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Diet, Health, and Society: Advances in Nutritional Epidemiology for Public Health

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutritional Epidemiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2026 | Viewed by 4232

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Vered Kaufman-Shriqui

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Guest Editor

The Department of Nutrition, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
Interests: childhood obesity; community nutrition; eating behaviors; epidemiology; food environment; health disparities; public health nutrition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding how diet influences population health lies at the center of modern public health. As nutritional epidemiology advances, new analytical tools, digital technologies, and biomarker-based approaches are reshaping how we examine diet–disease relationships within their social, cultural, and environmental contexts. This Special Issue welcomes original research, systematic reviews, and methodological papers that deepen our collective understanding of dietary patterns, nutritional determinants of chronic disease, and the societal factors that shape nutrition and health.

We particularly encourage submissions that clarify which research tools and methods enhance the public health relevance of nutritional research and that expand knowledge on the mechanisms through which diet contributes to improved health outcomes. Studies employing innovative tools such as metabolomics, machine learning, and geospatial or longitudinal designs are particularly encouraged. Studies addressing methodological challenges, including measurement error, causal inference, and the integration of complex data, are also welcome.

By gathering research that links methodological innovation with public health application, this Special Issue will highlight approaches and evidence that can guide policy, reduce health inequalities, and promote sustainable and health-supportive diets for populations worldwide.

Dr. Vered Kaufman-Shriqui
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. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2900 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

chronic disease prevention
dietary patterns
geospatial analysis
health inequalities
metabolomics
methodological challenges
nutrition epidemiology
public health nutrition
social determinants of diet

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 1166 KB

Open AccessArticle

Dietary Behaviours and Association with Nutritional Status Among Malaysian School-Based Adolescents: Findings from Adolescent Health Survey 2022

by Lay Kim Tan, Guey Yong Chong, Shi Hui Cheng, Sumarni Mohd Ghazali and Chee Cheong Kee

Nutrients 2026, 18(11), 1833; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18111833 - 5 Jun 2026

Viewed by 271

Abstract

Background/objective: This study determined the prevalence of dietary behaviours and examined their relationship with nutritional status among Malaysian school-based adolescents. Methods: Data from 33,523 adolescents who participated in the Adolescent Health Survey (AHS 2022) were analysed. Multiple logistic regression was employed to assess associations between dietary behaviours and nutritional status, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Our findings demonstrated a double burden of malnutrition, with 6.8% stunting, 8.3% thinness, and 30.5% overweight/obese. High prevalence of inadequate daily intake of fruit and vegetables (FV) (83.9%) and insufficient daily dairy consumption (62.7%) was observed. Approximately one-third of adolescents reported frequent fast-food consumption (i.e., at least one day per week) (35.4%) and daily intake of carbonated soft drinks (32.4%). Daily carbonated soft drink consumption was associated with higher odds of overweight/obesity (aOR:1.11; 95% CI:1.04–1.20), highlighting the need to prioritise the public health strategies aimed at reducing sugar intake. Conversely, inadequate FV intake (aOR:0.88; 95% CI:0.81–0.95) and frequent fast-food consumption (aOR:0.87; 95% CI:0.82–0.94) were associated with lower odds of overweight/obesity, while insufficient daily dairy intake was associated with lower odds of thinness (aOR:0.83; 95% CI:0.73–0.94). These negative associations should be interpreted cautiously due to possible reverse causality and reporting bias. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of strengthening nutrition education and the food environment among Malaysian adolescents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Health, and Society: Advances in Nutritional Epidemiology for Public Health)

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13 pages, 565 KB

Open AccessArticle

Association of Evening Meal-Timing Chronotype with Lower Calcium Intake After Adjustment for Diet Quality

by Sarang Jeong, Yoon Jung Yang and Sohyun Park

Nutrients 2026, 18(9), 1376; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18091376 - 27 Apr 2026

