Reliability of the Block Kid's Food Frequency Questionnaire translated to Arabic and adapted for Kuwaiti children.

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the nutrient intakes of Kuwaiti children; this is partly due to a lack of culture-specific dietary assessment instruments to estimate the usual food and nutrient intake of Arab children. The aim of this study was to describe the methodology used in translating the 2004 Block Kid's Food Frequency Questionnaire (Block FFQ) to Arabic using adapted food choices commonly consumed by Kuwaiti children, and to evaluate the reliability of the FFQ in a population of fifth-grade Kuwaiti children. METHODS: The 2004 Block FFQ was translated from English to Arabic, and food options were replaced with culturally appropriate foods. The modified FFQ was administered to 367 male and female Kuwaiti fifth graders (10.4 ± 0.4 y of age; 53% girls). The FFQ was retested 1 wk later in 26 male students, and 4 wk later in 32 female students. Intraclass correlations (ICC) assessed the reliability between the participants' first and second FFQs for food groups, macronutrients, and five key micronutrients. RESULTS: The combined analysis of boys and girls indicated a moderate reliability for food groups (ICC, 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI]; 0.52-0.80) and micronutrients (ICC, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.29-0.72), but was poor for macronutrients (ICC, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.21-0.62). CONCLUSIONS: The modified FFQ is a modestly reliable instrument for measuring usual dietary intake in Kuwaiti children. The ICC was higher in boys than in girls, probably due to the disparity in the FFQ retest time.

Longitudinal Outcomes of Children Exposed to Opioids In-utero: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to summarize evidence of long-term outcomes of children, 2 years and older, exposed to opioids in-utero. DESIGN: This was a systematic review. Studies were identified by searching the following electronic databases: PubMed, EBSCO HOST/Medline, and Web of Science. Articles were published between 1979 and 2019. METHODS: This systematic review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Two sets of two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed study quality according to National Institutes of Health quality assessment tools. RESULTS: Forty-three articles met inclusion criteria. Synthesis of articles identified trends toward worse outcomes for children with in-utero opioid exposure in all areas, most notably related to academic success, behavior, cognition, hospitalizations, and vision. CONCLUSIONS: Findings reinforce the necessity of continued research in this area with improved study design. Despite limitations in the current body of evidence, findings from this review are vital knowledge for clinicians, because children exposed to opioids in-utero are clearly vulnerable to a wide variety of suboptimal health and developmental outcomes. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Recognition of all outcomes across childhood associated with in-utero opioid exposure will inform improved identification and interventions tailored to the most pressing needs of affected children. Despite the need for continued research, there is sufficient evidence to necessitate close, individualized follow-up throughout childhood.