OBJECTIVE:Eating disorders are associated with high morbidity and mortality, requiring timely treatment by a competent workforce. Dietitians are important members of the eating disorders health care team. This study aimed to explore the perceived and changing eating disorders education and training needs of practising dietitians in Australia and New Zealand across two time points. METHOD:A cross-sectional survey was administered to Australian and New Zealand dietitian members of professional associations in 2009 and 2022. The 2022 survey was administered online via Microsoft Forms and contained 51 items, including Likert scale, tick-box and open-ended responses. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of perceived knowledge, skill, comfort, confidence and educational need. Qualitative data was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS:286 dietitians completed the 2009 survey and 147 the 2022 survey. In 2022 98% were female and 74% aged 20-40 years. Compared with 2009, dietitians in 2022 undertook more eating disorders education and training, reported greater knowledge and skill, and were more likely to express a need for education and training. Across both surveys, prior training, clinical experience and workplace setting predicted knowledge, skill, comfort or confidence. Prevention, detection, referral and a broad range of treatment aspects were identified as important educational areas. DISCUSSION:Improvements over time in access to eating disorders training and perceived knowledge and skill were evident. Key educational areas of prevention, detection, referral and treatment require action as a priority to ensure dietitians are well equipped to practice in eating disorders.

Rural and remote health systems continue to face persistent workforce challenges that affect the delivery of chronic disease care, including diabetes management. Mentorship is widely recognised as a valuable strategy for supporting health professionals, with demonstrated benefits for practice development and workforce sustainability. However, many mentorship approaches are developed in well-resourced settings and assume stable infrastructure, protected time, and workforce capacity. These assumptions may not align with the realities of rural and remote practice, where service pressures and resource constraints shape everyday care. This commentary examines how mentorship can be designed for constrained health systems. It proposes a systems-oriented perspective that positions mentorship as part of routine practice rather than as a separate professional development activity. Emphasis is placed on flexibility, co-design, and cultural safety, with attention to how mentorship can be integrated within workforce development pathways. This reframing has implications for strengthening rural health services by supporting continuous, context-responsive learning within routine practice. More broadly, this approach offers a scalable pathway to workforce strengthening in geographically dispersed and resource-variable health systems.

OBJECTIVES:Diabetes is highly prevalent in older women worldwide. This study explores the associations of psychosocial factors with both health service utilisation and self-management in older women aged 68 to 73 years with type 2 diabetes (T2D) or pre-diabetes. DESIGN AND SETTING:This cross-sectional study used data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), which is a national population-based cohort study that has collected information on factors related to women's health and well-being over 20 years. PARTICIPANTS:Women aged 68-73, born between 1946 and 1951, participated in ALSWH and self-reported their diagnosis of T2D or pre-diabetes. OUTCOME MEASURES:Resilience, dispositional optimism and perceived control were the measures of psychosocial factors. The associations between these factors and diabetes self-management behaviours, healthcare visits and preventive service use were examined by numerous regression models. RESULTS:There were 939 women aged 68-73 years with T2D or pre-diabetes. Women with T2D who exhibited higher dispositional optimism had significantly higher odds of participating in moderate/vigorous physical activity (OR: 1.06), visiting a dentist (OR: 1.07) and a lower rate of general practitioner (GP) visits (rate ratio (RR): 0.99). Women with T2D with greater resilience were likely to have a lower rate of consulting with mental health professionals (RR: 0.63) and higher odds of blood sugar level checks (OR: 1.68). The rate of GP visits within a year decreased by 16% for women with pre-diabetes who had a higher resilience score (RR: 0.84), and women with pre-diabetes with greater resilience had a 13% lower rate of visits to a nurse (RR: 0.87). CONCLUSIONS:Psychosocial aspects of diabetes care may be important for supporting the physical and mental well-being of older women with T2D or pre-diabetes. Healthcare providers may consider whether integrating assessments of resilience and optimism into routine diabetes management might help identify older women who could benefit from targeted psychosocial support.

