Micronutrient Intake and Diet Quality of Overweight/Obese Filipino Adults in the National Capital Region, Philippines.

Objectives: This study aims to describe the micronutrient intake and diet quality of overweight and obese Filipino adults in the National Capital Region (NCR). Specifically, it seeks to assess micronutrient inadequacy among these individuals and analyze differences in food intake based on their sociodemographic profiles and lifestyle habits.

Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study utilized data from the Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) conducted in 2018, 2019, and 2021 by the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI).

Estimated health impact, cost, and cost-effectiveness of taxation on unhealthy packaged foods in the Philippines: a modelling study.

Background: In 2018, the Philippines implemented a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. A broader tax on unhealthy foods is being considered. We aimed to estimate the effect of a tax on unhealthy packaged foods.

Factors Associated with Stunting among Infants and Young Children in the Fourth District of Camarines Sur, Philippines.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the determinants linked to stunting among infants and young children aged 0-23 months in the Fourth District of Camarines Sur.

Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 628 primary caregivers with infants and young children aged 0-23 months in four municipalities of the Fourth District of Camarines Sur, Philippines, using a twostage stratified random sampling design. Data on sociodemographic and economic factors were collected through face-to-face interviews.

An overview of the healthy aging program for PinoY (HAPPY) senior citizens research: A cross-sectional study among community-dwelling older Filipinos.

Background: As an effort in aligning with the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing, this paper reflects the methods and population characteristics from a comprehensive health and nutrition study among older Filipino adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among older adults aged ≥60 years ( = 562) across the country. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and -tests were performed by sex and age.

Household Air Pollution Related to Housing Characteristics and Cooking Conditions in Jimma Town, Ethiopia.

Background: Globally, a substantial burden of disease is attributable to environmental risk factors including indoor air pollution. Nearly half of the world's population relies on solid fuel. Almost all (98.

Vitamin A Intakes and Status of School-Aged Children in High-Risk Areas of the Philippines.

BackgroundVitamin A (VA) deficiency affects approximately 15% of preschool-aged children in the Philippines (serum retinol <0.7 μmol/L). Data on school-aged children are lacking.

Development of a composite index for the assessment of food systems in the Philippines.

Food system assessment is vital in providing informed decisions for relevant transformations and policy shifts. In the present study, we developed and a composite index that can be utilized to quantitatively assess the status and/or performance of the food systems in the Philippines. Initially, a set of indicators were generated by Delphi approach, and relevant local data were used to develop algorithms to quantitatively operationalize the indicators which were subsequently grouped into domains by Principal Component Analysis (PCA).

Sarcopenia is associated with lower quality of life scores among community-dwelling older Filipinos: Findings from a cross-sectional study.

Background And Objectives: Sarcopenia, characterized by a progressive decline in muscle mass and strength, is a significant concern among older individuals, impacting their functionality and overall quality of life (QOL). The relationship between sarcopenia and QOL among Filipino older adults remains underexplored. Thus, the study aims to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with the QOL of community-dwelling older adults in selected Philippine cities.

Association of Anthropometric Parameters with Elevated Fasting Blood Sugar among Filipino Adults Aged 18-65 years in Highly Urbanized Cities in the Philippines.

Background And Objective: Type II Diabetes Mellitus remains a pressing public health concern among Filipino adults, particularly prevalent in urban households belonging to the middle to richest wealth population. As body composition influences glucose metabolism, understanding the potential of anthropometric parameters is vital in predicting fasting blood sugar. This study aims to generate and find the most appropriate model that can detect likelihood of elevated FBS using different anthropometric parameters.

Aspartame consumption linked to delayed puberty and mitochondrial Dysfunction: Evidence from human and animal studies.

This study investigates the impact of aspartame consumption on pubertal timing in females. The research employs both human and rat models to explore underlying mechanisms. In the Taiwan Pubertal Longitudinal Study (2018-2022), 858 girls aged 6-12 were assessed for aspartame intake and puberty outcomes.

Interventions on Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review of Evidence and Knowledge Gaps.

BackgroundAdequate fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake is important for health, yet populations globally are failing to meet recommendations.ObjectiveA scoping review to summarize available evidence of evaluations of interventions to increase F&V intake globally, focusing on target populations, intervention strategies, research methods, and summarizing their evaluated impacts.MethodsWe searched PubMed and Web of Science in February 2023 for intervention studies in which dietary intake of fruit and/or vegetables were documented.

Environmental factors affecting the BMI of older adults in the Philippines spatially assessed using machine learning.

This study aimed to assess the environmental variables affecting the Body Mass Index of older adults at neighborhood levels (1 ha) while mapping probability distributions of normal, overweight-obese, and underweight older adults. We applied a data-driven method that integrates open-access remote sensing products and geospatial data, along with the first nutritional survey in the Philippines with geo-locations conducted in 2021. We used ensemble machine learning of different presence-only and presence-absence models, all subjected to hyperparameter tuning and variable decorrelation.

Determining an optimal case definition using mid-upper arm circumference with or without weight for age to identify childhood wasting in the Philippines.

