scholarly journals Food insecurity and its association with changes in nutritional habits among adults during the COVID-19 confinement measures in Belgium

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Stefanie Vandevijvere ◽  
Karin De Ridder ◽  
Sabine Drieskens ◽  
Rana Charafeddine ◽  
Finaba Berete ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: To assess food insecurity and its association with changes in nutritional habits among Belgian adults during confinement due to COVID-19. Design: Three cross-sectional online health surveys were conducted during March–May 2020. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to determine associations between self-reported changes in fruit, vegetable, soft drink and sweet and salted snack consumption or weight as dependent variables and food insecurity indicators as independent variables, adjusted for gender, household composition, educational attainment and household income. Setting: Belgium. Participants: In total, 8640 adults recruited by convenience sampling. Results: About 10·4 % of Belgians often or sometimes feared food shortages, 5·0 % were often or sometimes short of food without money to buy more and 10·3 % often or sometimes could not afford to eat a healthy diet during confinement. These percentages were highest among single-parent families (26·7, 14·4 and 23·4 %, respectively). Adults who often or sometimes feared that food would run out during confinement had significantly higher odds of decreased v. unchanged fruits (3·53; 95 % CI = 2·06, 6·05) and vegetables (5·42; 95 % CI = 2·90, 10·11) consumption and significantly higher odds of increased v. unchanged soft drink consumption (3·79; 95 % CI = 2·20, 6·54). Similar results were found for adults who often or sometimes ran out of food and for adults who often or sometimes were not able to afford a healthy diet. Conclusion: Food insecurity during the COVID-19 confinement measures in Belgium was associated with adverse changes in most dietary behaviours. A strong government response is needed to tackle malnutrition and food insecurity to protect public health from ongoing and future pandemics.

Author(s):  
Supa Pengpid ◽  
Karl Peltzer

AbstractObjectivesThe study aimed to report on the prevalence and socio-psychological correlates of non-fatal injury among school-going adolescents in Timor-Leste.MethodsCross-sectional data from the 2015 Timor-Leste “Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS)” included 3,704 school children (median age 16 years, interquartile range 3) that were representative of all students in secondary school, excluding grade 12.ResultsThe proportion of participants with one or multiple serious injuries in the past year was 70.0% (40.6% once, 17.2% two-three times and 12.2% 4–12 times). The most frequent cause of the reported injury were “I fell” (33.8%) and motor vehicle (10.2%) and the most common type of injury was “a broken bone or dislocated joint” (7.8%) and “cut, puncture or stab wound” (6.7%). In adjusted multinomial logistic regression analysis, suicide attempt was associated with one injury, and truancy was associated with both one and multiple injury. Current tobacco use, lifetime cannabis use, soft drink consumption, and loneliness were associated with multiple injuries.ConclusionsSeveral variables were identified that could be targeted in injury prevention programmes in this school population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Theresa Lebacq ◽  
Maud Dujeu ◽  
Camille Pedroni ◽  
Nathalie Moreau ◽  
Véronique Desnouck ◽  
...  

AbstractOver the past decade, energy drinks (ED) have become increasingly popular among adolescents. Due to their high content in caffeine, sugar and other energy-promoting components, frequent ED consumption may have adverse health effects, like cardiovascular symptoms, sleep impairment, and nervousness. Previous studies have shown that ED consumption was more frequent among males. To extend this knowledge, our analysis examined how sociodemographic and lifestyle determinants of frequent ED consumption may differ by gender among Belgian adolescents. This study was based on data self-reported by 9,119 12–19 year-old French-speaking Belgian adolescents in secondary school, within the 2014 cross-sectional Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey. Pupils reporting they usually consumed ED once a day or more were considered as “high ED consumers”. Sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics were described in relation to ED consumption, for boys and girls separately. We used multiple logistic regression models, stratified by gender, to assess the associations between the sociodemographic and lifestyle variables, with high ED consumption. Daily ED consumption was reported by 7.9% of boys and 4.6% of girls. In both genders, the proportion of high ED consumers was significantly higher among adolescents of grades 1–3, those of lower family affluence, in first- and second-generation immigrants, those watching TV more than 6 hours/day, those reporting later bedtimes, and those consuming soft drinks daily. In girls only, higher percentages were observed in girls from single- (7.6%) or blended-families (5.2%), than in girls from two-parent families (3.5%). In boys only, this percentage was higher among adolescents meeting physical activity recommendations (14.5% vs 6.5%). Multivariate analyses showed that high ED consumption was associated with lower grades, long screen time, later bedtimes, and daily soft drink consumption in both genders. In girls only, adolescents from single-parent families were more likely to consume ED daily (OR 1.70; 95% CI 1.23–2.37) (vs. two-parent families). In boys only, first-generation immigrants (OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.06–2.21) (vs. natives) and youth sufficiently physically active (OR 2.19; 95% CI 1.65–2.90) were more likely to consume ED daily. High ED consumption was more frequent among boys and showed gender-specific patterns, with associations with family structure in girls only, and with migration status and physical activity in boys only. Our findings provide evidence about patterns of high ED consumption among adolescents and should be used to inform the development of prevention strategies.


