The current study provided for the first time numbers on the total polyphenol intake and their main food sources in a heterogeneous group of European adolescents. Major differences with adult populations are the lower polyphenol consumption and the major food sources, such as chocolate and biscuits. The discussed determinants and polyphenol types already point to some important population groups that need to be targeted in future public health initiatives.

Purpose The role of polyphenol intake during adolescence to prevent metabolic syndrome (MetS) is little explored. This study aimed to evaluate the association between intake of total polyphenols, polyphenol classes and the 10 most consumed individual polyphenols with MetS risk in European adolescents. Methods Of the cross-sectional HELENA study, 657 adolescents (54% girls; 14.8% overweight; 12.5-17.5y) had a fasting blood sample and polyphenol intake data from two non-consecutive 24-hour recalls matched with the Phenol-Explorer database. MetS was defined via the pediatric American Heart Association definition. Multilevel linear regressions examined the associations of polyphenol quartiles with MetS components, while logistic regression examined the associations with MetS risk. Results After adjusting for all potential confounders (socio-demographics and 9 nutrients), total polyphenol intake, polyphenol classes and individual polyphenols were not associated with MetS risk. From all MetS components, only BMI z-score was modestly inversely associated with total polyphenol intake. Further sub analyses on polyphenol classes revealed that flavonoid intake was significantly associated with higher diastolic blood pressure and lower BMI, and phenolic acid intake was associated with higher low-density cholesterol. For individual polyphenols, the above BMI findings were often confirmed (not independent from dietary intake)and a few associations were found with insulin resistance. Conclusion Higher intakes of total polyphenols and flavonoids were inversely associated with BMI. No consistent associations were found for other MetS components.

Background Measuring height for age is one of the essential indicators for evaluating children’s growth. The study analyzes the association between maternal education and stunting among children under two years in Indonesia. Methods The study employed secondary data from the 2017 Indonesia Nutritional Status Monitoring Survey. The unit of analysis was children under two years, and the study obtained weighted samples of 70,293 children. Besides maternal education, other independent variables analyzed in this study were residence, maternal age, maternal marital status, maternal employment, children’s age, and gender. In the final stage, the study occupied a multivariate test by binary logistic regression test. Results The results show the proportion of stunted children under two years in Indonesia nationally is 20.1%. Mothers in primary school and under education categories are 1.587 times more likely than mothers with a college education to have stunted children under two years (95% CI 1.576–1.598). Meanwhile, mothers with a junior high school education have a chance of 1.430 times more than mothers with a college education to have stunted children under two years (95% CI 1.420–1.440). Moreover, mothers with education in the senior high school category have 1.230 times more chances than mothers with a college education to have stunted children under two years (95% CI 1.222–1.238). Conclusion The study concluded that the maternal education level was associated with stunting children under two years in Indonesia. The lower the mother’s level of education, the higher the chances of a mother having stunted children under two years.