Review of the Nutrition Situation in Jordan: Trends and Way Forward.

Jordan is witnessing an escalating pace of nutrition transition, which may be associated with an increased burden of malnutrition and related non-communicable diseases. This review analyzes the nutrition situation in Jordan by exploring specific nutrition indicators, namely infant and young child feeding, low birthweight, micronutrient deficiencies, anthropometric indicators, and food consumption patterns. Results showed that although most children were ever breastfed and early initiation of breastfeeding had a two-fold increasing trend, rates of exclusive breastfeeding below 6 months of age and continued breastfeeding until two years of age were low. Complementary feeding indicators, particularly minimum diet diversity and minimum acceptable diet standards, were suboptimal. An overall low burden of stunting, wasting, and underweight among children under 5 years and remarkable progress in optimizing iodine status among school-aged children were reported. Conversely, the burden of low birthweight and overweight/obesity exacerbated, coexisting with anemia, vitamin A deficiency, and vitamin D deficiency. Overall, fruit and vegetable consumption were inadequate. The consumption of soft drinks and salt on the other hand was higher than recommended. This review acknowledges the double burden of malnutrition in Jordan and recommends the prioritization and evaluation of interventions towards improving the population's nutritional status and achieving nutrition targets.

Postpartum Weight Retention and Its Determinants in Lebanon and Qatar: Results of the Mother and Infant Nutrition Assessment (MINA) Cohort.

Excessive Postpartum Weight Retention (PWR) is postulated to increase the risk of adverse health outcomes for mothers and offspring. Using data from the Mother and Infant Nutritional Assessment (MINA) cohort in Lebanon and Qatar, this study aimed to examine PWR and its determinants at 6 months after delivery. Pregnant women (n = 183) were recruited during their first trimester and were followed up through pregnancy and after delivery. During this period, face-to-face interviews as well as extraction from medical charts were conducted to collect data regarding the socioeconomic, anthropometric and dietary intake of participants. The mean PWR (kg) among participants was 3.1 ± 5.6 at delivery, and 3.3 ± 5.3 and 2.7 ± 4.7 at 4 and 6 months after delivery, respectively. Results of the multiple logistic regression analyses showed that a Qatari nationality and excessive GWG were associated with higher odds of a high PWR (above median) while an insufficient GWG had lower odds. After adjustment for energy, participants with a high PWR reported a greater intake of proteins, Trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and lower intakes of mono and polyunsaturated fat as compared to those with a low PWR (below median). These findings suggested priority areas for interventions to prevent excessive PWR amongst women of childbearing age in Lebanon and Qatar.

Sex disparities in dietary intake across the lifespan: the case of Lebanon.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about sex-based dietary differences in middle-income countries, particularly those undergoing the nutrition transition. This study aims at examining sex disparities in energy and macronutrients' intakes, food consumption patterns, and micronutrients' adequacy in Lebanon, while adopting a life course approach. METHODS: Data were derived from a national cross-sectional survey conducted in Lebanon in 2008/2009. The study sample consisted of 3636 subjects: 956 children and adolescents aged 6-19.9 years; 2239 adults aged 20-59.9 years and 441 older adults aged above 60 years. At the households, trained nutritionists conducted face-to-face interviews with participants to complete a sociodemographic questionnaire and one 24-h diet recall. Food items were categorized into 25 food groups. The Nutritionist Pro software was used for the analysis of dietary intake data and the estimation of energy, macronutrients', and micronutrients' intakes. RESULTS: In all age groups, males had significantly higher energy intakes, while females had significantly higher fiber intakes. In addition, in adolescents aged 12-19.9 years, females had higher fat intakes as compared to males (37.02 ± 0.6% vs 35.03 ± 0.61%), and in adults aged 20-59.9 years, females had significantly higher total fat (37.73 ± 0.33% vs 36.45 ± 0.38%) and saturated fat intakes (11.24 ± 0.15% vs 10.45 ± 0.18%). These differences in macronutrient intakes were not observed in younger children nor in older adults. Sex-based differences in food groups' intakes were also observed: men and boys had significantly higher intakes of red and processed meat, bread, fast food, soft drinks, and alcohol, while girls and women had higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, milk, and sweets. In all age groups, females had lower micronutrient intakes compared to males, including calcium, iron, and zinc. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified sex-specific priorities that ought to be tackled by context-specific interventions to promote healthier diets in Lebanon. The fact that sex-based differences in nutrient intakes and food consumption patterns were the most noticeable in the adolescent and adult years, hence women's reproductive years call for concerted efforts to improve nutrition for women and girls as this would lay the foundation not only for their future education, productivity, and economic empowerment, but also for the health of future generations.