The way that COVID-19 has been handled since its inception in 2019 has had a significant impact on lifestyle-related behaviors, such as physical activities, diet, and sleep patterns. This study ...measures lifestyle-related behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown using a 22-item questionnaire. The responses were collected from March 2021 to September 2021. A total of four hundred and sixty-seven Jordanian participants were engaged in assessing the changes caused by the pandemic and their effect on BMI. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were tested for 71 participants. Cronbach's alpha values for the questionnaire exceeded 0.7, demonstrating good reliability and internal consistency. The effect of each question regarding physical activity and dietary habits over the BMI difference was studied using ANOVA. The study shows that more than half of the participants reported snacking more between meals and increased their sitting and screen time, while 74% felt more stressed and anxious. BMI difference among the individuals throughout the lockdown was significantly associated with these variables. In contrast, 62% of the participants showed more awareness about their health by increasing the intake of immunity-boosting foods, and 56% of the participants showed an increase in the consumption of nutrition supplements. Females and married individuals tended to be healthier. Therefore, their BMI showed stability compared to others based on their gender and marital status. Exercise, sleep, and avoiding 'junk' food, which contributes to weight gain and COVID-19 vulnerability, are strongly recommended.
The aim of our study was to analyse differences in dietary habits and alcohol drinking between 1st- and 4th-year medical students. The research was designed as a cross-sectional questionnaire study. ...The data were collected during the winter semester of the academic year 2015/2016. Prevalence rates of the following aspects were assessed and compared between 1st- and 4th-year medical students at the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia: (a) breakfast skipping; (b) having fewer than three main meals a day; (c) fresh fruits and vegetables consumption less than once a day; (d) eating sweets every day; (e) eating in fast-food restaurants at least once a week; and (f) alcohol consumption (beer, wine, spirits) at least once a week. Less than one in five students reported their breakfast skipping and most of them had only 1 or 2 main meals daily. About half of the respondents consumed fruits and vegetables insufficiently and less than one quarter of them reported eating meals in fast-food restaurants weekly. Daily consumption of sweets in males doubled in the 4th year if compared to the 1st year of the study. While drinking patterns in males did not show differences between study years, in females, alcohol drinking dominated in the 4th year. Finally, it may be concluded that most aspects of dietary habits in medical students did not differ between the younger and the older ones. Irregular eating presents a particular problem. Alcohol drinking in females showed a possible increasing tendency during their studies.
Objectives
The fatty acid (FA) composition of breast milk is a relevant aspect related to the development of the lactating infant. The present study aimed at exploring correlations between dietary ...intake of macro- and micronutrients with the FA profile in breast milk, and the possible implication for infants' growth.
Study Design
Breast milk samples from a cohort of lactating women were collected 7–15 days postpartum. The FA profiles in triacylglycerol (TAG) and phospholipid (PL)-rich fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography. Diet was registered during the third trimester of pregnancy by means of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). In addition, anthropometric measurements of infants were collected from gestation and up to 12 months postpartum.
Results
The FA profile in breast milk was characterized by a median of 37.4, 41.3 and 16.8% of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated FAs, respectively. From the dietary components, zinc, iron, and B group vitamins were correlated positively with the proportion of total n-3 FAs in TAG and C20:5 n-3 in PL. Lycopene, vitamin E, zinc, and vitamin B2 showed a similar correlation with total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), total n-6 FAs, C20:4 n-6, and C18:2 n-6 in TAG. Regarding food groups, nuts showed the strongest association with several PUFA both in TAG and PL, while the vegetable group was also positively associated with C18:3 n-3. Furthermore, the concentration of linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3) and palmitic acid (C16:0) were positively associated with increased length for age (LFA) and weight for age (WFA) at 12 months compared with birth ΔLFA −0.16 (−0.85, 0.37); ΔWFA −0.26 (−0.77, 0.21).
Conclusions
Mothers' intake of nuts, dietary sources of zinc, iron, and B group vitamins were identified as potential predictors of a high-unsaturated FA profile in breast milk. In addition, linolenic and palmitic acids in breast milk were positively associated with infants' growth in the first year of life.
To evaluate dietary habits in Spanish children and adolescents based on a Mediterranean Diet Quality Index tool, which considers certain principles sustaining and challenging traditional healthy ...Mediterranean dietary patterns.
