Maha Hoteit

National Council for Scientific Research, Lebanon | CNRS

The Israel military occupation, ongoing for over 75 years, has profoundly impacted the health and well-being of Palestinians. Despite longstanding calls for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and sustainable development, the response of global health systems and organizations to crises such as the recent large-scale military assault on Gaza in October...

Introduction Ultra-processed foods are evident to play a role in the development of nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NR-NCDs). There’s a scarcity of data in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) regarding ultra-processed food consumption, which highlights the need for such data in this region that is witnessing a nutrition transition....

Childhood and adolescence are critical developmental stages, where adequate nutrition plays a pivotal role in ensuring proper growth and long-term health [...]

Background: Pregnancy is a crucial period for maternal and fetal health, and in Lebanon, where cultural and economic factors influence dietary practices, there is an urgent need to evaluate the food consumption patterns and diet quality of pregnant women. Aim: To evaluate the food consumption patterns, energy intake, as well as macro- and micro-nut...

Hospital plate waste poses a major challenge facing the present food systems, as providing meals that meet the nutritional requirements and expectations of the patients remains complex for hospital food services. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of plate waste in Lebanese hospitals, evaluate the patients’ satisfaction levels, and identify t...

Supplementing with antioxidants may be one of the most efficient means of minimizing oxidative stress during workouts in obese individuals. The aim of this study is to identify the results after twelve weeks of CrossFit workouts combined with Spinach thylakoid extract on the levels of insulin resistance (insulin and Homeostatic Model Assessment of...

Traditional Lebanese cuisine is based on traditional dishes, where Arabic sweets play an important role in daily consumption. This study focuses on the evaluation of total fibers and trace elements, especially vitamins A, D, E, and C of traditional foods and Arabic sweets commonly consumed in Lebanon by chemical analysis. A total of thirty types of...

Adolescence is a critical period for establishing lifelong health behaviors; yet in Lebanon, limited data exist on the prevalence of risk factors among this demographic. Objective: This study aims to assess alcohol consumption, dietary habits, physical activity, mental health, and smoking behaviors among Lebanese adolescents aged 13–17 years, with...

This study quantitatively assessed AFM1 exposure through consumption of cows’ milk in Lebanese adolescents and adults. Lebanon-specific, non-aggregated data on (i) milk intake and body weight – from an existing survey for adults and from a new survey for adolescents, and (ii) AFM1 occurrence in milk, were fitted to distributions and incorporated in...

Background Obesity presents multifarious etiopathologies with its management being a global challenge. This article presents the first ever report on the impact of spinach thylakoid extract-induced high-intensity functional training (HIFT) on obesity management via regulating the levels of novel adipokine, C1q/TNF-related Protein-12 (CTRP-12), furi...

Objective: Obesity is associated with an exacerbated metabolic condition that is mediated through impairing balance in the secretion of some adipo-myokines. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to explore the impact of astaxanthin supplementation in conjunction with a 12-week CrossFit training regimen on some selected adipo-myokines, i...

Background Dietary supplements (DS) use among Lebanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) increased widely due to the country’s economic and financial situation. This study was conducted (1) to estimate the prevalence of DS use among persons with T2DM amid the escalating economic crisis in Lebanon; (2) to explore the knowledge, attitude,...

Background/Aims Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are known for a combination of food intolerance, decreased oral intake, and malabsorption which all predispose patients to malnutrition and suboptimal dietary intake. The present study was conducted to 1) examine self-reported food intoleran...

Background: The rates of obesity, undernutrition, and other non-communicable diseases are on the rise among Lebanese adults. Therefore, it is crucial to evaluate the food consumption habits of this population to understand diet quality, analyze consumption trends, and compare them to healthy diets known to reduce risks of non-communicable diseases....

Background Dietary supplements (DS) use among Lebanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) increased widely due to the country’s economic and financial situation. This study was conducted (1) to estimate the prevalence of DS use among persons with T2DM amid the escalating economic crisis in Lebanon; (2) to explore the knowledge, attitude,...

