The impact of diet and lifestyle on wellbeing during COVID-19-lockdown

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Muth ◽  
Annabel B Losecaat Vermeer ◽  
Damiano Terenzi ◽  
Soyoung Q Park
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Diet And Lifestyle

A healthy diet and lifestyle may protect against adverse mental health outcomes, which is especially crucial during stressful times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This preregistered longitudinal online study explored whether diet and lifestyle (physical activity, sleep, and social interactions) could predict wellbeing and mood during a light lockdown in Germany. Participants (N = 117, 72 males; 28 9 years old) answered mental health and lifestyle questionnaires (social connections, sleep, activity) followed by submitting one week of food and mood-lifestyle diary (food intake, positive and negative mood, mental wellbeing, sleep quality, physical activity level, quantity and quality of social interactions) via a smartphone app. We used multivariate linear and mixed-effects models to predict mood and wellbeing by using dietary components and lifestyle factors. Inter-individual analyses revealed that sleep and social interaction significantly impacted mood and wellbeing. Interestingly, fruit and vegetable intake predicted wellbeing, even when controlling for all lifestyle factors. Fruit and vegetable intake also significantly predicted daily fluctuations in wellbeing within individuals next to sleep, physical activity, and social interactions. We observed gender differences in fruit and vegetable intake and anxiety levels. Our results emphasize the importance of diet contributing to individual wellbeing, even in the challenging times of a pandemic.

scholarly journals The Impact of an Intervention Taught by Trained Teachers on Childhood Fruit and Vegetable Intake: A Randomized Trial

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafaela Rosário ◽  
Ana Araújo ◽  
Bruno Oliveira ◽  
Patrícia Padrão ◽  
Oscar Lopes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Randomized Trial ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Trained Teachers ◽  
The Impact

Our study aimed to assess the impact of a six-months nutrition program, taught by trained teachers, on fruit and vegetable consumption among children in grades 1 to 4. Four hundred and sixty-four children (239 female), 6 to 12 years old, from seven elementary schools were assigned to this randomized trial. Teachers were trained by researchers over six months, according to the following topics: nutrition, healthy eating, and strategies to increase physical activity. After each session, teachers were encouraged to develop activities in the classroom on the topics learned. Children's sociodemographic, anthropometric, dietary, and physical activity data were assessed at baseline and at the end of the intervention. The effect sizes ranged between small (Cohen'sd=0.12on “other vegetables”) to medium (0.56 on “fruit and vegetable”), and intervened children reported a significantly higher consumption of vegetables and fruit. Interventions involving trained teachers offer promise to increase consumption of fruit and vegetable in children.

scholarly journals Rams Have Heart, a Mobile App Tracking Activity and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption to Support the Cardiovascular Health of College Students: Development and Usability Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle C Krzyzanowski ◽  
Paul N Kizakevich ◽  
Vanessa Duren-Winfield ◽  
Randall Eckhoff ◽  
Joel Hampton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Query Language ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
User Participation ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽  
Black College ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable

BACKGROUND With the increasing use of mobile devices to access the internet and as the main computing system of apps, there is a growing market for mobile health apps to provide self-care advice. Their effectiveness with regard to diet and fitness tracking, for example, needs to be examined. The majority of American adults fail to meet daily recommendations for healthy behavior. Testing user engagement with an app in a controlled environment can provide insight into what is effective and not effective in an app focused on improving diet and exercise. OBJECTIVE We developed Rams Have Heart, a mobile app, to support a cardiovascular disease (CVD) intervention course. The app tracks healthy behaviors, including fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity, throughout the day. This paper aimed to present its functionality and evaluated adherence among the African American college student population. METHODS We developed the app using the Personal Health Informatics and Intervention Toolkit, a software framework. Rams Have Heart integrates self-reported health screening with health education, diary tracking, and user feedback modules to acquire data and assess progress. The parent study, conducted at a historically black college and university-designated institution in southeastern United States, consisted of a semester-long intervention administered as an academic course in the fall, for 3 consecutive years. Changes were made after the cohort 1 pilot study, so results only include cohorts 2 and 3, comprising a total of 115 students (n=55 intervention participants and n=54 control participants) aged from 17 to 24 years. Data collected over the study period were transferred using the secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure protocol and stored in a secure Structured Query Language server database accessible only to authorized persons. SAS software was used to analyze the overall app usage and the specific results collected. RESULTS Of the 55 students in the intervention group, 27 (49%) students in cohort 2 and 25 (45%) in cohort 3 used the Rams Have Heart app at least once. Over the course of the fall semester, app participation dropped off gradually until exam week when most students no longer participated. The average fruit and vegetable intake increased slightly, and activity levels decreased over the study period. CONCLUSIONS Rams Have Heart was developed to allow daily tracking of fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity to support a CVD risk intervention for a student demographic susceptible to obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. We conducted an analysis of app usage, function, and user results. Although a mobile app provides privacy and flexibility for user participation in a research study, Rams Have Heart did not improve compliance or user outcomes. Health-oriented research studies relying on apps in support of user goals need further evaluation.

scholarly journals Prevalence, clustering and sociodemographic distributions of non-communicable disease risk factors in Nepalese adolescents: secondary analysis of a nationwide school survey

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e028263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raja Ram Dhungana ◽  
Bihungum Bista ◽  
Achyut Raj Pandey ◽  
Maximilian de Courten
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Insufficient Physical Activity ◽  
Non Communicable Disease

