This study aimed to identify and rank the different aspects of households’ vulnerability to food insecurity.

The data were collected by a standard online questionnaire. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale was used to assess food insecurity levels, and first-order structural equation modelling was applied to determine factors that affect food insecurity. Seven dimensions of vulnerability were measured: economic, social, cultural, human, physical, psychology and information, using thirty-seven items extracted from the related literature review.

This study was implemented in Tehran province in Iran.

The sample included 392 families residing in Tehran province which was determined using random sampling.

About 61 % of the total sample faced food insecurity, at marginal, moderate and severe levels. Economic, psychological and human aspects of vulnerability had the highest effect on food insecurity during the initial COVID-19 lockdown.

Authorities and policymakers must provide economic and financial support to vulnerable households. Abolition of US economic and financial sanctions imposed on Iran must be implemented to battle with COVID-19 in this country.

To examine the associations between the level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) with obesity, insulin resistance (IR), metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in schoolchildren.

The Healthy Growth Study was a large epidemiological cross-sectional study.

School children who were enrolled in primary schools in four counties covering the northern, southern, western and central part of Greece were invited to participate.

The study was conducted with a representative sample of 9–13-year-old schoolchildren (n 1972) with complete data. This study applied the KIDMed score to determine ‘poor’ (≤3), ‘medium’ (4-7) and ‘high’ (≥8) adherence of children to the MedDiet. The research hypothesis was examined using multivariate logistic regression models, controlling for potential confounders.

The percentage of children with ‘poor’, ‘medium’ and ‘high’ adherence to the MedDiet was 64·8 %, 34·2 % and 1 %, respectively. Furthermore, the prevalence of obesity, IR and MetS was 11·6 %, 28·8 % and 3·4 %, respectively. Logistic regression analyses revealed that ‘poor’ adherence to the MedDiet was associated with an increased likelihood for central obesity (OR 1·31; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·73), hypertriglyceridaemia (OR 2·80; 95 % CI 1·05, 7·46) and IR (OR 1·31; 95 % CI 1·05, 1·64), even after adjusting for several potential confounders.

The present study showed that approximately two-thirds of the examined sample of schoolchildren in Greece have ‘poor’ adherence to the MedDiet, which also increases the likelihood for central obesity, hypertriglyceridaemia and IR. Prospective studies are needed to confirm whether these are cause–effect associations.

Dietary habits developed during childhood and adolescence are likely to continue into adulthood. An unbalanced diet may cause nutrient deficiencies and excessive energy intake; these enhance the risk for developing overweight and obesity and their co-morbidities. In the present analysis, food consumption of adolescents is described and evaluated against German food-based dietary guidelines with special focus on socio-economic status (SES) and region of residence.

Within the ‘German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents’ (KiGGS Wave 2), the cross-sectional ‘Eating Study as a KiGGS Module’ (EsKiMo II) was conducted from 2015 until 2017 to provide data about dietary behaviour.

Germany.

1353 adolescents aged 12–17 years from a nationwide representative sample with food consumption data from computer-assisted dietary history interviews.

The median consumption of fruits, vegetables, starchy foods and milk/dairy products among adolescents in Germany was below the recommendation. The median consumption of both meat/meat products and unfavourable foods, like confectionery, which should be consumed sparingly, was about 1·5 times the recommended amount. The total amount of beverages consumed by most adolescents was above the minimum amount recommended. Soft drink consumption of adolescents with a low SES was three to five times higher than soft drink consumption of adolescents with a high SES.

The results indicate the need for an improvement of dietary habits among adolescents in Germany. Further approaches to promote healthy diets in Germany should be continued, and the focus on social inequalities should be strengthened.

To (i) describe the infant feeding practices of South African women living in Soweto and (ii) understand from the mothers’ perspective what influences feeding practices.

Semi-structured focus group discussions (FGD) and in-depth interviews (IDI) were conducted, and data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Soweto, South Africa.

Nineteen mothers were stratified into three FGD according to their baby’s age as follows: 0–6-month-olds, 7–14-month-olds and 15–24-month-olds. Four mothers from each FGD then attended an IDI.

