Food insecurity in recent years has increased worldwide due to many planetary events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, the climate crisis, and globalization of markets. Adolescents are a particularly vulnerable group to food insecurity, as they enter adulthood with less parental supervision and greater personal autonomy, but less legislative or institutional protection. The experience of food insecurity in adolescents is influenced by several environmental factors at different levels (interpersonal, organizational, community, and societal), although they are not usually addressed in the design of interventions, prioritizing the individual behavioural factors. We present a scoping review protocol for assessing and identifying the environmental factors that could influence adolescents’ food insecurity. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) and the PRISMA guidelines for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) to prepare the protocol. The search strategy will be performed in the following databases: Pubmed/Medline, EMBASE, Biblioteca Virtual de Salud, EBSCOHost, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library Plus. The reference list of the included studies will also be hand-searched. Grey literature will be search through the electronic database Grey Literature Report, and local, provincial, national, and international organisations’ websites. Assessment of eligibility after screening of titles, abstract and full text, and the resolution of discrepancies will be performed by three independent reviewers. This scoping review will contribute to refine the “logic model of the problem” which constitutes the first step in the intervention mapping protocol. The “logic model of the problem” from the intervention mapping protocol will serve to classify and analyse the environmental factors. The findings from this review will be presented to relevant stakeholders that have a role in shaping the environmental factors.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health problem associated with liver morbimortality, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of NAFLD (defined as a fatty liver index [FLI] ≥ 60) and its association with other cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors in patients with prediabetes and overweight/obesity. The present cross-sectional analysis uses baseline data from an ongoing randomized clinical trial. Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics, CVR (assessed by the REGICOR-Framingham risk equation), metabolic syndrome (MetS), and FLI-defined NAFLD (cut-off value of ≥60) were assessed. The prevalence of FLI-defined NAFLD was 78% overall. Men exhibited a worse cardiometabolic profile as compared to women, specifically, with higher values of systolic blood pressure (137.02 ± 13.48 vs. 131.22 ± 14.77 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (85.33 ± 9.27 vs. 82.3 ± 9.12 mmHg), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (27.23 ± 12.15 vs. 21.23 ± 10.05 IU/L), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (34.03 ± 23.31 vs. 21.73 ± 10.80 IU/L), and higher CVR (5.58 ± 3.16 vs. 3.60 ± 1.68). FLI-defined NAFLD was associated with elevated AST, ALT, and the presence of MetS (73.7%) and CVR for the whole sample. People with prediabetes present a high burden of comorbidities related to CVR, despite clinical follow-up, and it is recommended to actively begin working with them to reduce their risks.
23 May 2023 in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
To investigate the prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in prediabetes, visceral obesity, and preserved kidney function, and explore whether MAFLD is associated with hyperfiltration. We analyzed data from 6697 Spanish civil servants, aged 18-65 years, with fasting plasma glucose ≥ 100 and ≤ 125 mg/dL (prediabetes, ADA), waist circumference ≥ 94 cm in men and ≥ 80 cm in women (visceral obesity, IDF) and de-indexed estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 60 ml/min, collected during occupational health visits. The association between MAFLD and hyperfiltration (eGFR > age- and sex-specific 95th percentile) was tested by multivariable logistic regression analyses. Overall, 4213 patients (62.9%) had MAFLD, and 330 (4.9%) were hyperfiltering. MAFLD was more frequent in hyperfiltering than in non-hyperfiltering subjects (86.4% vs 61.7%, P < 0.001). BMI, waist circumference, systolic, diastolic, mean arterial pressure, and prevalence of hypertension were higher in hyperfiltering than in non-hyperfiltering subjects (P < 0.05). MAFLD was independently associated with hyperfiltration, even after adjusting for common confounders [OR (95% CI): 3.36 (2.33-4.84), P < 0.001]. In stratified analyses MAFLD potentiated age-related eGFR decline vs. non-MAFLD (P < 0.001). More than half of subjects with prediabetes, visceral obesity and eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min presented MAFLD that was associated with hyperfiltration and potentiated the age-related eGFR decline.
Adolescent food insecurity (FI) is a growing global issue with significant health and developmental consequences. Although research has mainly focused on behavioral and interpersonal factors, broader environmental influences-such as organizational, community, societal, and planetary factors-are underexplored. This scoping review aims to map and examine multilevel environmental factors of adolescent FI (ages 10-19 years). Following PRISMA-Scoping Reviews guidelines, we screened 5,149 records and included 40 studies, mostly from high-income countries. This scoping review identifies key factors such as interpersonal (household socioeconomic status, family structure), community (social capital, food environment), and societal factors (food assistance programs, economic disparities, and discrimination). However, planetary-level factors were rarely studied. Findings suggest that adolescent FI is shaped by interwoven environmental factors across multiple levels, and policies must address systemic drivers such as social inequities and climate change. Future research should prioritize adolescent-centered studies and expand investigations in underrepresented regions, particularly in the Global South.
