Sonja Y Hess
Biographic Data
| ID | 5460474 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sonja Y Hess |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sonja Y |
| FAMILY NAME | Hess |
| SIGNATURE | HESS S Y |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of California, Davis |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4661-277X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 27 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 23 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 27 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Haemoglobin concentration thresholds that discriminate functional outcomes among children aged 6–30 months in eight countries
Introduction The WHO cut-offs to define anaemia among children (haemoglobin, Hb <105 g/L in 6–23 months and <110 g/L in 24–59 months) are based on the distribution of Hb concentrations in a healthy population. Our objective was to identify Hb values that best discriminate functional outcomes among children aged 6–30 months. Methods We used previously compiled datasets from an individual participant data meta-analysis of effects of small quantity …
Women's experiences of the food environment and their association with fruit and vegetable intake
This analysis examined associations between factors in the food environment and fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake among women living in rural Northern Tanzania. We used cross-sectional data from 2597 women and 1275 food sources. Women's self-reported factors included buying frequency, sources, availability, and convenience. We also measured women's access to F&V sources using geospatial measures of distance and time from home to the reported typic…
Diets, Fruit and Vegetable Intake, and Nutritional Status in Sri Lanka
Suboptimal diets, including low fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake, are major contributors to malnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Sri Lanka. Understanding dietary patterns is essential for addressing these challenges. This scoping review synthesizes the literature on diet, F&V intake, and nutritional status across different population groups in Sri Lanka. Searches were conducted in PubMed in October 2023. In total, 30 publications …
Thiamine Concentration in Human Milk Is Correlated With Maternal and Infant Thiamine Status
The human milk content of some micronutrients including thiamine depends on maternal status, and if low, breastfed infants are at risk of deficiency. Thiamine deficiency remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality among infants in Asia. We aimed to explore correlations between maternal thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) or erythrocyte transketolase activation coefficient (ETKac) and human milk thiamine concentration (MTh) and between MTh and i…
Dietary intake and micronutrient adequacy among adults engaged in agriculture in rural Sri Lanka
Objective: To characterise food group consumption, assess the contribution of food groups to energy and micronutrient intake, and estimate usual nutrient intake among adults in rural Sri Lanka. Design: A baseline survey (December 2020–February 2021) was conducted as part of an agriculture-based, nutrition-sensitive resilience program evaluation. Dietary intake was assessed using telephone-based 24-h recalls ( n 1283), with repeat recalls from 769…
Diets, Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Nutritional Status in Tanzania
Globally, the intake of fruit and vegetables (F&V) is far below the recommended levels, contributing to various health challenges including micronutrient deficiencies and non-communicable diseases. In Tanzania, where the triple burden of malnutrition persists, there is a need to identify gaps in evidence, better understand diets and F&V intake and identify promising interventions for improved intake. We conducted a scoping review to summarize the…
Risk factors for anaemia among women and their young children hospitalised with suspected thiamine deficiency in northern Lao PDR
Anaemia among women and young children remains a major public health concern. This secondary study describes the anaemia prevalence among young hospitalised children and their mothers in northern Lao People's Democratic Republic and explores possible nutritional causes and risk factors for anaemia. Hospitalised children (ages 21 days to <18 months) with clinical symptoms suggestive of thiamine deficiency disorders were eligible along with their m…
Micronutrient deficiencies among preschool-aged children and women of reproductive age worldwide
BACKGROUND: Micronutrient deficiencies compromise immune systems, hinder child growth and development, and affect human potential worldwide. Yet, to our knowledge, the only existing estimate of the global prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies is from over 30 years ago and is based only on the prevalence of anaemia. We aimed to estimate the global and regional prevalence of deficiency in at least one of three micronutrients among preschool-aged…
Basis for changes in the disease burden estimates related to vitamin A and zinc deficiencies in the 2017 and 2019 Global Burden of Disease Studies
Background: The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study provides estimates of death and disability from eighty-seven risk factors, including some micronutrient deficiencies. Objectives: To review methodological changes that led to large differences in the disease burden estimates for vitamin A and Zn deficiencies between the GBD 2017 and 2019 Studies. Methods: GBD publications were reviewed; additional information was provided by GBD researchers. Re…
Preventive small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements reduce severe wasting and severe stunting among young children
Including SQ-LNSs in preventive interventions to promote healthy child growth and development is likely to reduce rates of severe wasting and stunting. This meta-analysis was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO as CRD42019146592.
