The Role of Diet and Movement in Childhood and Adolescent

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 329

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Public Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, 11521 Athens, Greece
Interests: pediatric nutrition; physical activity; malnutrition; eating behaviors; children; adolescents
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue, "The Role of Diet and Movement in Childhood and Adolescent", is to provide a comprehensive and in-depth exploration of the synergistic relationship between nutrition quality, physical activity, and sedentary behavior as paramount determinants of health outcomes during the formative years. We seek to synthesize rigorous research on the mechanisms, development, adoption, and maintenance of these lifestyle habits, focusing on their differential impact on both immediate concerns (e.g., obesity, cardiometabolic risk, neurocognitive function, and mental well-being) and long-term disease trajectories.

Submissions are invited to explore the underlying biological, psychosocial, and environmental factors—including family, school, community, and policy settings—that shape dietary intake and movement patterns across diverse populations. We welcome studies employing varied methodologies, from large-scale epidemiological analyses and longitudinal cohorts to the evaluation of innovative preventive and therapeutic interventions to reviews. The ultimate goal is to translate cutting-edge scientific findings into actionable, scalable recommendations for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers globally, thereby fostering health equity and significantly contributing to the prevention of chronic disease in children and adolescents.

Prof. Dr. Tonia Vassilakou
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • diet
  • nutrition
  • physical activity
  • exercise
  • movement
  • obesity
  • children
  • adolescents

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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17 pages, 615 KB  
Systematic Review
Association Between Plant Food Consumption and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents: A Systematic Review
by Amalia Pitsika, Ioanna Kontele, Theodoros N. Sergentanis, Stavroula-Angeliki Pantou, Eleni Kornarou and Tonia Vassilakou
Children 2025, 12(12), 1617; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12121617 - 27 Nov 2025
Viewed by 256
Abstract
Background: Diet is a crucial factor in both physical and mental health. Several studies in adult populations report that a healthy diet is negatively associated with depression; however, data among adolescents are scarce. Aim: The investigation of the correlation between the consumption of [...] Read more.
Background: Diet is a crucial factor in both physical and mental health. Several studies in adult populations report that a healthy diet is negatively associated with depression; however, data among adolescents are scarce. Aim: The investigation of the correlation between the consumption of plant foods and depressive symptoms among adolescents. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of articles published over the last decade was conducted across five databases: PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Results: Fourteen studies were included in the analysis. Twelve studies reported a negative correlation between symptoms of depression in adolescents and consumption of certain plant foods. Two studies did not report significant correlations, while one study reported a weak positive correlation. Conclusions: Studies report that the consumption of plant foods and specific nutrients included in them is negatively associated with symptoms of depression in adolescents. Further research is needed to explore the relationship and the possible biological mechanisms between plant food consumption and depressive symptoms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Diet and Movement in Childhood and Adolescent)
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