As Lebanon’s economic crisis become uncontrollable, Lebanese pregnant women face malnutrition, with many having to skip meals and switch to resort to cheap and unhealthy alternatives altogether. The objectives of the study were to assess the dietary and lifestyle patterns of Lebanese pregnant women and to evaluate their diets compliance with the Un...

Food literacy is achieving attention worldwide and gaining traction in Arab countries. Strengthening food and nutrition literacy among Arab teenagers are important promising and empowering tools, which can protect them from malnutrition. This study aims to evaluate the nutrition literacy status of adolescents along with that of their parents in 10...

Mycotoxins have been linked to adverse health impacts, including liver cancer and kidney diseases. The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the dietary exposure of Lebanese adults to multi-mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), ochratoxin A (OTA), ochratoxin B (OTB), deoxynivalenol (DON), T-2 and HT-2) and to assess their...

Chronic liver diseases are a major global health concern. Aims: this study investigated the links between medical, clinical, anthropometric, and dietary factors with dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in the Lebanese population using a case-control approach to uncover factors influencing visceral obesity, sarcopenia, and sarcope...

Rising food insecurity (FI) and the increased prices of animal-based foods could compromise vitamin B12 (B12) intake and serum levels in food-insecure people. Our study aims to determine the prevalence of low levels of serum B12 and its inadequate dietary intake among a nationally representative sample of Lebanese adults aged 18 to 64 years, while...

The usage of dietary supplements (DS) is a global trend that is likely influenced by sociodemographic variables and body weight status. Some individuals utilize supplements in the hopes that they may enhance their health and prevent illness. Main objective of this study is to assess knowledge and awareness about using DS among Bahraini adults. This...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the fragility of the global food system, sending shockwaves across countries' societies and economy. This has presented formidable challenges to sustaining a healthy and resilient lifestyle. The objective of this study is to examine the food consumption patterns and assess diet diversity indicators, pri...

Background: A direct consequence of global warming, and strongly correlated with poor physical and mental health, food insecurity is a rising global concern associated with low dietary intake. The Coronavirus pandemic has further aggravated food insecurity among vulnerable communities, and thus has sparked the global conversation of equal food acc...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most healthcare professionals switched from face-to-face clinical encounters to telehealth. This study sought to investigate the dietitians’ perceptions and practices toward the use of social/mass media platforms amid the transition from face-to-face to telenutrition in the time of COVID-19. This cross-sectional study...

Background Food literacy is capturing the attention worldwide and gaining traction in the Arab countries. Strengthening food and nutrition literacy among Arab teenagers are important promising empowering tools which can protect them from malnutrition. This study aims to assess the nutrition literacy status of adolescents with the food literacy of t...

Background: The World Health Organization has often reiterated its recommendations for the prevention of COVID-19, however, the success of these measures largely depends on public knowledge and attitudes. Aims: This study assessed the relationship between knowledge, attitude, behaviour and preventive measures for COVID-19 infection in a Lebanese po...

Background: The World Health Organization has often reiterated its recommendations for the prevention of COVID-19, however, the success of these measures largely depends on public knowledge and attitudes. Aims: This study assessed the relationship between knowledge, attitude, behaviour and preventive measures for COVID-19 infection in a Lebanese...

Background: The World Health Organization has reinforced its recommendation to maintain preventive measures for COVID-19. The success of preventive measures is largely dependent on public attitudes and knowledge. Aims: This study aimed to assess the relationship between knowledge, attitude, risky behaviours and preventive measures and coronavirus 1...

(1) Background: Nutrition for optimum growth and physical development is acquired by adequate infant feeding practices. (2) Methods: One hundred seventeen different brands of infant formulas (n = 41) and baby food products (n = 76) were selected from the Lebanese market and were analyzed for their nutritional content. (3) Results: Saturated fatty a...

Diet quality is a limiting factor to micronutrients sufficiency. The aim of this work is to evaluate, through chemical analysis, the dietary fibers and micronutrients content for vitamin A, D, E and C and their contributions to daily values in frequently consumed traditional dishes and Arabic sweets in Lebanon. Thirty types of traditional Lebanese...

