Food is Medicine for HIV: Improved health and hospitalizations in the Changing Health through Food Support (CHEFS-HIV) pragmatic randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Policy support for "Food is Medicine"-medically tailored meals or groceries to improve health-is rapidly growing. No randomized trials have heretofore investigated the benefits of medically tailored food programs for people living with HIV (PLHIV). METHODS: The CHEFS-HIV pragmatic randomized trial included PLHIV who were clients of Project Open Hand (POH), a San Francisco-based nonprofit food organization. The intervention arm (n = 93) received comprehensive medically tailored meals, groceries, and nutritional education. Control participants (n = 98) received less intensive (POH "standard of care") food services. Health, nutrition, and behavioral outcomes were assessed at baseline and 6 months later. Primary outcomes measured were viral non-suppression and health related quality of life. Mixed models estimated treatment effects as differences-in-differences between arms. RESULTS: The intervention arm had lower odds of hospitalization (odds ratio [OR] = 0.11), food insecurity (OR = 0.23), depressive symptoms (OR = 0.32), antiretroviral therapy adherence <90% (OR = 0.18), and unprotected sex (OR = 0.18), and less fatty food consumption (ß= -0.170 servings/day) over 6 months, compared to the control arm. There was no difference between study arms in viral non-suppression and health-related quality of life over 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: A "Food-is-Medicine" intervention reduced hospitalizations and improved mental and physical health among PLHIV, despite no impact on viral suppression. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT03191253.

Assessing and Monitoring Nutrition Security to Promote Healthy Dietary Intake and Outcomes in the United States.

The US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service leads the federal government in data development and research on food security in US households. Nutrition security is an emerging concept that, although closely related, is distinct from food security. No standard conceptualization or measure of nutrition security currently exists. We review the existing research on nutrition security and how it is informed by the more robust literature on food security and diet quality. Based on this review, we propose a conceptual framework for understanding nutrition security and its relationship to food security. We identify two constructs (healthy diets and nutritional status) and multiple subconstructs that form the basis of nutrition security. The proposed framework and corresponding constructs are intended to provide (a) understanding of how nutrition security arises and how it differs from food security, (b) background on why assessment and monitoring of nutrition security is important, and (c) guidance for a research agenda that will further clarify the meaning of nutrition security and its measurement.

Self-Reported Food Security in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: Association with Hemoglobin A1c and Mental Health Symptoms Independent of Household Food Security.

BACKGROUND: Typically, child exposure to food insecurity is assessed by caregiver reports of household food security. Child report has the potential for greater accuracy because it pertains only to the child whose experiences may differ from caregiver reports. OBJECTIVE: We assessed if adolescent-reported food insecurity was associated with levels of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), acute diabetes-related complications, depressive symptoms, and disordered eating behaviors in adolescents with type 1 diabetes, independently from household food security. METHODS: In a cross-sectional analysis of the multicenter SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Cohort Study (phase 4, 2016-2019) including 601 adolescents aged 10-17 y with type 1 diabetes and their caregivers, household food security, and adolescent-reported food security were assessed using the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module and the 6-item Child Food Security Assessment questionnaire. Age-stratified (10-13 and 14-17) regression models were performed to estimate independent associations, adjusting for sociodemographics, clinical factors, and household food security. RESULTS: Food insecurity was reported by 13.1% (n = 79) of adolescents and 15.6% (n = 94) of caregivers. Among adolescent-caregiver dyads, 82.5% (n = 496) of reports were concordant and 17.5% (n = 105) discordant, Cohen's κ= 0.3. Adolescent-reported food insecurity was not independently associated with HbA1c, diabetic ketoacidosis, and severe hypoglycemia, including in age-stratified analyses. Adolescent-reported food insecurity was independently associated with elevated odds of depressive symptoms [odds ratio (OR): 3.6; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3, 10.3] and disordered eating behaviors (OR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.4, 4.6) compared with adolescents reporting food security; these associations remained in both age groups for disordered eating behaviors and in the older group for depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with type 1 diabetes may experience food insecurity differently than caregivers. Adolescent-reported food insecurity was independently associated with depressive symptoms and disordered eating behaviors and thus may be an important attribute to assess in addition to household food security in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Properties of the Household Food Security Survey Module Scale in Young Adults with Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) was not tailored to people with chronic diseases or young adults (YAs). OBJECTIVES: We aim to evaluate whether the 18-item HFSSM meets assumptions underlying the scale among YAs with diabetes. METHODS: Data from 1887 YAs with youth-onset type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes were used from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study, 2016-2019, and on 925 who returned for the SEARCH Food Security Cohort Study, 2018-2021, all of whom had completed the HFSSM. Guttman scaling properties (affirmation of preceding less severe items) and Rasch model properties (probability to answer an item based on difficulty level) were assessed. RESULTS: Items 3 (balanced meals) and 6 (eating less than one should) were affirmed more frequently than expected (nonmonotonic response pattern). At 1.2%-3.5%, item nonresponse was rare among type 1 diabetes but higher among type 2 diabetes (range: 3.1%-10.6%). Items 9 (not eating the whole day) and 3 did not meet the Guttman scaling properties. Rasch modeling revealed that item 3 had the smallest difficulty parameter. INFIT indices suggested that some responses to item 3 did not match the pattern in the rest of the sample. Classifying household food insecurity (HFI) based on items 1 and 2 compared with other 2-item combinations, including item 3, revealed a substantial undercount of HFI ranging from 5% to 8% points. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the HFSSM among YAs with diabetes could potentially result in biased HFI reporting and affect estimates of HFI prevalence in this population.