Although mothers understood that breast-feeding was beneficial, they reported short durations of exclusive breast-feeding. The diversity and quality of weaning foods were low, and ‘junk’ food items were commonly given. Infants were fed using bottles or spoons and feeding commonly occurred separately to family meal times. Feeding practices were influenced by mothers’ beliefs that what babies eat is important for their health and that an unwillingness to eat is a sign of ill health. As such, mothers often force-fed their babies. In addition, mothers believed that feeding solid food to babies before 6 months of age was necessary. Family matriarchs were highly influential to mothers’ feeding practices; however, their advice often contradicted that of health professionals.

In South Africa, interventions aimed at establishing healthier appetites and eating behaviours in early life should focus on: (i) fostering maternal self-efficacy around exclusive breast-feeding; (ii) challenging mixed feeding practices and encouraging more responsive feeding approaches and (iii) engaging family members to promote supportive household and community structures around infant feeding.

To explore adolescents’ perceptions, knowledge and behaviours regarding nutrition and physical activity in low-income districts of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, taking into consideration their caregivers’ perspectives.

Two investigators conducted six focus group discussions.

The study was carried out in two low-income suburbs, Yopougon and Port-Bouët, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Adolescents and their caregivers were recruited into the study via local head teachers and heads of settlement.

Overall, seventy-two participants, including forty-six adolescents and twenty-six caregivers, took part. Participants demonstrated good nutrition knowledge, relating nutritional health to a balanced diet and hygiene. Sustained physical activity was reported. However, adopting good practices was challenging due to participant’s economic circumstances. Their environment was a barrier to improving health due to dirtiness and violence, with a lack of space limiting the possibility to practice sport. Adolescents and their caregivers differed in their response to these constraints. Many caregivers felt powerless and suggested that a political response was the solution. Alternatively, adolescents were more likely to suggest new creative solutions such as youth-friendly centres within their community.

Participants were aware that their nutritional habits were not in line with what they had learnt to be good nutritional practices due to socio-economic constraints. Physical activity was part of adolescent life, but opportunities to exercise were restricted by their environment. Strategies for improving adolescent health in these settings need to be developed in collaboration with adolescents in a manner that accommodates their opinions and solutions.

The present study aimed to assess the current state of breast-feeding promotion in hospitals and the prevalence of breast-feeding during the first year of life in Germany and to compare the results with a study 20 years earlier.

In the studies on ‘breast-feeding and infant nutrition in Germany’ named ‘SuSe’, a cross-sectional survey in hospitals was combined with a subsequent prospective survey of breast-feeding and infant nutrition during the first year of life (0·5, 2, 4, 6 and 12 months after birth) in mother–infant pairs who were recruited in the hospitals. Written questionnaires and phone calls were used in SuSe I and web-based questionnaires in SuSe II. Breast-feeding promotion and prevalence were evaluated using recommendations from the WHO and the UNICEF.

Two nationwide surveys SuSe I (1997–1998) and SuSe II (2017–2019).

In SuSe I, 177 hospitals and 1717 mother–infant pairs and in SuSe II 109 hospitals and 962 mother–infant pairs were included.

In SuSe II, hospitals implemented seven of the WHO ‘Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding’ to a greater extent than the hospitals in SuSe I. More mothers exclusively breastfed for 4 months (57 % v. 33 %) and continued breast-feeding until 6 (78 % v. 48 %) and 12 months (41 % v. 13 %). In both studies, exclusive breast-feeding decreased between 4 and 6 months of age due to the introduction of complementary feeding.

In Germany, breast-feeding habits have come closer to the recommendations over the last 20 years.

To explore the promotion of discretionary foods/beverages and marketing strategies employed by the top three online food delivery services’ (OFDS) Instagram accounts in three countries before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Publicly available data were extracted for the top three OFDS Instagram accounts for Australia, United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA) from March to May 2019 and 2020. Food/beverage items from posts were classified as ‘discretionary’ or from the five food groups (FFG) according to the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Marketing strategies were coded using an existing framework. Posts referring to COVID-19 were coded under four marketing strategies: (i) appropriating frontline workers; (ii) combatting the pandemic; (iii) selling social distancing; and (iv) accelerating digitalisation.

