35; 95 % CI 1·77, 3·13; P = 0·000) and with low heterogeneity across studies (I2 = 40·8 %, P = 0·119). Meta-analysis of continuous variables showed that significant positive association between liver cancer and DII/EDIP scores (RR = 1·24; 95 % CI 1·09, 1·40; P = 0·001), and no heterogeneity (I² = 0·0 %, P = 0·471). Stratified according to the study design, there was a significant positive association between liver cancer and DII/EDIP scores in both cohort studies (RR = 2·16; 95 % CI 1·51, 3·07; P = 0·000) and case–control studies (RR = 2·75; 95 % CI 1·71, 4·41; P = 0·000).

The higher the DII/EDIP score, the higher the risk of liver cancer. This finding may have prominent implications for the general population.

This study aimed to evaluate the recent prevalence and the distributions of morphological subtypes of anaemia in the rural population.

Anaemia was defined according to the WHO and the Chinese criteria, and the morphological subtypes of anaemia were classified based on the erythrocyte parameters. The age-standardised prevalence was calculated according to the data of the Population Census 2010 in China.

A cross-sectional study in Henan Province.

33 585 subjects aged 18–79 years old.

The standardised prevalence of anaemia across the WHO and the Chinese definitions was 13·63 % and 5·45 %, respectively. Regardless of which criteria was used, the standardised prevalence of anaemia was higher among women than among men and that increased with age in men, while markedly decreased after menopause in women. There were shifts in morphological patterns of anaemia using the WHO and the Chinese criteria that the standardised prevalence of microcytic anaemia was 3·74 % and 2·97 %, normocytic anaemia was 9·20 % and 2·34 %, and macrocytic anaemia was 0·75 % and 0·14 %, respectively. Besides, there were differences in the influencing factors of anaemia according to different criteria or gender. However, age, education level and renal damage were consistently significantly associated with anaemia in all participants.

Anaemia may still be a serious health problem in rural China. It is necessary to reformulate prevention and management strategies to reduce the disease burden of anaemia.

To explore best practices and challenges in providing school meals during COVID-19 in a low-income, predominantly Latino, urban–rural region.

Semi-structured interviews with school district stakeholders and focus groups with parents were conducted to explore school meal provision during COVID-19 from June to August 2020. Data were coded and themes were identified to guide analysis. Community organisations were involved in all aspects of study design, recruitment, data collection and analysis.

Six school districts in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

School district stakeholders (n 11) included food service directors, school superintendents and community partners (e.g. funders, food cooperative). Focus groups (n 6) were comprised of parents (n 29) of children participating in school meal programmes.

COVID-19-related challenges for districts included developing safe meal distribution systems, boosting low participation, covering COVID-19-related costs and staying informed of policy changes. Barriers for families included transportation difficulties, safety concerns and a lack of fresh foods. Innovative strategies to address obstacles included pandemic-electronic benefits transfer (EBT), bus-stop delivery, community pick-up locations, batched meals and leveraging partner resources.

A focus on fresher, more appealing meals and greater communication between school officials and parents could boost participation. Districts that leveraged external partnerships were better equipped to provide meals during pandemic conditions. In addition, policies increasing access to fresh foods and capitalising on United States Department of Agriculture waivers could boost school meal participation. Finally, partnering with community organisations and acting upon parent feedback could improve school meal systems, and in combination with pandemic-EBT, address childhood food insecurity.

To assess the associations between adherence to the Swedish dietary guidelines and all-cause mortality (i.e. assessing the index’ ability to predict health outcomes), as well as levels of dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs).

A longitudinal study 1990–2016 within the population-based cohort Västerbotten Intervention Programme. Dietary data were based on FFQs. Diet quality was assessed by the Swedish Healthy Eating Index for Adults 2015 (SHEIA15), based on the 2015 Swedish dietary guidelines. Dietary GHGEs were estimated from life cycle assessment data including emissions from farm to industry gate. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI of all-cause mortality were evaluated with Cox proportional hazards regression, and differences in median GHGEs were tested between quintiles of SHEIA15 score using the Kruskal–Wallis one-way ANOVA test.

Northern Sweden.

In total, 49 124 women and 47 651 men, aged 35–65 years.

Median follow-up times were 16·0 years for women and 14·7 years for men, during which time 3074 women and 4212 men died. A consistent trend of lower all-cause mortality HR for both sexes with higher SHEIA15 scores was demonstrated. For women, the all-cause mortality HR was 0·81 ((95 % CI 0·71, 0·92); P = 0·001) and for men 0·90 ((95 % CI 0·81, 0·996); P = 0·041) between the quintile with the highest SHEIA15 score compared with the quintile with the lowest SHEIA15 score. A consistent trend of lower estimated dietary GHGEs among both sexes with higher SHEIA15 scores was also found.

Adherence to Swedish dietary guidelines, estimated by SHEIA15, seems to promote longevity and reduce dietary climate impact.

We investigated the prospective associations between meat consumption and CVD and whether these relationships differ by dietary quality among African American (AA) adults.

Baseline diet was assessed with a regionally specific FFQ. Unprocessed red meat included beef and pork (120 g/serving); processed meat included sausage, luncheon meats and cured meat products (50 g/serving). Incident total CVD, CHD, stroke and heart failure were assessed annually over 9·8 years of follow-up. We characterised dietary quality using a modified Healthy Eating Index-2010 score (m-HEI), excluding meat contributions.