Women with diabetes have different self-management and self-care characteristics and risk profiles to men. A difference of note is that women with diabetes are at greater risk of anxiety or depression. However, limited research has explored if the presence of a mental health co-morbidity is an influencing factor upon health service use pertinent to diabetes self-care. A secondary analysis of a chronic disease self-care sub-study stemming from the 45 and Up Study was conducted. Cross-sectional analyses were completed to examine the conventional and complementary medicine health service use patterns of women with diabetes and anxiety or depression, or anxiety and depression (n = 451, n = 439, n = 439, respectively). Of the women who completed the diabetes specific survey and mental health questions, 155 (35.3

BACKGROUND:Diabetes has a greater impact on people living in rural and remote Australia because of limited access to specialist diabetes services and ongoing workforce shortages. Primary healthcare professionals in these regions play a central role in diabetes care, but they often lack targeted training and professional support. INNOVATION:This project introduced a co-designed, face-to-face workshop model to build clinical skills, strengthen confidence in culturally responsive communication and foster professional networks among rural healthcare workers. Developed through an academic-clinical partnership with health organisations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the workshops used evidence-based teaching methods to improve professional development tailored to the realities of rural primary healthcare needs. METHODS:Two full-day workshops took place in Queensland and New South Wales in 2024. A pretest-posttest survey design was used to evaluate the workshops, assessing changes in clinical confidence and professional engagement. Of 120 participants, 73 completed post-workshop surveys, and 48 provided matched pre- and post-workshop data. IMPACT:Participants reported substantial increases in clinical confidence, particularly in using diabetes technologies (+72.4%) and understanding recent advances (+66.5%). Notably, 96.3% reported enhanced professional connections, with 87.0% intending to maintain them post-workshop. High levels of participants' satisfaction and partner support highlight the model's potential for broader implementation. CONCLUSION:This innovative workshop model addresses critical gaps in diabetes care training for rural health professionals by integrating clinical education, culturally responsive communication skills and opportunities for peer support. It offers a sustainable approach to rural health workforce development that aligns with national rural health priorities, and supports quality improvement in primary health care.

Background:Massage therapy is a popular treatment for musculoskeletal conditions globally. As the efficacy for massage therapy grows over time, it is becoming a more acceptable form of therapy alongside conventional medicine. The aim of this systematic review is to highlight the prevalence of massage therapy utilization specifically for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. Methods:A comprehensive search of health databases using keywords mapped to massage and musculoskeletal conditions identified 38 studies. An assessment of the quality of these studies was undertaken using a validated quality appraisal instrument. Results:Overall, the prevalence of massage use ranged from 2% to 81.2%. The range narrowed marginally from 2.2% to 56% in larger studies (n ≥ 1,000). Prevalence was higher among younger individuals, ranging from 12% to 56%. The prevalence of use among women ranged from 7.7% to 56%. The highest prevalence for conditions was for lower back pain/back pain, ranging from 10.5% to 68.1%, and for patients with chronic pain, ranging from 17.6% to 56%. The lowest prevalence was reported in Australia, ranging from 2% to 56%, and the highest in North America, from 2.2% to 81.2%. Conclusions:Our findings indicate that 74% of studies in this review relating to prevalence of massage therapy utilization for musculoskeletal conditions are reported within studies focusing on complementary medicine more generally. Further studies on massage as an independent treatment modality would be useful to provide improved evidence on prevalence for massage use for musculoskeletal conditions. While the range of prevalence reported here is wide, inpatients and outpatients with specific musculoskeletal conditions including pain are high users of massage therapy. Despite the growing interest in research, there is a gap in the literature around men and their use of massage therapy. Further high-quality research in these areas will better inform the knowledge base around these participant cohorts.

PurposeThe aim of the study was to examine whether a healthy lifestyle was associated with reduced utilisation of healthcare professionals and/or prescription medications for stroke survivors.MethodsThe study utilised data obtained from the 45 and Up Study, linked to the Medicare claims and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data. The outcome variables were the number of times a person received care from a range of healthcare professions and the number of different prescription medications used by participants. The risk factors were smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and supplement use. Generalised Estimating Equation models were employed to assess the longitudinal association between an outcome variable and risk factors.ResultsStroke survivors who engaged in moderate-to-high levels of physical activity were significantly less likely to receive care from a general practitioner, a nurse, and an allied health professional, as well as to take blood-thinning medications. Stroke survivors who smoked were more likely to receive care from a specialist doctor. Moreover, stroke survivors who consumed supplements were more likely to receive care from an allied health professional.ConclusionThe findings carry substantial implications for stroke rehabilitation and secondary prevention, highlighting the positive effects of moderate-to-high physical activity and the associated risks of smoking.