Observational population-based cross-sectional study. A 16-item Mediterranean Diet Quality Index was included in data gathered for the EnKid study (in which two 24-hour recalls, a quantitative 169-item food-frequency questionnaire and a general questionnaire about socio-economic, demographic and lifestyle items were administered).
Spain.
In total, 3850 children and youths aged 2-24 years residing in Spain.
Of the sample, 4.2% showed very low KIDMED index results, 49.4% had intermediate values and 46.4% had high index results. Important geographical differences were seen, with subjects from the Northeast showing the most favourable outcomes (52% with elevated scores vs. 37.5% of those from the North). Lower percentages of high diet quality were observed in low socio-economic groups, compared with middle and upper income cohorts (42.8%, 47.6% and 54.9%, respectively). Large cities had more positive results and only slight variations were seen for gender and age.
The KIDMED index, the first to evaluate the adequacy of Mediterranean dietary patterns in children and youth, confirms that this collective is undergoing important changes, which makes them a priority target for nutrition interventions. Results challenge certain commonly perceived notions tied to income level, population size and diet quality.
Since COVID-19, global reports indicate changes in dietary habits and food security status of the population. As a follow-up to an earlier study conducted in 2020, the purpose of this online ...cross-sectional study was to examine food security and food attitudes and their subsequent impact on dietary habits since March 2020 and potential associations with demographics, health characteristics and lifestyle habits on dietary habits. Participants (n = 2036) responded to a 71-item online survey conducted between February−March 2022. Frequency counts and percentages were tabulated, and multivariate linear regressions were conducted to examine associations. Results showed that most participants indicated no change in dietary habits (45.9−88.8%) for the listed food and beverage items. A significant positive association for food attitudes scores (1.11, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.29; p < 0.001) and food security scores (0.53, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.71; p < 0.001) on total dietary habits was found. Further, significant positive associations were seen with various health characteristics such as medical conditions (p = 0.01) and lifestyle habits such as preparing meals at home (p < 0.001). A negative association was observed with females on total dietary habits (p < 0.001). It is necessary to encourage adults in the US to maintain the positive dietary and lifestyle habits they acquired since March 2020 in their daily living. Future studies should investigate the impact these habits have on their health long-term and sustained positive dietary and lifestyle habits.
Methionine-methylation cycle and the derived critical functions during infancy are key regulated by folates, vitamins B
, and B
. At present in Spain, there is an absence of studies that assess the ...intakes and dietary sources of total folates and B
by children consuming all types of milks and those regularly consuming adapted milk formulas. Thus, our aim was to evaluate folates intakes alongside with vitamins B
and B
while describing their major dietary contributors in Spanish children aged one to <10 years.
A total of 1,448 children aged between 1 and 10 years (49.7% girls and 50.3% boys) from the EsNuPI, a prospective cross-sectional study, were allocated into two cohorts: one Spanish Reference Cohort (SRS) of the general population (
= 707), and another including children consuming adapted milks called Adapted Milk Consumers Cohort (AMS) (
= 741) completed two 24 h dietary recalls used to estimate their nutrient intakes and to compare them to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Population Reference Intakes.
The median intake of vitamin B
was 1.35 (1.06-1.70) mg/day in the SRS and 1.45 (1.17-1.79) mg/day in the AMS, being significantly higher in the AMS for all age-groups. Prevalence of adequacy for vitamin B
in the SRS and AMS was 97.7 and 98.7%, respectively. Total folates intakes in the AMS were significantly higher (
≤ 0.001) in all age groups than in the SRS, independently of age. In addition, the prevalence of adequacy for folates intakes in all groups was more than 60%. Vitamin B
intake increased with age independently of the type of milk consumed. The prevalence of adequacy for vitamin B
was highly compliant by all population groups. The major contributors to vitamin B
were milk and dairy products being significantly higher in AMS than SRS (
≤ 0.001). The highest contributors to folates intakes were milk and dairy products, cereals, vegetables, and fruits in both groups whereas for vitamin B
in the SRS sample were milk and dairy products followed by meat and meats products and for adapted milks, were milk and dairy products, followed by eggs, then meat and meats products.
A satisfactory prevalence of adequacy for vitamins B
, and B
amongst the Spanish children population was observed, which was not the case for folates, regardless of the dietary group evaluated. Nevertheless, a possible strategy to increase folate intake among the youngest children is to increase the consumption of milk and dairy products within a healthier dietary pattern, as these may contribute significantly to the vitamin needs of the infant population.
