Conectar
Environmental enteropathy (EE) is a syndrome affecting the gut characterised by villus blunting, reduced nutrient absorption and microbial translocation in children and adults experiencing a high burden of enteric infection due to inadequate access to clean water and sanitation.
We will conduct coordinated randomised controlled trials in six countries to determine if supplementation with indispensable amino acids (IAAs) can improve intestinal barrier dysfunction in six geographically diverse populations of 18–36 months old children with stunting or severe stunting. All trials will measure the same primary outcomes while secondary outcomes will be measured on a per-trial basis using standardised protocols across the project. The primary endpoint will be change in gut permeability as assessed by the lactulose/rhamnose ratio. Secondary endpoints include changes in amino acid and carbohydrate absorption using novel, isotope tracer tests. Other prespecified outcome measures include changes in EE biomarkers and child weight. IAA supplementation will be given daily for 28 days and evaluation of the major endpoints will be at baseline and after 28 days of supplementation.
Ethical approval will be obtained from the Research Ethics Committee at each participating site. Caregivers will provide written informed consent for each participant. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations and face-to-face meetings with participant caregivers.
CTRI: CTRI/2024/06/069187 (India); ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06617130, Malawi;
Adolescents in informal urban communities, defined as settlements that fall outside of formal governmental planning and regulatory frameworks, are at increasing risk of poor-quality diets and malnutrition in all its forms. The food environment is the interface of adolescent food choice and the broader food system, and food environment interventions have the potential to improve adolescent diets and nutritional outcomes.
We will conduct a mixed-methods study, integrating methods from participatory systems science and nutritional epidemiology to characterise linkages among adolescents’ neighbourhood and home food environments, and their food choices, diets and nutritional outcomes. We will recruit adolescents, caregivers, school staff and food system actors from five communities along a gradient of urban informality in Nairobi, Kenya, to participate in cognitive mapping, group-based modelling and a cohort study over one academic year to evaluate dietary choices and nutritional outcomes.
The study has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Rutgers University (Pro2024001981) and Amref Health Africa (P1831-2025). Adult participants will provide written informed consent, and adolescents will provide written informed assent to participate in the study. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations and to participants through planned participatory interaction throughout the study.
The global burden of malnutrition is compounded by the challenges of obesity and sarcopenia, a combination known as sarcopenic obesity. This condition, defined by increased fat mass alongside declining muscle mass and function, poses significant health risks, including metabolic dysregulation and cardiovascular complications. Despite its growing prevalence and clinical importance, significant gaps remain regarding the application of e-health strategies to address sarcopenic obesity. This scoping review aims to map the current evidence on the use of e-health in addressing sarcopenic obesity in adults with overweight or obesity, identify barriers and facilitators to its implementation, and highlight areas for future research.
The scoping review will be conducted in accordance with established methodological framework by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), employing a comprehensive three-step search strategy across multiple databases and grey literature sources, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL, Web of Science and Scopus. The inclusion criteria, framed by the Population-Concept-Context (PCC) framework, will focus on studies involving adults with sarcopenic obesity and interventions using e-health approaches in various healthcare contexts. A data extraction form will be used to guide the data extraction. Findings will be synthesised narratively and in tabular form, comprehensively mapping the current evidence and identifying key areas for future research.
Ethical approval is not required as the review analyses publicly available data. Findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at international conferences and scientific forums. The review will offer insights into e-health integration in sarcopenic obesity management, informing clinical practice, policy development and interdisciplinary collaboration.
This scoping review was registered with the Open Science Framework registry on 17 September 2024 (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/9ND5A).
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