Читать книгу Building Future Health and Well-Being of Thriving Toddlers and Young Children - Группа авторов - Страница 30

Toddlers and young children need an adequate and diverse diet to provide all of the nutrients they require to support optimal growth and development. Unfortunately, undernutrition, growing rates of overweight and obesity, and inadequate intakes of vitamins and minerals are still identified as major public health threats for young children by the World Health Organization (WHO) [1]. For micronutrients, the WHO, UNICEF, and the World Bank focus primarily on iron, zinc, vitamin A, and iodine. Global monitoring shows that the combination of anemia rates, along with vitamin A deficiency and stunting, lead to an “alarmingly high” hidden hunger index in certain regions of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia [2].

In addition to the global data from these organizations, individual-level food consumption surveys are needed to provide a fuller picture of food and nutrient intakes in different countries. However, these surveys are generally available in higher-income countries and are less common in low- and middle-income countries in regions such as Africa, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia [3]. Even among European countries with a food consumption survey, not all collect data on toddlers and young children [4]. National surveys in the US (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, NHANES) and Australia (National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, NNPAS) start only from the age of 2 years. Some national surveys also lack data on the full complement of nutrients required in the diet.

It is our aim, therefore, to evaluate what is known about the nutritional challenges and inadequacies facing toddlers across the world. With many sources of data, each one helps to build our knowledge by telling a different piece of the story. We will evaluate the information provided from each type of study and explore similarities and differences in the nutritional gaps of young children globally.