From 581 posts, 618 food/beverage items were shown, of which 69 % (427/618) were classified as discretionary. In 2019, the most used marketing strategies were product imagery (unbranded) (137/195, 70 %), links (111/195, 57 %) and sponsorships/partnerships (58/195, 30 %). In 2020, the most used were links (252/386, 68 %), product imagery (unbranded) (179/386, 49 %) and branding elements (175/386, 45 %). The most common COVID-19 marketing strategy was combatting the pandemic (76/123, 62 %) followed by selling social distancing (53/123, 43 %), appropriating frontline workers (34/123, 28 %) and accelerating digitalisation (32/123, 26 %).

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, OFDS adapted their marketing, creating content with the theme of ‘combatting the pandemic’. Due to the growing number of discretionary foods/beverages promoted on Instagram, this highlights the need for policy action to counter the potential influence social media platforms have on dietary behaviours.

We assessed the role of home visits by Shasthya Shebika (SS) – female volunteer community health workers (CHWs) – in improving the distribution of micronutrient powder (MNP), and explored the independent effects of caregiver–provider interaction on coverage variables.

We used data from three cross-sectional surveys undertaken at baseline (n 1927), midline (n 1924) and endline (n 1540) as part of an evaluation of a home fortification programme. We defined an exposure group as one that had at least one SS visit to the caregiver’s household in the 12 months preceding the survey considering three outcome variables – message (ever heard), contact (ever used) and effective coverage (regular used) of MNP. We performed multiple logistic regressions to explore the determinants of coverage, employed an ‘interaction term’ and calculated an odds ratio (OR) to assess the modifying effect of SS’s home visits on coverage.

Sixty-eight sub-districts from ten districts of Bangladesh.

Children aged 6–59 months and their caregivers.

A home visit from an SS positively impacts message coverage at both midline (ratio of OR 1·70; 95 % CI 1·25, 2·32; P < 0·01) and endline (ratio of OR 3·58; 95 % CI 2·22, 5·78; P < 0·001), and contact coverage both at midline (ratio of OR 1·48; 95 % CI 1·06, 2·07; P = 0·021) and endline (ratio of OR 1·74; 95 % CI 1·23, 2·47; P = 0·002). There was no significant effect of a SS’s home visit on effective coverage.

The households visited by BRAC’s volunteer CHWs have better message and contact coverage among the children aged 6–59 months.

To estimate the prevalence of thinness, overweight and obesity among Tibetan adolescents aged 12–17 years.

Cross-sectional survey.

Shigatse City of Tibet municipality, with an average altitude of more than 4000 m.

Study participants included 2642 adolescents aged 12–17 years selected from six schools using a convenient cluster sampling method.

The prevalence of thinness/overweight/obesity among Tibetan adolescents was 9·4 %/5·4 %/1·4 % (China definition), 14·7 %/4·4 %/0·7 % (International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) definition), and 2·8 %/5·7 %/0·9 % (WHO definition). The prevalence of thinness and overweight was significantly different between both sexes based on each of three BMI classification criteria (P < 0·001). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of obesity between both sexes according to each of three BMI criteria. There was no clear trend in the prevalence of thinness across ages according to the China or IOTF definition (both P > 0·05), whereas an upward trend was observed for thinness in boys according to the IOTF definition (P for trend <0·05). In contrast, the prevalence of thinness tended to decrease with increasing age in girls according to the IOTF definition and in total sample according to the WHO definition (P for trend <0·05).

Among Tibetan adolescents, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is relatively low, while the prevalence of thinness is high, especially in boys. These data suggest urgent attention is needed to control adolescent thinness in Tibet.

To systematically review studies that used indexes to assess feeding practices of children under 2 years.

Seven databases were searched with no limit on language or publication date.

The reviewed studies included thirteen Asian, ten Latin American, four European, four North American, three Oceanian and three African.

Children under 2 years.

