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Levis C, Mejía Toro C, Patiño SRG, Villalobos-Daniel VE, Spinillo C, Gomes FDS. Building Capacity and Advancing Regulatory Measures to Improve Food Environments in the Region of the Americas. Nutrients 2024; 16:1202. [PMID: 38674892 PMCID: PMC11054736 DOI: 10.3390/nu16081202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the main cause of death globally (70%) and in the Region of the Americas (80%), and poor diets are a leading driver of NCDs. In response, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO) introduced a set of evidence-based regulatory measures to help countries improve diets through the reduced consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods. This paper aims to describe the needs of and propose actions for key actors to advance these measures. A workshop was designed to assess member states' regulatory capacity. A thematic analysis was conducted to analyze regional needs, successes and challenges. Thereafter, the Government Capacity-Building Framework for the prevention and control of NCDs was used to examine findings. The findings were organized in two sets: (i) PAHO/WHO actions to support member states and (ii) key actors' actions to advance regulatory policies. The results show notable regulatory progress across the Region of the Americas. However, progress differs between countries, with opportunities to strengthen measures in most countries, mainly in conflict of interest management. The results identified important actions to strengthen the regulatory capacity of PAHO/WHO member states. To maximize momentum for these actions, timelines must be identified, and political commitment can be boosted by applying human rights-based and food system-wide approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Levis
- Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC 20037, USA; (V.E.V.-D.); (F.d.S.G.)
- NCD Alliance, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Carolina Mejía Toro
- School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Grafton, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
- INFORMAS (International Network for Food and Obesity/Noncommunicable Diseases, Research, Monitoring and Action Support), Grafton, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | | | - Victor Eduardo Villalobos-Daniel
- Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC 20037, USA; (V.E.V.-D.); (F.d.S.G.)
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico
| | - Carla Spinillo
- Department of Design, The Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 80060, Brazil;
| | - Fabio da Silva Gomes
- Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC 20037, USA; (V.E.V.-D.); (F.d.S.G.)
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Nicastro HL, Vorkoper S, Sterling R, Korn AR, Brown AGM, Maruvada P, Oh AY. Opportunities to advance implementation science and nutrition research: a commentary on the Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research. Transl Behav Med 2023; 13:1-6. [PMID: 36370119 PMCID: PMC10091491 DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibac066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite population-wide recommendations by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and others to encourage health-promoting dietary patterns, the proportion of Americans following dietary recommendations remains low. The gaps in the adoption and integration of evidence-based dietary interventions, practices, programs, and policies (EBIs) into community and clinical settings signal the need to strengthen efforts in implementation science (IS) in nutrition research to understand and alleviate barriers to adopting and sustaining healthy dietary behaviors and practices. Equally important is the translation of this research into practice in a variety of settings and across the diversity of populations. Recognizing this need, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) 2020-2030 Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research calls for the expansion of IS as a key opportunity to advancing nutrition research. This commentary highlights three scientific opportunities to stimulate IS in nutrition research and provides examples for each opportunity. These include: (a) Advance consideration of implementation and dissemination early in the design of interventions to facilitate opportunities for equitable scale-up and sustainability of EBIs, (b) Develop and test strategies for equitable implementation of nutrition and diet EBIs in health care and community settings, and (c) Build and strengthen the infrastructure, capacity, and expertise needed to increase use of IS in clinical and community nutrition research to swiftly move the research into practice. By advancing the three opportunities identified in this commentary, the scientific community has the potential to advance the field of nutrition research and IS with the ultimate goal of improving public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly L Nicastro
- Office of Nutrition Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Susan Vorkoper
- Division of International Science Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Fogarty International Center, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rene Sterling
- Division of Genomics and Society, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ariella R Korn
- Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, Rockville, MD, USA.,Implementation Science Team, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alison G M Brown
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Padma Maruvada
- Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - April Y Oh
- Implementation Science Team, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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