Background: In recent years, undernutrition has remained a significant public health issue in Tu-nisia, increasing the risk of illness and mortality in young children. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the prevalence and factors contributing to undernutrition among Tunisian children aged 0-23 months; Methods: The study included 3265 children aged 0-23 months from the 2011-2023 Tunisia Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). Trends and logistic regression analyses were used to determine the prevalence and predictors of undernutrition; Results: The prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight in infants and children aged 0-23 months has increased by 3.3%, 0.5%, and 2.1%, respectively. Stunting and underweight were more common among infants aged 0-5 months (11.8% for stunting, 8.9% for underweight, p < 0.01), and first-time mothers (8.3% for stunting, 4.1% for underweight, p < 0.01). In 2023, compared to 2011, the odds of stunt-ing, wasting, and being underweight have increased by 22%, 16%, and 70% respectively. Infants aged 0-5 months had higher odds of undernutrition in all three indices. Children of obese or overweight mothers, and those who started breastfeeding late, were more likely to be stunted. Boys had significantly higher odds of wasting and underweight. Small birth weight, and dura-tion of breastfeeding > 12months had significantly higher odds of being underweight; Conclu-sions: This study shows that infants aged 0-5 months, first-time mothers, boys, and children from poor households in Tunisia are at a higher odd of undernutrition. To address the growing issue of undernutrition in Tunisian children, enhancing maternal and child health and nutrition ser-vices, improve parental education, and implement community-based programs that provide breastfeeding and nutritional education to infants born to new mothers and mothers with high/low BMI is recommended.

Background: Several reports indicate that long stay at home for online schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic changed the normal physical activity and body weight of school-age students. Previous studies revealed that almost 50% of school students complained of increased or decreased more than 3 kg of weight due to lower physical activity. This study aims to provide insight about the Body Mass Index (BMI) among school students during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective matched-longitudinal study was conducted in 2022 based on previous data about BMI-for-age percentile in school-age students aged 6 to 18 years. These data were collected the year before and during COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2021). Results: All the included students were Arabic (N = 53,580) and were not diagnosed with chronic illness. The outcomes showed that the overall percentage of students with normal weight was 54%, 56%, and 53% during the 2019-2021 years, respectively. Overweight among students increased during the COVID-19 pandemic years, as almost 10% of the students were overweight in 2019 compared with 12% in 2020 and 2021 years. Besides, obese students also increased in the 2020-2021 period compared with the 2019 year (15-17% vs. 10%). In contrast, underweight trends among students declined, as 26% reported in 2019 compared to 17-18% in 2020 and 2021. Conclusion: There are significant variations in Arabic school-age students regarding their BMI values. Obesity was highly detected among children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic years compared to 2019, while underweight cases declined.

Energy imbalance gap (EIG) is defined as the average daily difference between energy intake (EI) and energy expenditure (EE). This study aimed to examine the associations between EIG and sociodemographic and anthropometric variables in the adolescent population of eight Latin American countries. A total of 680 adolescents aged 15 to 18 were included in this study. EI was estimated using two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls. EE was predicted from Schofield equations using physical activity levels obtained through the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Sociodemographic data and anthropometric measurements were also obtained. A descriptive analysis and multilevel linear regression models were used to examine associations between variables. The mean EI, EE, and EIG were 2091.3 kcal, 2067.8 kcal, and 23.5 kcal, respectively. Argentina and Colombia had the highest EI and EIG, whereas Chile and Costa Rica had the lowest EI and EIG. Males had a higher EI (2262.4 kcal) and EE (2172.2 kcal) than females (1930.1 kcal and 2084.5 kcal), respectively (p<0,05). Overweight subjects had a lower EIG than did underweight and normal-weight subjects (p<0,05). Subjects with high SES had a lower EE (2047.0 kcal) than those with low SES (1963.7 kcal) (p<0,05). Sex and BMI were associated with EIG in adolescents from Latin America.

Background: Treatment outcomes are vital measures of the success of TB treatment programs, especially in areas with limited re-sources, as tuberculosis continues to be a major public health issue. The study aimed to evaluate clinical data from TB-infected pa-tients' clinic files in rural areas of the Olivier Reginald Tambo District Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa, to understand the treatment outcomes of tuberculosis in patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus, and nutritional status. Methods: The study analyzed 360 patient files to investigate the treatment outcomes of patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) and HIV, as well as a body mass index (BMI) indicating moderate to severe classification. The data included patient de-mographics, clinical characteristics, and social history. The study also detailed and analyzed culture conversion, time in treatment, and treatment outcomes. Additionally, BMI data were presented using a scatter plot to display the distribution of BMI across different age groups and genders to identify patterns and trends in obesity prevalence. Results: The study demonstrated the high rates of both overweight and underweight individuals among middle-aged and elderly people, emphasizing the need for personalized nutritional interventions. It found that Type 1 (RR-TB) and Type 2 (MDR-TB) were the most common forms of DR-TB, with a higher prevalence of HIV-positive individuals in Type 1 (RR-TB). The study also showed the distribution of different BMI categories among DR-TB types and HIV statuses. Overall, it suggests limited connections between DR-TB type, BMI category, and HIV status in the research. Conclusion: It is imperative to prioritize the management of co-morbid conditions in DR-TB patients, as these conditions signifi-cantly influence treatment outcomes. Targeted interventions are essential for patients with severe or complex co-morbidities.