We analysed thirty-six studies: twenty-two presenting original indexes and fourteen using adapted indexes. Among the original indexes, thirteen assess breast-feeding, fourteen food consumption, ten food groups, and ten other feeding practices. Original indexes were mainly adapted to fit the data available in the study, to update for current nutritional recommendations or to add components not present in the original indexes. Seven studies evaluated the associations between the indexes and nutrient intake or nutritional status. The main limitations cited by the authors were: flaws in the definition of the index components, criteria for cut-off points and weighting of the evaluated index components.

The assessment of feeding practices for young children and its comparison across countries remains a challenge, especially due to the lack of consensus on the construction of indexes and regional differences in dietary recommendations and practices. Lack of validation for some indexes also makes it difficult to choose the most appropriate index for a given objective. Adapting existing indexes is a viable option. We point out relevant recommendations that may contribute to future research. Validation and longitudinal studies in diverse populations are favourable to qualify the assessment of feeding practices in this group.

Geographic measurement of diets is generally not available at areas smaller than a national or provincial (state) scale, as existing nutrition surveys cannot achieve sample sizes needed for an acceptable statistical precision for small geographic units such as city subdivisions.

Using geocoded Nielsen grocery transaction data collected from supermarket, supercentre and pharmacy chains combined with a gravity model that transforms store-level sales into area-level purchasing, we developed small-area public health indicators of food purchasing for neighbourhood districts. We generated the area-level indicators measuring per-resident purchasing quantity for soda, diet soda, flavoured (sugar-added) yogurt and plain yogurt purchasing. We then provided an illustrative public health application of these indicators as covariates for an ecological spatial regression model to estimate spatially correlated small-area risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) obtained from the public health administrative data.

Greater Montreal, Canada in 2012.

Neighbourhood districts (n 193).

The indicator of flavoured yogurt had a positive association with neighbourhood-level risk of T2D (1·08, 95 % credible interval (CI) 1·02, 1·14), while that of plain yogurt had a negative association (0·93, 95 % CI 0·89, 0·96). The indicator of soda had an inconclusive association, and that of diet soda was excluded due to collinearity with soda. The addition of the indicators also improved model fit of the T2D spatial regression (Watanabe–Akaike information criterion = 1765 with the indicators, 1772 without).

Store-level grocery sales data can be used to reveal micro-scale geographic disparities and trends of food selections that would be masked by traditional survey-based estimation.

This study aimed to examine in Colombian rural households the association between different severity levels of household food insecurity and the presence of the double burden of malnutrition (SCOWT), defined as the coexistence of a stunted child under 5 years of age and an overweight or obese (OWOB) mother.

A secondary data analysis was conducted using cross-sectional data from the Colombian National Nutritional Survey (ENSIN) 2015. Household food insecurity status was assessed by using the Latin-American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA). The household SCOWT status (child stunting and OWOB mother) was determined using anthropometric data from a mother and her child.

Rural Colombia.

Totally, 2·350 mother–child pairs living in the same household.

Sixty-two per cent of the households were food-insecure and SCOWT was present in 7·8 % of the households. Moderate (OR: 2·39, 95 % CI (1·36, 4·21)) and severe (OR: 1·86, 95 % CI (1·10, 3·15)) food insecurity was associated with SCOWT in an unadjusted logistic regression. Only moderate food insecurity remained significantly associated with SCOWT in a multivariate logistic regression (adjusted OR: 2·41, 95 % CI (1·24, 4·68)).

Colombian rural areas are not exempt from the worldwide concern of increasing OWOB rates while stunting is still persistent. These results highlight the need of implementing double-duty rural actions targeting the most vulnerable households to SCOWT, particularly in terms of overcoming food insecurity beyond hunger satisfaction to prevent all forms of malnutrition.

The current study was conducted to assess the nutritional status and associated risk factors among foreign students residing at King Saud University for different periods and to explore its correlations.

A cross-sectional study was conducted during the spring semester of 2018. A total of 400 male students aged 18–35 years had participated in the current study after signing a written consent form according to Helsinki Declaration.

A structural questionnaire was used to collect data on daily food intake and habits and socio-economic characteristics. Nutrients of food intake were assessed using the Esha programme and compared with that of dietary requirement intake (DRI). A body composition analyser was used to measure body fat (BF), visceral fat (VF) and BMI. Spearman correlation coefficients and simple regression analysis were performed to determine associations between variables.

