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Nutrition as Prevention Factor for Diabetes, Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 31459

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Immacolata Cristina Nettore

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Guest Editor

Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Interests: nutrition; obesity; flavor recognition; food preferences; dietary choice; childhood obesity; SNPs, polymorphism; public health

Dr. Raffaele Teperino

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Assistant Guest Editor

Head of the Environmental Epigenetics Group, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
Interests: gene/environment interaction; non-genetic inheritance; complex diseases; diabetes; obesity; cancer; epigenetics

Dr. Paolo Emidio Macchia

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Assistant Guest Editor

Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Interests: nutrition and dietetics; flavor recognition; food preferences, endocrinology and internal medicine (general medicine)

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the past decades, lifestyle changes such as an increase in sedentary behavior and easier access to low-priced, highly energy-dense foods have produced critical variations in body composition, resulting in higher obesity rates and diabetes. Nutrition describes the processes by which cells, tissues, organs, and the whole body acquire energy and nutrients for their normal structure and function. Since the early stages of life, a correct nutrition has a fundamental role to avoid the onset of pathologies. Indeed, childhood obesity is an important risk factor for the development of several health conditions in adults, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), metabolic syndrome, and other non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension (HTN), hyperlipidemia, stroke, various cancers, sleep apnea, liver and gall bladder diseases, osteoarthritis, and gynecological problems. In addition, recent studies have focused on the psychosocial consequences of obesity, which appeared to be responsible for depression and/or prejudice. Thus, food choice combined with physical activity represents an important factor to prevent several diseases.

This Special Issue entitled “Nutrition as a prevention factor for Diabetes, Obesity, and other Chronic Diseases” will collect articles written by international researchers focusing on known and novel approaches to counter obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases. Original research papers, reviews, case reports, meta-analyses, and clinical studies addressing these topics are invited for this Special Issue.

Dr. Immacolata Cristina Nettore
Guest Editor
Dr. Raffaele Teperino
Prof. Paolo Emidio Macchia
Assistant 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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 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 2500 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

Nutrition
Food Choice
Childood Obesity, Diabetes
Chronic Disease
Non-communicable diseases
Prevention
Public health
Sedentary Life
Epigenetics
Gene/Environment Interaction

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

18 pages, 2298 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quercetin and Its Derivative Counteract Palmitate-Dependent Lipotoxicity by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Cardiomyocytes

by Maria Concetta Granieri, Carmine Rocca, Anna De Bartolo, Immacolata Cristina Nettore, Vittoria Rago, Naomi Romeo, Jessica Ceramella, Annaluisa Mariconda, Paolo Emidio Macchia, Paola Ungaro, Maria Stefania Sinicropi and Tommaso Angelone

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3492; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043492 - 16 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1514

Abstract

Cardiac lipotoxicity plays an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity-related cardiovascular disease. The flavonoid quercetin (QUE), a nutraceutical compound that is abundant in the “Mediterranean diet”, has been shown to be a potential therapeutic agent in cardiac and metabolic diseases. Here, we investigated the beneficial role of QUE and its derivative Q2, which demonstrates improved bioavailability and chemical stability, in cardiac lipotoxicity. To this end, H9c2 cardiomyocytes were pre-treated with QUE or Q2 and then exposed to palmitate (PA) to recapitulate the cardiac lipotoxicity occurring in obesity. Our results showed that both QUE and Q2 significantly attenuated PA-dependent cell death, although QUE was effective at a lower concentration (50 nM) when compared with Q2 (250 nM). QUE decreased the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), an important indicator of cytotoxicity, and the accumulation of intracellular lipid droplets triggered by PA. On the other hand, QUE protected cardiomyocytes from PA-induced oxidative stress by counteracting the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl groups (which are indicators of lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation, respectively) and intracellular ROS generation, and by improving the enzymatic activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Pre-treatment with QUE also significantly attenuated the inflammatory response induced by PA by reducing the release of key proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α). Similar to QUE, Q2 (250 nM) also significantly counteracted the PA-provoked increase in intracellular lipid droplets, LDH, and MDA, improving SOD activity and decreasing the release of IL-1β and TNF-α. These results suggest that QUE and Q2 could be considered potential therapeutics for the treatment of the cardiac lipotoxicity that occurs in obesity and metabolic diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition as Prevention Factor for Diabetes, Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases)

