The food acquisition, dietary practices, and nutritional status of minority women of African descent living in tropical South America

Pandemic-associated food insecurity in northern, coastal Ecuador

The COVID-19 pandemic worsened food insecurity worldwide. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the pandemic on perceived food insecurity among households in rural Esmeraldas, Ecuador. We conducted a cross-sectional survey to characterize pandemic impacts on household livelihoods and food insecurity in five communities. Fifteen months after the pandemic began, food insecurity was reported in almost half of all households. Residents of the least-accessible community reported the greatest disruptions in food availability, while residents of more accessible communities reported greater disruption to livelihoods. These data suggests that transportation restrictions differentially impacted the least accessible rural communities.

Ethnic/racial disparities in the fetal growth outcomes of Ecuadorian newborns

Size at birth is an important indicator of future infant morbidity and mortality. Ethnic/racial disparities in birth weight and other fetal growth outcomes are well documented for US and Canadian minority groups but not for those in Latin America. The study compared the growth outcomes of 1,227 full-term Ecuadorian newborns delivered by Afro-descendant and indigenous minority women with those of ethnic majority (mestizo) women. Minority newborns had higher risk for congenital microcephaly but no excess risk for low birth weight or stunted linear growth compared to mestizos. However, minority newborns were significantly heavier at birth, weighing an average of 3-5% more than mestizos. Afro-Ecuadorians newborns also were fatter. The risk profile of Ecuadorian ethnic groups for certain fetal growth outcomes differs from some of those reported for North American minorities. Further studies are needed to investigate the origins of these between-group differences and to develop ethnic specific interventions for adverse growth outcomes.

Women in resource-poor settings are at risk of inadequate intakes of multiple micronutrients

A systematic review was conducted to identify all studies that were published between 1988 and 2008 reporting micronutrient intakes of women in resource-poor settings. Inclusion criteria were study location (resource-poor), dietary assessment method (24-h recall, estimated/weighed record, or locally validated FFQ), energy and 1 or more micronutrient intakes reported (vitamin A, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, iron, or zinc), age range (15-50 y), sample size (≥30), and sex (female). Of the 1560 papers identified, 52 papers were included. Results showed that, except for vitamin A (29%), vitamin C (34%), and niacin (34%), the reported mean/median intakes in over 50% of studies were below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR). Folate intake was most often below EAR (91% of studies). Regional differences were apparent for intakes of vitamins A, C, and B-6 and riboflavin; mean/median intakes in Latin America exceeded the EAR, whereas in Asia, reported mean/median intakes of vitamin C, vitamin A, and riboflavin were below the EAR in 47, 50, and 77% of the studies, respectively, as was the case for vitamin B-6 in 75% of the studies in Africa. These results suggest that inadequate intakes of multiple micronutrients are common among women living in resource-poor settings and emphasize the need for increased attention to the quality of women's diets. There is a need for more high-quality studies of women's micronutrient intakes.