Author(s):  
Joong Seob Lee ◽  
Tae Jun Kim ◽  
Sung Kwang Hong ◽  
Chanyang Min ◽  
Dae Myoung Yoo ◽  
...  

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between hyperuricemia and the frequency of coffee, tea, and soft drink consumption, based on data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) (2004–2016). We used the KoGES health examinee data, obtained from urban residents aged ≥ 40 years. Information on the participants’ medical history, nutrition (total calorie, protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake), frequency of alcohol consumption, smoking status, household income, and frequency of coffee/green tea/soft drink intake was collected. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the data. Subgroup analyses were performed according to the participant’s age and sex. Among 173,209 participants, there were 11,750 and 156,002 individuals with hyperuricemia and non-hyperuricemia controls, respectively. In an adjusted model, frequent coffee and green tea consumption did not increase the risk of hyperuricemia, compared to the “no intake” reference group. However, an adjusted odds ratio of hyperuricemia was 1.23 (95% confidence interval, 1.11–1.35, p < 0.001) for participants who reported consuming soft drinks ≥ 3 times per day, compared to the respective “no drink” reference group. Even after adjusting for nutritional and sociodemographic factors, frequent soft drink intake was associated with an increased risk of hyperuricemia. Meanwhile, neither coffee nor green tea intake was associated with an increased risk of hyperuricemia.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2597
Author(s):  
Kathryn M. Janda ◽  
Nalini Ranjit ◽  
Deborah Salvo ◽  
Aida Nielsen ◽  
Pablo Lemoine ◽  
...  

Food insecurity increased substantially in the USA during the early stages of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to identify potential sociodemographic and food access-related factors that were associated with continuing or transitioning into food insecurity in a diverse population. An electronic survey was completed by 367 households living in low-income communities in Central Texas during June–July 2020. Multinomial logistic regression models were developed to examine the associations among food insecurity transitions during COVID-19 and various sociodemographic and food access-related factors, including race/ethnicity, children in the household, loss of employment/wages, language, and issues with food availability, accessibility, affordability, and stability during the pandemic. Sociodemographic and food access-related factors associated with staying or becoming newly food insecure were similar but not identical. Having children in the household, changes in employment/wages, changing shopping location due to food availability, accessibility and/or affordability issues, issues with food availability, and stability of food supply were associated with becoming newly food insecure and staying food insecure during the pandemic. Identifying as Latino and/or Black was associated with staying food insecure during COVID-19. These findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic did not create new food insecurity disparities. Rather, the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing disparities.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. e043365
Author(s):  
Subhasish Das ◽  
Md. Golam Rasul ◽  
Md Shabab Hossain ◽  
Ar-Rafi Khan ◽  
Md Ashraful Alam ◽  
...  

