Understanding Incoming Canadian and US Veterinary Students’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Their Dietary Habits and Levels of Physical Activity

Abstract Background The coronavirus pandemic has transformed and continues to transform and affect the daily lives of communities worldwide, particularly due to the lockdown restrictions. Therefore, this study was designed to understand the changes in dietary and lifestyle behaviours that are major determinants of health during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online questionnaire using a convenience sample of 415 adults living in Kuwait (age range 18–73 years). Results The rate of skipping breakfast remained consistent, with a slight increase during the pandemic. Lunch remained the main reported meal before and during COVID-19. Compared to before COVID-19, people were much more likely have a late-night snack or meal during COVID-19 (OR = 3.57 (95% CI 1.79–7.26), p < 0.001). Moreover, there was a drastic decrease in the frequency of fast-food consumption during COVID-19, up to 82% reported not consuming fast food (p < 0.001). There was a significant increase in the percentage of participants who had their main meal freshly made (OR = 59.18 (95% CI 6.55–1400.76), p = 0.001). Regarding food group patterns, no significant differences were found before and during the pandemic in terms of the weekly frequency of consumption, except in the case of fish and seafood. There were no remarkable changes in beverage consumption habits among participants before and during the pandemic, except for Americano coffee and fresh juice. Furthermore, there was a great reduction in physical activity and an increase in the amount of screen time and sedentary behaviours. A notable increase was detected in day-time sleep and a decrease in night-time sleep among participants. Conclusion In general, this study indicates some changes in daily life, including changes in some eating practices, physical activity and sleeping habits during the pandemic. It is important that the government considers the need for nutrition education programmes and campaigns, particularly during this critical period of the pandemic in Kuwait.

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Can Health-Promoting Schools Contribute to Better Health Behaviors? Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Dietary Habits among Israeli Adolescents

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18031183 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 1183

Author(s):

Hila Beck ◽

Riki Tesler ◽

Sharon Barak ◽

Daniel Sender Moran ◽

Adilson Marques ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Health Behavior ◽

Confidence Interval ◽

Health Behaviors ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Group Differences ◽

Time Behavior ◽

Health Promoting ◽

The Mean

Schools with health-promoting school (HPS) frameworks are actively committed to enhancing healthy lifestyles. This study explored the contribution of school participation in HPS on students’ health behaviors, namely, physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, and dieting. Data from the 2018/2019 Health Behavior in School-aged Children study on Israeli adolescents aged 11–17 years were used. Schools were selected from a sample of HPSs and non-HPSs. Between-group differences and predictions of health behavior were analyzed. No between-group differences were observed in mean number of days/week with at least 60 min of PA (HPS: 3.84 ± 2.19 days/week, 95% confidence interval of the mean = 3.02–3.34; non-HPS: 3.93 ± 2.17 days/week, 95% confidence interval of the mean = 3.13–3.38). Most children engaged in screen time behavior for >2 h/day (HPS: 60.83%; non-HPS: 63.91%). The odds of being on a diet were higher among more active children (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20), higher socio-economic status (OR = 1.23), and female (OR = 2.29). HPS did not predict any health behavior. These findings suggest that HPSs did not contribute to health behaviors more than non-HPSs. Therefore, health-promoting activities in HPSs need to be improved in order to justify their recognition as members of the HPS network and to fulfill their mission.

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Assessment of Dietary Habits, Physical Activity and Lifestyle in Medical University Students

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13063572 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 3572

Author(s):

