Nutrients, Vol. 18, Pages 1578: Mapping Current Evidence and Research Gaps in Nutrition for Healthy Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review
Nutrients doi: 10.3390/nu18101578
Authors:
Diana Montiel-Ojeda
Lucía Méndez-Sánchez
Desiree Lopez-Gonzalez
Patricia Clark
Introduction: A healthy diet is crucial for healthy growth and development during childhood and adolescence. Although evidence in this field is expanding rapidly, the focus has been on disease-oriented nutrition rather than on nutrition for healthy children and adolescents; thus, we aimed to identify key research gaps to guide future studies and policy development. Methods: For this scoping review, we systematically searched systematic reviews, clinical guidelines, and position papers. The literature search covered publications from the last eight years to provide the latest information on pediatric nutrition. A basic critical appraisal was performed to assess the quality of the evidence. Results: We included 14 studies. Six major topics were identified as the most frequently reported: healthy dietary patterns, sustainable dietary patterns, macronutrients and micronutrients, sugar intake, beverages and sugary drinks, and dairy products. Conclusions: Current information on healthy diets for children and adolescents focuses mainly on dietary patterns. However, regionalized information is lacking, as few health agencies report on specific dietary modifications, especially in developing or transition countries.
Introduction: A healthy diet is crucial for healthy growth and development during childhood and adolescence. Although evidence in this field is expanding rapidly, the focus has been on disease-oriented nutrition rather than on nutrition for healthy children and adolescents; thus, we aimed to identify key research gaps to guide future studies and policy development. Methods: For this scoping review, we systematically searched systematic reviews, clinical guidelines, and position papers. The literature search covered publications from the last eight years to provide the latest information on pediatric nutrition. A basic critical appraisal was performed to assess the quality of the evidence. Results: We included 14 studies. Six major topics were identified as the most frequently reported: healthy dietary patterns, sustainable dietary patterns, macronutrients and micronutrients, sugar intake, beverages and sugary drinks, and dairy products. Conclusions: Current information on healthy diets for children and adolescents focuses mainly on dietary patterns. However, regionalized information is lacking, as few health agencies report on specific dietary modifications, especially in developing or transition countries. Read More