Mona Hashim

Summary Background The growth and development of infants during the first 1000 days of life are crucial for their health. Objectives This study aims to assess the impact of maternal characteristics and infant feeding patterns on infant growth from birth to 18 months. Methods Data were derived from the 2‐year perspective Mother Infant Study Cohort (MISC) study which included six visits from the third trimester of pregnancy until 18 months postpartum. A convenient sample of 256 pregnant women aged 19–40 years was recruited from Sharjah, Dubai and Ajman in the United Arab Emirates. Results Amongst mothers' characteristics, Arab nationality, pre‐pregnancy overweight/obesity, higher gestational weight gain and lower physical activity were found to increase the likelihood of infants being overweight at 6, 12 and 18 months. Exclusive breastfeeding was positively correlated with reduced odds of the infant being overweight at 18 months (aOR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.12–0.81). Breastfeeding for up to 6 months and the introduction of solid foods after 6 months was associated with reduced odds of the infant being overweight at 12 months old (aOR = 4, 95% CI: 1.1–14.6; aOR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.09–8.08, respectively). Conclusion The findings spotlight the influence of maternal characteristics and infant feeding on infant growth. This asserts the need for evidence‐based programmes targeting mothers to promote optimal feeding practices and foster healthy child growth.

Background In light of the global commitment to promoting sustainable dietary choices and the pivotal role of young adults in the adoption of these choices, it is paramount to understand their perspectives of healthy and sustainable diets. The present study aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of a questionnaire examining the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and willingness to change regarding sustainable diets among young adults in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods Male and female students attending University of Sharjah, UAE ( n = 436), completed an online questionnaire consisting of four sections: knowledge, attitudes, practices, and willingness to change with regard to sustainable diets. Of the participants, 106 completed the questionnaire a second time, 1 month later. Factor analysis (FA) (both exploratory and confirmatory), Cronbach‐α, interitem correlations, and intra class correlation (ICC) coefficients were used in the data analysis. Results Exploratory FA revealed four factors corresponding to the components of the questionnaire. Results of the confirmatory FA indicated a good fit: the χ 2 df ratio was < 5 (2.3), root mean squared error of approximation was < 0.08 (0.048) and the comparative fit index was above 0.9 (0.901). Cronbach α and interitem correlations were: knowledge: 0.57 and 0.21; attitude: 0.70 and 0.28; practices: 0.76 and 0.39; willingness to change: 0.69 and 0.27. The ICC coefficients, assessing the reliability of the questionnaire, ranged between 0.48 and 0.92 for the various items. Conclusions The developed questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool that could be used to identify the gaps and opportunities for the development of evidence‐based interventions aiming to enhance the uptake of sustainable diets among young adults.