Indicators of physical activity and nutritional status among children and adolescents in Zimbabwe: Findings from three global matrix initiatives.

Background: Regular physical activity is associated with several benefits among children and adolescents. Globally, only limited surveillance data, collected using harmonized approaches to accurately compare levels of physical activity among children and adolescents are available. Through its Global Matrix initiatives, Active Health Kids Global Alliance provides an opportunity for participating countries/jurisdictions to compare physical activity levels of children and adolescents based on ten common indicators.

A cross-sectional study to determine the use of alternative medicines during pregnancy in the district hospitals in Manicaland, Zimbabwe.

Background: Traditional medicines are widely used in the rapidly growing health system and are of economic importance. The study aimed at determining the frequency, pattern of use and factors that influence traditional medicines use during pregnancy.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at four district hospitals in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, using questionnaire based convenience sampling.

Evaluation of the international standardized 24-h dietary recall methodology (GloboDiet) for potential application in research and surveillance within African settings.

Background: Collection of reliable and comparable individual food consumption data is of primary importance to better understand, control and monitor malnutrition and its related comorbidities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including in Africa. The lack of standardised dietary tools and their related research support infrastructure remains a major obstacle to implement concerted and region-specific research and action plans worldwide. Citing the magnitude and importance of this challenge, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO) launched the "Global Nutrition Surveillance initiative" to pilot test the use of a standardized 24-h dietary recall research tool (GloboDiet), validated in Europe, in other regions.

Results From Zimbabwe's 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.

Background: The report card was a synthesis of the best available evidence on the performance of Zimbabwean children and youth on key physical activity (PA) indicators. The aim of this article was to summarize the results from the 2016 Zimbabwe Report Card.

Methods: The Report Card Working Group gathered and synthesized the best available evidence, met, discussed and assigned grades to 10 indicators based on the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance global matrix grading system.

Inventory on the dietary assessment tools available and needed in africa: a prerequisite for setting up a common methodological research infrastructure for nutritional surveillance, research, and prevention of diet-related non-communicable diseases.

Objective: To carry out an inventory on the availability, challenges, and needs of dietary assessment (DA) methods in Africa as a pre-requisite to provide evidence, and set directions (strategies) for implementing common dietary methods and support web-research infrastructure across countries.

Methods: The inventory was performed within the framework of the "Africa's Study on Physical Activity and Dietary Assessment Methods" (AS-PADAM) project. It involves international institutional and African networks.

Comparison of exercise-induced hypertension in low birth weight and normal birth weight young black adults in Zimbabwe.

Aim: The objective of the study was to compare blood pressure changes during exercise between low and normal birth weight young Black adults.

Methods: Eighty medical students in their first and second year who had neonatal clinic cards as proof of birth weight were included in the study. Resting blood pressures and heart rates were recorded.