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Nutrition and the Socio-Environmental Context
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Nutrition and the Socio-Environmental Context

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 3712

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Meena Mahadevan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA
Interests: nutrition; socioecological model; qualitative research; focus group facilitation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), certain population groups may be more vulnerable to malnutrition due to a variety of social and environmental factors. These include the inability to purchase safe and nutritious food, illiteracy, poor access to quality healthcare, living/working in neighborhoods with high rates of crime, societal norms and policies causing discrimination, isolation, and stigma, and a lack of community-based resources and support. The synergistic effects of these conditions restrict their ability to make healthy food choices, ultimately predisposing them to an increased risk for one or more nutrition-related chronic diseases such as overweight/obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Without an intervention framework that addresses their unique personal context, many of these individuals will not succeed in managing these conditions well, leading to expensive hospitalizations and avoidable complications. This underscores the importance of priority setting in resource allocation and developing contextually appropriate nutrition programs and services.

This Special Issue invites manuscripts with a focus on interventions addressing one or more social and/or environmental conditions that negatively impact the nutritional health of a specific population group. Original research articles and systematic reviews are welcome.

Scope: the fields of interest covered by this Special Issue include:

  • Food choices;
  • Eating behaviors;
  • Food insecurity;
  • Nutrition intervention;
  • Nutrition education;
  • Nutrition counseling;
  • Nutrition policy;
  • Social determinants of health;
  • Chronic disease prevention and treatment.

Reference

Hacker K, Auerbach J, Ikeda R, Philip C, Houry D; SDOH Task Force. Social determinants of health—an approach taken at CDC. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2022;28(6):589-594. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001626.

Dr. Meena Mahadevan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nutrition
  • intervention
  • social
  • determinants
  • health
  • chronic
  • contextual

