The Minimum Dietary Diversity For Women Indicator Can Be Extended To Children And Adolescents aged 4-15 Years As A Proxy Population Indicator For Good Micronutrient Adequacy Of Diets In Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Background: The response to the global call for more data on children's and adolescents' diets and nutrition is limited by the lack of straightforward practical indicators to track their diet quality. On the basis of a food group score compiled from 10 food groups (FGS-10), the minimum dietary diversity for women, calculated as FGS-10 ≥ 5, is a validated proxy population indicator for better micronutrient intake adequacy for adult women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Objectives: This study aims to validate FGS-10 and its related cutoffs against micronutrient intake adequacy in 4-15-y-old children/adolescents in LMICs.

Status and Trends of Physical Activity Surveillance, Policy, and Research in 164 Countries: Findings From the Global Observatory for Physical Activity-GoPA! 2015 and 2020 Surveys.

Background: Physical activity (PA) surveillance, policy, and research efforts need to be periodically appraised to gain insight into national and global capacities for PA promotion. The aim of this paper was to assess the status and trends in PA surveillance, policy, and research in 164 countries.

Methods: We used data from the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA!) 2015 and 2020 surveys.

Physical activity during recess in elementary schoolchildren in Belgium and Ecuador: The role of the physical environment at school.

To increase physical activity levels in children, knowledge on how school playgrounds can be optimally designed is important. Until now, the contribution of playground variety and greening to children's physical activity level during recess remains unclear. This study examined the associations of school playground variety and greening with energy expenditure (EE) in elementary school children in Ecuador and Belgium.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on asthma symptoms and management: A prospective analysis of asthmatic children in Ecuador.

Background: Asthma affects up to 33% of children in Latin American settings. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on access to and use of health services. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on asthma exacerbations, medical facility visits, and use of asthma medications in children.

Food allergy, airborne allergies, and allergic sensitisation among adolescents living in two disparate socioeconomic regions in Ecuador: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Allergic diseases are under-investigated and overlooked health conditions in developing countries. We measured the prevalence of food allergy (FA), airborne allergic disease, and allergic sensitisation among adolescents living in 2 socio-demographically disparate regions in Ecuador. We investigated which risk factors are associated with these conditions.