Excessive maternal gestational weight gain (GWG) contributes to generational obesity. Our aim was to explore efficacy and intervention characteristics (trimester, duration, frequency, intensity, and delivery method) of interventions to prevent excessive GWG. CINAHL, Cochrane, EMBASE, LILACS, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched up to May 2018 (no date or language restrictions). Keywords and MeSH terms for diet, GWG, intervention, lifestyle, maternal, physical activity, and pregnancy were used to locate randomized-controlled trials (RCTs). The Cochrane Collaboration tool for assessing risk of bias was applied. Eighty-nine RCTs were included. Meta-analysis (60 trials) estimated that women in diet only (WMD: −3.27; 95% CI: −4.96, −1.58, p < 0.01), physical activity (PA) (WMD: −1.02; 95% CI: −1.56, −0.49, p < 0.01), and lifestyle interventions (combining diet and PA) (WMD: −0.84; 95% CI: −1.29, −0.39, p < 0.01) gained significantly less weight than controls. The three eHealth interventions favored neither intervention nor control (WMD: −1.06; 95% CI: −4.13, 2.00, p = 0.50). Meta-regression demonstrated no optimal duration, frequency, intensity, setting, or diet type. Traditional face to face delivery of weight management interventions during pregnancy can be successful. Delivery via eHealth has potential to extend its reach to younger women but needs further evaluation of its success.

Background: Nutrition and dietetics (ND) training encourages behaviors that can be considered risk factors for eating disorders or disordered eating. This paper aims to explore the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) and predictors of eating disorders (/P-EDs) in ND students. Methods: A systematic scoping review of the literature was performed on PubMed, ERIC, PsychINFO, OVID Medline, and Scopus in October 2022. Results: A total of 2097 papers were retrieved from the search, of which 19 studies met the inclusion criteria. The resultant literature reported that 4–32% of ND students were at high risk of EDs (n = 6 studies), and 23–89% could be classified as having orthorexia nervosa (n = 7 studies). Further, 37–86% reported body image/fat dissatisfaction (n = 10 studies), and 100% of students reported weight dissatisfaction (n = 1 study). Conclusions: This paper highlights the prevalence of EDs and P-EDs across ND students. Further research is warranted to explore the cause, context, and impact on ND students’ wellbeing and professional identity and supporting diversity within the profession. Future studies should also consider curriculum approaches to address this occupational hazard.

This study aimed to describe the prevalence, severity and socio-demographic predictors of food insecurity in Australian households during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, from the perspective of women. A cross-sectional online survey of Australian (18–50 years) women was conducted. The survey collected demographic information and utilised the 18-item US Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). A multivariable regression was used to identify predictors of food security status. In this cohort (n = 1005), 19.6% were living in households experiencing food insecurity; with 11.8% experiencing low food-security and 7.8% very low food-security. A further 13.7% of households reported marginal food-security. Poor mental health status (K10 score ≥ 20) predicted household food insecurity at all levels. The presence of more than three children in the household was associated with low food-security (OR 6.24, 95% CI: 2.59–15.03). Those who were renting were 2.10 (95% CI: 1.09–4.05) times likely to experience very low food-security than those owning their own home. The COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to an increased prevalence of household food insecurity. This study supports the need for a range of responses that address mental health, financial, employment and housing support to food security in Australia.

Background: The association between breastfeeding and sleep of the gestational parent is poorly understood. This longitudinal study investigated how breastfeeding is associated with total nighttime sleep duration and sleep efficiency (percentage of total sleep time in bed) in nulliparous participants over the first two postpartum years.Methods: Nulliparous participants (N = 155, M_age = 33.45, SD_age = 3.50) self‐reported patterns of breastfeeding via telephone interviews and sleep via self‐report at 1.5, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months postpartum. Data were analyzed using mixed‐effects models, with breastfeeding variables as predictors and sleep variables as outcomes, controlling for relevant covariates.Results: Neither the presence of breastfeeding nor the percentage of human milk in infants' total diets was significantly associated with participants' sleep duration or sleep quality (P‐values > 0.08). This finding held after controlling for the number of nighttime feeds (P‐values > 0.11). However, greater numbers of nighttime feeds, regardless of feeding content, were strongly associated with shorter sleep duration and poor sleep efficiency (P‐values < 0.05). On average, with each additional nighttime feed, nocturnal sleep duration decreased by 6.6‐8.4 minutes, and sleep efficiency decreased by 2.88%‐3.02%.Conclusions: Data from this study showed that breastfeeding per se was not associated with shorter or poor nocturnal sleep, but the number of nighttime feeds was. Sharing nighttime infant care amongst different carers in the household could help reduce postpartum sleep disturbance and ameliorate its negative impact on wellbeing.