Lavinia-Maria Pop ◽

Magdalena Iorga ◽

Iulia-Diana Muraru ◽

Florin-Dumitru Petrariu

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Medical Students ◽

Fast Food ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Healthy Life ◽

Related Data ◽

The Third ◽

Health Related ◽

Medical University ◽

Busy Schedule

A busy schedule and demanding tasks challenge medical students to adjust their lifestyle and dietary habits. The aim of this study was to identify dietary habits and health-related behaviours among students. A number of 403 students (80.40% female, aged M = 21.21 ± 4.56) enrolled in a medical university provided answers to a questionnaire constructed especially for this research, which was divided into three parts: the first part collected socio-demographic, anthropometric, and medical data; the second part inquired about dietary habits, lifestyle, sleep, physical activity, water intake, and use of alcohol and cigarettes; and the third part collected information about nutrition-related data and the consumption of fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, fish, and sweets. Data were analysed using SPSS v24. Students usually slept M = 6.71 ± 1.52 h/day, and one-third had self-imposed diet restrictions to control their weight. For both genders, the most important meal was lunch, and one-third of students had breakfast each morning. On average, the students consumed 1.64 ± 0.88 l of water per day and had 220 min of physical activity per week. Data about the consumption of fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, fish, sweets, fast food, coffee, tea, alcohol, or carbohydrate drinks were presented. The results of our study proved that medical students have knowledge about how to maintain a healthy life and they practice it, which is important for their subsequent professional life.

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Cattle Review

Livestock ◽

10.12968/live.2021.26.4.194 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 194-194

Author(s):

David C Barrett

Keyword(s):

Research Methods ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Dairy Farms ◽

Antimicrobial Use ◽

Veterinary Students ◽

Students Attitudes

Introduction: In this Cattle Review we consider a meta-analysis of dietary cation-anion difference research, methods of measuring antimicrobial use on dairy farms, and UK veterinary students' attitudes towards production animal orientated careers.

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Determinants of student’s physical activity: a 12-month follow-up study in Ningxia province

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10525-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Wei Huang ◽

Xiangrong Shi ◽

Yujie Wang ◽

Xiaoling Li ◽

Pengpeng Gao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Skill Training ◽

Critical Role ◽

School Factors ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Students Attitudes ◽

Sport Events

Abstract Background Physical activity has many health benefits for children and adolescents. However, the prevalence of physical inactivity in school-aged children and adolescents remains high in China. Many factors impact the levels of moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among students. This study investigated the factors associated with students’ MVPA levels and the determinants of changes in their MVPA behaviour. Methods This is a longitudinal study with a 12-month follow-up. The study samples were obtained from 2016 and 2017 Physical Activity and Fitness in China—The Youth Study, and they included 1597 students (aged 9–18 years) from 31 primary, junior high, and high schools in Ningxia Province. Factors related to the individual (Age, Sex, BMI and attitude to PA), school (school exercise facility, PE class, teacher support, PA time and PA environment) and neighbourhood (free skill training, sport events, sport organization, sport facility) factors were measured via questionnaire at baseline and after 12 months. Multiple logistic regression was performed to examine the factors that impact students’ MVPA level and the determinants of changes in students’ MVPA behaviour. Results There was no difference in students’ MVPA levels between 2016 and 2017. Boys were more physically active than girls at baseline (RR 1.55, 95% CI 1.10, 2.20). Neighbourhood factors associated students’ MVPA levels were significant, but all of these factors (neighbourhood sport events, organizations, facilities, etc.) were removed from the longitudinal model. Individual and school factors were important for students’ MVPA maintenance and positive development (e.g., gender, attitude, school PE class and PA time). Conclusions In conclusion, both neighbourhood and school factors may affect students’ MVPA, but school appears to plays a more critical role in maintaining and promoting students’ MVPA levels. In addition, individual factors may be more important than school and neighbourhood factors in influencing students’ MVPA levels. Our research demonstrates that students’ attitudes towards PA and school factors should be considered targets for future intervention programmes to promote MVPA. More education programmes may help enhance students’ attitudes towards PA, but more studies with large samples and objective assessments are needed to explore the determinants of MVPA.

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Individual Diet Modification Reduces the Metabolic Syndrome in Patients Before Pharmacological Treatment

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13062102 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 2102

Author(s):

Małgorzata Elżbieta Zujko ◽

Marta Rożniata ◽

Kinga Zujko

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Metabolic Syndrome ◽

Fatty Acids ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Fasting Glucose ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