Complementing the United States Household Food Security Survey Module with Items Reflecting Social Unacceptability.

BACKGROUND: Social unacceptability of food access is part of the lived experience of food insecurity but is not assessed as part of the United States Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM). OBJECTIVES: The objectives were as follows: 1) to determine the psychometric properties of 2 additional items on social unacceptability in relation to the HFSSM items and 2) to test whether these 2 items provided added predictive accuracy to that of the HFSSM items for mental health outcomes. METHODS: Cross-sectional data used were from the Intersection of Material-Need Insecurities and HIV and Cardiovascular Health substudy of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study/Women's Interagency HIV Study Combined Cohort Study. Data on the 10-item HFSSM and 2 new items reflecting social unacceptability were collected between Fall 2020 and Fall 2021 from 1342 participants from 10 United States cities. The 2 social unacceptability items were examined psychometrically in relation to the HFSSM-10 items using models from item response theory. Linear and logistic regression was used to examine prediction of mental health measured by the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale. RESULTS: The social unacceptability items were affirmed throughout the range of severity of food insecurity but with increasing frequency at higher severity of food insecurity. From item response theory models, the subconstructs reflected in the HFSSM-10 and the subconstruct of social unacceptability were distinct, not falling into one dimension. Regression models confirmed that social unacceptability was distinct from the subconstructs reflected in the HFSSM-10. The social unacceptability items as a separate scale explained more (∼1%) variation in mental health than when combined with the HFSSM-10 items in a single scale, and the social unacceptability subconstruct explained more (∼1%) variation in mental health not explained by the HFSSM-10. CONCLUSIONS: Two social unacceptability items used as a separate scale along with the HFSSM-10 predicted mental health more accurately than did the HFSSM-10 alone.

Differences in dietary acceptability, restraint, disinhibition, and hunger among African American participants randomized to either a vegan or omnivorous soul food diet.

The Nutritious Eating with Soul study was a 24-month, randomized behavioral nutrition intervention among African American adults. This present study, which is a secondary analysis of the NEW Soul study, examined changes in dietary acceptability, restraint, disinhibition, and hunger. Participants (n = 159; 79% female, 74% with ≥ college degree, mean age 48.4 y) were randomized to either a soul food vegan (n = 77) or soul food omnivorous (n = 82) diet and participated in a two-year behavioral nutrition intervention. Questionnaires assessing dietary acceptability (Food Acceptability Questionnaire; FAQ) and dietary restraint, disinhibition, and hunger (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire; TFEQ) were completed at baseline, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Mixed models were specified with main effects (group and time) and interaction effects (group by time) to estimate mean differences in FAQ and TFEQ scores using intent-to-treat analysis. After adjusting for employment, education, food security status, sex, and age, there were no differences in any of the FAQ items, total FAQ score, dietary restraint, disinhibition, and hunger at any timepoint except for one item of the FAQ at 12 months. Participants in the vegan group reported a greater increase in satisfaction after eating a meal than the omnivorous group (mean difference 0.80 ± 0.32, 95% CI 0.18, 1.42; P = 0.01). This is one of the first studies to examine differences in dietary acceptability, hunger, and other eating factors among African American adults randomized to either a vegan or omnivorous soul food diet. The findings highlight that plant-based eating styles are equally acceptable to omnivorous eating patterns and have similar changes in hunger, restraint, and disinhibition. These results suggest that plant-based eating styles can be an acceptable dietary pattern to recommend for cardiovascular disease prevention and may result in greater post-meal satisfaction.