Background Aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A are mycotoxins produced by filamentous fungi that attack crops on field and storage. Both mycotoxins present a risk on public health since aflatoxin B1 is a hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic agent while ochratoxin A can be nephrotoxic. Those mycotoxins can be found in several food items including spices, he...

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit restrictive and repetitive behaviors that affect their eating habits. The purpose of this study is to identify the behavioral feeding problems and eating habits among ASD children compared to typically developed (TD) children age/gender-matched controls, along with their parents’/caregivers’ stra...

Introduction Food and nutrition literacy are widely fundamental to improve the food security and reduce the double burden of malnutrition and iron deficiency in low- and middle-income countries. Objectives This study aimed (1) to assess the nutrition literacy (NL) of Lebanese adolescents and their parents’ food literacy (FL), (2) to investigate th...

This systematic review aims to identify and characterize existing national sugar reduction initiatives and strategies in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. For this purpose, a systematic review of published and grey literature was performed. A comprehensive list of search terms in the title/abstract/keyword fields was used to cover the four followin...

The emergence, persistence, and spread of antibiotic-resistant microbes is a tremendous public health threat that is considered nowadays a critical One Health issue. In Lebanon, the consumption of raw bovine milk has been recently reported as a result of the financial crisis. The objectives of the current study were (1) to evaluate raw bovine milk...

Adolescence is a transitional period between childhood and adulthood. Nowadays, adolescents in Lebanon are growing during a time of unprecedented health crises and political instability. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of malnutrition, dietary diversity in adolescents’ households, and adolescents’ self-reported food inse...

Background : Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten, that occurs in susceptible individuals and is associated with dietary restriction and subsequent nutritional deficiencies. This study investigated the diet quality, nutrition imbalances and nutrition status among young children,adolescents and adults with CD who followed a g...

COVID-19’s intimidating spread has challenged the resilience of the global health systems, causing shifts in the practices of healthcare workers, including dietitians. The current study aimed to assess the change in dietitians’ practices and duties in hospitals/clinics after the commencement of COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was cond...

Introduction Tobacco smokers are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19. Lockdown was a chosen strategy to deal with the spread of infectious diseases; nonetheless, it influenced people’s eating and smoking behaviors. The main objective of this study is to determine the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on smoking (waterpipe and cigarette) behavi...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic along with its confinement period boosted lifestyle modifications and impacted women and men differently which exacerbated existing gender inequalities. The main objective of this paper is to assess the gender-based differentials in food consumption patterns, dietary diversity and the determinants favoring weight ch...

Background: With increasing global rates of overweight, obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) along with undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) is no exception. This review focuses on specific nutrition parameters among under five years children, namely ever breastfed, exclusive breastfeeding,...

Mothers are understandably concerned about protecting the well-being of their offspring in every way possible, including providing oral dietary supplements (DSs). Up to now, there has been limited data on maternal knowledge and attitudes toward concomitant maternal–child DSs practices in Lebanon. This study evaluated the maternal knowledge and atti...

Insufficient physical activity is considered a strong risk factor associated with non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on physical (in)activity behavior in 10 Arab countries before and during the lockdown. A cross-sectional study using a validated online survey was launched originally in 38 different countrie...

Citation: Al Sabbah, H.; Taha, Z.; Qasrawi, R.; Assaf, E.A.; Cheikh Ismail, L.; Al Dhaheri, A.S.; Hoteit, M.; Al-Jawaldeh, A.; Tayyem, R.; Bawadi, H.; et al.

Due to Russia and Ukraine’s key roles in supplying cereals and oilseeds, the Russia–Ukraine war intensifies the current food availability and price challenges in Lebanon, which is a major wheat importer. Given these constraints, we conducted this study to assess the prevalence and correlates of food insecurity, low dietary diversity (DD), unhealthy...