Foreign students residing for different periods (<6 months: 200 students and >6 months: 200 students) were used as subjects.

The students who stayed <6 months consumed lower level of some nutrients than that of the DRI compared with those stayed >6 months. Overweight and obesity were more common among students who stayed >6 months with high values of BF and VF. Several risk factors were positively or negatively correlated with the students’ nutrition proxies.

Most of the students who stayed >6 months are suffered from overweight. Some independent variables were found to be significantly correlated with the students’ nutrition proxies either positively or negatively.

The effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) on children and adolescents’ health status such as obesity are understudied. The current study addressed the effect of ACE on obesity status during childhood utilising multiple waves of national panel data.

Longitudinal survey.

Data were drawn from three waves of the second cohort of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II). NSCAW II study sampled cases from Child Protective Services investigations that were closed between February 2008 and April 2009 nationwide. We measured ACE cumulatively and as separate events and stratified by gender.

Totally, 3170 youth births to 14 years of age at baseline.

A count measure of ACE is indeed associated with greater odds of obesity during childhood. Differential effects for different types of ACE were also found, most notably neglect. For girls, physical and psychological neglect increased odds of obesity.

Findings support evidence for the importance of using both a count measure of ACE as well as separating out single events by gender.

To determine the optimal anthropometric cut-off points for predicting the likelihood ratios of hypertension and diabetes in the Peruvian population.

A cross-sectional study was performed to establish cut-off values for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist:height ratio (WHtR) and Conicity index (C-index) associated with increased risk of hypertension and diabetes. Youden’s index (YIndex), area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity were calculated.

Peruvian households.

Peruvian population over the age of 18 years.

A total of 31 553 subjects were included, 57 % being women. Among the women, 53·06 % belonged to the 25- to 44-year-old age group [mean age: 41·66 in men and 40·02 in women]. The mean BMI, WHtR and C-index values were higher in women 27·49, 0·61, 1·30, respectively, while the mean WC value was higher in men 92·12 cm (sd ± 11·28). The best predictors of hypertension in men were the WHtR (AUC = 0·64) and the C-index (AUC = 0·64) with an optimal cut-off point of 0·57 (YIndex = 0·284) and 1·301 (YIndex = 0·284), respectively. Women showed an AUC of 0·63 and 0·61 in the WHtR and C-index, respectively, with an optimal cut-off of 0·61 (YIndex = 0·236) and 1·323 (YIndex = 0·225). The best predictor for diabetes was the C-index: with an AUC = 0·67 and an optimal cut-off of 1·337 (YIndex = 0·346) for men and an AUC = 0·66 and optimal cut-off of 1·313 (YIndex = 0·319) for women.

Our findings show that in Peruvian adults, the WHtR and the C-index have the strongest association with hypertension in both sexes. Likewise, the C-index had the strongest association with diabetes.

To measure the prevalence of food insecurity and explore related characteristics and behaviours among people who inject drugs (PWID).

Cross-sectional analysis of a community-based programme for HIV infection among PWID (ARISTOTLE programme). Food insecurity was measured by the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Computer-assisted interviews and blood samples were also collected.

A fixed location in Athens Metropolitan Area, Greece, during 2012–2013.

In total, 2834 unique participants with history of injecting drug use in the past 12 months were recruited over four respondent-driven sampling rounds (approximately 1400/round).

More than 50 % of PWID were severely or moderately food insecure across all rounds. PWID were more likely to be severely food insecure if they were older than 40 years [adjusted OR (aOR): 1·71, 95 % CI: 1·33–2·19], were women (aOR: 1·49, 95 % CI: 1·17–1·89), from Middle East countries (aOR v. from Greece: 1·80, 95 % CI: 1·04–3·11), had a lower educational level (primary or secondary school v. higher education; aOR: 1·54, 95 % CI: 1·29–1·84), had no current health insurance (aOR: 1·45, 95 % CI: 1·21–1·73), were homeless (aOR: 17·1, 95 % CI: 12·3–23·8) or were living with another drug user (aOR: 1·55, 95 % CI: 1·26–1·91) as compared with those living alone or with family/friends. HIV-infected PWID were more likely to be severely food insecure compared with uninfected (59·0 % v. 51·0 %, respectively, P = 0·002); however, this difference was attributed to the confounding effect of homelessness.