Testing the Effectiveness of a Community-Based Peer Support Intervention to Mitigate Social Isolation and Stigma of Adolescent Motherhood in Zimbabwe.

OBJECTIVES: Social isolation and stigma contribute to poor mental health outcomes. Adolescent mothers in Zimbabwe often experience isolation and stigma, lacking social support and resources to navigate motherhood. The study tested the effectiveness of a community-based peer support intervention to mitigate social isolation and stigma of adolescent motherhood in Harare, Zimbabwe. METHODS: Community health workers (n = 12) and peer educators (n = 12) in the intervention arm were recruited and trained on co-facilitating peer support groups. Adolescent mothers aged 15-18 years from two low-income high-density communities in Harare were recruited, using a quasi-experimental design. The intervention arm (n = 104) participated in the peer support groups and both arms completed sociodemographic, base-, mid-, and end-line surveys (control arm n = 79). Peer support groups (12 groups with 6-12 participants in each) met in-person twice a month and completed 12 sessions from May to August 2019 addressing participant-identified topics such as income generation and depression. WhatsApp Messenger was used for training and implementation support. Key community stakeholders discussed project progress and recommendations to improve adolescent mothers' health. Data were analyzed using Stata 15. RESULTS: The intervention arm reported lower depressive symptoms and common mental disorders and higher overall, family, friends, and significant-other support, compared to control. The intervention arm felt more engaged with peers, knew who and where to turn to for help, and had coping, parenting and communication strategies to manage life challenges. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: The intervention mitigated social isolation and stigma and thereby improved mental health and social support among adolescent mothers in Harare. Trial Registration This trial is registered at Clinical Trials.gov, NCT05213182 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05213182 .

What is already known on this subject? Social isolation and stigma contribute to poor mental health outcomes. Adolescent mothers often experience isolation and stigma, lacking social support and resources to navigate motherhood. There is a need for interventions that identify and address the unique needs of adolescent mothers.What this study adds? A community-based peer-support intervention can mitigate social isolation and stigma and thereby improve mental health and social support of adolescent mothers. WhatsApp Messenger is a potential intervention tool for providing training and implementation support, and enhancing communication between peer support group facilitators and participants.

Inequalities in large-scale breastfeeding programmes in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Vietnam.

Inequalities in breastfeeding programmes and practices have slowed global progress in providing the life-saving protection of breastfeeding for millions of infants despite well-known life-long impacts. As breastfeeding interventions are scaled up, inequalities in coverage and breastfeeding practices should be tracked, particularly in disadvantaged groups, who are likely to suffer the most serious health and developmental impacts of poor childhood nutrition. The literature provides evidence of inequalities in breastfeeding practices, but research is limited on socioeconomic disparities in the coverage of breastfeeding interventions. This paper (1) compares inequalities in breastfeeding practices in intervention and nonintervention areas and (2) documents inequalities in programme coverage by type of intervention. We disaggregated endline evaluation surveys in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Vietnam, where rigorous evaluations had documented significant overall improvements, and analysed whether inequalities in breastfeeding practices and programme coverage differed by treatment areas. We used Erreygers index to quantify inequalities and found that breastfeeding practices were largely pro-poor; intervention coverage was not consistently pro-poor. While counselling coverage often favoured women from the poorest quintile, public education/media coverage consistently favoured better-off women. Inequalities favoured more educated mothers in the coverage of combined interventions. None of the programmes had explicit equality objectives. The results indicate the need for introducing specific actions to reduce inequalities in breastfeeding policies and programmes. This is a priority unfinished agenda for nutrition programming.