Diabetes Mellitus is often a long-term health condition that continues to raise concerns regarding the burden upon an individual’s mental health, due to the commitment required for day-to-day self-care. People living with diabetes frequently use complementary medicine as part of their diabetes self-care to manage their mental health and this raises a number of significant risk management issues. Unfortunately, no research has explored the influence of lowered mental health functioning upon both the conventional and complementary medicine health service use amongst people living with diabetes. An examination of the conventional and complementary medicine health service use amongst men and women living with diabetes and normative or lowered mental health functioning, was undertaken by completing a secondary analysis of the Complementary Medicine Use, Health Literacy and Disclosure study. Of the 176 participants reporting a diabetes diagnosis, 74

Dietary intake and sub-optimal nutrition have a significant impact on clinical risk, outcomes and mortality in people with an eating disorder. Despite the range of dietary patterns and nutritional issues, there is limited evidence to guide effective use of dietary assessment methods. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the validity of the diet history against routine nutritional biomarkers in female adults with an eating disorder attending a regional outpatient service. This secondary data analysis utilised demographics, nutrient intakes from diet history and nutritional biomarker data. Spearman’s rank correlation, simple and quadratic weighted kappa statistics and the Bland-Altman method were used to explore validity of the diet history compared to nutritional biomarkers. Thirteen female participants (median age 24 years; median BMI 19 kg/m2) with an eating disorder were included. Energy-adjusted dietary cholesterol and serum triglycerides showed moderate agreement (simple kappa K = 0.56, p = 0.04), and dietary iron and serum total iron-binding capacity showed moderate-good agreement (simple kappa K = 0.48, p = 0.04; weighted kappa K = 0.68, p = 0.03). Dietary iron and serum total iron-binding capacity were only significantly correlated when dietary supplements were included (r = 0.89, p = 0.02). Dietary estimates of protein and iron improved with larger intakes. This pilot study suggests the diet history may be useful for assessing dietary intake in people with an eating disorder and highlights the importance of targeted questioning around dietary supplement use. Determining the validity of dietary assessment methods across ages, diagnoses and settings is required.

This review is to systematically explore the relationship between muscle dysfunction and diabetes in adults, and to examine the impact of glycemic variability on muscle health and the development of diabetes-related complications. The review was conducted using three databases: MEDLINE, Scopus, and EMBASE, targeting peer-reviewed journal articles written in English and published from January 2014 to September 2024. The methodological quality assessment of the eligible studies was conducted using Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklists. A total of 17 studies were included. Most studies were undertaken in Asian countries (n = 11) and focused on adults with type 2 diabetes (n = 12). There were 8,392 adults with diabetes, and their mean age ranged from 52 to 75 years old. The measurements for muscle function and glycemic variability varied across studies. The research findings regarding the relationship between muscle dysfunction and glycemic variability metrics among adults with diabetes, both with and without complications were inconsistent. For adults with diabetes and sarcopenic obesity, poor glycemic control was identified as an independent risk factor for sarcopenic obesity. Additionally, all included studies were rated as moderate or high quality in relation to their methodology. In conclusion, this review underscores the complex and inconsistent relationship between glycemic variability and muscle dysfunction in older adults with diabetes. Poor glycemic management is a significant risk factor for sarcopenic obesity, highlighting the need for tailored interventions to improve glycemic control and muscle health in this population.

OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to examine the trends and inequalities in women's use of quality antenatal care (ANC), quality intrapartum care and immediate postnatal care (PNC) services, and the determinants that contributed to changes in receiving these services from 2001 to 2019 in Ethiopia using the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHSs) data. DESIGN, OUTCOMES, SETTING AND ANALYSIS:Secondary data analyses of four waves of nationally representative EDHSs from 2005 to 2019 were conducted. We defined quality ANC as having blood pressure measurement, blood and urine tests, iron supplementation and being informed of pregnancy-related complications during ANC visits; quality intrapartum care as having health facility birth, birth assisted by skilled personnel and newborn put to the breast within 1 hour of birth and immediate PNC as having maternal and newborn PNC within 24 hours of birth. We used control charts, multivariate logistic regression decomposition analyses and equiplots to measure and analyse trends and inequalities over two decades using data from EDHSs 2005-2019. RESULTS:Over the period 2001-2019, there were increases in the percentage of quality ANC (3.7%-39.6%), intrapartum care (3.9%-43.3%) and immediate PNC (2.6%22.1%) services received. However, there were widening inequalities between these services received by women, favouring those from advantageous socioeconomic backgrounds. From 2001-2019, the largest significant increases in the percentage of women receiving quality ANC and immediate PNC services were due to changes in the distribution of sociodemographic and maternal care characteristics, while the largest significant increase in the percentage of women receiving quality intrapartum care was due to changes in the effects of these characteristics. CONCLUSIONS:The healthcare system in Ethiopia should expand access to all the recommended maternal healthcare interventions to disadvantaged population subgroups. Universal coverage of quality maternal and newborn healthcare across the continuum is needed. There is also a need to promote ≥4 ANC, early initiation of ANC, girls' and women's education and enabling women's economic empowerment.

Health equity is a fast emerging priority for most healthcare systems around the world. Factors impacting health equity include education level, geographical location, age, gender, employment status and income. However, research examining the effect of these demographic variables on health service utilisation among mid-aged and older post-stroke adults is limited. Data was obtained from a sub-study of the Sax Institute’s 45 and Up Study, which is conducted in Australia. The sub-study survey collected demographic, health service utilisation and health status information from 576 participants who had a previous stroke diagnosis. Poisson regression was used to examine the association between demographic characteristics and number of consultations with a doctor and/or an allied health practitioner over a 12 month period. All demographic measures were significantly associated with the number of consultations with doctors and/or allied health practitioners. The number of doctor consultations increased for those who struggled to live on their available income (IRR = 1.41), but decreased for females (IRR = 0.81), those who reside in an inner regional area (IRR = 0.83), those who were separated, divorced or widowed (IRR = 0.61), and for those who completed a trade, apprenticeship or diploma (IRR = 0.83). The number of allied health practitioner consultations increased for those who completed a trade, apprenticeship or diploma (IRR = 1.27), and for those who struggled to live on their available income (IRR = 1.38), but decreased for increasing age (IRR = 0.87), females (IRR = 0.78), and for those who reside in an outer regional or remote area (IRR = 0.49). We identified several demographic factors associated with a lower frequency and type of health care services used by post-stroke adults. These possible barriers need to be explored further, as reduced use of healthcare services may lead to poorer stroke outcomes in these demographics. Specifically, researching strategies to best support individuals facing these additional challenges is necessary to ensure equitable healthcare for all Australians.

Abstract Objective Eating disorders are complex illnesses with high morbidity and mortality. Yet, there is promising evidence to support the effects of nutrition on the brain and behaviour. One proposed example is the use of tyrosine as an adjunct treatment in anorexia nervosa (AN). However, recruitment and retention in eating disorder clinical trials has posed difficulties for researchers. The aim of this study was to pilot test a parallel randomised controlled trial (RCT) of tyrosine supplementation to explore the feasibility of recruitment and retention, intervention adherence and data collection methods from the perspective of participants and researchers. Method Feasibility was assessed using numbers participating, questionnaire completion in patients and parent/carers completing and declining participation, a researcher implementation record and clinical measures. Subjects included adolescents aged 12–17 years with AN. The study was conducted over a 12-week period, with the intervention group receiving 5 mg of L-tyrosine supplement and the control group receiving a placebo. Results Recruitment targets were not met and recruitment to a full RCT based on the current study protocol and recruitment sites did not prove feasible. Of the 39 approached for RCT participation, seven were recruited to the RCT (18% response rate) despite extending recruitment periods, with 100% retained and analysed. Patients or parents/carers identified barriers to study participation including burden, the need to consume tyrosine as tablets, and the use of blood, urine and psychological testing. Blood tyrosine rose markedly for subjects in the intervention group. No side effects were reported or measured. Conclusions This study offers a unique exploration of the feasibility of a tyrosine trial in anorexia nervosa and is of relevance to assist the success of future nutrition trials. Exploring the suitability of future study designs for nutrition intervention research is warranted.