Moderate/severe food insecurity was a significant problem, reaching > 50 % in this sample of PWID and closely related to socio-demographic characteristics and especially homelessness.

This study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Child Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire for primary and secondary school students.

A methodological, descriptive and correlational study design was adopted.

The study was conducted in the western and central regions of Turkey.

This methodological–descriptive–correlational study was conducted with 351 children between July 2018 and August 2018. The mean age of children is 10·74 ± 1·79 (8–14).

The scale consists of seventeen items and three sub-dimensions (restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating), which explained 52·88 % of the total variance. All the factor loadings were >0·40 in both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In CFA, all of the fit indices were >0·85, and root mean square error of approximation was <0·08. For the whole of the scale, Cronbach’s α was 0·81 and it was found that Cronbach’s α values of all sub-dimensions were >0·70.

The results of the study show that the Child Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire for primary and secondary school students is a valid and reliable measurement tool for Turkish sampling.

To rigorously develop a tool which enables rapid yet comprehensive appraisal of the consumer food retail environment and provision of real-time feedback to store managers and owners, based on the ‘4Ps’ principles of marketing.

Multi-stage iterative approach including (1) Systematic literature review; (2) Stakeholder consultation; (3) Assessment of existing tools against identified needs; (4) Tool development; (5) Pilot testing and (6) Transition of tool to mobile application (the Store Scout app).

Northern Territory, Australia.

Nine remote Aboriginal community food stores; public health nutritionists, retailers, store board directors, Aboriginal community members, government representatives.

Forty-seven existing tools and thirty-four stakeholder interviews informed the development of the current instrument, which comprised: (1) seven product categories (Fruit & Vegetables, Drinks, Snack Foods, Meals & Convenience Foods, Meat & Seafood, Dairy & Eggs, Breads & Cereals) across the ‘4Ps’ (Product, Placement, Price, Promotion); (2) Store manager questions about context and perceived importance of key principles about the store environment and (3) a scoring and feedback component. The tool was considered feasible and acceptable by all testers.

The developed tool addresses an unmet need to measure the consumer food retail environment across all 4Ps whilst also incorporating manager perspectives and immediate feedback. Our objectives of developing a comprehensive, feasible and acceptable instrument were achieved during pilot testing. The tool will support implementation of best practice within stores to encourage healthy food choices and has potential for broad application in retail settings locally and internationally, as well as for research purposes.

To understand motivators, facilitators and challenges to dietary change amongst a diverse sample of New Zealanders with prediabetes participating in a primary care nurse-led individualised dietary intervention.

A qualitative study involving semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with a stratified sample of adults with prediabetes and BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, purposefully selected from a larger 2-year primary care-based prediabetes dietary intervention study. Thematic analysis was undertaken. A socio-ecological model guided interpretation.

Hawke’s Bay, Aotearoa/New Zealand, April 2018–March 2020.

Fifty-eight people aged 28–69 years, with similar numbers of men and women, indigenous Māori and non-Māori, and those who had and had not regressed to normoglycaemia at 6 months.

Motivators for wanting to make dietary changes were determination not to progress to diabetes; wanting to be healthy and contribute to others and encouragement by others. Facilitators for adopting and maintaining changes were a strong desire to be healthy; personal determination and feeling supported. Challenges were compromised control over life and environmental factors; feeling unsupported by others; social occasions; financial constraints and living with other health conditions. Developing their own strategies to overcome challenges was empowering, enabling a sense of control. These factors were similar across demographic and glycaemic outcome groups.

Influences on dietary change involved personal, interpersonal, organisational, environmental and policy factors. Although findings appeared similar across groups, dietary interventions need to address the specific ways motivators, facilitators and challenges manifest for individuals and social groups and be tailored accordingly within the context of the wider obesogenic and socio-economic environment.