Text messages to improve young child diets: Results from a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Kanchanpur, Nepal.

The objective of this study was to test whether adding a text message campaign about the importance of eating eggs and other nutrition-related behaviours to an on-going package of large-scale, diverse social and behaviour change interventions would improve four types of nutrition-related knowledge and behaviour outcomes: child diets (egg consumption as the primary outcome), maternal diets, maternal nutrition knowledge, and maternal participation in additional interventions. The cluster-randomized controlled trial involved a repeat cross-sectional design, recruiting families with children 12-23 months of age at baseline and endline in one plains district of Nepal. Throughout the 1000-day period, 51 text messages were sent to each household at specific time points to reinforce ideal diets and other nutrition-related practices and promote engagement with community health workers and other intervention platforms. The primary outcome was egg consumption and dietary diversity among young children. We found no population-level effect. Some evidence supports that for those who received and opened the SMS intervention, it improved child egg consumption (odds ratio [OR]: 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.93), child minimum dietary diversity (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.07-1.73), child dietary diversity scores (ß: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.01-0.24), as well as maternal IYCF knowledge (ß: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.08-0.35), participation in health mothers' group meetings (OR: 3.03, 95% CI: 1.91-4.84) and Bhanchhin Aama listenership (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.07-1.73). This study highlights the importance of more research to understand the effectiveness of emerging digital interventions for behaviour change among specific populations, to facilitate nuanced targeting to those who can best benefit from these investments. Registered at clinicaltrials.gov with identifier NCT03926689.

Impact of Suaahara, an at-scale multisectoral nutrition programme, on health workers' maternal and child health, and nutrition knowledge and skills in Nepal.

Suaahara, an at-scale multisectoral nutrition programme in Nepal, aimed to advance knowledge and skills of frontline health workers to improve the quality of nutrition and health services at health facility and community levels. This study assessed the impact of Suaahara interventions on knowledge and skills of health facility workers and Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs). The study used a quasi-experimental design in which four Suaahara intervention districts were compared with pair-matched comparison districts. One health facility worker and three FCHVs from each survey cluster were included. Baseline survey consisted of 93 health facility workers (2015) and 118 FCHVs (2012), and endline survey (2022) consisted of 40 health facility workers and 120 FCHVs. Difference-in-differences regression models employing intent-to-treat analysis, accounting for clustering at the district level, assessed the impact of intervention. The intervention, relative to comparison, had no effect on health facility workers' knowledge. There was a positive effect, however, on FCHVs' knowledge in intervention relative to comparison areas on exclusive breastfeeding, timing of introduction of complementary feeding, sick child feeding and growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) for children under 2 years. Health facility workers and FCHVs in intervention versus comparison districts had higher endline scores for skills related to measuring the weight of children and pregnant women, measuring the height/length of children, conducting GMP for children under 2 years and identifying malnourished children. Suaahara interventions improved the capacity of health workers, particularly nutrition-related knowledge among FCHVs and GMP-related skills of both health facility workers and FCHVs.

Understanding differential reductions in undernutrition among districts in Rwanda through the perspectives of mid-level and community actors on policy commitment and policy coherence.

Understanding the drivers of improvements in child undernutrition at only the national level can mask subnational differences. This paper aimed to understand the contributions of factors in the enabling environment to observed differences in stunting reduction between districts in Rwanda. In 2017, we conducted 58 semi-structured interviews with mid-level actors (n = 38) and frontline workers (n = 20) implementing Rwanda's multi-sectoral nutrition policy in five districts in which stunting decreased (reduced districts) and five where it increased or stagnated (non-reduced districts) based on Rwanda's 2010 and 2014/15 Demographic and Health Surveys. Mid-level actors are government officials and service providers at the subnational level who represent the frontline of government policy. Interviews focused on political commitment to and policy coherence in nutrition, and contributors to nutrition changes. Responses were coded to capture themes on the changes and challenges of these topics and compared between reduced and non-reduced districts. Descriptive statistics described district characteristics. Political commitment to nutrition was high in both reduced and non-reduced districts. Respondents from reduced districts were more likely to define commitment to nutrition as an optimal implementation of policy, whereas those from non-reduced districts focused more on financial commitment. Regarding coherence, respondents from reduced compared to non-reduced districts were more likely to report the optimal implementation of multi-sectoral nutrition planning meetings, using data to assess plans and progress in nutrition outcomes and integration of nutrition into the agriculture sector. In contrast, respondents from non-reduced districts more often reported challenges in their relationships with national-level stakeholders and nutrition and/or monitoring and evaluation capacities. Enhancing the integration of nutrition in different sectors and improving mid-level actors' capacity to plan and advocate for nutrition programming may contribute to reductions in stunting.

