Search

Adolescence is a sensitive transition time that affects rights, roles, and responsibilities in food choice, yet limited evidence exists on dietary intakes during this critical period. This study assessed the food consumption pattern and the adequacy of energy, macronutrient, and micronutrient intakes among female youth belonging to three occupational groups in Vietnam. Dietary intakes were measured for 1001 participants aged 16–22 years using INDDEX24's 24‐h recall method. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to examine differences in diet outcomes among the three occupational groups. Dietary diversity was similar across groups but workers, compared to high school and college students, consumed less baked/grain‐based sweets and fast foods, and more soft drinks, other sweets, and processed meat. Two‐thirds of the sample showed energy intake lower than the estimated energy requirement, while a substantial percentage had insufficient or excessive intake of carbohydrate and fat. The mean probability of adequacy of nutrient intakes was low (0.33) and not different across all three occupational groups except for folate, which favored workers. Our study provides novel evidence supporting the development and implementation of interventions to achieve national targets, with emphasis on female youths who undergo special transitions in education, occupation, and lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unhealthy eating habits are common among adolescents in Vietnam, where transitioning food environments increasingly offer energy‐dense micronutrient‐poor foods. Successful behavior change approaches must be feasible and acceptable, promoting local foods that are available, accessible, and preferred. Yet, few studies have investigated the potential of food‐based approaches for adolescents. We used linear programming to identify problem nutrients, local nutrient sources, and realistic food‐based recommendations (FBRs) to improve nutrient intake among girls 16–22 years in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam. We then identified a reduced set of FBRs to prioritize the most critical micronutrient gaps. Calcium and iron targets could not be met in any realistic diet modeling scenario. The best set of FBRs included seven recommendations which could meet intake targets for 9 of 11 modeled micronutrients. The best reduced set of three FBRs targeting iron and calcium only—although more feasible for behavior change—was less effective at improving intake of these nutrients since fewer foods were recommended. Given the difficulty of meeting calcium and iron targets using local foods within acceptable dietary patterns, additional interventions, such as supplementation, staple food fortification, or increasing the availability of affordable calcium‐ and iron‐rich foods, may be necessary to promote dietary adequacy for adolescent girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición is the property of Sociedad Latinoamericana de Nutricion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A barrier to using Optifood linear programming (LP), which identifies nutrient gaps and supports population-specific food-based recommendation (FBR) development, is the requirement for dietary intake data. We investigated whether Household Consumption and Expenditure Surveys (HCESs) could be used instead of individual-level 24-h recalls (24HRs). The 24HR data from 12- to 23-month-old breastfeeding children in rural Kenya, Uganda, Guatemala, and Bangladesh were paired with HCES food consumption data from similar areas (n = 8) and time periods. HCES food intakes (g/week) were estimated using adult male equivalents, adjusted for breastfeeding. Paired HCES- and 24HR-defined LP inputs and outputs were compared using percentage agreement. Mean overall percentage agreements were 42%, 63%, and 80%, for food, food subgroup, and food-group model parameters, respectively. HCES food lists were on average 1.3 times longer than 24HR. Similar nutrient gaps (77-100% agreement), food sources of nutrients (71-100% agreement), and FBRs (80-100% agreement) were identified. The results suggest that HCES data can be used in Optifood analyses for 12- to 23-month-old children, despite recognized challenges of using it to estimate dietary intakes of young children compared with older age groups. Further analyses, however, are required for different age groups and locations to confirm expectations that it would perform equally well., (© 2021 The Authors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of New York Academy of Sciences.)