Jackson, MS, USA.

AA adults (n 3242, aged 55 y, 66 % female).

Mean total, unprocessed red and processed meat intakes were 5·7 ± 3·5, 2·3 ± 1·8 and 3·3 ± 2·7 servings/week, respectively. Mostly, null associations were observed between meat categories and CVD or subtypes. However, greater intake of unprocessed red meat (three servings/week) was associated with significantly elevated risk of stroke (hazard ratio = 1·43 (CI: 1·07,1·90)). With the exception of a more positive association between unprocessed meat consumption and stroke among individuals in m-HEI Tertile 2, the strength of associations between meat consumption categories and CVD outcomes did not differ by m-HEI tertile. In formal tests, m-HEI did not significantly modify meat–CVD associations.

In this cohort of AA adults, total and processed meat were not associated with CVD outcomes, with the exception that unprocessed red meat was related to greater stroke risk. Dietary quality did not modfiy these associations. Research is needed in similar cohorts with longer follow-up and greater meat consumption to replicate these findings.

This study examined adherence to dietary guidelines and symptoms of sleep problems (e.g. taking a long time to fall sleep or waking up early) and their associations in a sample of older Australian women (68–73 years of age).

This was a population-based cross-sectional study. Adherence to the dietary guidelines was measured using a validated FFQ and reported as a diet quality score. Symptoms of sleep problems were measured using five questions and a total score was derived. Multivariate linear regression was used to investigate the association between these outcomes, adjusted for the potential confounding influence of demographic (i.e. age and marital status) and lifestyle (i.e. physical activity, stress, alcohol intake, sleep medication use) variables.

Respondents from the 1946–1951 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health who completed Survey 9 were included.

Data from n 7956 older women (mean age ± sd: 70·8 ± 1·5) were included.

70·2 % reported having at least one symptom and 20·5 % had between 3 and 5 symptoms of sleep problems (mean score ± sd: 1·4 ± 1·4, range 0–5). Adherence to dietary guidelines was poor with an average diet quality score of 56·9 ± 10·7 (range 0–100). Better adherence to dietary guidelines was associated with fewer sleep problem symptoms (β: –0·065, 95 % CI: –0·012, –0·005) and remained significant after adjusting for confounding influences.

These findings support the evidence that adherence to dietary guidelines is associated with symptoms of sleep problems in older women.

Dietary patterns express the combination and variety of foods in the diet. The partial least squares method allows extracting dietary patterns related to a specific health outcome. Few studies have evaluated obesity-related dietary patterns associated with telomeres length. This study aims to identify dietary patterns explaining obesity markers and to assess their association with leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a biological marker of the ageing process.

Cross-sectional study.

University campuses in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

478 participants of a civil servants’ cohort study with data on food consumption, obesity measurements (total body fat, visceral fat, BMI, leptin and adiponectin) and blood samples.

Three dietary patterns were extracted: (1) fast food and meat; (2) healthy and (3) traditional pattern, which included rice and beans, the staple foods most consumed in Brazil. All three dietary patterns explained 23·2 % of food consumption variation and 10·7 % of the obesity-related variables. The fast food and meat pattern were the first factor extracted, explaining 11–13 % variation of the obesity-related response variables (BMI, total body fat and visceral fat), leptin and adiponectin showed the lowest percentage (4·5–0·1 %). The healthy pattern mostly explained leptin and adiponectin variations (10·7 and 3·3 %, respectively). The traditional pattern was associated with LTL (β = 0·0117; 95 % CI 0·0001, 0·0233) after adjustment for the other patterns, age, sex, exercise practice, income and energy intake.

Leukocyte telomere length was longer among participants eating a traditional dietary pattern that combines fruit, vegetables and beans.

The Three Delays Model is a conceptual model traditionally used to understand contributing factors of maternal mortality. It posits that most barriers to health services utilisation occur in relation to one of three delays: (1) Delay 1: delayed decision to seek care; (2) Delay 2: delayed arrival at health facility and (3) Delay 3: delayed provision of adequate care. We applied this model to understand why a community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) services may have low coverage.

We conducted a Semi-Quantitative Evaluation of Access and Coverage (SQUEAC) over three phases using mixed methods to estimate programme coverage and barriers to care. In this manuscript, we present findings from fifty-one semi-structured interviews with caregivers and programme staff, as well as seventy-two structured interviews among caregivers only. Recurring themes were organised and interpreted using the Three Delays Model.

Madaoua, Niger.

Totally, 123 caregivers and CMAM program staff.

Overall, eleven barriers to CMAM services were identified in this setting. Five barriers contribute to Delay 1, including lack of knowledge around malnutrition and CMAM services, as well as limited family support, variable screening services and alternative treatment options. High travel costs, far distances, poor roads and competing demands were challenges associated with accessing care (Delay 2). Finally, upon arrival to health facilities, differential caregiver experiences around quality of care contributed to Delay 3.

The Three Delays Model was a useful model to conceptualise the factors associated with CMAM uptake in this context, enabling implementing agencies to address specific barriers through targeted activities.