Impact of Suaahara, an integrated nutrition programme, on maternal and child nutrition at scale in Nepal.

Suaahara was an innovative, complex, multi-sectoral, large-scale, nutrition programme in Nepal to increase exposure to nutrition-related information and services, improve nutrition-related knowledge and practices among pregnant women and mothers of infants and young children, and improve their nutrition. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Suaahara to improve nutrition and nutrition-related practices by comparing changes over 10 years between intervention and comparison districts. The samples of households at baseline in 2012 and endline in 2022 were 2040 and 2480, respectively, from 120 old wards. The impact was estimated using intent-to-treat regression models in which survey year, arm and their interaction were fixed effects, accounting for district clustering, with the interaction estimating differences between arms in changes over time. The intervention, relative to comparison, reduced maternal underweight by 8.43 percentage points (p < 0.001), consistent with improved maternal and fetal condition that was manifested as the greater length of 0.761 z-scores (p = 0.004) of infants 0-5.9 months. Complementary feeding practices with children between 6 and 23.9 months of age improved more in the intervention than comparison districts: child dietary diversity by 0.294 food groups (p = 0.072) and minimum dietary diversity by 9.51 percentage points (p = 0.028), feeding sick child more (p = 0.002) and administering oral rehydration solution and zinc for diarrhoea (p = 0.057) by about 17 percentage points each, and minimum meal frequency (p = 0.004) and minimum acceptable diet (p = 0.022) by about 15 percentage points each. Substantial impacts were demonstrated despite political restructuring, earthquakes, and other major challenges that Nepal and Suaahara faced and limitations in statistical power because of the reduced number of districts that then could be included in the study. Registered at clinicaltrials.gov with identifier NCT05448287.

Nutrition in adolescent growth and development.

During adolescence, growth and development are transformative and have profound consequences on an individual's health in later life, as well as the health of any potential children. The current generation of adolescents is growing up at a time of unprecedented change in food environments, whereby nutritional problems of micronutrient deficiency and food insecurity persist, and overweight and obesity are burgeoning. In a context of pervasive policy neglect, research on nutrition during adolescence specifically has been underinvested, compared with such research in other age groups, which has inhibited the development of adolescent-responsive nutritional policies. One consequence has been the absence of an integrated perspective on adolescent growth and development, and the role that nutrition plays. Through late childhood and early adolescence, nutrition has a formative role in the timing and pattern of puberty, with consequences for adult height, muscle, and fat mass accrual, as well as risk of non-communicable diseases in later life. Nutritional effects in adolescent development extend beyond musculoskeletal growth, to cardiorespiratory fitness, neurodevelopment, and immunity. High rates of early adolescent pregnancy in many countries continue to jeopardise the growth and nutrition of female adolescents, with consequences that extend to the next generation. Adolescence is a nutrition-sensitive phase for growth, in which the benefits of good nutrition extend to many other physiological systems.

Concurrence of water and food insecurities, 25 low- and middle-income countries.

