Search

Strategies to address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls and young women often focus on supplementation. In this study, an action‐research approach involving a nutrition education and entrepreneurship intervention was carried out among adolescent girls and young women in poor neighborhoods of Medellín, Colombia. The intervention group significantly increased its intake of several nutrients, including energy, protein, total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, calcium, zinc, and vitamins A, B2, B3, B9, and C. A significant increase was observed in the intake of the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) healthy food groups (other fruits, other vegetables, legumes, high‐fat dairy products), accompanied by a decrease in the consumption of some unhealthy food groups (sweets and ice creams). A multivariate regression controlling for age, socioeconomic status, occupation, Household Hunger Scale, mean probability of adequacy, physical activity, and body self‐perception showed that the nutrition intervention improved the total GDQS by 33% in the intervention group—a substantial improvement notwithstanding the study group's precarious social and economic conditions. We conclude that nutrition education and entrepreneurship models based on this approach may improve the dietary profile of this population and reduce future pressures from nutrition‐related chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional imbalance in adolescent girls causes alterations in health, reproductive cycles, and fetal outcomes of future generations. To evaluate the dietary pattern and prevalence of inadequate nutrient intake, a 24‐hour multi‐step food recall was carried out among 793 adolescent women (14–20 years old) from Medellin, Colombia. Their dietary pattern was characterized by lower than recommended intakes of fruits and vegetables (CRI 0.4, AMD 0.2), dairy (CRI 0.5, AMD 0.2), and proteins (CRI 0.8, AMD 0.3), while starches (CRI 1.2, AMD 0.4), fats (CRI 1.1, AMD 0.6), and sugars (CRI 1.0, AMD 0.5) were at similar or higher levels than recommendations. A high risk of deficiency was found in the usual intake of energy (53.0%), protein (39.8%), calcium (98.9%), folates (85.7%), iron (74.4%), thiamine (44.3%), vitamin C (31.3%), zinc (28.3%), vitamin A (23.4%), cyanocobalamin (17.3%), and pyridoxine (10.9%). A low risk of deficiency was noted in usual fiber intake (0.5%), and a higher than recommended intake was noted in saturated fat (100.0%) and simple carbohydrates (68.8%). Anecdotally, a large proportion of respondents saw decreases in their food consumption during the COVID‐19 pandemic. These results suggest an urgent need for nutrition education programs to emphasize the importance of adequate nutrition among adolescent women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra‐processed foods (UPFs) are associated with deterioration in dietary quality and the development of chronic diseases. The NOVA score, developed in Brazil to assess UPF consumption quickly and inexpensively, is adapted and validated here using a sample of 203 young women from Medellín, Colombia. Food consumption was evaluated using 24‐hour dietary recall and with the NOVA‐UPF score. Food items were classified using the NOVA categories. The energy consumed from UPFs and its percentage of the total energy consumed was estimated. The association between the NOVA‐UPF score and the percentage of energy from UPF (%UPF/E) was evaluated. Both variables were categorized into quintiles and concordance was estimated using prevalence and bias‐adjusted kappa (PABAK). A regression model was used to assess the association between the NOVA‐UPF score and critical nutrients. The mean NOVA‐UPF score among study participants was 4.5, with 27% of the total energy they consumed coming from UPFs. There was a positive, linear association between the NOVA‐UPF score and %UPF/E (p < 0.001) and substantial agreement (PABAK = 0.75) in the classification of participants between UPF energy quintiles and NOVA‐UPF score quintiles. The NOVA‐UPF score was positively and significantly associated with sodium, total fat, and saturated fat intake. We conclude that the adapted NOVA‐UPF score may help monitor the consumption of UPFs among young women in Medellín. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During adolescence, many young people gain greater food choice agency but also become increasingly exposed and susceptible to environmental pressures that influence their food choices. This coincides with increased nutritional needs, especially for girls. In urban Colombia, adolescent diets are often high in undesirable foods and low in nutritious foods, contributing to overweight and micronutrient deficiencies. This study aimed to explore the potential of improving diet quality using food‐based recommendations (FBRs) within the parameters of local food systems and adolescents' existing dietary patterns to inform context‐specific programmatic responses to malnutrition. We applied linear programming analysis to dietary data from 13‐ to 20‐year‐old girls in Medellin to identify problem nutrients, local micronutrient sources, and promising FBRs. Iron and, to a lesser extent, calcium targets were difficult to meet using optimized diets based on local foods, especially for 13‐ to 17‐year‐olds. High habitual consumption of foods with excessive salt, fat, or sugar provided >5% of micronutrients in optimized diets. Otherwise, significant micronutrient sources included legumes, meat, dairy, bread, potatoes, and fruit. FBRs met targets for 10 micronutrients but only 32%–39% recommended nutrient intake for iron. FBRs, including occasionally consumed foods and supplements, met all intake targets for less cost, indicating a need to increase access to nutrient‐dense products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]