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16 pages, 1089 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Eating Disorders and Disturbed Eating Behaviors Underlying Body Weight Differences in Patients Affected by Endometriosis: Preliminary Results from an Italian Cross-Sectional Study

by Fabio Panariello, Gianluca Borgiani, Concetta Bronte, Giovanni Cassero, Giulia Montanari, Marcella Falcieri, Michele Angelo Rugo, Ornella Trunfio, Diana De Ronchi and Anna Rita Atti

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 1727; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031727 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2496

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs), disturbed eating behaviors (DEBs), and emotional eating attitudes (EEAs) among patients affected by endometriosis in order to understand a potential crosslink between this impacting gynecological disease and a Body Mass Index shift. A total of 30 patients were recruited at an endometriosis outpatient clinic in Bologna and were assessed by using standardized instruments and specific questionnaires for EDs, DEBs, and EEAs. Sociodemographic information and endometriosis clinical features and history information were collected by adopting a specific questionnaire. Retrospective reports of lifetime Body Mass Index (BMI) changes, current BMI, peak pain severity during the last menstrual period, and the average of pain intensity during the last intermenstrual period were used for a correlation with the mean score from eating-behavior scales’ assessment. The preliminary results indicate that, although only 3.33% of endometriosis patients are affected by ED, statistically significant differences at the mean scores of DEBs and EEAs assessment scales were found by stratifying patients on the basis of BMI levels at risk for infertility and coronary heart disease and on the basis of moderate/severe pain levels. The enrichment of the sample size and the recruitment of the control group to complete the study enrollment will allow us to investigate more complex and strong correlation findings and to assess the prevalence of EDs among endometriosis patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition as Prevention Factor for Diabetes, Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases)

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12 pages, 733 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association between Dietary Habits and Severity of Symptoms in Premenstrual Syndrome

by Cinzia Quaglia, Immacolata Cristina Nettore, Giuseppe Palatucci, Fabiana Franchini, Paola Ungaro, Annamaria Colao and Paolo Emidio Macchia

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 1717; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031717 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2021

Abstract

Background. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a set of physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms that occur during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The etiopathogenesis of this condition is not fully understood, and several studies suggest a possible role of environmental factors, such as diet. The aim of this work was to investigate the relationship between dietary habits and the occurrence and severity of PMS. Methods and Results. Forty-seven women were enrolled in the study. Participants were asked to complete the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) to diagnose PMS and to complete a three-day food record during the perimenstrual phase. Thirty women completed the study (16 with PMS and 14 controls). An analysis of the food diaries revealed no differences between the women with PMS and the control subjects in terms of total energy intake (1649 vs. 1570 kcal/day), diet composition, and the consumption of macro- or micronutrients, except for copper, whose consumption was higher in women with PMS than in the control subjects (1.27 ± 0.51 vs. 0.94 ± 0.49 mg/d, p < 0.05). Conclusions. The data presented here are very preliminary, and only a significant difference in copper intake was found when comparing women with PMS and controls. Larger studies are needed to better define how diet may contribute to the exacerbation of the psychological and somatic symptoms associated with PMS and whether PMS itself may influence macro- or micronutrient intake by changing dietary habits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition as Prevention Factor for Diabetes, Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases)

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8 pages, 322 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Associations between Adherence to the Taiwan Dietary Reference Intakes of Micronutrients and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

by Ming-Chieh Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12242; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912242 - 27 Sep 2022

Viewed by 1210

Abstract

The dietary reference intakes (DRIs) were established as guidance for the intake of micronutrients and other nutrients. However, how DRIs affect disease status has not been thoroughly examined. The aim of this study is to examine the associations between adherence to the DRIs of selected micronutrients and type 2 diabetes. A populational and cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT) 2013–2016. A total of 14 nutrient intakes, including those for vitamin A, C, D, E, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, iron, magnesium, zinc, calcium, and phosphorus, were evaluated using the 24 h dietary recall method. Type 2 diabetes was defined as a fasting serum HbA1c level of 6.5% or higher and excluded participants who had received treatments for type 2 diabetes or reported a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes by physicians to avoid the possible inverse association. A total of 2685 participants aged 19 and above were included in the final analysis. After adjusting for confounders, we found that adherence to the DRI of vitamin A was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes among men. The odds ratio (OR) was 0.64 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.42–0.99) compared with men who did not adhere to the DRI. As for women, we found that adherence to the DRI of vitamin B1 was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. The OR was 0.59 (95% CI = 0.35–0.97) compared with that for women who did not adhere to the DRI. This study showed that adherence to Taiwan DRIs of vitamin A for men and vitamin B1 for women might have beneficial effects on type 2 diabetes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition as Prevention Factor for Diabetes, Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases)

