Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): JN-August
Published:
2026-11-11
Articles
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The Effects of Zinc and Iron Supplementation on Anemia Status and Academic Performance Among Female Students
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.62872/jn.v3i2.650
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Anemia is common among adolescent and young adult women and is widely believed to impair concentration and school performance. Iron supplementation is the standard response, while zinc has been proposed as a complementary micronutrient. This article synthesizes recent evidence on how iron and zinc supplementation affect anemia status and cognitive or academic outcomes among female students. A structured narrative review was conducted. Thirty-two records exported from two reference-manager searches were de-duplicated to 22, and three further peer-reviewed articles published since 2021 were added, giving 25 sources for qualitative synthesis. Iron supplementation consistently raised hemoglobin and reduced anemia risk, and moderate to high doses, whether daily or weekly, performed similarly. Effects on cognition were more evident for intelligence-test scores and attention than for school grades, and most trials carried moderate or high risk of bias. Evidence for zinc was sparse: one small uncontrolled Indonesian study reported hemoglobin rising from 10.6 to 12.4 g/dL after 30 days, whereas a meta-analysis of 129 trials found that adding zinc to iron did not enhance, and may slightly attenuate, the anemia response. Adherence, diet quality, and nutrition education shaped outcomes. Iron remains the evidence-based core of school anemia programs; the added value of zinc is plausible but unproven.
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The Effectiveness of Android App-Based Nutrition Education in Changing Vegetable and Fruit Consumption Behaviors Among Adolescents
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.62872/jn.v3i2.648
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Low vegetable and fruit (VF) intake remains a persistent dietary problem among adolescents, and Android-based applications are increasingly used as a medium for nutrition education. This study aimed to synthesize recent evidence on the effectiveness of Android and smartphone app-based nutrition education in changing adolescents' VF consumption behavior and to identify the design features associated with success. A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guideline. Records were retrieved from a Consensus-based search and supplemented by Google Scholar, PubMed Central, DOAJ, and citation tracking, restricted to publications from 2022 to 2026 with active DOIs. Twenty-five sources met the inclusion criteria, comprising 14 empirical intervention studies and 11 reviews or contextual studies. The findings show a consistent pattern: app-based education reliably improves VF-related knowledge, whereas its effect on actual consumption is mixed. Interventions that combined personalized feedback, self-monitoring, gamification, and the involvement of teachers or school curricula produced more favorable behavioral outcomes, while stand-alone apps used for short periods frequently failed to change intake. User engagement emerged as the key mediator between exposure and behavior change. The study concludes that Android-based nutrition education is effective as a knowledge-building tool and becomes behaviorally effective when it is embedded in multicomponent, engagement-oriented programs designed together with adolescents.
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The Relationship Between Mothers’ Nutrition Literacy Levels and Their Children’s Feeding Practices and Nutritional Status Among Preschoolers
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.62872/jn.v3i2.651
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Background: Preschool years are a critical window for growth, yet malnutrition in its undernourished and overweight forms persists across low-, middle-, and high-income settings. Mothers’ nutrition literacy is widely assumed to shape how children are fed and, through feeding, how they grow. Evidence for this pathway, however, is inconsistent. Objective: This narrative review synthesised recent studies (2021–2026) on the relationships among maternal nutrition literacy, child feeding practices, and nutritional status in children aged roughly six months to six years. Methods: Records from two reference exports and supplementary searches were screened and charted with a structured form. Twenty-five sources were included, of which sixteen primary studies were charted in detail. Results: Higher maternal literacy was fairly consistently associated with better or more responsive feeding practices and diet quality. Associations with anthropometric status were weaker, often non-significant, and frequently attenuated after adjustment for education, income, and child health. Interventions combining education with practical skills showed more promise than knowledge transfer alone. Conclusion: Nutrition literacy appears to operate mainly through feeding behaviour and context rather than as a direct determinant of growth. Programmes should pair literacy building with practical skills and socioeconomic support, and future studies should use validated multidimensional instruments and longitudinal designs.
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Analysis of Micronutrients and Organoleptic Acceptability of a Functional Biscuit Formulation Made with Moringa Flour and Mackerel
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.62872/jn.v3i2.649
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Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly of iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamin A, remain a persistent public health problem in Indonesia and contribute to stunting and anemia in children. Biscuits are a widely consumed snack and offer a practical vehicle for food-based fortification using local ingredients. This study aimed to analyze the micronutrient content and organoleptic acceptability of a functional biscuit formulated with moringa leaf flour (Moringa oleifera) and mackerel flour (Rastrelliger kanagurta). A completely randomized experimental design was applied with four formulations: F0 (control, 100% wheat flour), F1 (5% moringa flour + 10% mackerel flour), F2 (7.5% + 15%), and F3 (10% + 20%), each in three replicates. Iron, zinc, and calcium were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and β-carotene by high-performance liquid chromatography. A hedonic test involving 30 semi-trained panelists assessed color, aroma, taste, texture, and overall acceptability. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with Duncan's test and the Kruskal–Wallis test. Increasing substitution levels significantly raised all four micronutrients (p < 0.05), with F3 showing the highest values. In contrast, hedonic scores decreased as substitution increased, mainly due to the green color and fishy aroma. Based on the effectiveness index, F2 was the best formulation, balancing micronutrient enrichment and consumer acceptance.
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Analysis of Microbiological Quality and Vitamin C Retention in Commercial Vegetable Processing Methods in Hospitals: A Narrative Literature Review
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.62872/jn.v3i2.634
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Hospital food carries two mandates that can pull against each other: it must be microbiologically safe for vulnerable patients and remain nutritious, including vitamin C, which is easily lost through heat, water and time. This article reviews evidence on vitamin C retention and microbiological quality in commercial and institutional vegetable processing in hospitals and formulates a laboratory protocol that measures both. It is a narrative literature review of laboratory and field studies, a systematic review, outbreak reports and Indonesian regulations; no primary data are reported. The findings indicate that (1) vitamin C retention depends strongly on method and time, with boiling generally causing the largest losses and steaming and microwaving performing better; (2) in hospital service systems, important losses may occur after cooking, namely during hot-holding, chilling and reheating, and a systematic review found vitamin C losses between preparation and service in all seven studies included; (3) hospital microbiological studies generally find cooked vegetables compliant, whereas non-compliant results tend to come from equipment and water, and healthcare foodborne outbreaks are often attributed to inadequate time-temperature control and kitchen hygiene; and (4) in the author's search, almost no study measured microbiological quality and vitamin C on the same samples across the service cycle. The article proposes a factorial design with repeated sampling points and presents hypothetical decision rules that require testing