22 February 2025 in International Journal of Nursing Studies
Lifestyle changes can effectively prevent diabetes onset in individuals with prediabetes. Although nurse-led interventions have proven to be cost-effective and feasible in the management of diabetes and hypertension in primary care, low-intensity lifestyle interventions for people with prediabetes led by nurses remain poorly evaluated. To assess whether a low-intensity nurse-led telephone lifestyle intervention is effective in reducing fasting plasma glucose levels in individuals with prediabetes. A two-arm, parallel, randomized controlled clinical. Five Primary Care Centres in the Balearic Islands, Spain. A total of 206 participants were enrolled, 103 in each group. Consenting participants aged 25-75 years, with fasting plasma glucose levels of 100-125 mg/dL, and body mass index ≥27 and < 40 kg/m2 were randomly assigned (1:1) to either a 9-month nurse-led telephone lifestyle intervention (intervention) or short text messages with general lifestyle advice (control). Research staff and the statistician were masked to group allocation. The primary outcome was fasting plasma glucose at 9-month follow-up, analyzed per protocol and by intention-to-treat. Among the 206 participants (103 in each group), 189 (91·8 %; n = 91 in the intervention group, n = 98 in the control group) completed the 4-month follow-up and 181 (87·9 %; n = 87 in the intervention group, n = 94 in the control group) completed the 9-month follow-up. Among the 206 randomized participants, 52.9 % were women, 73.8 % were obese, and 69.4 % were of Spanish nationality. Differences in fasting plasma glucose between groups at 9-months were not statistically significant (Intervention group n = 85 mean 103·4 mg/dL [SD 9·6] vs Control group n = 91 mean 104·8 mg/dL [SD 9·7]; adjusted mean difference 1·1 mg/dL [95 % CI -1·6 to 3·8]; p-value = 0·43). Difference in waist circumference at 9 months were statistically significant (Intervention group n = 85 mean 100.6 cm [SD 10.2] vs Control group n = 91 mean 104.0 cm [SD 10.2]; adjusted mean difference 1.9 cm [95 % CI 0.6 to 3.3]; p-value <0.01). At 9-month follow-up, diet quality improved in the intervention group (intervention group n = 86 mean 8.4 points [SD 2.0] vs control group n = 93 mean 7.5 points [SD 2.1], adjusted mean difference - 1.3 points [95 CI -1.7 to -0.7]; p-value <0.01). Likewise, sedentary behavior presented statistically significant differences at 9-month follow-up (intervention group n = 86 mean 5.4 H/d [SD 1.8] vs control group n = 93 mean 6.3 H/d [SD 1.9], adjusted mean difference 1.0 H/d [95 CI 0.5 to 1.4]; p-value <0.01). These results do not support the effectiveness of a low-intensity nurse-led telephone lifestyle intervention in reducing fasting plasma glucose in individuals with prediabetes, although changes in diet quality and sedentary behavior were observed. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04735640?term=prediphone&rank=1NCT04735640. Registered 03/02/2021, first recruitment 13/04/2021. A nurse-led phone intervention had no significant benefits on glucose levels in patients with prediabetes. @GlobalHealth_rg.
12 March 2026 in International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being
Health interventions for individuals with prediabetes are essential to prevent or delay progression to type 2 diabetes. Adherence to lifestyle modification is complex and influenced by social determinants that act as barriers or facilitators. Gender, social class, social support, and the patient-professional relationship may shape individuals' capacity to adopt and maintain behavioural changes. This study aimed to explore how these factors influence adherence to lifestyle modification among people with prediabetes. Ethnomethodological study with a critical social perspective. Data were collected through fifteen semi-structured interviews, one focus group, and a support network mapping exercise. Analysis combined thematic content analysis and critical discourse analysis. Rigour was ensured through data saturation, investigator triangulation, and reflexivity. The study followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Women across social classes reported significant barriers, including work overload, caregiving responsibilities, and weaker support networks, whereas men often benefited from stronger family support. Participants from lower socioeconomic backgrounds faced additional challenges, such as financial limitations affecting healthy food choices and lack of time for exercise. Trust-based and supportive relationships with healthcare professionals emerged as important facilitators of sustained lifestyle change. Gender and social class play a key role in prediabetes management. These findings highlight the importance of personalised, equity-focused interventions that address social determinants to improve prevention strategies. The research protocol was registered in a clinical trial registry prior to data collection (registration number: NCT06488677 on July 5, 2024).