17 pages, 1291 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Measuring Obesogenicity and Assessing Its Impact on Child Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Ecological Study for England Neighbourhoods

by Peter Congdon

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10865; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710865 - 31 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1849

Abstract

Both major influences on changing obesity levels (diet and physical activity) may be mediated by the environment, with environments that promote higher weight being denoted obesogenic. However, while many conceptual descriptions and definitions of obesogenic environments are available, relatively few attempts have been made to quantify obesogenic environments (obesogenicity). The current study is an ecological study (using area units as observations) which has as its main objective to propose a methodology for obtaining a numeric index of obesogenic neighbourhoods, and assess this methodology in an application to a major national dataset. One challenge in such a task is that obesogenicity is a latent aspect, proxied by observed environment features, such as poor access to healthy food and recreation, as well as socio-demographic neighbourhood characteristics. Another is that obesogenicity is potentially spatially clustered, and this feature should be included in the methodology. Two alternative forms of measurement model (i.e., models representing a latent quantity using observed indicators) are considered in developing the obesogenic environment index, and under both approaches we find that both food and activity indicators are pertinent to measuring obesogenic environments (though with varying relevance), and that obesogenic environments are spatially clustered. We then consider the role of the obesogenic environment index in explaining obesity and overweight rates for children at ages 10–11 in English neighbourhoods, along with area deprivation, population ethnicity, crime levels, and a measure of urban–rural status. We find the index of obesogenic environments to have a significant effect in elevating rates of child obesity and overweight. As a major conclusion, we establish that obesogenic environments can be measured using appropriate methods, and that they play a part in explaining variations in child weight indicators; in short, area context is relevant. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition as Prevention Factor for Diabetes, Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases)

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13 pages, 514 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effectiveness of the “Planning Health in School” Programme on Children’s Nutritional Status

by Margarida Vieira, Andreia Teixeira and Graça S. Carvalho

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(23), 12846; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312846 - 06 Dec 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2349

Abstract

Effective interventions for guiding children to change behaviours are needed to tackle obesity. We evaluated the effectiveness of the ‘Planning Health in School’ programme (PHS-pro) on children’s nutritional status. A non-randomised control group pretest-posttest trial was conducted at elementary schools of a sub-urban municipality in Porto’s metropolitan area (Portugal). A total of 504 children of grade-6, aged 10–14, were assigned in two groups: children of one school as the intervention group (IG), and three schools as the control group (CG). Anthropometric measures included height, weight, waist circumference (WC), BMI and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and lifestyle behaviours (self-reported questionnaire) were assessed at baseline and after PHS-pro. IG children grew significantly taller more than CG ones (p < 0.001). WC had reduced significantly in IG (−0.4 cm) whereas in the CG had increased (+0.3 cm; p = 0.015), and WHtR of IG showed a significant reduction (p = 0.002) compared with CG. After PHS-pro, IG children consumed significantly fewer soft drinks (p = 0.043) and ate more fruit and vegetables daily than CG. Physical activity time increased significantly in IG (p = 0.022), while CG maintained the same activity level. The PHS-pro did improve anthropometric outcomes effectively leading to better nutritional status and appears to be promising in reducing overweight and obesity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition as Prevention Factor for Diabetes, Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases)

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13 pages, 785 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reduction in Pain and Pain Intensity with Nonpharmacological Treatment in Severely Obese Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial

by Carolina Rodrigues Mendonça, Matias Noll, Camila Kellen de Souza Cardoso, Annelisa Silva Alves de Carvalho Santos, Ana Paula dos Santos Rodrigues and Erika Aparecida Silveira

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11112; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111112 - 22 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1850

