Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, PO Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon.
Nestec S.A. Nestlé Research Center, PO Box 44, 1000 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Nutr Res. 2018 Sep;57:12-27. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2018.04.016. Epub 2018 Apr 26.
The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) is undergoing social and economic changes that may impact the nutritional status of children living in its countries. The objective of this review is to evaluate the nutritional status and dietary intakes of children (0-12 years) in selected EMR countries, namely, Jordan, Lebanon, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and the United Arab Emirates. MedLine, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for relevant articles published between 1990 and 2016; international organizations and governmental websites were also searched. Stunting in the region was estimated at 7.3% to 9.3%, wasting at 1.1% to 11.8%, and underweight at 1.6% to 5.3%. In contrast, overweight and obesity affected 19% to 21% of school-aged children from Lebanon and KSA. Available biochemical data showed that pediatric anemia, vitamin A, and vitamin D deficiencies remain a challenge in the region. Dietary intake studies have identified inadequate intakes of iron, calcium, zinc, folic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin D, concurrently with high intakes of fat, saturated fat, and sugar. This review provides valuable insight into the nutrition situation of children in 2 major areas of the EMR, the Levant and the Gulf, and identified several gaps and challenges in existing nutritional assessment studies. Key issues include the triple burden of malnutrition in this age group (underweight, nutrient inadequacies, and overweight/obesity), while calling for integrated action to improve the nutritional status of children in countries of the region. Opportunities for future research include nationwide nutritional and dietary surveys in countries where the largest data gaps remain such as the United Arab Emirates and KSA.
东地中海区域（EMR）正在经历社会和经济变革，这些变革可能会影响到其国家中儿童的营养状况。本综述的目的是评估选定 EMR 国家（即约旦、黎巴嫩、沙特阿拉伯王国和阿拉伯联合酋长国）0-12 岁儿童的营养状况和饮食摄入情况。MedLine、PubMed、Scopus 和 Google Scholar 检索了 1990 年至 2016 年间发表的相关文章；还检索了国际组织和政府网站。该地区的发育迟缓估计为 7.3%-9.3%，消瘦为 1.1%-11.8%，体重不足为 1.6%-5.3%。相比之下，黎巴嫩和沙特阿拉伯的学龄儿童中有 19%-21%超重或肥胖。现有的生化数据表明，儿科贫血、维生素 A 和维生素 D 缺乏仍然是该地区面临的挑战。饮食摄入研究表明，铁、钙、锌、叶酸、维生素 A 和维生素 D 摄入量不足，同时脂肪、饱和脂肪和糖摄入量过高。本综述深入了解了 EMR 的两个主要地区（黎凡特和海湾地区）儿童的营养状况，并确定了现有营养评估研究中的几个差距和挑战。关键问题包括该年龄段的三重营养不良负担（体重不足、营养不足和超重/肥胖），同时呼吁采取综合行动来改善该地区各国儿童的营养状况。未来研究的机会包括在数据缺口最大的国家（如阿拉伯联合酋长国和沙特阿拉伯）进行全国性营养和饮食调查。