Viewed by 367

Abstract

Background: Evening meal-timing chronotypes often exhibit lower calcium intake; however, whether this relationship remains significant after accounting for overall diet quality remains unclear. This study examined the association between meal-timing chronotypes and calcium intake and evaluated whether this association is maintained after adjusting for overall diet quality. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed 3465 adults aged 30–49 years from the 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Meal-timing chronotypes were identified using dynamic time warping-based K-means clustering of 24-h energy intake distributions. Survey-weighted linear regression assessed the association between meal-timing chronotype and calcium intake and tested their interaction with the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI; excluding dairy) to evaluate the moderating effect of diet quality. Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for low calcium intake according to meal-timing chronotypes. Models were adjusted for age, sex, education, occupation, household income, and physical activity. Results: After adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, the evening meal-timing chronotype was significantly associated with higher odds of low calcium intake (OR = 2.2, p < 0.001). A significant interaction between chronotype and KHEI tertiles on calcium intake was observed (p < 0.001). Specifically, while calcium intake generally decreased as diet quality declined, individuals with an evening preference consistently showed significantly lower calcium intake across all KHEI tertiles compared to the morning preference group (β = −7.9, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The evening meal-timing chronotype showed a significant association with lower calcium intake, which remained significant even after accounting for overall diet quality. These findings suggest that circadian-related eating patterns, rather than just overall diet quality, play a structural role in determining calcium intake. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Health, and Society: Advances in Nutritional Epidemiology for Public Health)

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11 pages, 631 KB

Open AccessArticle

Association Between Dietary Animal Protein and Depression in a General Population

by Sunghee Lee

Nutrients 2026, 18(7), 1104; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18071104 - 30 Mar 2026

Viewed by 771

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Because of conflicting evidence about the effects of protein sources on mental health, this study aimed to investigate whether animal or plant protein intake is associated with depression. Methods: Among 17,125 adults (7287 men and 9838 women) from nationally representative survey data, the primary measure of depression was determined with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. A 24-h recall method was employed for dietary assessment. The associations between tertile ranges of animal or plant protein and depression were analyzed with weighted logistic models, adjusted for potential confounders. Results: Despite no association among men, women in the uppermost tertile of animal protein intake demonstrated a 36% lower likelihood of having depression [95% confidence interval 0.48–0.86]. Additionally, participants older than 65 years presented a significant trend toward lower likelihoods of depression associated with animal protein intake. Conclusions: This large cross-sectional study of the general population revealed that, regarding one of the common psychological disorders—depression—animal protein intake might have a beneficial association. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Health, and Society: Advances in Nutritional Epidemiology for Public Health)

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20 pages, 650 KB

Open AccessArticle

Association Between Dietary Fiber Intake and Inflammatory Biomarkers in U.S. Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Pre-COVID-19 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–2018

by Pablo Albiña-Palmarola, Yella Rottländer, Aracelly Solís Moyano and Hans Henkes

Nutrients 2026, 18(6), 972; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18060972 - 19 Mar 2026

Viewed by 773

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Dietary fiber has been associated with lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers, but nationally representative evidence using recent U.S. data remains limited. We evaluated the association between dietary fiber intake and inflammatory biomarkers in U.S. adults using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017–2018, the last fully completed cycle before the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a pre-pandemic benchmark for future comparisons. Methods: We analyzed 3570 adults (≥20 years) from NHANES 2017–2018 with complete dietary and biomarker data. Fiber intake was averaged from two 24 h recalls. Outcomes included serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP; primary outcome), white blood cell count (WBC), and neutrophil count. Survey-weighted regression models adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, clinical, and dietary covariates. Associations were examined continuously (per 5 g/day fiber), by quartiles, and with restricted cubic splines. Sensitivity analyses excluded participants with cardiometabolic conditions or modified covariate sets. Results: Each 5 g/day higher fiber intake was associated with 4–7% lower hs-CRP (p < 0.001). Participants in the highest versus lowest fiber quartile had 20.7% lower hs-CRP (95% CI −27.1, −14.4) and 47% lower odds of elevated hs-CRP (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.32–0.85). Secondary outcomes showed significant inverse associations: each +5 g/day was associated with −0.98% WBC (95% CI −1.84, −0.13; p = 0.024) and −1.44% neutrophils (95% CI −2.62, −0.26; p = 0.017) in fully adjusted models. Spline analyses showed no nonlinearity for WBC (p = 0.227) but nonlinear inverse associations for neutrophils (p = 0.0017). Sensitivity analyses confirmed robustness to exclusion of individuals with diabetes, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia, and to alternative covariate specifications. Conclusions: Higher dietary fiber intake was independently associated with a more favorable inflammatory biomarker profile (hs-CRP, WBC, and neutrophils) in U.S. adults, providing a pre-pandemic benchmark for future comparisons. Longitudinal and interventional studies are needed to clarify temporality and causality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Health, and Society: Advances in Nutritional Epidemiology for Public Health)