IntroductionThis longitudinal study aimed to explore the impacts of adopting a healthy lifestyle on self-reported physical and mental health outcomes among Australian females who are living with stroke.MethodsThe study utilized data retrieved from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health's 1946-51 cohort (from survey 5 conducted in 2007 to survey 9 conducted in 2019), focusing on 531 female stroke survivors. The dependent variables for this study were self-reported physical and mental health status, whereas the independent variables were lifestyle behaviors, including physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and supplement use. Generalized Estimating Equation models were employed to assess the longitudinal associations between a dependent variable and the independent and confounding variables.ResultsThe average age of the participants was 58.1 (SD = 1.4) years in survey 5 and 70.5 years in survey 9. The longitudinal analyses revealed that stroke survivors who engaged in moderate/high levels of physical activity had significantly better physical and mental health status than their inactive or sedentary counterparts. Besides, current smokers had significantly poorer physical and mental health status than nonsmokers. In addition, risky/high-risk alcohol consumers had significantly poorer mental health status compared to no/low-risk alcohol consumers.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that post-stroke individuals can improve their physical and mental health by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Specifically, targeted and appropriate programs and strategies are needed to promote physical activity and reduce smoking and alcohol consumption in female stroke survivors in order to optimize their overall health and quality of life.

Background: The prevalence of childhood obesity has substantially increased in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, including Saudi Arabia. The Rashaka initiative is a Saudi national school-based multicomponent intervention that was introduced in the school year 2016-2017 to address childhood overweight and obesity. This study aims to examine the effect of the Rashaka initiative on students' body mass index (BMI) for two academic years (2016-2017 and 2018-2019) and to analyse predictors of BMI change. Methods: Secondary data for this pre-post study was provided by the Ministry of Health for 38 026 students from 89 intermediate and secondary schools that implemented the initiative in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia. It was analysed using non-parametric tests and multiple regressions at a 5% level of significance. Results: Over 2 y of implementation, BMI was reduced significantly across the schools (p < 0.001). Based on the regression modelling, school gender and education stage were found to be the only significant predictors of BMI change. Girls and intermediate schools had greater BMI reductions than boys and secondary schools (p < 0.001 and p = 0.031). Conclusions This study provides tentative evidence for the effectiveness of the Rashaka intervention in Makkah City. In addition, our study has identified that the Rashaka initiative may require modification to improve its effect on boys and students in secondary schools.

Background The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has increased at alarming levels in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar). Weight-related interventions are urgently required in these countries to tackle childhood overweight and obesity and their-related consequences. To date, no systematic review has synthesised school-based weight-related interventions in the six GCC countries. This study aims to systematically review school-based, weight-related interventions conducted in the GCC countries, investigating the intervention characteristics, components, and outcomes. Methods Medline, Scopus, and ProQuest databases were searched for peer-reviewed literature published in English without date restriction and Google Scholar for grey literature using combined Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms and keywords under five relevant concepts including population, setting, interventions, outcomes, and geographical location. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), records were identified, screened for eligibility, and included in this review. Using the Effective Public Health Practice Project tool, the methodological quality of the included studies was assessed independently by two authors. Results Out of 1303 initially identified records, eight peer-reviewed articles and three doctoral theses were included in this review. The age of the students in the included studies ranged between 5 to 19 years, and the sample sizes between 28 and 3,967 students. The studies included between one and thirty public and private schools. Of the included studies, six were randomised controlled trials, four pre-post studies and one used a post-study design. Only four of the eleven studies were theory based. The included studies reported various improvements in the students’ weight or weight-related lifestyle behaviours, such as healthier dietary choices, increased physical activity, and decreased sedentary behaviour. Conclusions This review suggests the potential effectiveness of school-based interventions in the GCC countries. However, a thorough evaluation of these studies revealed significant methodological limitations that must be acknowledged in interpreting these results. Future studies in this field should be theory-based and use more rigorous evaluation methods. Systematic review registration PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020156535.

