Multiple epidemiological studies have shown an increased prevalence of adverse mental health outcomes in refugee populations and have highlighted children and adolescents to be particularly at risk. This commentary considers a Cochrane Review examining the efficacy of community-based interventions at improving the mental health of refugee children and adolescents in high-income countries. The review concludes that community-based interventions are ineffective at improving mental health in such populations. Notably, the data are limited by significant risk of bias and a small sample size. This article aims to critically appraise this systematic review, extrapolate implications for current practice and identify avenues for further research.

Dietary behaviours and the food systems in which they occur have a significant impact on climate change. The 2022 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports and other major climate reports have identified population-level dietary shifts towards balanced, sustainable healthy diets as an important mitigation (i.e. prevention) solution for climate change. Thus, public health nutrition researchers and practitioners have a crucial role to play in combatting the climate crisis. They have the content expertise, interdisciplinary training and technical skills needed to facilitate wide-scale dietary behaviour changes at multiple levels of influence and ultimately improve both human and planetary health. This commentary article: (i) summarises how dietary behaviours and food systems contribute to climate change, with a particular focus on high-income countries; (ii) reviews food-system-related climate change mitigation solutions most relevant to public health nutrition researchers and practitioners; and (iii) identifies key gaps in the literature and future research directions for the field.

The gluten-free diet is based on the consumption of foods without gluten, which aims to manage celiac disease. The concern of celiac patients is that these foods should be safe. However, gluten contamination can affect these foods. The objectives of this review and meta-analysis were first, to identify articles that detected gluten contamination in gluten-free foods using validated methods. Second, to quantify the overall prevalence of gluten contamination of naturally gluten-free foods, labelled gluten-free products, and meals prepared in food services. Third, to highlight the influence of the country’s income and the period of study on this prevalence. The studies were identified in Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Forty articles were included according to PRISMA guidelines. The statistical meta-analysis was performed using MedCalc 19 software. The results show that in the gluten-free foods analysed, the overall prevalence of gluten contamination was estimated at 15.12% (95% CI: 9.56%–21.70%), with more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. Naturally gluten-free foods were significantly more contaminated than labelled gluten-free products and than meals in food services (28.32%; 9.52%; 4.66% respectively; p < 0.001). Moreover, it was noticed that oats were the most contaminated food. In addition, the prevalence of gluten contamination has significantly decreased over time. The majority of the studies were carried out in upper-middle-income and high-income countries, while only one study was conducted in lower-middle income countries. Therefore, it is necessary to implement preventive actions to reduce gluten contamination, ensuring safe gluten-free foods for celiac patients, including low-income countries.

Food insecurity has been shown to be associated with fast-food consumption. However, to date, studies on this specific topic are scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between food insecurity and fast-food consumption in adolescents aged 12–15 years from sixty-eight countries (seven low-income, twenty-seven lower middle-income, twenty upper middle-income, fourteen high-income countries). Cross-sectional, school-based data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey were analysed. Data on past 30-d food insecurity (hunger) and fast-food consumption in the past 7 d were collected. Multivariable logistic regression and meta-analysis were conducted to assess associations. Models were adjusted for age, sex and BMI. There were 180 164 adolescents aged 12–15 years (mean age 13·8 (sd 1·0) years; 50·8 % boys) included in the analysis. Overall, severe food insecurity (i.e. hungry because there was not enough food in home most of the time or always) was associated with 1·17 (95 % CI 1·08, 1·26) times higher odds for fast-food consumption. The estimates pooled by country-income levels were significant in low-income countries (adjusted OR (aOR) = 1·30; 95 % CI 1·05, 1·60), lower middle-income countries (aOR = 1·15; 95 % CI 1·02, 1·29) and upper middle-income countries (aOR = 1·26; 95 % CI 1·07, 1·49), but not in high-income countries (aOR = 1·04; 95 % CI 0·88, 1·23). The mere co-occurrence of food insecurity and fast-food consumption is of public health importance. To tackle this issue, a strong governmental and societal approach is required to utilise effective methods as demonstrated in some high-income countries such as the implementation of food banks and the adoption of free school meals.

Higher intake of ultraprocessed foods (UPF), which have undergone multiple processes and have poor nutrient quality, is associated with higher incidence of non-communicable diseases. Yet, its association with hypertension has scarcely been studied, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). We aimed to estimate the associations between consumption of UPF (total, liquid and solid) and UPF subgroups and incident hypertension in a prospective cohort study. We used data from the Mexican Teachers’ Cohort including 64 934 disease-free women aged ≥25 years at baseline. We assessed baseline usual dietary intake using a validated FFQ, and each item was categorised according to NOVA, a degree of food processing classification system. UPF and UPF subgroups were categorised according to the distribution of their contribution to total energy intake. Hypertension was self-reported. We estimated incidence rate ratios (IRR) and their 95 % CI. During a median follow-up of 2·2 years, we identified 3752 incident cases of hypertension. Mean contribution of UPF to total energy intake was 29·8 (SD 9·4) % energy (23·4 (SD 8·9) % solid, 6·4 (SD 4·8) % liquid). Comparing extreme categories showed that higher total and solid UPF consumptions were not associated with incident hypertension (IRR 0·96, 95 % CI 0·79, 1·16; IRR 0·91, 95 % CI 0·82, 1·01, respectively). However, liquid UPF and processed meats were associated with increased hypertension (IRR 1·32, 95 % CI 1·10, 1·65; IRR 1·17, 95 % CI 1·01, 1·36, respectively). Addressing intake of liquid UPF and processed meats may help in managing hypertension in LMIC.

Red and processed meat (RPM) intake varies widely globally. In some high-income countries (HIC) the last decade has witnessed an overall decline or stabilisation in the consumption of RPM, in contrast to emerging economies where its consumption continues to increase with rising income and rapid urbanisation. The production and consumption of RPM have become major concerns regarding the environmental impacts of livestock in particular, but also because of associations between high RPM consumption and diet-related non-communicable disease. Therefore, it is important to identify socioeconomic and demographic drivers of the consumption of RPM. This paper explores how consumption of RPM differs with age, gender, socioeconomic status and in different global contexts. There are some key socioeconomic and demographic patterns in RPM consumption. Men tend to consume RPM more often and in higher quantities, and there is evidence of a social gradient in HIC, with lower socioeconomic groups consuming RPM more often and in larger quantities. Patterns for consumption with age are less clear cut. It is apparent that consumers in HIC are still consuming high levels of RPM, although the downward shifts in some socioeconomic and demographic groups is encouraging and suggests that strategies could be developed to engage those consumers identified as high RPM consumers. In low- and middle-income countries, RPM consumption is rising, especially in China and Brazil, and in urban areas. Ways of encouraging populations to maintain their traditional healthy eating patterns need to be found in low- and middle-income countries, which will have health, environmental and economic co-benefits.