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of two nonpharmacological interventions—traditional Brazilian diet (DieTBra), and extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)—in terms of the reduction in pain and pain intensity in individuals with severe obesity. We conducted a 12-week parallel randomized clinical trial with 149 individuals (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35 kg/m²) who were randomized into three groups: supplementation with EVOO (n = 50), DieTBra (n = 49), and EVOO + DieTBra (n = 50). Of the total, 133 individuals with a mean BMI of 46.04 kg/m² completed the study. By the end of the follow-up, there was a reduction in severe pain in the EVOO + DieTBra group (p = 0.003). There was a significant reduction in severe pain in the EVOO + DieTBra group (−22.7%); pain in the wrist and hand (−14.1%), upper back (−26.9%), and knees (−18.4%) in the DieTBra group; and reduction in hip pain (−11.1%) with EVOO consumption. We conclude that EVOO and DieTBra, either alone or in combination, are effective interventions to reduce pain intensity and pain in different regions in individuals with severe obesity, and have great potential for clinical application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition as Prevention Factor for Diabetes, Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases)

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26 pages, 5343 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Partial Replacement of Dietary Fat with Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Attenuates the Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Hepatic Inflammation in Sprague-Dawley Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet

by Hee-Kyoung Son, Huo Xiang, Seohyun Park, Jisu Lee, Jae-Joon Lee, Sunyoon Jung and Jung-Heun Ha

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10986; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010986 - 19 Oct 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2434

Abstract

In this study, we investigated whether the partial replacement of dietary fat with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) ameliorated the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced hepatic inflammation in rats fed a high-fat diet. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups and provided each of the following diets: (1) high-fat diet (HFD), (2) HFD with perilla oil (PO), and (3) HFD with corn oil (CO). After 12 weeks of dietary intervention, the rats were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (5 mg/kg) from Escherichia coli O55:B5 or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Following LPS stimulation, serum insulin levels were increased, while PO and CO lowered the serum levels of glucose and insulin. In the liver, LPS increased the triglyceride levels, while PO and CO alleviated the LPS-induced hepatic triglyceride accumulation. In the LPS injected rats, the mRNA expression of genes related to inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was attenuated by PO and CO in the liver. Furthermore, hepatic levels of proteins involved in the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, antioxidant response, and ER stress were lowered by PO- and CO-replacement. Therefore, the partial replacement of dietary fat with PUFAs alleviates LPS-induced hepatic inflammation during HFD consumption, which may decrease metabolic abnormalities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition as Prevention Factor for Diabetes, Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases)

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13 pages, 1663 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Disturbed Lipid Metabolism in Diabetic Patients with Manifest Coronary Artery Disease Is Associated with Enhanced Inflammation

by Katja Buschmann, Yves Gramlich, Ryan Chaban, Matthias Oelze, Ulrich Hink, Thomas Münzel, Hendrik Treede, Andreas Daiber and Georg Daniel Duerr

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10892; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010892 - 17 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2067

Abstract

Background: Diabetic vasculopathy plays an important role in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease (CAD) with oxidative stress as a strong mediator. This study aims to elucidate the underlying pathomechanisms of diabetic cardiac vasculopathy leading to coronary disease with an emphasis on the role of oxidative stress. Therefore, novel insights into antioxidant pathways might contribute to new strategies in the treatment and prevention of diabetic CAD. Methods: In 20 patients with insulin-dependent or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM/NIDDM) and 39 non-diabetic (CTR) patients, myocardial markers of oxidative stress, vasoactive proteins, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), activated phosphorylated eNOS (p-eNOS), and antioxidant enzymes, e.g., tetrahydrobiopterin generating dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), heme oxygenase (HO-1), as well as serum markers of inflammation, e.g., E-selectin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and lipid metabolism, e.g., high- and low-density lipoptrotein (HDL- and LDL-cholesterol) were determined in specimens of right atrial tissue and in blood samples from type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Results: IDDM/NIDDM increased markers of inflammation (e.g., E-selectin, p = 0.005 and IL-6, p = 0.051), decreased the phosphorylated myocardial p-eNOS (p = 0.032), upregulated the myocardial stress response protein HO-1 (p = 0.018), and enhanced the serum LDL-/HDL-cholesterol ratio (p = 0.019). However, the oxidative stress markers in the myocardium and the expression of vasoactive proteins (eNOS, DHFR) showed only marginal adverse changes in patients with IDDM/NIDDM. Conclusion: Dyslipidemia and myocardial inflammation seem to be the major determinants of diabetic CAD complications. Dysregulation in pro-oxidative enzymes might be attributable to the severity of CAD and oxidative stress levels in all included patients undergoing CABG. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition as Prevention Factor for Diabetes, Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases)