IntroductionWe conducted a cross-sectional survey to assess the extent and to identify the determinants of food insecurity and coping strategies in urban and rural households of Bangladesh during the month-long, COVID-19 lockdown period.SettingSelected urban and rural areas of Bangladesh.Participants106 urban and 106 rural households.Outcome variables and methodHousehold food insecurity status and the types of coping strategies were the outcome variables for the analyses. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were done to identify the determinants.ResultsWe found that around 90% of the households were suffering from different grades of food insecurity. Severe food insecurity was higher in urban (42%) than rural (15%) households. The rural households with mild/moderate food insecurity adopted either financial (27%) or both financial and food compromised (32%) coping strategies, but 61% of urban mild/moderate food insecure households applied both forms of coping strategies. Similarly, nearly 90% of severely food insecure households implemented both types of coping strategies. Living in poorest households was significantly associated (p value <0.05) with mild/moderate (regression coefficient, β: 15.13, 95% CI 14.43 to 15.82), and severe food insecurity (β: 16.28, 95% CI 15.58 to 16.97). The statistically significant (p <0.05) determinants of both food compromised and financial coping strategies were living in urban areas (β: 1.8, 95% CI 0.44 to 3.09), living in poorest (β: 2.7, 95% CI 1 to 4.45), poorer (β: 2.6, 95% CI 0.75 to 4.4) and even in the richer (β: 1.6, 95% CI 0.2 to 2.9) households and age of the respondent (β: 0.1, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.21).ConclusionBoth urban and rural households suffered from moderate to severe food insecurity during the month-long lockdown period in Bangladesh. But, poorest, poorer and even the richer households adopted different coping strategies that might result in long-term economic and nutritional consequences.


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 679-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruna Fernanda do Nascimento Jacinto de Souza ◽  
Letícia Marín-León

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether food insecurity is associated with the demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health conditions of the elderly. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 427 elderly (³60 years) from Campinas, São Paulo; half were users of a government-run soup kitchen and the others, their neighbors of the same sex. Food insecurity was measured by the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Univariate multinomial logistic regression was used for calculating the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval to measure the association between the independent variables and food insecurity. Variables with p<0.20 were included in a multinomial model, and only those with p<0.05 remained. RESULTS: Most respondents (63.2%) were males; 15.2% and 6.6% were experiencing mild and moderate/severe food insecurity, respectively. The final model, adjusted for sex and age, showed that elderly with a total family income ≤2 minimum salaries (OR=3.41, 95%CI=1.27-9.14), who did not have a job (OR=2.95, 95%CI=1.23-7.06), and who were obese (OR=2.01, 95%CI=1.04-3.87) were more likely to be mildly food insecure. Elderly with cancer (OR=4.13, 95%CI=1.21-14.0) and those hospitalized in the past year (OR=3.16, 95%CI=1.23-8.11) were more likely to be moderately/severely food insecure. Finally, elderly living in unfinished houses (OR=2.71; and OR=2.92) and who did not consume fruits (OR=2.95 and OR=4.11) or meats daily (OR=2.04 and OR=3.83) were more likely to be mildly and moderately/severely food insecure. CONCLUSION: Food insecure elderly are more likely to have chronic diseases, poor nutritional status, and poor socioeconomic condition. Therefore, the welfare programs should expand the number of soup kitchens and develop other strategies to assure adequate nutrition to these elderly.


2021 ◽  
pp. jrheum.210285
Author(s):  
Holly T. Philpott ◽  
Trevor B. Birmingham ◽  
Ryan Pinto ◽  
Codie A. Primeau ◽  
Dominique Arsenault ◽  
...  

Objective To examine the association between ultrasound (US)-detected knee inflammation and intermittent and constant pain experiences in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Participants with radiographically early- (KL ≤ 2) and late-stage (KL ≥ 3) disease and frequent symptoms underwent musculoskeletal US measures of inflammation using the OMERACT knee US scoring system. Pain experiences were captured using the Intermittent and Constant OA Pain (ICOAP) tool. We assessed the association between US-synovitis and ICOAP pain experiences using a series of linear, logistic, or multinomial logistic regression models (as appropriate for each variable), while adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and radiographic stage. Secondary analyses were performed similarly by radiographic stage. Results Pain and synovitis measures from 248 patients (453 knees) were included. Worse synovitis was associated with higher ICOAP constant pain scores (β 8.05 [95%CI 0.67, 15.43]), but not intermittent pain scores. Moderate-to-severe synovitis was associated with a 4.73-fold increased relative risk [95%CI 1.06, 8.80] of a constant pain pattern. In secondary analyses, moderate-to-severe synovitis in early radiographic OA was associated with 2.70-higher odds [95%CI 1.04, 7.02] of any constant pain, 3.28-higher odds [95%CI 1.43, 7.52] of any intermittent pain, and with higher intermittent (β 10.47 [95%CI 1.03, 19.91]) and constant (β 12.62 [95%CI 3.02, 22.23]) pain scores. No associations identified for synovitis in those with late radiographic OA. Conclusion In patients with knee OA, moderate-to-severe synovitis is most strongly associated with constant pain. Inflammation may play context-specific roles across pain experiences, especially in earlier radiographic stages of knee OA.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosenda Murillo ◽  
Pooja Agrawal ◽  
Sheila Berenji-Jalaei ◽  
Elizabeth Vasquez ◽  
Sandra Echeverria