Traditional prenatal and postpartum food restrictions among women in northern Lao PDR
Culturally determined food restrictions are common among pregnant and postpartum women in Asia. This study aimed to describe perinatal dietary restrictions, factors associated with food avoidances and attainment of minimum dietary diversity (MDD-W) among women in Lao PDR. Mother-child (aged 21 days to <18 months) dyads (n = 682) were enrolled into a cohort study in northern Lao PDR and interviewed at one time point postpartum. During pregnancy an…
Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements for children age 6–24 months
Characteristics that modify the effect of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation on child growth
Characteristics that modify the effect of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation on child anemia and micronutrient status
Effects of therapeutic zinc supplementation for diarrhea and two preventive zinc supplementation regimens on the incidence and duration of diarrhea and acute respiratory tract infections in rural Laot…
BACKGROUND: Diarrhea and respiratory tract infections are leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. This individually randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial was designed to evaluate the effects of different zinc supplementation regimens on the incidence and duration of diarrhea and acute lower (ALRI) and upper (AURI) respiratory tract infections among rural Laotian children. The study included 3407 children, 6-23 months at e…
Prevalence and determinants of gestational weight gain among pregnant women in Niger
Low gestational weight gain (GWG) and low mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. We aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of low GWG and low MUAC among pregnant women in rural Zinder, Niger. A community-based survey was conducted among 1,384 pregnant women in the catchment areas of 18 integrated health centers in the region of Zinder, Niger. Weight and MUAC were measured during an in-home visi…
Prevalence of and factors associated with antenatal care seeking and adherence to recommended iron‐folic acid supplementation among pregnant women in Zinder, Niger
The World Health Organization recommends iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation for pregnant women. The high prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women in Niger warrants better understanding of the utilization of antenatal care (ANC) and IFA. We aimed to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with ANC coverage and adherence to IFA recommendation among pregnant women. Pregnant women (n = 923) from 64 randomly selected villages within t…
Using formative research to promote antenatal care attendance and iron folic acid supplementation in Zinder, Niger
In Niger, use of antenatal care (ANC) and iron folic acid (IFA) supplements is suboptimal. The objectives of this paper are as follows: (a) to conduct formative research to understand barriers and beliefs among pregnant women related to ANC, IFA supplementation, and pregnancy outcomes; (b) assess the quality of currently provided ANC services; (c) use the findings to guide the development of programmatic interventions to improve coverage of ANC s…
Urinary iodine concentration identifies pregnant women as iodine deficient yet school-aged children as iodine sufficient in rural Niger
Objective To assess iodine status among pregnant women in rural Zinder, Niger and to compare their status with the iodine status of school-aged children from the same households. Design Seventy-three villages in the catchment area of sixteen health centres were randomly selected to participate in the cross-sectional survey. Setting Salt iodization is mandatory in Niger, requiring 20–60 ppm iodine at the retail level. Subjects A spot urine sample …
Impact of small quantity lipid‐based nutrient supplements on infant and young child feeding practices at 18 months of age
Optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices can help ensure nutrient adequacy and support healthy growth and development. Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) have been proposed to help fill nutrient gaps, but little is known about the impact of provision of SQ-LNS on breastfeeding or complementary feeding practices. In the context of four coordinated randomized controlled nutrient supplementation trials in diverse…
Effects of an intervention on infant growth and development
Millions of children in low-income and middle-income countries falter in linear growth and neurobehavioral development early in life. This faltering may be caused by risk factors that are associated with both growth and development, such as insufficient dietary intake and infection in infancy. Alternatively, these risk factors may be indicative of an environment that constrains both linear growth and development through different mechanisms. In a…
Comparison of methods to assess adherence to small‐quantity lipid‐based nutrient supplements ( SQ ‐ LNS ) and dispersible tablets among young B urkinabé children participating in a community‐based int…
