What works in engaging communities? Prioritising nutrition interventions in Burkina Faso, Ghana and South Africa.

Background: "Choosing All Together" (CHAT), is a community engagement tool designed to give the public a voice in how best to allocate limited resources to improve population health. This process evaluation explored the mechanisms through which CHAT generates community engagement.

Method: The CHAT tool was adapted and implemented for use in two rural communities (Nanoro, Burkina Faso, and Navrongo, Ghana) and one urban township (Soweto, South Africa) to prioritize maternal and child nutrition interventions.

Men's motivations, barriers to and aspirations for their families' health in the first 1000 days in sub-Saharan Africa: a secondary qualitative analysis.

Introduction: The first 1000 days of life are a critical period of growth and development that have lasting implications for health, cognitive, educational and economic outcomes. In sub-Saharan Africa, gender and social norms are such that many men have little engagement with maternal and child health and nutrition during pregnancy and early childhood. This study explores how men perceive their role in three sites in sub-Saharan Africa.

Behaviour change interventions improve maternal and child nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review.

Evidence that nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions can improve maternal and child nutrition status in sub-Saharan Africa is inconclusive. Using behaviour change theory and techniques in intervention design may increase effectiveness and make outcomes more predictable. This systematic review aimed to determine whether interventions that included behaviour change functions were effective.

Body Composition and Cardiometabolic Risk Markers in Children of Women who Took Part in a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Preconceptional Nutritional Intervention in Mumbai, India.

Background: Maternal nutrition influences fetal development and may permanently alter ("program") offspring body composition and metabolism, thereby influencing later risk of diabetes and cardiovascular (cardiometabolic) disease. The prevalence of cardiometabolic disease is rising rapidly in India.

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that supplementing low-income Indian women with micronutrient-rich foods preconceptionally and during pregnancy has a beneficial impact on the children's body composition and cardiometabolic risk marker profiles.

Engaging community members in setting priorities for nutrition interventions in rural northern Ghana.

This study used "Choosing All Together" (CHAT), a deliberative engagement tool to prioritise nutrition interventions and to understand reasons for intervention choices of a rural community in northern Ghana. The study took an exploratory cross-sectional design and used a mixed method approach to collect data between December 2020 and February 2021. Eleven nutrition interventions were identified through policy reviews, interaction with different stakeholders and focus group discussions with community members.

Periconceptional diet and the risk of gestational diabetes in south Indian women: findings from the BAngalore Nutrition Gestational diabetes LiFEstyle Study (BANGLES).

Background: Gestational diabetes can predispose two generations-a mother and her child-to a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Culture-specific strategies to prevent gestational diabetes are required. BANGLES investigated the associations between women's periconceptional diet and gestational diabetes risk.

Monocyte anisocytosis increases during multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children with cardiovascular complications.

Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a life-threatening complication that can develop weeks to months after an initial SARS-CoV-2 infection. A complex, time-consuming laboratory evaluation is currently required to distinguish MIS-C from other illnesses. New assays are urgently needed early in the evaluation process to expedite MIS-C workup and initiate treatment when appropriate.

Peri-conceptional diet patterns and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in South Indian women.

Objective: To identify peri-conceptional diet patterns among women in Bangalore and examine their associations with risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Design: BAngalore Nutrition Gestational diabetes LifEstyle Study, started in June 2016, was a prospective observational study, in which women were recruited at 5-16 weeks' gestation. Peri-conceptional diet was recalled at recruitment, using a validated 224-item FFQ.

Body Composition and Cardiometabolic Risk Markers in Children of Women who Took Part in a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Preconceptional Nutritional Intervention in Mumbai, India.

Background: Maternal nutrition influences fetal development and may permanently alter ("program") offspring body composition and metabolism, thereby influencing later risk of diabetes and cardiovascular (cardiometabolic) disease. The prevalence of cardiometabolic disease is rising rapidly in India.

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that supplementing low-income Indian women with micronutrient-rich foods preconceptionally and during pregnancy has a beneficial impact on the children's body composition and cardiometabolic risk marker profiles.

Children born during the hunger season are at a higher risk of severe acute malnutrition: Findings from a Guinea Sahelian ecological zone in Northern Ghana.

Heightened food insecurity in the hunger season increases the risk of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in childhood. This study examined the association of season of birth with SAM in a Guinean Sahelian ecological zone. We analyzed routine health and sociodemographic surveillance data from the Navrongo Health and Socio-demographic Surveillance System collected between 2011 and 2018.

Food insecurity, diet quality and body composition: data from the Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative (HeLTI) pilot survey in urban Soweto, South Africa.

Objective: To determine whether food security, diet diversity and diet quality are associated with anthropometric measurements and body composition among women of reproductive age. The association between food security and anaemia prevalence was also tested.

Design: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative (HeLTI) study.

, maternal and child nutrition in Nanoro, Burkina Faso.

Objective: To collect context-specific insights into maternal and child health and nutrition issues, and to explore potential solutions in Nanoro, Burkina Faso.

Design: Eleven focus groups with men and women from eleven communities, facilitated by local researchers.

Setting: The study took place in the Nanoro Health district, in the West-Central part of Burkina Faso.