ObjectivesTo assess the prevalence, clustering and sociodemographic distribution of non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors in adolescents in Nepal.DesignData originated from Global School Based Student Health Survey, Nepal conducted in 2015–2016.SettingThe study sites were the secondary schools in Nepal; 74 schools were selected based on the probability proportional to school enrolment size throughout Nepal.Participants5795 school-going children aged 13–17 years were included in the study.Primary outcomesNCD risk factors: smoking, alcohol consumption, insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, insufficient physical activity and overweight/obesity were the primary outcomes. Sociodemographic distributions of the combined and individual NCD risk factors were determined by Poisson regression analysis.ResultsFindings revealed the prevalence of smoking (6.04%; CI 4.62 to 7.88), alcohol consumption (5.29%; CI 4.03 to 6.92), insufficient fruit and vegetable intake (95.33%; CI 93.89 to 96.45), insufficiently physical activity (84.77%; CI 81.04 to 87.88) and overweight/obesity (6.66%; CI 4.65 to 9.45). One or more risk factors were present in 99.6%, ≥2 were in 83% and ≥3 were in 11.2%. Risk factors were more likely to cluster in male, 17 years of age and grade 7. Prevalence of smoking (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR)=2.38; CI 1.6 to 3.51) and alcohol consumption (aPR=1.81; CI 1.29 to 2.53) was significantly high in male, and in 16 and 17 years of age. Prevalence of insufficient physical activity and overweight/obesity was significantly lower in higher grades.ConclusionInsufficient fruit and vegetable intake and insufficient physical activity were highly prevalent in the populations studied. Risk factors were disproportionately distributed and clustered in particular gender, age and grade. The study population requires an age and gender specific preventive public health intervention.

scholarly journals The Impact of a Community Fruit and Vegetable Voucher Program (Vouchers 4 Veggies) on Improvements in Dietary Intake and Food Security (P04-013-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah Jennings ◽  
Sanjana Marpadga ◽  
Cissie Bonini ◽  
Melissa Akers ◽  
Ronli Levi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Health Perception ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Voucher Program ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objectives Vouchers 4 Veggies (V4V) is a transformative healthy food voucher program aimed at increasing access to and affordability of healthy food in the most vulnerable communities. Between 2015–2018, over 2600 ethnically diverse low-income individuals were enrolled in the program with the goal to increase their fruit and vegetable intake, improve food security status and change health perception. Methods V4V partners with local community-based organizations and clinics that serve as voucher distribution sites as well as neighborhoods stores, grocery stores, and famer's markets where participants can redeem their vouchers. Participants receive $20-$40 worth of vouchers per month for 6 months. Data for this evaluation were collected using pre- and post- surveys (at 0 and 4–6 months) that included a validated fruit and vegetable intake screener, the USDA 7-item food security screener, demographic questions and health perception questions. Results Data from 862 matched surveys indicate that mean fruit and vegetable intake increased from 2.49 to 3.52 servings daily, corresponding to a 1.03 servings increase after six months in the program (0.89,1.77; P < .001). In addition, V4V participants’ food security scores improved, decreasing 0.88 points (−1.07, −0.71; P < 0.001) on a 6 point scale (0 being the most food secure and 6 being very food insecure), from a mean of 5.53 to 4.65 using the USDA validated 6-item scale. When stratified by race, food security improved significantly for all major racial groups except Black/African Americans. Finally, participants reported a statistically significant improvement in self-reported health status (P < 0.001), with a 14% change in status from poor/fair health to good/very good/excellent health. Conclusions This evaluation suggests that a modest supplement for fruits and vegetables may be able to improve dietary intake, support food security, and improve health perception among vulnerable residents of San Francisco. More research is needed to understand differences in maintaining long-term health and behavior changes among program participants. Funding Sources V4V received funding from the SF Department of Public Health, Hellman Foundation, AARP Foundation, and Kaiser Permanente Community Benefits Program.

scholarly journals Fruit and Vegetable Lesson Plan Pilot Intervention for Grade 5 Students from Southwestern Ontario

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (22) ◽  
pp. 8422
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Woodruff ◽  
Clinton Beckford ◽  
Stephanie Segave
Keyword(s):  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Lesson Plan ◽  
Food Delivery ◽  
Lesson Plans ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Food Literacy ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Impact

The purpose was to create and assess the impact of food literacy curriculum alongside a centrally procured school snack program among grade five students in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Grade five students (N = 287) from five intervention and three controls schools participated in an 8-week food delivery program. In addition to the food delivery program, intervention schools received a resource kit and access to 42 multidisciplinary food literacy lesson plans using the produce delivered as part of the food delivery program. Participants completed matched pre- and post-test online surveys to assess fruit and vegetable intake, knowledge, preferences, and attitudes. Descriptive analyses and changes in scores between the intervention and control schools were assessed using one-way ANOVAs, paired samples t-tests, and McNemar’s tests. In total, there were 220 participants that completed both the pre- and post-test surveys. There was a significant improvement in fruit and vegetable intake (p = 0.038), yet no differences in knowledge of the recommended number of food group servings, knowledge of food groups, or fruit and vegetable preferences or attitudes were observed. Integrating nutrition lesson plans within core curricula classes (e.g., math, science, and literacy) can lead to modest increases in fruit and vegetable intake.

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