Adherence to supplementation provided during an intervention trial can affect interpretation of study outcomes. We compared different approaches for estimating adherence to small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) and dispersible tablets in a randomised clinical trial in Burkina Faso. A total of 2435 children (9-18 months) were randomly assigned to receive daily 20 g SQ-LNS with varying contents of zinc and a dispersible tablet co…
The way forward
Efforts to reduce mortality and undernutrition among infants and young children in the Sahelian countries of West and Central Africa have produced limited positive results. A series of recent publications have described the global prevalence and consequences of maternal and child undernutrition (1, 2), effective actions that can reduce undernutrition (3, 4), and the financial commitments that will be required to complete the necessary scaling up …
Situational analysis of infant and young child nutrition activities in the Sahel – executive summary
Several international agencies and non-governmental organizations joined forces in 2007 to support an initiative to ‘Reposition children's right to adequate nutrition in the Sahel’. The overarching goal articulated by these organizations was to achieve optimal feeding of ≥80% of children 0–24 months based on relevant and internationally agreed-upon child-feeding indicators. An early activity of the working group for this infant and young child nu…
Acceptability of zinc-fortified, lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) prepared for young children in Burkina Faso
Micronutrient deficiencies are a public health concern among young children in low-income countries, and novel strategies are needed to improve the nutritional status of children at risk. One promising approach is the use of lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS), which can be added to complementary food at the time of consumption. The optimal amount of zinc to include in LNS is uncertain, and concerns have been expressed about possible adverse e…
Characteristics that modify the effect of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation on child growth
Preventive small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements reduce severe wasting and severe stunting among young children
Including SQ-LNSs in preventive interventions to promote healthy child growth and development is likely to reduce rates of severe wasting and stunting. This meta-analysis was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO as CRD42019146592.
Setting Priorities in Global Child Health Research Investments
This article provides detailed guidelines for the implementation of systematic method for setting priorities in health research investments that was recently developed by Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI). The target audience for the proposed method are international agencies, large research funding donors, and national governments and policy-makers. The process has the following steps: (i) selecting the managers of the proce…
Setting priorities for zinc-related health research to reduce children’s disease burden worldwide
Objective To make the best use of limited resources for supporting health-related research to reduce child mortality, it is necessary to apply a suitable method to rank competing research options. The Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) developed a new methodology for setting health research priorities. To broaden experience with this priority-setting technique, we applied the method to rank possible research priorities concern…
Acceptability of zinc-fortified, lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) prepared for young children in Burkina Faso
Micronutrient deficiencies are a public health concern among young children in low-income countries, and novel strategies are needed to improve the nutritional status of children at risk. One promising approach is the use of lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS), which can be added to complementary food at the time of consumption. The optimal amount of zinc to include in LNS is uncertain, and concerns have been expressed about possible adverse e…
The way forward
Efforts to reduce mortality and undernutrition among infants and young children in the Sahelian countries of West and Central Africa have produced limited positive results. A series of recent publications have described the global prevalence and consequences of maternal and child undernutrition (1, 2), effective actions that can reduce undernutrition (3, 4), and the financial commitments that will be required to complete the necessary scaling up …
Situational analysis of infant and young child nutrition activities in the Sahel – executive summary
Several international agencies and non-governmental organizations joined forces in 2007 to support an initiative to ‘Reposition children's right to adequate nutrition in the Sahel’. The overarching goal articulated by these organizations was to achieve optimal feeding of ≥80% of children 0–24 months based on relevant and internationally agreed-upon child-feeding indicators. An early activity of the working group for this infant and young child nu…