Adolescent diet and physical activity in the context of economic, social and nutrition transition in rural Maharashtra, India: a qualitative study.

Objective: To explore the perceptions of adolescents and their caregivers on drivers of diet and physical activity in rural India in the context of ongoing economic, social and nutrition transition.

Design: A qualitative study comprising eight focus group discussions (FGD) on factors affecting eating and physical activity patterns, perceptions of health and decision-making on food preparation.

Setting: Villages approximately 40-60 km from the city of Pune in the state of Maharashtra, India.

Supporting maternal and child nutrition: views from community members in rural Northern Ghana.

Objective: Despite efforts to improve maternal and child nutrition, undernutrition remains a major public health challenge in Ghana. The current study explored community perceptions of undernutrition and context-specific interventions that could improve maternal and child nutrition in rural Northern Ghana.

Design: This exploratory qualitative study used ten focus group discussions to gather primary data.

Community perspectives on maternal and child health during nutrition and economic transition in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: To explore community perceptions on maternal and child nutrition issues in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Design: Thirty focus groups with men and women from three communities facilitated by local researchers.

Setting: One urban (Soweto, South Africa) and two rural settings (Navrongo, Ghana and Nanoro, Burkina Faso) at different stages of economic transition.

Exploring influences on adolescent diet and physical activity in rural Gambia, West Africa: food insecurity, culture and the natural environment.

Objective: To explore, from the perspectives of adolescents and caregivers, and using qualitative methods, influences on adolescent diet and physical activity in rural Gambia.

Design: Six focus group discussions (FGD) with adolescents and caregivers were conducted. Thematic analysis was employed across the data set.

Double-duty solutions for optimising maternal and child nutrition in urban South Africa: a qualitative study.

Objective: To obtain a community perspective on key nutrition-specific problems and solutions for mothers and children.

Design: A qualitative study comprising nine focus group discussions (FGD) following a semi-structured interview guide.

Setting: The township of Soweto in South Africa with a rising prevalence of double burden of malnutrition.

Anthropometric nutritional status, and social and dietary characteristics of African and Indian adolescents taking part in the TALENT (Transforming Adolescent Lives through Nutrition) qualitative study.

Objective: To describe the anthropometry, socioeconomic circumstances, diet and screen time usage of adolescents in India and Africa as context to a qualitative study of barriers to healthy eating and activity.

Design: Cross-sectional survey, including measured height and weight and derived rates of stunting, low BMI, overweight and obesity. Parental schooling and employment status, household assets and amenities, and adolescents' dietary diversity, intake of snack foods, mobile/smartphone ownership and TV/computer time were obtained via a questionnaire.

Social, economic and cultural influences on adolescent nutrition and physical activity in Jimma, Ethiopia: perspectives from adolescents and their caregivers.

Objective: To explore influences on adolescent diet and physical activity, from the perspectives of adolescents and their caregivers, in Jimma, Ethiopia.

Design: Qualitative design, using focus group discussions (FGD).

Setting: A low-income setting in Jimma, Ethiopia.

What shapes adolescents' diet and physical activity habits in rural Konkan, India? Adolescents' and caregivers' perspectives.

Objective: To explore, adolescents' and caregivers' perspectives, about shaping of diet and physical activity habits in rural Konkan, India.

Design: Five focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with adolescents and two with caregivers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Adolescent nutrition and physical activity in low-income suburbs of Abidjan, Côte d'lvoire: the gap between knowledge, aspirations and possibilities.

Objective: To explore adolescents' perceptions, knowledge and behaviours regarding nutrition and physical activity in low-income districts of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, taking into consideration their caregivers' perspectives.

Design: Two investigators conducted six focus group discussions.

Setting: The study was carried out in two low-income suburbs, Yopougon and Port-Bouët, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

Conflicts between adolescents and their caregivers living in slums of Mumbai, India in relation to junk food consumption and physical activity.

Objective: To explore influences on the diet and physical activity of adolescents living in Mumbai slums, from the perspectives of adolescents and their caregivers.

Design: Three investigators from Mumbai conducted six focus group discussions.

Setting: The study was conducted in suburban Mumbai slums.

Active children are less adipose and insulin resistant in early adolescence; evidence from the Mysore Parthenon Cohort.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether physical activity volume and intensity in mid-childhood and early adolescence were associated with cardiometabolic risk factors at 13.5 years.

Methods: Participants were recruited from the Mysore Parthenon observational birth cohort.

A maternal "mixed, high sugar" dietary pattern is associated with fetal growth.

This study examined associations between a maternal "mixed, high sugar" dietary pattern during pregnancy and ultrasound-determined fetal growth in 495 urban African women and explored whether these associations were independent of maternal baseline body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG). Linear mixed effects modelling (LMM) was used to test the associations between maternal mixed, high sugar dietary pattern score, baseline BMI (kg/m ), and GWG (kg/week) and the following fetal growth outcomes: (a) biparietal diameter (cm), (b) head circumference (cm), (c) abdominal circumference (cm), and (d) femur length (cm). In the pooled LMM, a +1 standard deviation (SD) increase in the mixed, high sugar dietary pattern score was associated with higher biparietal diameter (0.