Objective: To investigate how water and food insecurity were associated in nationally representative samples of individuals from 25 low- and middle-income countries. Methods: We used data from the 2020 World Gallup Poll in which the Individual Water Insecurity Experiences Scale and the Food Insecurity Experience Scale had been administered to 31 755 respondents. These scales measure insecurity experiences in the previous 12 months. We classified individuals as water insecure if their score was ≥ 12 and food insecure if the Rasch probability parameter was ≥ 0.5. For estimating the proportions, we used projection weights. We estimated the relationships between binary and continuous measures of water insecurity and food insecurity for individuals within each country and region using multivariable logistic and linear regression models, adjusting for key socioeconomic characteristics including income, gender, age and education. Findings: Among the 18.3% of respondents who experienced water insecurity, 66.8% also experienced food insecurity. The likelihood of experiencing moderate-to-severe food insecurity was higher among respondents also experiencing water insecurity (adjusted odds ratio, aOR: 2.69; 95% confidence interval, CI: 2.43 to 2.98). Similar odds were found in Asia (aOR: 2.95; 95% CI: 2.04 to 4.25), Latin America (aOR: 2.17; 95% CI: 1.62 to 2.89), North Africa (aOR: 2.92; 95% CI: 2.17 to 3.93) and sub-Saharan Africa (aOR: 2.71; 95% CI: 2.40 to 3.06). Conclusion: Our results suggest that water insecurity should be considered when developing food and nutrition policies and interventions. However, more research is needed to understand the paths between these insecurities.

The Infant Diet Quality Index Predicts Dietary and Adiposity Outcomes in US Children 2 to 4 years old.

BACKGROUND: Healthy nutrition during the first year of life is critical for optimal growth and development. Limited techniques are available to assess diet quality in infancy, and few have been shown to be predictive of dietary and adiposity outcomes in low-income children. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to construct an Infant Diet Quality Index (IDQI) to assess the diet quality from birth to 12 mo and to determine whether the IDQI exhibits predictive validity by estimating the longitudinal associations of IDQI scores with diet quality and weight status at 2 to 4 y. DESIGN: Data were analyzed from the longitudinal Women, Infants, and Children Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 (unweighted, n = 2858; weighted. N = 392,439) using one 24-h dietary recall and survey responses during infancy. The newly constructed IDQI consists of 16 equally-weighted components: 1) breastfeeding duration; 2) exclusive breastfeeding; age of first introduction of: 3) solids, 4) iron-rich cereals, 5) cow milk, 6) sugar-sweetened beverages, 7) salty/sweet snacks, 8) other drinks/liquids, and 9) textured foods; frequency of consuming 10) fruit or 11) vegetables; frequency of consuming different 12) fruit or 13) vegetables; 14) nonrecommended bottle-feeding practices; 15) use of commercial baby foods; and 16) number of meals and snacks. Regression analysis was used to estimate associations between the total IDQI score (range, 0-1) and Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) scores and body mass index z-scores (BMIz) at 2 to 4 y of age, adjusted for covariates (e.g., child age, sex and race/ethnicity; maternal education level, etc.) RESULTS: The total IDQI score was positively associated with HEI-2015 at the age of 2 y (ß = 16.7; 95% CI: 12.6, 20.9; P < 0.001), 3 y (ß = 14.5; 95% CI: 8.1, 21.0; P < 0.001), and 4 y (ß = 15.4; 95% CI: 8.4, 22.4; P < 0.001); and negatively associated with BMIz at the age of 2 y (ß = -1.24; 95% CI: -2.01, -0.47; P = 0.002) and 4 y (ß = -0.92; 95% CI: -1.53, -0.30; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The IDQI has predictive validity for diet quality and weight status in low-income US children.

Prevalence and Severity of Food Insecurity Before and During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic Among Adults and Youth in Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

BACKGROUND: Disruptions from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic potentially exacerbated food insecurity among adults and youth. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to examine changes in the prevalence and severity of food insecurity among adults and youth from before (2019) to during (2020) the pandemic in multiple countries. METHODS: Repeated cross-sectional data were collected among adults aged 18-100 y (n = 63,278) in 5 countries in November to December in 2018-2020 and among youth aged 10-17 y (n = 23,107) in 6 countries in November to December in 2019 and 2020. Food insecurity in the past year was captured using the Household Food Security Survey Module and the Child Food Insecurity Experiences Scale. Changes in the prevalence and severity of food insecurity were examined using logistic and generalized logit regression models, respectively. Models included age, gender, racial-ethnic identity, and other sociodemographic characteristics associated with food insecurity to adjust for possible sample differences across waves. Models were weighted to reflect each country's population. RESULTS: Adults [adjusted OR (AOR): 1.15; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.31] and youth (AOR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.19, 1.71) in Mexico were more likely to live in food-insecure households in 2020 compared to 2019. Adults in Australia (AOR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.92) and Canada (AOR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77, 0.99) were less likely to live in food-insecure households in 2020. Trends in severity aligned with changes in prevalence, with some exceptions. Youth in Australia (AOR: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.65, 3.02) and the United States (AOR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.86) were more likely to have many compared with no experiences of food insecurity in 2020 compared to 2019. There was no evidence of change among adults and youth in the remaining countries. CONCLUSIONS: Except for Mexico, few changes in food insecurity among adults and youth were observed from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic. Action is needed to support households at risk of food insecurity.