Comparison of methods to assess adherence to small‐quantity lipid‐based nutrient supplements ( SQ ‐ LNS ) and dispersible tablets among young B urkinabé children participating in a community‐based int…
Adherence to supplementation provided during an intervention trial can affect interpretation of study outcomes. We compared different approaches for estimating adherence to small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) and dispersible tablets in a randomised clinical trial in Burkina Faso. A total of 2435 children (9-18 months) were randomly assigned to receive daily 20 g SQ-LNS with varying contents of zinc and a dispersible tablet co…
Impact of small quantity lipid‐based nutrient supplements on infant and young child feeding practices at 18 months of age
Optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices can help ensure nutrient adequacy and support healthy growth and development. Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) have been proposed to help fill nutrient gaps, but little is known about the impact of provision of SQ-LNS on breastfeeding or complementary feeding practices. In the context of four coordinated randomized controlled nutrient supplementation trials in diverse…
Effects of an intervention on infant growth and development
Millions of children in low-income and middle-income countries falter in linear growth and neurobehavioral development early in life. This faltering may be caused by risk factors that are associated with both growth and development, such as insufficient dietary intake and infection in infancy. Alternatively, these risk factors may be indicative of an environment that constrains both linear growth and development through different mechanisms. In a…
Using formative research to promote antenatal care attendance and iron folic acid supplementation in Zinder, Niger
In Niger, use of antenatal care (ANC) and iron folic acid (IFA) supplements is suboptimal. The objectives of this paper are as follows: (a) to conduct formative research to understand barriers and beliefs among pregnant women related to ANC, IFA supplementation, and pregnancy outcomes; (b) assess the quality of currently provided ANC services; (c) use the findings to guide the development of programmatic interventions to improve coverage of ANC s…
Urinary iodine concentration identifies pregnant women as iodine deficient yet school-aged children as iodine sufficient in rural Niger
Objective To assess iodine status among pregnant women in rural Zinder, Niger and to compare their status with the iodine status of school-aged children from the same households. Design Seventy-three villages in the catchment area of sixteen health centres were randomly selected to participate in the cross-sectional survey. Setting Salt iodization is mandatory in Niger, requiring 20–60 ppm iodine at the retail level. Subjects A spot urine sample …
Prevalence of and factors associated with antenatal care seeking and adherence to recommended iron‐folic acid supplementation among pregnant women in Zinder, Niger
The World Health Organization recommends iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation for pregnant women. The high prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women in Niger warrants better understanding of the utilization of antenatal care (ANC) and IFA. We aimed to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with ANC coverage and adherence to IFA recommendation among pregnant women. Pregnant women (n = 923) from 64 randomly selected villages within t…
Prevalence and determinants of gestational weight gain among pregnant women in Niger
Low gestational weight gain (GWG) and low mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. We aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of low GWG and low MUAC among pregnant women in rural Zinder, Niger. A community-based survey was conducted among 1,384 pregnant women in the catchment areas of 18 integrated health centers in the region of Zinder, Niger. Weight and MUAC were measured during an in-home visi…
Effects of therapeutic zinc supplementation for diarrhea and two preventive zinc supplementation regimens on the incidence and duration of diarrhea and acute respiratory tract infections in rural Laot…
BACKGROUND: Diarrhea and respiratory tract infections are leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. This individually randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial was designed to evaluate the effects of different zinc supplementation regimens on the incidence and duration of diarrhea and acute lower (ALRI) and upper (AURI) respiratory tract infections among rural Laotian children. The study included 3407 children, 6-23 months at e…
Traditional prenatal and postpartum food restrictions among women in northern Lao PDR
Culturally determined food restrictions are common among pregnant and postpartum women in Asia. This study aimed to describe perinatal dietary restrictions, factors associated with food avoidances and attainment of minimum dietary diversity (MDD-W) among women in Lao PDR. Mother-child (aged 21 days to <18 months) dyads (n = 682) were enrolled into a cohort study in northern Lao PDR and interviewed at one time point postpartum. During pregnancy an…
Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements for children age 6–24 months
Characteristics that modify the effect of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation on child growth
Characteristics that modify the effect of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation on child anemia and micronutrient status
Micronutrient deficiencies among preschool-aged children and women of reproductive age worldwide
BACKGROUND: Micronutrient deficiencies compromise immune systems, hinder child growth and development, and affect human potential worldwide. Yet, to our knowledge, the only existing estimate of the global prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies is from over 30 years ago and is based only on the prevalence of anaemia. We aimed to estimate the global and regional prevalence of deficiency in at least one of three micronutrients among preschool-aged…
Basis for changes in the disease burden estimates related to vitamin A and zinc deficiencies in the 2017 and 2019 Global Burden of Disease Studies
Background: The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study provides estimates of death and disability from eighty-seven risk factors, including some micronutrient deficiencies. Objectives: To review methodological changes that led to large differences in the disease burden estimates for vitamin A and Zn deficiencies between the GBD 2017 and 2019 Studies. Methods: GBD publications were reviewed; additional information was provided by GBD researchers. Re…
Preventive small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements reduce severe wasting and severe stunting among young children
Including SQ-LNSs in preventive interventions to promote healthy child growth and development is likely to reduce rates of severe wasting and stunting. This meta-analysis was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO as CRD42019146592.
Risk factors for anaemia among women and their young children hospitalised with suspected thiamine deficiency in northern Lao PDR
Anaemia among women and young children remains a major public health concern. This secondary study describes the anaemia prevalence among young hospitalised children and their mothers in northern Lao People's Democratic Republic and explores possible nutritional causes and risk factors for anaemia. Hospitalised children (ages 21 days to <18 months) with clinical symptoms suggestive of thiamine deficiency disorders were eligible along with their m…
Diets, Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Nutritional Status in Tanzania
Globally, the intake of fruit and vegetables (F&V) is far below the recommended levels, contributing to various health challenges including micronutrient deficiencies and non-communicable diseases. In Tanzania, where the triple burden of malnutrition persists, there is a need to identify gaps in evidence, better understand diets and F&V intake and identify promising interventions for improved intake. We conducted a scoping review to summarize the…
Thiamine Concentration in Human Milk Is Correlated With Maternal and Infant Thiamine Status
The human milk content of some micronutrients including thiamine depends on maternal status, and if low, breastfed infants are at risk of deficiency. Thiamine deficiency remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality among infants in Asia. We aimed to explore correlations between maternal thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) or erythrocyte transketolase activation coefficient (ETKac) and human milk thiamine concentration (MTh) and between MTh and i…
Dietary intake and micronutrient adequacy among adults engaged in agriculture in rural Sri Lanka
Objective: To characterise food group consumption, assess the contribution of food groups to energy and micronutrient intake, and estimate usual nutrient intake among adults in rural Sri Lanka. Design: A baseline survey (December 2020–February 2021) was conducted as part of an agriculture-based, nutrition-sensitive resilience program evaluation. Dietary intake was assessed using telephone-based 24-h recalls ( n 1283), with repeat recalls from 769…
Haemoglobin concentration thresholds that discriminate functional outcomes among children aged 6–30 months in eight countries
Introduction The WHO cut-offs to define anaemia among children (haemoglobin, Hb <105 g/L in 6–23 months and <110 g/L in 24–59 months) are based on the distribution of Hb concentrations in a healthy population. Our objective was to identify Hb values that best discriminate functional outcomes among children aged 6–30 months. Methods We used previously compiled datasets from an individual participant data meta-analysis of effects of small quantity …
Medicine (19 works) · Child Nutrition and Water Access (16 works) · Environmental health (12 works) · Pediatrics (8 works) · Internal Medicine (7 works) · Micronutrient (7 works) · Population (7 works) · Global Maternal and Child Health (6 works) · Malnutrition (5 works) · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare (5 works)