In resource-limited areas, where accurate weight-for-height Z-scores are hard to obtain, Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) is a simple tool to identify wasted children. MUAC alone, however, may miss identification of many wasted children, leading to untimely intervention and potentially death. Our study aimed to identify the best-performing case definition to detect wasting by Weight-for-Height z-scores (WHZ) in Filipino children aged 6-59 months.

Prevalence and Factors Associated With Intra-Individual Double Burden of Malnutrition Among Filipino Women of Reproductive Age.

In the Philippines, the co-occurrence of two or more types of malnutrition in an individual, also known as intra-individual double burden of malnutrition (DBM), has rarely been investigated. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and the factors associated with DBM at the individual level among Filipino women of reproductive age (WRA) using the data collected from the 2018 Philippine Expanded National Nutrition Survey. For this study, intra-individual DBM was defined as the co-existence of overweight or obesity and anemia in an individual.

Diets, Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Nutritional Status Among Children, Adolescents and Adults in the Philippines: A Scoping Review.

Suboptimal diets contribute to the risk of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases across the life course. Globally, intakes of fruit and vegetables (F&V) fall below recommendations, including in the Philippines. To promote F&V intakes, understanding the extent of inadequate intakes across population groups and key drivers of dietary patterns is needed.

Intrahousehold Food Distribution in the Philippines: A Food Share Over Energy Share Perspective.

Background: Studies on intrahousehold inequality in food distribution typically have focused on the distribution of total energy within the household. While some members within the household can satiate their hunger primarily from the consumption of inexpensive staple food items, others can consume a significantly larger share of much more expensive nonstaple food items rich in bioavailable micronutrients. This potential inequality, which significantly impacts micronutrient malnutrition in developing countries, can be influenced by the gender-related sociocultural norms.

Gut microbiome and body composition with sorbitol intake during early lifespan.

Objective: The association of sorbitol intake with maintaining healthy body weight through the gut microbiome during early life was investigated.

Research Methods And Procedures: Sorbitol intake, body mass index (BMI), and fecal samples were collected in the total of 369 pregnant women with their infants (aged 4 months to 5 years) from the Taipei Mother-Infant Nutrition Cohort and 1946 children and adolescents (aged 6-18 years) from the Taiwan Puberty Longitudinal Study. The BMI-z score in sorbitol users was compared to that in sorbitol nonusers using generalized linear mixed model.

Exposure to household air pollution and childhood multimorbidity risk in Jimma, Ethiopia.

Background: Childhood multimorbidity, characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of multiple medical conditions in children, is a global concern. Notably, exposure to household air pollution has been linked to various health issues, particularly affecting vulnerable segments of the population residing in poorly ventilated homes. However, evidence regarding the impact of household air pollution on the risk of multimorbidity in low-income settings remains scarce.

Aspartame intake during pregnancy induces placental dysfunction through impaired mitochondrial function and biogenesis modulation.

Introduction: Aspartame is a nonnutritive sweetener (NSS), which is widely used in foods and beverages worldwide. The safety of aspartame, a commonly used artificial sweetener, has been debated. Here, we investigated the potential effects and underlying mechanisms of aspartame consumption during pregnancy on placental dysfunction and birth outcomes.

Data-driven development and validation of a nutrient-based score to measure nutritional balance of meals in the Philippines.

Background: The goal of the present study was to design an easily computable score, based on nutrient composition data instead of food groups, to evaluate the nutritional quality and balance of meals, adapted to the nutritional recommendations for Filipino adults.

Method: The score was defined as a weighted average of 9 nutrient scores. Protein, total fat, saturated fat, free sugars were scored as % of energy; calcium, fiber, sodium, vitamin C, magnesium were scored based on the local dietary reference intakes.

Identification of Genetic Polymorphisms Associated with Interindividual Variability of Vitamin A Concentration in Adipose Tissue of Healthy Male Adults.

Background: Adipose tissue vitamin A (VA), that is, mainly retinol (RET) and its esters, comes from preformed VA and proVA carotenoids present in our food. Adipose tissue VA acts as hormonal cue maintaining essential aspects of adipocyte biology, which includes fat mobilization and catabolism, energy balance, and glucose homeostasis, and it is thus of particular interest to study its determinants, including genetic ones.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify genetic variations associated with adipose tissue VA concentration.

Characterization of the interindividual variability of lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations in the adipose tissue of healthy male adults and identification of combinations of genetic variants associated with it.

Lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) are involved in visual function and could prevent age-related macular degeneration and chronic diseases and improve cognitive performances. Adipose tissue is the main storage site for these xanthophylls (Xanth). The factors affecting their concentrations in this tissue remain poorly understood but in animal models, genetic variations in apolipoprotein E and β-carotene oxygenase 2 have been associated with adipose tissue L concentration.

Unraveling the nutrition and health situation of adults in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) and non-GIDA in the Philippines: A comparative study.

Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) are communities physically and socioeconomically separated from mainstream society (non-GIDA) and lack comprehensive nutrition and health assessments. This study aimed to assess the nutritional and health status and determine the factors associated with chronic energy deficiency (CED) and overweight/obesity among adults, 20-59 years old, residing in GIDA and non-GIDA. Data of the 20,381 adults collected in the Expanded National Nutrition Survey were analyzed.