Differences in Infant Diet Quality Index by Race and Ethnicity Predict Differences in Later Diet Quality.

BACKGROUND: Racial and ethnic disparities in infant-feeding practices may negatively influence diet quality and health. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the racial, ethnic, and language (English or Spanish) differences in infant diet quality, later diet quality, and weight status at 2-5 y, and whether these differences were explained through infant diet quality among participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). METHODS: Using the WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 (unweighted n = 2663; weighted n = 362,712), relationships between the Infant Dietary Quality Index (IDQI; range 0-1) and Healthy Eating Index-2020 (HEI-2020; range 0-100) and BMI z-score (BMIz) at 2-5 y were analyzed by race, ethnicity, and language preference [Hispanic Spanish-speaking, Hispanic English-speaking, non-Hispanic (NH) White, and NH Black participants]. Statistical interaction between IDQI and each group was evaluated in multivariable models. The mediation of each group through the IDQI was assessed using causal mediation methods. RESULTS: Differences in IDQI [mean (standard deviation)] were observed between Hispanic Spanish-speaking participants [0.41 (0.10)], Hispanic English-speaking participants [0.37 (0.10)], NH White participants [0.36 (0.10)], and NH Black participants [0.35 (0.09)], P < 0.001. Differences in HEI-2020 occurred at 2-5 y, with the Hispanic Spanish-speaking participants having consistently higher HEI-2020 scores. Differences in BMIz were observed at 5 y, with higher scores among Hispanic Spanish-speaking participants. Interaction between race, ethnicity, and IDQI was observed for all outcomes except for BMIz at 3 y. Through mediation, IDQI explained 13%-20% of the difference in HEI-2020 scores between Hispanic Spanish-speaking and NH White participants at 2-5 y. IDQI explained 22%-25% of the difference in HEI-2020 scores between the Hispanic Spanish-speaking and NH Black participants at 4 y and 5 y. CONCLUSIONS: Higher infant diet quality scores observed in Hispanic Spanish-speaking participants explain some of the racial and ethnic differences observed in later diet quality, suggesting that improving infant diet quality may help reduce diet disparities during early childhood.

Strengthening Nutrition Interventions during Antenatal Care Improved Maternal Dietary Diversity and Child Feeding Practices in Urban Bangladesh: Results of a Quasi-Experimental Evaluation Study.

BACKGROUND: Bangladesh is urbanizing rapidly, facing challenges of malnutrition, low coverage and poor quality of urban nutrition services. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the effect of integrating maternal, infant, and young child nutrition interventions, delivered at urban Maternal Neonatal and Child Health facilities, on maternal dietary diversity, iron and folic acid (IFA) and calcium consumption, and child feeding practices. METHODS: We used a quasi-experimental design with a nonrandom assignment of 20 health care facilities in Dhaka to intensive and standard service arms. We conducted facility-based observations and community-based surveys at baseline (2020) and endline (2022) (n = 2455 observations and surveys with 1678 pregnant women [PW] or recently delivered women [RDW] at endline). We derived difference-in-difference (DID) estimates, adjusted for characteristics that differed at baseline or endline, and accounted for clustering. RESULTS: Exposure to antenatal care (ANC) was similar in both arms: two-thirds of RDW received ANC during the first trimester and three-fourths received ≥4 ANC checkups. Compared to the standard arm, a higher proportion of PW in the intensive arm received counseling on dietary diversity (DID: 45 percentage points [pp]), and a higher proportion of RDW received IFA (25 pp) and calcium supplementation (19 pp), showed adequate weight gain (44 pp), and recorded appropriate child feeding (27 pp). Improvements were greater in the intensive than the standard arm for the number of food groups consumed (DID: 1.1 food groups) and minimum dietary diversity (23 pp); no effect was observed for IFA and calcium consumption during pregnancy. However, effects were observed for early initiation of (20 pp) and exclusive breastfeeding (45 pp), introduction of solid or semisolid foods (28 pp), and egg and/or flesh food consumption (33 pp) among children. Minimum dietary diversity and acceptable diet remained low in both arms. CONCLUSIONS: Intensifying nutrition in government-aligned health care services delivered by experienced nongovernmental organization-run facilities is a feasible model to address the urban health gap, nutrition services coverage, and improve practices. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03882268.