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 608 KiB  
Article
Inverse Association between Exercising Blood Pressure Response and Left Ventricular Chamber Size and Mass in Women Who Habitually Resistance Train
by Evan L. Matthews, John J. Guers, Meghan G. Ramick and Peter A. Hosick
Healthcare 2024, 12(3), 353; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12030353 - 30 Jan 2024
Viewed by 695
Abstract
Exercise is a major modifiable lifestyle factor that leads to temporarily increased systolic blood pressure (SBP), which is thought to influence left ventricular mass normalized to body surface area (LVM/BSA). This relationship has never been studied in women who habitually perform resistance exercise. [...] Read more.
Exercise is a major modifiable lifestyle factor that leads to temporarily increased systolic blood pressure (SBP), which is thought to influence left ventricular mass normalized to body surface area (LVM/BSA). This relationship has never been studied in women who habitually perform resistance exercise. Purpose: To determine if a direct correlation exists between the SBP response to resistance exercise (change from rest; eSBP) and LVM/BSA in young healthy women who habitually resistance train. Methods: Leg extension resistance exercise was performed while continuously monitoring blood pressure using finger plethysmography. LVM was estimated using echocardiography. Data are shown as mean ± SD. Results: Thirty-one women participated (age 23 ± 3 years, height 164 ± 7 cm, body mass 63.7 ± 10.3 kg). Resting SBP (110 ± 8 mmHg, r = 0.355, p = 0.049) was shown to be directly correlated to LVM/BSA (72.0 ± 28.4 g/m2). Conversely, eSBP (30.8 ± 14.6 ∆mmHg, r = −0.437, p = 0.014) was inversely related to LVM/BSA. eSBP was not correlated to interventricular septum width (0.88 ± 0.12 cm, r = −0.137, p = 0.463) or posterior wall thickness (0.91 ± 0.15 cm, r = −0.084, p = 0.654). eSBP was inversely related to left ventricle internal diameter during diastole (LVIDd) (4.25 ± 0.33 cm, r = −0.411, p = 0.021). Conclusion: Counter to the hypothesis, these data suggest an inverse association between eSBP during resistance exercise and LVM/BSA in healthy young women who resistance train. This relationship is due to a smaller LVIDd with greater eSBP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and the Socio-Environmental Context)
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16 pages, 1146 KiB  
Article
Implementing a Food Prescription Program during COVID-19: Benefits and Barriers
by David Himmelgreen, Nancy Romero-Daza, William Alex Webb, Jacquelyn N. Heuer, Deven Gray and Gabrielle R. Lehigh
Healthcare 2024, 12(2), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12020182 - 12 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1001
Abstract
Food prescription programs (Food Rx) have the potential to improve management of diet-related chronic diseases or underlying conditions such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypertension, and high body mass index (BMI) among food-insecure patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the [...] Read more.
Food prescription programs (Food Rx) have the potential to improve management of diet-related chronic diseases or underlying conditions such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypertension, and high body mass index (BMI) among food-insecure patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a Food Rx program implemented in two community-based clinics in Florida. Data were collected through researcher-administered surveys (food insecurity, demographics, and socio-economic variables) and biometric data (HbA1c, blood pressure, and BMI). Key results include the following: (1) Hispanic patients are more likely to utilize the program than their Black and White counterparts (p < 0.001); (2) older patients (≥50 years) have a higher food redemption rate when compared to younger patients (36–49.9 years); (3) food redemption rate is negatively associated with food security scores indicating improvements in food security status over time (r2 = −0.184, p = 0.036); (4) diabetic patients with higher baseline HbA1c (>9%) have significant reductions in glycated hemoglobin (p = 0.011) over time as compared to patients with lower baseline values (<7%); and (5) patients enrolled in the program for at least 6 months have a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure (p = 0.051). Changes in BMI were not significantly associated with redemption rates. This study is significant as it offers insights into the potential benefits and challenges of implementing Food Rx programs to address diet-related chronic diseases among underserved populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and the Socio-Environmental Context)
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14 pages, 1168 KiB  
Article
Waist-to-Height Ratio: A Sensitive Tool for Assessing the Need for Nutritional Risk Management in Elderly Populations from Brazil
by Vivian C. Honorato dos Santos Carvalho, Leila B. Moreira, Vivian C. Luft and Sandra C. Fuchs
Healthcare 2023, 11(17), 2406; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11172406 - 28 Aug 2023
Viewed by 731
Abstract
Introduction: Nutritional status assessment commonly relies on body mass index (BMI), which overlooks lean mass and adipose tissue distribution. However, waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) provide additional insights into fat accumulation. By combining these indices, it may be possible to identify [...] Read more.
Introduction: Nutritional status assessment commonly relies on body mass index (BMI), which overlooks lean mass and adipose tissue distribution. However, waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) provide additional insights into fat accumulation. By combining these indices, it may be possible to identify older adults needing weight management interventions. Objectives: To assess the WC and WHtR as strategies for identifying individuals requiring weight management. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 509 elderly individuals in Northeast Brazil. Weight, height, hip circumference, and waist circumference were measured, and combined with indices such as BMI WC, WHR, and WHtR to identify those who require weight management. The DeLong test compared areas under the curves using receiver operating characteristic curves and statistical significance. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated to verify usefulness for clinical application. A validation sample of 599 elderly individuals from the country’s Southern region was used to confirm the results. Results: Both WC and WHtR showed adequate diagnostic accuracy with no statistically significant difference in AUCs. WHtR ≥ 0.50 had 92% sensitivity in identifying men and women requiring nutritional management. WC presented lower sensitivity but 93% specificity, useful for excluding elderly individuals from the nutritional risk category. These results were consistent in the validation sample. Conclusion: WHtR is a valuable index for screening nutritional risk management in the elderly population, applicable to men and women. Conversely, WC performs better in excluding individuals who do not need nutritional risk management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and the Socio-Environmental Context)
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11 pages, 230 KiB  
Article
Individual Learning Needs of Japanese Public Health Dietitians by Years of Experience in Health Promotion
by Osamu Kushida, Ayaka Iida, Yusuke Arai, Tatsuya Koyama, Kazumi Tanaka, Ayumi Morooka, Sumie Isobe, Rie Okamoto and Katsushi Yoshita
Healthcare 2023, 11(12), 1765; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11121765 - 15 Jun 2023
Viewed by 763
Abstract
Lifelong education for dietitians in Japan is based mainly on competencies according to years of experience. Because learning content differs depending on the desired position and specialty, training programs that reflect the individual learning needs of public health dietitians are needed. This study [...] Read more.
Lifelong education for dietitians in Japan is based mainly on competencies according to years of experience. Because learning content differs depending on the desired position and specialty, training programs that reflect the individual learning needs of public health dietitians are needed. This study aimed to assess the individual learning needs of public health dietitians via years of experience in health promotion. In 2021, an online survey of public health dietitians involved in health promotion in prefectures, designated cities, and other municipalities throughout Japan was conducted. Years of experience in health promotion were categorized as early (<10 years), mid-career (10–19 years), and leadership (≥20 years) periods. To ascertain individual learning needs, the survey asked about respondents’ desired final position, career path, and skills they felt they needed to improve in the future. Of the 1649 public health dietitians analyzed, all administrative categories preferred to work as public health generalists in mid-career or leadership periods rather than in the early period. In municipalities, more public health dietitians across all experience categories selected “professional competence”, such as knowledge in specialized areas and nutritional guidance techniques. It was suggested that public health dietitians in the mid-career and leadership periods have individual learning needs, in both nutrition specialists and public health generalists. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and the Socio-Environmental Context)
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