South Asia Nutrition Knowledge Initiative: Abstract digest March 2025

International Food Policy Research Institute. 2024. South Asia Nutrition Knowledge Initiative: Abstract digest. SANI Abstract Digest March 2025. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173924

In this fifth edition of the South Asia Nutrition Knowledge Initiative’s Abstract Digest, we present a diverse body of global, regional, and country-level evidence that, collectively, enhances our understanding of the multifaceted nature of malnutrition, spanning a broad spectrum of outcomes, determinants, and policy responses.

Among the global and regional articles featured, these focus on key challenges and advancements in nutrition, gender, and health equity. Topics include gender-transformative interventions for adolescents, progress toward global nutrition targets, the links between adolescent pregnancy and anemia, optimal iron supplementation strategies, the applicability of a single child growth standard, and the need for a paradigm shift in anemia assessment. Additionally, discussions highlight shifting power dynamics in global health, inequalities in food environment research, the continuum of child development from conception to early life, and defining healthy diets through a joint FAO-WHO perspective.

Other studies of interest include the latest research on maternal and child healthcare trends and inequality, anemia and micronutrient deficiencies, and malnutrition in children and adolescents, with a focus on Bangladesh, Nepal, and India. These studies examine determinants ranging such as marriage, education, and women’s empowerment to maternal and child health outcomes. They also explore the intersection of women's work and child nutrition before expanding to broader dietary behaviors and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, providing a comprehensive view of key nutrition and health challenges.

Please scroll down to explore the abstracts of these studies. If you received this Abstract Digest via forwarding, we invite you to subscribe for future editions.

Happy reading!