Links between Household-Level Income-Generating Agricultural Intervention and the Psychological Well-Being of Adolescent Girls in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Affected Households in Southwestern Kenya: A Qualitative Inquiry.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent girls may experience poor psychological well-being, such as social isolation, shame, anxiety, hopelessness, and despair linked to food insecurity. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the experiences with and perceived effects of a household-level income-generating agricultural intervention on the psychological well-being of adolescent girls in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-affected households in southwestern Kenya. METHODS: We conducted 62 in-depth interviews with HIV-affected adolescent girls and caregiver dyads in Adolescent Shamba Maisha (NCT03741634), a sub-study of adolescent girls and caregivers with a household member participating in Shamba Maisha (NCT01548599), a multisectoral agricultural and finance intervention trial aimed to improve food security and HIV health indicators. Participants were purposively sampled to ensure diversity in terms of age and location. Data were audiotaped, transcribed, translated, and uploaded into Dedoose (Sociocultural Research Consultants, LLC) software for management. Data were analyzed thematically based on reports from Dedoose. RESULTS: We found evidence that a household-level structural intervention aimed at increasing food and financial security among persons living with HIV can contribute to better psychological well-being among adolescent girls residing in these households. The intervention also affected: 1) reduction of social isolation, 2) reduction of shame and stigma, 3) increased attendance and concentration in school, 4) improved caregiver mental health, and 5) reduced parental aggression and improved household communication. These associations were reported more commonly among those in the intervention arm than the control arm. CONCLUSIONS: This study extends existing research by demonstrating how multisectoral structural interventions delivered at a household level can improve the psychological well-being of adolescents. We recommend that future research test livelihood interventions designed specifically for adolescent girls that integrate food-security interventions with other elements to address the social and psychological consequences of food insecurity holistically. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03741634.

Household Food Insecurity and Cognition in Youth and Young Adults with Youth-Onset Diabetes.

Objective: We evaluated the association of household food insecurity (FI) with cognition in youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D). Design: In this cross-sectional study, age-adjusted scores for composite Fluid Cognition, and sub-domain scores for Receptive Language and Inhibitory Control and Attention, were modeled stratified by diabetes-type using linear regression, with FI in the past year as the predictor, controlling for covariates. Tests for processing speed, inhibitory control/attention, working memory, episodic memory, and cognitive flexibility were administered to measure composite Fluid Cognition score. The NIHT-CB Picture Vocabulary Test was used to assess Crystallized Cognition score and rapid identification of congruent versus noncongruent items were used to assess Inhibitory Control and Attention score. Setting: The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study, representative of 5 U.S. states. Participants: Included 1574 youth and young adults with T1D or T2D, mean age of 21 years, mean diabetes duration of 11 years, 51% non-Hispanic white, and 47% had higher HbA1c levels (>9% HbA1c). Results: Approximately 18% of the 1,240 participants with T1D and 31% of the 334 with T2D experienced FI. The food-insecure group with T1D had a lower composite Fluid Cognition score (ß= -2.5, 95% confidence interval (CI)= -4.8, -0.1) and a lower Crystallized Cognition score (ß= -3.4, CI= -5.6, -1.3) than food-secure peers. Findings were attenuated to non-significance after adjustment for demographics. Among T2D participants, no associations were observed. In participants with T1D effect modification by glycemic levels were found in the association between FI and composite Fluid Cognition score but adjustment for socioeconomic characteristics attenuated the interaction (p=0.0531). Conclusions: Food-insecure youth and young adults with T1D or T2D did not have different cognition compared to those who were food-secure after adjustment for confounders. Longitudinal research is needed to further understand relations amongst these factors.