Improving Adolescent Girls’ and Women’s Health and Nutrition

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2025 | Viewed by 444

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Nutrition, Faculty of Nursing and Professional Health Studies, Slovak Medical University, 83303 Bratislava, Slovakia
Interests: nutrition; analytical chemistry; chromatography; mass spectrometry; sample preparation; environmental studies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Nursing and Professional Health Studies, Slovak Medical University, 83303 Bratislava, Slovakia
Interests: nutrition science; nutrition and dietetics of women, newborns and infants; medicinal and food chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Adolescent girls and women face unique health and nutrition challenges that significantly influence their overall well-being, productivity, and the health of future generations. Solving these challenges is inevitable for advancing gender equality, improving public health outcomes, and achieving sustainable development goals. This Special Issue aims to explore innovative research, evidence-based interventions, and policy approaches designed to enhance the health and nutritional status of adolescent girls and women in different environments. The clarification of strategies to combat malnutrition, address reproductive health needs, and promote equity in access to healthcare services is possible by researching the interplay between biological, social, and environmental factors. The insights derived from these studies will support applicable solutions to improve quality of life and empower adolescent girls and women worldwide.

Dr. Csilla Mišľanová
Dr. Martina Valachovičová
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • adolescent girls
  • women
  • health
  • nutrition
  • malnutrition
  • health policy
  • gender equality
  • reproductive health
  • public health

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 1061 KB  
Article
Selenoprotein S and the Causal Risk of Hypertension in Pregnancy: A Mendelian Randomization Study
by Mengqi Cai, Wenrui Lv, Yan He, Weili Liu and Yuzhen Gao
Healthcare 2025, 13(18), 2383; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13182383 - 22 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Background: Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) affects approximately 10% of pregnancies worldwide, representing a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The relationship between plasma selenium levels and PIH remains controversial, with observational studies limited by confounding factors. Selenoprotein S (SELENOS) has emerged [...] Read more.
Background: Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) affects approximately 10% of pregnancies worldwide, representing a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The relationship between plasma selenium levels and PIH remains controversial, with observational studies limited by confounding factors. Selenoprotein S (SELENOS) has emerged as a potential biomarker for PIH risk. As one of the carrier proteins for dietary selenium, SELENOS plays a crucial role in oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways. However, the causal relationship between the plasma levels of the SELENOS and PIH development remains unclear. This study employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the causal link between the plasma levels of the SELENOS and PIH risk, providing evidence for preventive strategies. Methods: We conducted a two-sample MR analysis using genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics from the INTERVAL study and FinnGen consortium. The analysis included individuals of European ancestry, utilizing the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method as the primary approach. Comprehensive sensitivity analyses were performed to address potential pleiotropy and strengthen causal inference. Results: The analysis encompassed 3301 samples for the plasma levels of the SELENOS and 7686 PIH cases, 1109 pre-existing hypertension (PEH) cases, 4255 gestational hypertension (GH) cases, and 83 preeclampsia (PE) cases superimposed on chronic hypertension, alongside approximately 115,000 controls. Genetic variabilities that have been found to be accompanied by elevated levels of plasma selenioprotein levels showed significant associations with increased risk of PIH [odds ratio (OR) 1.078, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.031–1.126, p = 0.001], PEH (OR 1.232, 95% CI 1.105–1.373, p < 0.001), and GH (OR 1.111, 95% CI 1.047–1.180, p = 0.001), with suggestive associations for preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension (OR 1.590, 95% CI 1.078–2.344, p = 0.019). Conclusions: This study provides robust genetic evidence for a causal relationship between the plasma levels of the SELENOS and PIH risk, establishing SELENOS as a potential modifiable risk factor with significant clinical implications. These findings support the development of personalized selenium management strategies during pregnancy and highlight the potential for early screening and targeted interventions to improve maternal and fetal outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Adolescent Girls’ and Women’s Health and Nutrition)
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