Nutrition
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This study aimed to investigate free sugar consumption (FSC) in relation to leisure screen time in children. ⋯ Exceeding the recommendation of screen time is associated with greater FSC in children. Future interventions should be directed toward restricting screen time and FSC in children.
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Undernutrition, particularly wasting, is continuing to be a major challenge in developing countries like Ethiopia. However, data on the geographic variations over time are limited. We aimed to investigate the spatiotemporal variation of wasting in Ethiopia using two decades of Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys data, from 2000 to 2019. ⋯ The reduction in the national prevalence of wasting among children was not as expected. Spatial clustering of wasting was observed in the northern, northeastern, eastern, and western parts of Ethiopia. Spatial clustering of wasting was associated with altitude, precipitation, population density, distance to health facilities, travel time to the nearest cities, and distance to a water body. Early screening and treatment of wasted children should be strengthened. Furthermore, outreach community awareness, especially in rural parts of the country, should be recommended through community health extension workers.
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Review Meta Analysis
Sensitivity and specificity of mid-upper arm circumference for assessment of severe acute malnutrition among children ages 6 to 59 months: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Sensitivity is the proportion of people classified as diseased (i.e., no false negatives). A test with low sensitivity can be thought of as being too cautious in finding a positive result. ⋯ The sensitivity of MUAC is lower compared with the specificity to detect SAM, and varies from area to area.
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Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) significantly increases maternal health risks and adverse effects for the offspring. Observational studies suggest that weight loss before pregnancy may be a promising GDM prevention method. Still, biochemical pathways linking preconception weight changes with subsequent development of GDM among women who are overweight or obese remain unclear. ⋯ Of particular note are the altered levels of branched-chain amino acids, alanine, palmitoleic acid, lysophosphatidylcholine 18:1, and hypoxanthine because of their mechanistic links to insulin resistance and weight change. Mechanisms that may explain how these metabolite modifications contribute to GDM development in those who are overweight or obese are proposed, including insulin resistance pathways. Future nutritional metabolomics preconception intervention studies in overweight or obese are necessary to investigate whether weight loss through lifestyle intervention can reduce GDM occurrence in association with these metabolite alterations and to test the value of these metabolites as potential diagnostic biomarkers of GDM development.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
REsCue trial: Randomized controlled clinical trial with extended-release calcifediol in symptomatic COVID-19 outpatients.
This double-blind randomized controlled trial investigated raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25D) with extended-release calcifediol (ERC) on time to symptom resolution in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. ⋯ ERC safely raised serum 25D to ≥50 ng/mL in outpatients with COVID-19, possibly accelerating resolution of respiratory symptoms and mitigating the risk for pneumonia. These findings warrant further study.