Chronic dietary aluminum (Al) exposure can have various negative effects on health. The aim of our study is to (1) assess the contamination level of Al in infant formulas (n = 41) and baby food products (n = 76) available in the Lebanese market, and to (2) evaluate the margin of exposure of Al through the consumption of these foods among children u...

Background: Improving food and nutrition literacy is fundamental to tackling the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region's enormous challenges, including malnutrition and food insecurity. To direct initiatives, it is crucial to assess the region's food and nutrition literacy. Thus, we aimed to review studies on food/nutrition literacy status in...

Background During the lockdown period, a substantial group of these women reported lifestyle changes. Aim The aim of the study is to characterize the dietary patterns, intake and the adherence to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) pregnancy guidelines before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Eastern Mediterranean postartum women....

Background The raised prevalence of eating disorders (ED) amongst health science students and health professionals is of mounting concern. This study aims to determine the prevalence and correlates of eating disorders risk amongst a sample of Lebanese health science students and healthcare practitioners of both genders. Methods This cross-sectiona...

Background : Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten, that occurs in susceptible individuals and is associated with dietary restriction and subsequent nutritional deficiencies. This study investigated the diet quality, nutrition imbalances and nutrition status among young children, adolescents and adults with CD who were r...

Sub-optimal feeding practices among under-5 children are the major drivers of malnutrition. This study aims to assess the prevalence of malnutrition and the factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding, bottle feeding, and complementary feeding practices among under 5 children amid the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the economic and the political crises...

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an emerging respiratory infection with severe impacts on the nutritional status of the worldwide population. This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the food insecurity, dietary diversity, and food-related coping strategies in Jordan during the pandemic using an online, self-administered questio...

Athletes are under the utmost pressure to reach excellence in their performance and achieve the desired outcomes in competitions, prompting them to use dietary supplements. Given the threats to both health and eligibility, it is crucial to observe the prevalence, sources of information, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) among Lebanese athl...

Background : Food labeling is a fundamental educational tool for advocating for public awareness. It emphasizes knowledge of the nutrient content of food and thus directs the choice towards the healthiest food products. This cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding nutrition label use in Lebanon...

Preface and Acknowledgements This is the first text book that is prepared as a joint work between four Arab countries including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria (in alphabetical order) which seeks to present and integrate relevant information related to the field of infant and young child feeding. It is prepared for individuals who wish to speciali...

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a salient metabolite that can be used to assess Aflatoxin B1(AFB1) exposure in humans and animals. The carcinogenic potency of AFB1 and AFM1 was severely reported.The aims of this study were (1) to survey the contamination level of AFM1 in the most traded infant powdered formula brands (IPF) (n = 42) along with the AFB1 level...

Background : Maternal depression and anxiety are significant public health concerns that play an important role in the health and well-being of mothers and children. The COVID-19 pandemic, the consequential lockdowns and related safety restrictions worldwide negatively affected the mental health of pregnant and postpartum women. Methods: This regio...

Background: Maternal depression and anxiety are significant public health concerns that play an important role in the health and well-being of mothers and children. The COVID-19 pandemic, the consequential lockdowns and related safety restrictions worldwide negatively affected the mental health of pregnant and postpartum women. Methods: This region...

During pregnancy, woman’s diet is one of the most preeminent factors affecting mother and child’s health. Prior to the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, inadequate maternal diet and low adherence to dietary guidelines was reported among pregnant women in the Arab countries. Nowadays, COVID-19 infection during pregnancy is widely discussed...

Global facts about infant feeding  Globally in 2020, 149 million children under 5 were estimated to be stunted (too short for age), 45 million were estimated to be wasted (too thin for height), and 38.9 million were overweight or obese.  About 44% of infants 0-6 months old are exclusively breastfed.  Few children receive nutritionally adequate a...

Background Despite demonstrated benefits, most countries fall short of meeting international targets for breastfeeding patterns, optimal complementary feeding, mother-children's quality diet, and malnutrition among under-five children. Rationale Since mothers usually play the most vital role in the healthcare of their children, research is needed...