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Review
. 2020 Oct 30;12(11):3345.
doi: 10.3390/nu12113345.

Food Consumption Patterns and Nutrient Intakes of Children and Adolescents in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Call for Policy Action

Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh  1 , Mandy Taktouk  2 , Lara Nasreddine  2
Affiliations
Review

Food Consumption Patterns and Nutrient Intakes of Children and Adolescents in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Call for Policy Action

Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) has witnessed significant social and economic changes that may have influenced the diet of children and adolescents, and increased the risk for obesity and malnutrition in this age group. This review aims to characterize and assess food consumption patterns and nutrient intakes amongst school-aged children (5-10 years) and adolescents (10-19 years) in countries of the EMR. Electronic databases (MedLine, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar) were searched for relevant articles published between 2005 and 2020; international organizations and governmental websites were also searched. Available studies documented low intakes of fruits, vegetables and fiber, inadequate consumption of water, milk and dairy products, coupled with high intakes of fat, saturated fat, and sugar sweetened beverages, as well as a frequent consumption of energy-dense, nutrient poor foods such as sweet and savory snacks. Micronutrient inadequacies were also observed, particularly for calcium, iron, zinc and vitamins A, D, C, and folate. Acknowledging the impact that nutrition may have on building societies and transforming the lives of children, adolescents and their families, there is a crucial need for a food system approach in developing and implementing national and regional policies and interventions aimed at improving the diet of children and adolescents.

Keywords: Eastern Mediterranean Region; adolescents; children; dietary intakes; food consumption patterns; macronutrients; micronutrients; review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this publication and they do not necessarily represent the official position, decisions, policy or views of the World Health Organization. We declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Proportion of students (aged 13–15 years) who had fruits and vegetables at least five times/day during the 30 days preceding the survey, based on the global school-based student health survey (GSHS) database [18].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proportion of students (aged 13–17 years) who drank carbonated soft drinks once or more times per day during the 30 days preceding the survey, based on the global school-based student health survey (GSHS) database [18]. *: This data represents the proportion of students (13–15 years) who drank carbonated soft drinks twice or more times per day during the 30 days preceding the survey in Jordan.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Proportion of adolescents not meeting the recommendations for vitamins A, E, C, D and folate. The criteria used to assess the proportion of adolescents not meeting the recommendation, are as follows: Iran, Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs); Pakistan, Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)/Average Intake (AI); Palestine, <80% RDA; United Arab Emirates (UAE),
Figure 4
Figure 4
Proportion of adolescents not meeting the recommendation for iron, calcium and zinc. The criteria used to assess the proportion of adolescents not meeting the recommendations, are as follows: Iran, Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs); Pakistan, Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)/Average Intake (AI); Palestine, <80% RDA; United Arab Emirates (UAE),
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