Background: Little research has examined gender differences in the association of seeing others exercise, in the neighborhood context, with physical activity, particularly for diverse racial/ethnic groups. The authors examined the association between frequency of seeing people walk and aerobic activity by gender among Latinos. Methods: The authors used cross-sectional 2015 National Health Interview Survey data on Latino participants ≥18 years (n = 5147). Multinomial logistic regression models estimated the association between seeing people walk and level of aerobic physical activity. Results: Men reporting seeing people walk every 2 to 3 days and every day were more likely to meet the aerobic activity recommendation (odds ratio [OR] 2.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–3.89 and OR 1.96; 95% CI, 1.23–3.14, respectively). Among women, those seeing people walk every day and every 2 to 3 days were likely to engage in some aerobic activity (OR 1.88; 95% CI, 1.26–2.80 and OR 2.16; 95% CI, 1.23–3.18, respectively) and meet the recommendation (OR 1.73; 95% CI, 1.24–2.42 and OR 1.66; 95% CI, 1.03–2.67, respectively). Women seeing people walk about once a week were also likely to engage in some activity (OR 3.06; 95% CI, 1.59–5.89). Conclusions: Among Latino men and women, seeing people walk is associated with meeting the aerobic activity guideline. Results suggest that adoption of physical activity may in part be driven by neighborhood-level behavioral norms and by inference characteristics of the neighborhood that support walking.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-162
Author(s):  
Ruhaya Salleh ◽  
Rashidah Ambak ◽  
S. Maria Awaluddin ◽  
Mohamad Hasnan Ahmad ◽  
Noor Safiza Mohamad Noor ◽  
...  

Carbonated soft drinks (CSD) consumption is one of the contributing factors to weight gain, dental caries and non-communicable diseases among adolescents. This study aims to determine CSD consumption among Malaysian adolescents and their associated factors. The Adolescent Health Survey 2017, was a nationally representative survey sampled school-going adolescents aged 13 to 17 years. Findings reported that 36.9% of adolescents reported CSD consumption at least once daily in the past 30 days, and the prevalence was higher than a similar study conducted in 2012. Boys, schools in rural areas, lower secondary schoolers, not physically active, consuming fast food, having food insecurity, and truancy problem reported significantly higher odds of consuming CSD compared to their counterparts. By ethnicity, Bumiputera Sarawak adolescents showed the highest odds of consuming CSD and followed by Bumiputera Sabah. Thus, interventions to limit CSD consumption among Malaysian adolescents should consider the factors highlighted in this study.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Mateo-Rodríguez ◽  
E Knox ◽  
A Daponte-Codina ◽  

Abstract Background The concept of workability provides a conceptual framework and proposes measures for the evaluation of relevant actions focused on a healthy workforce. In Spain, one of the countries with the highest life expectancy, there are practically no scientific studies on workability and its associated factors. Aims The objective of this study is to examine the associations between workability and variables related to health and work in a sample of workers from Spanish health centres. Methods Cross-sectional study including 1184 health centre workers who completed a questionnaire at baseline, comprising measures of workability, health and other work-related factors. Workability has been analysed as a one-factor construct, and as a two-factor construct. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to analyse factors associated with workability. Results As a one-dimensional construct, workability is associated with physical and mental health, number of hours of worked, insomnia, work and family life balance, adequate training, never having had an accident and type of contract. When the two-factor measure was used, sensitivity of findings increased, and it was identified that those participants who were older, lived alone and have more years of service in their profession also show worse workability. Conclusions The present study identified factors associated with the workability of health centre workers. The two-factor workability index (WAI) has better psychometric properties and used in combination with the global measure of WAI, identifies important additional aspects, specifically, age and years of professional experience as additional considerations for the intervention.


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