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Understanding the Nutrition Ecology and Related Distal and Proximal Research Gaps Impacting School-Aged Children’s and Adolescents’ Functioning—A Report From the “Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development: Knowledge Indicating Dietary Sufficiency (BOND-KIDS)” Project Working Group 2
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Understanding the Nutrition Ecology and Related Distal and Proximal Research Gaps Impacting School-Aged Children’s and Adolescents’ Functioning—A Report From the “Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development: Knowledge Indicating Dietary Sufficiency (BOND-KIDS)” Project Working Group 2

Maureen M Black, Meg M Bruening, Amy Carroll-Scott, Jayna M Dave, Kristie L Ebi, Lora L Iannotti, Susan L Johnson, Lorrene D Ritchie, Elizabeth Y Jimenez, Alison L Steiber, …
The Journal of nutrition, p101207
13 Oct 2025
PMID: 41093113

Abstract

BOND-KIDS children distal environment proximal environment the nutrition ecology Adolescents
Nutrition is critical to the health, development, and well-being of children and adolescents, operating through nutrients and the social and physical influences of dietary behaviors. Child and adolescent growth and development depend on complex biological systems interacting with the nutrition ecology. In this review, we focus on bidirectional interactions with the multilevel nutrition ecology, including distal systems (climate, geopolitical, and food systems) and proximal systems (community food options; health, social, and food services; and school policies and programs), all mediated by the family. Thus, the impact of nutrition on children’s and adolescents’ functional outcomes is dependent on understanding the multilevel nutrition ecology. Interdependencies between the nutrition ecology and children’s health, development, and well-being have been examined during early childhood, with limited attention to corresponding relations among school-age children and adolescents. This age grouping represents 3 unique developmental phases: primary school-age (prepuberty; ∼5–9 y of age), early adolescence (puberty; ∼10–14 y of age), and late adolescence (postpuberty; ∼15–19 y of age). The 4-paper Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development: Knowledge Indicating Dietary Sufficiency: BOND-KIDS Project series builds the evidence for why and how an ecological approach is needed to assess and interpret the impact of interventions to improve the nutritional status and functional development of children and adolescents during these 3 developmental periods. This article synthesizes the environmental evidence underlying children’s nutrition and responses to interventions, with specific attention to how distal and proximal environments impact nutrition and school-age children’s and adolescents’ functioning, including growth, physical and mental health, cognition, socioemotional development, physical activity, and school attendance and behavior.

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