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19 pages, 579 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Children Learn, Children Do! Results of the “Planning Health in School”, a Behavioural Change Programme

by Margarida Vieira and Graça S. Carvalho

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(18), 9872; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189872 - 19 Sep 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2589

Abstract

The ‘Planning Health in School’ programme (PHS-pro) is a behavioural change intervention to assess and improve the eating habits of children, particularly the intake of fruit and vegetables, and to guide them towards healthy choices. The programme and its educational components are based on the Transtheoretical Model of stages of change to integrate nutritional literacy and build up problem-solving and decision-making skills. Children (n = 240, ages 10–12) of one large suburban school in Porto’s metropolitan area (Portugal) were evaluated throughout PHS-pro implementation during one school year in a repeated time–series design. Children’s outcome evaluations were conducted through seven 3-day food records for nine eating behaviour, documented after each learning module and through participatory activities which analysed attitudes, preferences and expectations. Changes were observed in children’s eating behaviour, supported by changes in motivation as perceived in their attitudes and expectations. Significant changes were found in a higher consumption of vegetable soup (p = 0.003), milk products (p = 0.024), and fruit (p = 0.008), while the consumption of high-energy dense food (p = 0.048) and soft drinks (p = 0.042) significantly decreased. No positive effects on fried food, water, vegetables and bread consumption were found. The PHS-pro intervention proved to be effective in developing healthy eating behaviour in young people. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition as Prevention Factor for Diabetes, Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases)

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16 pages, 3734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Analysis of Maternal, Social and Household Factors Associated with Childhood Anemia

by Vidya Chandran and Russell S. Kirby

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(6), 3105; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063105 - 17 Mar 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3653

Abstract

Anemia is highly prevalent in all strata of populations in India, with established evidence of intergenerational anemia. The state of Madhya Pradesh was selected to study childhood anemia as the population is mostly rural, with many tribal districts, and has the highest infant mortality rate in India. This study aims to understand the maternal, social and household factors that affect anemia among children aged 6 months to 5 years by analyzing the the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted in 2015–2016. Children aged 6–59 months with estimated hemoglobin levels were included in this study. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to understand associations between childhood anemia and various socioeconomic factors. Two models to understand the presence of anemia and the levels of anemia were computed. Higher likelihood of having severe childhood anemia was observed among children of younger mothers (15- to 19-year-old mothers (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06, 4.06, less educated (uneducated mothers aOR 2.25, 95% CI 1.13, 4.48) and belonged to a scheduled tribe (aOR 1.88, 95% CI 1.07, 3.29). Strong associations between anemia in mothers and their children suggest intergenerational anemia which has long-term effects. Malnourished children (severe stunting aOR 3.19, 95% CI 2.36, 4.31) and children born with very low birth weight (aOR 4.28, 95% CI 2.67, 6.87) were more likely to have anemia. These findings strongly suggest more proactive interventions including prenatal healthcare for women and monitoring of the nutrition children at the community level to combat childhood anemia. Evaluations of existing programs should be conducted to understand the gaps in reducing anemia and malnutrition in children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition as Prevention Factor for Diabetes, Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases)

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Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 782 KiB

Open AccessReview

Obesity and Thyroid Cancer Risk: An Update

by Fabiana Franchini, Giuseppe Palatucci, Annamaria Colao, Paola Ungaro, Paolo Emidio Macchia and Immacolata Cristina Nettore

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1116; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031116 - 20 Jan 2022

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 5348

Abstract

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine malignancy worldwide and its incidence has increased dramatically in recent years. In parallel, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has also increased, suggesting a possible link between these two diseases. Indeed, low-grade chronic inflammation, altered cytokine levels, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and hormonal changes that occur in obese patients are all factors that contribute to the occurrence and growth of TC. In this review, the most recent evidence supporting the potential role of the mechanisms linking obesity to TC will be discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition as Prevention Factor for Diabetes, Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases)

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