The study aimed to evaluate the possible correlations between sleep quality and dietary habits in a population of Saudi during the COVID-19 pandemic. Exactly 444 adults completed a web-based ...cross-sectional study using an electronic questionnaire. Results indicate a significant difference between body mass index (BMI) and bad sleep quality. Smoking is linked to bad sleep quality. Both genders affected by coronavirus had a substantially bad quality compared to non-affected. An association between the degree of craving for sugar and bad sleep quality was found. In addition, there was a statistical difference between males and females who crave sugar very often in bad sleep quality. The result of sleep latency in males was 35.83%, who suffered from a severe sleep disorder, while 41.18% were female. The sleep duration was 65.00%, and 53.90% of males and females slept between 6 and 7 h per day. Sleep efficiency, measured according to the Pittsburgh questionnaire protocol, was measured in percentages, where a value of less than 65.00% is considered the lowest sleep efficiency. Females had a lower sleep efficiency of 25.49% compared to males (13.33%). These differences were statistically significant (
= 0.03). In conclusion, quality and sleep duration were impaired during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the observed changes were associated with diet.
Aim
To determine dietary habits of elementary school students in relation to a place of living and socioeconomic status of the family.
Methods
A prospective study conducted in the Primary Health ...Center Zenica involved five family medicine teams in urban and five in rural settlement during 2015. Elementary school students aged 10-16 were interviewed by random selection using a questionnaire on the socioeconomic status of parents and nutritional habits of adolescents.
Results
The survey involved 199 respondents, 103 from rural and 96 from urban area. There were significantly more pupils from employed parents who consumed non-carbonated drinks. Students from urban areas more likely consumed fruit every day than children from rural areas. More than half of the respondents did not or rarely consumed vegetables, in this case the village pupils, who consumed much less milk. It would be expected that rural students were more likely to consume fruits, vegetables and milk due to easier access to these foods in the countryside, but the results of this research did not confirm this assumption.
Conclusion
Changes in traditional family functioning (lower income, unemployment) could be linked with lifestyle changes (low consumption of fruits and vegetables, low consumption of milk both in rural and urban areas, consumption of carbonated drinks), especially in families in rural areas.
Diet quantity and quality in older adults is critical for the proper functioning of the musculoskeletal system. In view of hip surgery, old patients should consume 1.2-1.5 g of proteins and 27-30 ...kcal per kilo of body weight daily, and adhere to healthy eating habits. In this analytical study, we studied diet quantity and quality in relation to the clinical chemistry and functional status of 57 older adults undergoing elective hip replacement. Nine in ten patients did not meet suggested protein and energy intakes and only one in ten patients exhibited high adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Legume consumption adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, and health status successfully forecasted haemoglobin levels (
< 0.05), and patients regularly consuming olive oil reported minor hip disability compared to those using it less frequently (
< 0.05). Patients who reported daily ingestion of <1 serving of meat versus those consuming >1.5 servings had greater cumulative comorbidity (
< 0.05), with meat consumption independently predicting walking ability, mobility, and balance in the fully adjusted model (
< 0.01). In conclusion, our patients seem to eat poorly. There is room for improvement in pre-operative pathways to make older adults eat better, but there is a need to plan an interventional study to fully understand the cause-effect of a dietary pattern or specific food in enhancing recovery after surgery.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the joints. The multifactorial etiopathogenesis of RA has been heavily investigated, but is still only partially understood. ...Diet can represent both a risk factor and a protective factor, based on some evidence that suggests specific properties of certain foods and their ability to increase/reduce inflammation. To date, the studies done on this topic provide discordant results and are heterogeneous in terms of design and cohort size. In this work, we investigated for the first time the relationship between nutrition and the risk of RA onset using a sample size of about half a million subjects from one of the largest publicly available biobanks that is the UK biobank. Results showed that oily fish, alcohol, coffee and breakfast cereals have protective roles in RA; whereas, tea can increase the risk of RA. In conclusion, the obtained results confirm that diet plays key roles in RA, either by promoting or by preventing RA onset and development. Future research should focus on unravelling the effects of dietary habits on immune-mediated diseases to establish better preventive strategies.
PDF