The Metabolic Syndrome

Modification of lifestyle, including healthy nutrition, is the primary approach for metabolic syndrome (MetS) therapy. The aim of this study was to estimate how individual nutrition intervention affects the reduction of MetS components. Subjects diagnosed with MetS were recruited in the Lomza Medical Centre. The study group consisted of 90 participants and was divided into one intervention group (individual nutrition education group (INEG)) and one control group (CG). The research was conducted over 3 months. The following measurements were obtained during the first visit and after completion of the 3 months intervention: body mass, waist circumference, body composition, blood pressure, fasting glucose, and blood lipids. Dietary assessments were performed before and post-intervention using 3-day 24-h dietary recalls. Dietary knowledge was evaluated with the KomPAN questionnaire. The total polyphenol content of the diet was calculated. Sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics were collected from a self-reported questionnaire. The physical activity was assessed by the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). It was found that the individual nutrition education was an effective method to improve the knowledge, dietary habits, and physical activity of the study participants. The modification of the diet in terms of higher intake of polyphenols (flavonoids and anthocyanins), fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), PUFA n-3, and lower intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA) had a significant impact on the improvement of some MetS risk factors (waist circumference, fasting glucose, and HDL-cholesterol).

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Long-Term Dietary and Physical Activity Interventions in the School Setting and Their Effects on BMI in Children Aged 6–12 Years: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9040396 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 396

Author(s):

Purificación Cerrato-Carretero ◽

Raúl Roncero-Martín ◽

Juan D. Pedrera-Zamorano ◽

Fidel López-Espuela ◽

Luis M. Puerto-Parejo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Controlled Clinical Trials ◽

Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

School Based ◽

School Based Interventions

Preventive actions and potential obesity interventions for children are mainly researched throughout the school period, either as part of the school curricula or after regular school hours, via interventions mostly lasting less than 12 months. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis on randomized controlled clinical trials to evaluate the evidence of the efficacy of long-term school-based interventions in the management of childhood obesity in terms of BMI from a dietary and physical activity-based approach. Eleven randomized controlled clinical trials were examined using the random effects model, and the results showed that there were no significant effects associated with physical activity + nutrition intervention in school children aged 6–12 years, with a pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) (95% CI) of −0.00 (−0.05, 0.04). No effects were observed after subgroup analysis based on the intervention length. The findings from our study indicate that long-term school-based interventions on physical activity and dietary habits received by children aged 6–12 years seem to have no effect on BMI. However, the promotion of such interventions should not be discouraged, as they promote additional positive health outcomes for other domains of children’s health.

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Associations between lifestyle behaviour changes and the optimal well-being of middle-aged Japanese individuals

BioPsychoSocial Medicine ◽

10.1186/s13030-021-00210-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Toshihiro Takao ◽

Naoki Sumi ◽

Yoshiyuki Yamanaka ◽

Sohachi Fujimoto ◽

Tomoari Kamada

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Chronic Renal Disease ◽

Well Being ◽

Regular Physical Activity ◽

World Health ◽

Positive Health ◽

Lifestyle Behaviour ◽

Lifestyle Behaviours

Abstract Background Psychological well-being has been associated with reduced mortality rates in both healthy and diseased populations. However, there is considerably less evidence on the effect of lifestyle behaviours on positive health outcomes such as well-being. This study examines the association between lifestyle behaviours and optimal well-being. Methods From a total of 4324 Japanese individuals who participated in an annual health check-up in 2017, this study recruited 2295 participants (mean age: 49.3 ± 8.4 years; female: 54.3%) without a history of cerebrovascular, cardiovascular, or chronic renal disease and not on medication for hypertension, diabetes, or dyslipidaemia. The World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) scores were compared to self-reported scores on each of the following items: dietary habits, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and sleep quality. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between optimal well-being (the top quartile of WHO-5 scores) and individual lifestyle behaviours. The association between change in dietary habits and physical activity from 2016 to 2017 and optimal well-being was also investigated. Results Good dietary habits and regular physical activity were associated with higher raw WHO-5 scores and were positively associated with optimal well-being after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and sleep quality. Raw WHO-5 scores were significantly higher in those who maintained good dietary and physical activity behaviours than in those who did not. Furthermore, maintaining regular physical activity for two years was positively associated with optimal well-being, after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and sleep quality. Conclusion These results demonstrate that not only currently practising good dietary and physical activity behaviours but also maintaining such behaviours over time is associated with optimal well-being. Maintaining good lifestyle behaviours, particularly regarding physical activity, could potentially improve people’s well-being.

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