AbstractThis study aimed to determine the longitudinal predictors of lifestyle behaviours among stroke survivors in New South Wales, Australia. This longitudinal study utilised data from the baseline survey (2005–2009) and a sub-study survey (2017) of the 45 and Up Study. Physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking status, and supplement use were included as dependent variables. Generalised estimating equation models were employed to assess the longitudinal association between the dependent variable and demographic and health status measures. The average age of the participants (n = 576) was 67 (SD = 9) years at baseline and 76 (SD = 9) years at the sub-study survey time, with 54.9% being male. The longitudinal analysis revealed that the likelihood of moderate/high physical activity significantly declined over time and was lower among participants with diabetes, but was higher among those with university education. The likelihood of smoking was significantly higher in females, moderate/high-risk alcohol consumers, and those with depression, but was lower among supplement users. The likelihood of moderate/high-risk alcohol consumption significantly declined with time, and was lower among females, but higher among smokers. The likelihood of supplement use significantly declined over time, but was higher among females and/or those with asthma. Our findings help illustrate that many stroke survivors may benefit from further support in adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle as part of their stroke management and long-term rehabilitation, which is crucial to optimising their quality of life and successful secondary stroke prevention.

Objective This study sought to investigate the level and determinants of receiving quality antenatal care (ANC), intrapartum care, and postnatal care (PNC) services by women in Ethiopia. The quality of care a woman receives during ANC, intrapartum care, and PNC services affects the health of the woman and her child and her likelihood of seeking care in the future. Methods Data from the nationally representative Ethiopia Mini Demographic and Health Survey 2019 were analysed for 5,527 mothers who gave birth within five years preceding the survey. We defined quality ANC as having: blood pressure measurement, urine and blood tests, informed of danger signs, iron supplementation, and nutritional counselling during ANC services; quality intrapartum care as having: a health facility birth, skilled birth assistance, and a newborn put to the breast within one hour of birth during intrapartum care services; and quality PNC as having: PNC within two days; cord examination; temperature measurement, and counselling on danger signs and breastfeeding of the newborn; and healthcare provider's observation of breastfeeding during PNC services. We used multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression analyses specifying three-level models: a woman/household, a cluster, and an administrative region to determine predictors of each care quality. The analyses employed sampling weights and were adjusted for sampling design. Results Thirty-six percent ( n = 1,048), 43% ( n = 1,485), and 21% ( n = 374) women received quality ANC, intrapartum care and PNC services, respectively. Private healthcare facilities provided higher-quality ANC and PNC but poor-quality intrapartum care, compared to public health facilities. Having four or more ANC visits, commencing ANC during the first trimester, and higher women's education levels and household wealth indices were positive predictors of quality ANC use. Government health posts were less likely to provide quality ANC. Wealthier, urban-residing women with education and four or more ANC contacts were more likely to receive quality intrapartum care. Women who received quality ANC and skilled birth assistance were more likely to receive quality PNC. Teenage mothers were more likely to receive quality intrapartum care, but were less likely to receive quality PNC than mothers aged 20–49. Conclusions We recommend standardizing the contents of ANC provided in all healthcare facilities; and promoting early and four or more ANC contacts, effectiveness, sensitivity and vigilance of care provided to teenage mothers, and women's education and economic empowerment.

Background: After a stroke, survivors are often left with significant disabilities and are at a greater risk of recurrent strokes. It is vital stroke survivors receive effective treatments to assist with rehabilitation and reduce risk factors for secondary stroke. Observational and preclinical studies have highlighted the promising role of polyphenols in these regards.Methods: A systematic review of original research which assessed the role of polyphenols on health outcomes in post stroke adults was conducted. PROQUEST, SCOPUS (Elsevier), MEDLINE (EBSCO), Embase and Cochrane Library databases were searched up to the 29th of October 2021.Results: A total of 9 studies met the full inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Several classes of polyphenols were assessed including hydroxybenzoic acids, stilbenes and flavonoids. Numerous health outcomes were assessed including vascular function, stroke disability, blood pressure, blood glucose and c-reactive protein. The majority of the studies included in this review (n 1/4 8) note improvements in the polyphenol groups for at least one outcome measure. However, small sample sizes, short trial length and reporting bias prevent firm conclusions from being drawn.Conclusion: This review provides promising preliminary evidence that polyphenols may be beneficial for post stroke adults, however, more research is required. To ensure reliable methodology and replication of results, future studies should include outcome statistics and effect sizes. Trials with a longer duration and large sample size should also be considered. (c) 2023 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.