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15 pages, 373 KB

Open AccessArticle

Dietary Inflammatory Index of Northern Mexican Indigenous Adults and Its Association with Obesity: Cross-Sectional Study

by José M. Moreno-Abril, Mónica D. Zuercher, Silvia Y. Moya-Camarena, Heliodoro Alemán-Mateo, Araceli Serna-Gutiérrez, René Urquidez-Romero, Ana C. Gallegos-Aguilar and Julián Esparza-Romero

Nutrients 2026, 18(2), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18020249 - 13 Jan 2026

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Abstract

Background/Objectives: Given the high prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity in Indigenous adults from Sonora (IAS) and its strong association with diet, this study evaluates the association of dietary inflammatory index (DII) with obesity and abdominal obesity and its indicators, such as body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), respectively. Methods: This cross-sectional study included data from 559 adults across two Indigenous populations (Seris and Yaquis) collected in two separate studies. Obesity and abdominal obesity were classified according to the definitions established by the World Health Organization and the International Diabetes Federation. The DII was calculated with data from population-specific food frequency questionnaires. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the association between the DII variable (expressed as both numeric and categorical) and BMI and WC, separately; multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between obesity and abdominal obesity. Results: The prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity was 34.1% and 78.2%, respectively. There was a positive association between the DII and BMI (DII as numeric: β = 0.53, p = 0.001; tertile3 of DII vs. tertile1: β = 1.86, p = 0.001) and WC (DII as numeric: β = 1.15, p = 0.002; tertile3 of DII vs. tertile1: β = 3.81, p = 0.005). Similar results were found for both types of obesity. Conclusions: Higher DII scores were associated with increased obesity indicators (BMI and WC) and a higher risk of obesity and abdominal obesity in IAS. Promoting anti-inflammatory diets represents a feasible approach for preventing non-communicable diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Health, and Society: Advances in Nutritional Epidemiology for Public Health)

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Review

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27 pages, 1052 KB

Open AccessReview

Reassessing Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification for Neural Tube Defect Prevention: Evidence, Uncertainty, and Policy Implications

by Cara J. Westmark

Nutrients 2026, 18(11), 1758; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18111758 - 30 May 2026

Viewed by 543

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that is essential for DNA synthesis, cell division and proper growth and development, particularly during pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs). A large, fully randomized clinical trial (RCT) from the United Kingdom in 1991 (the Medical Research Council (MRC) Vitamin Study), where participants had a prior NTD-affected pregnancy, demonstrated a 72% reduction in NTD recurrence in the folic acid treatment group. Based on this data and the high rate of unplanned pregnancies, about 90 countries fortify cereal grains with folic acid with the goal to prevent NTDs during pregnancy. This critical narrative review and policy perspective addresses the difference between folate and folic acid and between supplementation and food fortification, critically evaluates the data in three recent publications supporting mandatory fortification of food products with folic acid, and presents the case for a more personalized medicine approach to the prevention of NTDs. Methods: Relevant literature was identified through PubMed searches using the keywords “fortification”, “folic acid”, and “systematic review” or by Googe Scholar Alerts. Three studies were identified based on relevance to the topic and publication dates between January and February of 2026. Results: There is a disregard in published studies, which use pre-fortification groups as controls, for the confounding issue of changing socioeconomic factors over time. Improved socioeconomic conditions are associated with subsequent decreases in NTD prevalence regardless of fortification. Conclusions: The efficacy of folic acid supplementation for recurrent NTDs is supported by evidence-based literature, but evidence in favor of mandatory food fortification to prevent NTDs is limited. Food fortification is widely debated, raises numerous ethical issues, and has broad implications for human health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Health, and Society: Advances in Nutritional Epidemiology for Public Health)

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