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Sub-Optimal Dietary Intake and Risks Relating to Child Development, Chronic...
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Sub-Optimal Dietary Intake and Risks Relating to Child Development, Chronic Disease and Cancer Outcomes

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2025 | Viewed by 1786

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jing Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Rural Health Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia
2. School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4215, Australia
Interests: chronic disease prevention; data science; nutrition; clinical trials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sub-optimal dietary intake and dietary risks have a significantly adverse impact on child growth and development, and burden of disease in patients with cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and cancer. Insufficient intake of iron, Vit A, Vit D, Zinc, calcium, and trace elements lead to slow growth and poor development in children and adolescents. The prolonged dietary risks associated with insufficient nutrient intake, high intake of processed meat, red meat and sodium, low fruit and vegetable intake, low intake of seafood and low intake of nuts and legumes may contribute to the burden of disease relating to high prevalence and incidence of eating disorders, death and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in people who develop or have already had chronic conditions. This Special Issue tries to examine these issues by calling experts in this field to contribute their latest research findings. The Special Issue will cover the perspectives of pediatrics, nutrition and dietetics from life-span perspectives relating to chronic disease outcomes.

Prof. Dr. Jing Sun
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • malnutrition
  • sub-optimal dietary intake
  • dietary risk
  • child development
  • chronic disease
  • cancer
  • eating disorder

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 416 KiB  
Article
Validation of KIDMED 2.0 PL—Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for Polish Children and Adolescents
by Julia Bober and Ewelina Gaszyńska
Nutrients 2025, 17(16), 2636; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17162636 - 14 Aug 2025
Viewed by 137
Abstract
Background: The Mediterranean diet is widely recognised for its health benefits and remains a key reference point in shaping dietary guidelines across populations. Despite its growing international relevance, there is a lack of validated tools assessing Mediterranean diet adherence among children and adolescents [...] Read more.
Background: The Mediterranean diet is widely recognised for its health benefits and remains a key reference point in shaping dietary guidelines across populations. Despite its growing international relevance, there is a lack of validated tools assessing Mediterranean diet adherence among children and adolescents in Central and Eastern Europe. Methods: The present study aimed to adapt and validate the KIDMED 2.0 questionnaire for use in Polish children and adolescents aged 10 to 18 years (KIDMED 2.0 PL). The adaptation process involved forward–backward translation, expert consultations, and pilot testing to ensure linguistic and cultural relevance. A total of 102 participants completed the questionnaire twice over a two-week interval, and anthropometric data were collected. Results: The KIDMED 2.0 PL demonstrated high test–retest reliability (Spearman’s ρ = 0.876; p < 0.001) and strong criterion validity, with a significant negative correlation between KIDMED scores and BMI centile (ρ = −0.854; p < 0.001). Children with normal weight showed the highest adherence to the Mediterranean diet, while scores were significantly lower in overweight and obese participants. Item-level analysis indicated that fruit and vegetable consumption was relatively frequent, whereas intake of legumes, whole grains, and extra virgin olive oil remained low. Conclusions: The KIDMED 2.0 PL is a valid and reliable tool for evaluating diet quality and Mediterranean dietary adherence in the Polish pediatric population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sub-Optimal Dietary Intake and Risks Relating to Child Development, Chronic Disease and Cancer Outcomes)
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11 pages, 1264 KiB  
Article
Impact of Iron Overload and Hypomagnesemia Combination on Pediatric Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Outcomes
by Debora Curci, Stefania Braidotti, Gilda Paternuosto, Anna Flamigni, Giulia Schillani, Antonella Longo, Nicole De Vita and Natalia Maximova
Nutrients 2025, 17(15), 2462; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17152462 - 28 Jul 2025
Viewed by 316
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is complicated by iron overload and hypomagnesemia, both contributing to immune dysfunction and post-transplant morbidity. The combined impact of these metabolic disturbances on pediatric allo-HSCT outcomes remains unexplored. This study aims to determine whether hypomagnesemia [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is complicated by iron overload and hypomagnesemia, both contributing to immune dysfunction and post-transplant morbidity. The combined impact of these metabolic disturbances on pediatric allo-HSCT outcomes remains unexplored. This study aims to determine whether hypomagnesemia can serve as a prognostic biomarker for delayed immune reconstitution and explores its interplay with iron overload in predicting post-transplant complications and survival outcomes. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 163 pediatric allo-HSCT recipients. Serum magnesium levels were measured at defined intervals post-transplant, and outcomes were correlated with CD4+ T cell recovery, time to engraftment, incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and survival within 12 months. Iron status, including siderosis severity, was evaluated using imaging and laboratory parameters obtained from clinical records. Results: Patients who died within 12 months post-transplant exhibited significantly lower magnesium levels. Hypomagnesemia was associated with delayed CD4+ T cell recovery, prolonged engraftment, and an increased risk of acute GVHD. A strong inverse correlation was observed between magnesium levels and the severity of siderosis. Iron overload appeared to exacerbate magnesium deficiency. Additionally, the coexistence of hypomagnesemia and siderosis significantly increased the risk of immune dysfunction and early mortality. No significant association was found with chronic GVHD. Conclusions: Hypomagnesemia is a significant, early predictor of poor outcomes in pediatric allo-HSCT, particularly in the context of iron overload, underscoring the need for early intervention, including iron chelation and MRI, to improve outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sub-Optimal Dietary Intake and Risks Relating to Child Development, Chronic Disease and Cancer Outcomes)
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17 pages, 2556 KiB  
Article
Global, Regional, and National Burden of Child Growth Failure, 1990–2021: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
by Kelly Lin, Nicholas Buys, Jun Zhou, Yanfei Qi and Jing Sun
Nutrients 2025, 17(7), 1185; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071185 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1094
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Child growth failure is a manifestation of chronic malnutrition expressed in stunting, wasting, and underweight in children. This study aimed to analyze global trends in child growth failure disease burden and mortality across children of all age groups on a global, [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Child growth failure is a manifestation of chronic malnutrition expressed in stunting, wasting, and underweight in children. This study aimed to analyze global trends in child growth failure disease burden and mortality across children of all age groups on a global, regional, and national level. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized data from the 1990 and 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. Growth failure Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years lived with a disability (YLDs), and mortality in children under 20 years of age were analyzed. Average annual percentage change (AAPC) was calculated to determine and identify improvements in growth failure disease burden and mortality in the past 30 years. Results: Greatest reduction in growth failure DALYs (AAPC = −0.96, 95% CI = −0.97 to −0.95), YLDs (AAPC = −0.73, 95% CI = −0.77 to −0.66) and mortality rate (AAPC = −0.96, 95% CI = −0.97 to −0.95) in children under 5 years of age was observed in high-middle SDI countries. In contrast, improvements in the number of growth failure DALYs (AAPC = −0.64, 95% CI = −0.76 to −0.53), YLDs (AAPC = −0.21, 95% CI = −0.25 to −0.13) and mortalities (−0.57, 95% CI = −0.59 to −0.52) are less pronounced in regions with low SDI scores. Improvements in disease burden and mortality are reduced in older age groups, with the lowest reduction observed in children 15–19 years old. Conclusions: Barriers hindering the delivery of nutritional supplements and access to quality healthcare in regions with low SDI scores need to be overcome to address the disproportionately high numbers of growth failure DALYs, YLDs, and mortalities in regions with low SDI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sub-Optimal Dietary Intake and Risks Relating to Child Development, Chronic Disease and Cancer Outcomes)
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