Query: Eating habits

title: Eating habits and lifestyle changes during COVID 19 lockdown: an Italian survey
abstract: On December 12th 2019, a new coronavirus (SARS Cov2) emerged in Wuhan, China, sparking a pandemic of acute respiratory syndrome in humans (COVID 19) On the 24th of April 2020, the number of COVID 19 deaths in the world, according to the COVID Case Tracker by Johns Hopkins University, was 195,313, and the number of COVID 19 confirmed cases was 2,783,512. The COVID 19 pandemic represents a massive impact on human health, causing sudden lifestyle changes, through social distancing and isolation at home, with social and economic consequences. Optimizing public health during this pandemic requires not only knowledge from the medical and biological sciences, but also of all human sciences related to lifestyle, social and behavioural studies, including dietary habits and lifestyle.  Our study aimed to investigate the immediate impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on eating habits and lifestyle changes among the Italian population aged 12 years. The study comprised a structured questionnaire packet that inquired demographic information (age, gender, place of residence, current employment) anthropometric data (reported weight and height) dietary habits information (adherence to the Mediterranean diet, daily intake of certain foods, food frequency, and number of meals/day) lifestyle habits information (grocery shopping, habit of smoking, sleep quality and physical activity) The survey was conducted from the 5th to the 24th of April 2020.  A total of 3533 respondents have been included in the study, aged between 12 and 86 years (76.1% females) The perception of weight gain was observed in 48.6% of the population; 3.3% of smokers decided to quit smoking; a slight increased physical activity has been reported, especially for bodyweight training, in 38.3% of respondents; the population group aged 18 30 years resulted in having a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet when compared to the younger and the elderly population (p 0.001; p 0.001, respectively) 15% of respondents turned to farmers or organic, purchasing fruits and vegetables, especially in the North and Center of Italy, where BMI values were lower.  In this study, we have provided for the first time data on the Italian population lifestyle, eating habits and adherence to the Mediterranean Diet pattern during the COVID 19 lockdown. However, as the COVID 19 pandemic is ongoing, our data need to be confirmed and investigated in future more extensive population studies.

title: Psychological Aspects and Eating Habits during COVID 19 Home Confinement: Results of EHLC COVID 19 Italian Online Survey
abstract: The COVID 19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the population with consequences on lifestyles. The aim of the study was to analyse the relationship between eating habits, mental and emotional mood. A survey was conducted online during social isolation, from 24 April to 18 May 2020, among the Italian population. A total of 602 interviewees were included in the data analysis. A high percentage of respondents experienced a depressed mood, anxious feelings, hypochondria and insomnia (61.3% 70.4% 46.2% and 52.2% Almost half of the respondents felt anxious due to the fact of their eating habits, consumed comfort food and were inclined to increase food intake to feel better. Age was inversely related to dietary control (OR 0.971, p 0.005) Females were more anxious and disposed to comfort food than males (p 0.001; p 0.001) A strength of our study was represented by the fact that the survey was conducted quickly during the most critical period of the Italian epidemic lockdown. As the COVID 19 pandemic is still ongoing, our data need to be confirmed and investigated in the future with larger population studies.

title: Eating Habits and Lifestyle during COVID 19 Lockdown in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross Sectional Study
abstract: The coronavirus disease is still spreading in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with subsequent lockdowns and social distancing measures being enforced by the government. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the lockdown on eating habits and lifestyle behaviors among residents of the UAE. A cross sectional study among adults in the UAE was conducted using an online questionnaire between April and May 2020. A total of 1012 subjects participated in the study. During the pandemic, 31% reported weight gain and 72.2% had less than eight cups of water per day. Furthermore, the dietary habits of the participants were distanced from the Mediterranean diet principles and closer to "unhealthy" dietary patterns. Moreover, 38.5% did not engage in physical activity and 36.2% spent over five hours per day on screens for entertainment. A significantly higher percentage of participants reported physical exhaustion, emotional exhaustion, irritability, and tension "all the time" during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic (p 0.001) Sleep disturbances were prevalent among 60.8% of the participants during the pandemic. Although lockdowns are an important safety measure to protect public health, results indicate that they might cause a variety of lifestyle changes, physical inactivity, and psychological problems among adults in the UAE.

title: COVID 19 pandemic's impact on eating habits in Saudi Arabia
abstract: COVID 19 virus has been reported as a pandemic in March 2020 by the WHO. Having a balanced and healthy diet routine can help boost the immune system, which is essential in fighting viruses. Public Health officials enforced lockdown for residents resulting in dietary habits change to combat sudden changes.  A cross sectional study was conducted through an online survey to describe the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on the eating habits, quality and quantity of food intake among adults in Saudi Arabia. SPSS version 24 was used to analyze the data. Comparison between general dietary habits before and during COVID 19 for ordinal variables was performed by Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, while McNemar test was performed for nominal variables. The paired samples t test was used to compare the total scores for food quality and quantity before and during COVID 19 periods.  2706 adults residing in Riyadh completed the survey. The majority (85.6% of the respondents reported eating homecooked meals on a daily basis during COVID 19 as compared to 35.6% before (p<0.001) The mean score for the quality of food intake was slightly higher (p=0.002) before the COVID 19 period (16.46+ 2.84) as compared to the during period (16.39+ 2.79) The quantity of food mean score was higher (p<0.001) during the COVID 19 period (15.70+ 2.66) as compared to the before period (14.62+ 2.71) Conclusion: Dietary habits have changed significantly during the COVID 19 pandemic among Riyadh residents. Although some good habits increased, the quality and the quantity of the food was compromised. Public Health officials must focus on increased awareness on healthy eating during pandemics to avoid negative consequences. Future research is recommended to better understand the change in dietary habits during pandemics using a detailed food frequency questionnaire. Significance for public health Since pandemics come unannounced affecting public's safety, it is important to understand the changes that occur in a community. This study focuses on the dietary habits' changes during the COVID 19 pandemic. Coronavirus has been a threatening matter on a global level. It is tremendously crucial to consider various aspects of human health during pandemics including dietary habits, food quality and quantity as such factors play an important role in improving the immune system and overall health. Increasing the community's awareness on the importance of healthy food intake during COVID 19 pandemic is extremely necessary. Public health's role is to understand people's reactions during pandemics and establish guidelines to improve health and prevent diseases. Dietary habits change during COVID 19 is a major health threat that needs immediate Public Health Officials' attention. Maximizing awareness about healthy eating habits during quarantine requires attention to improve the overall health of the population.

title: The effect of shift work on eating habits: a systematic review.
abstract: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the association between shift work and eating habits.  The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (number 42015024680) PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for published reports. Of 2432 identified articles, 33 observational studies met the inclusion criteria. Their methodological approaches were assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Data were extracted using a standardized form. Studies were considered to have a low or a high risk of bias according to a percentage score of quality.  The majority of the studies presented a quality score of <70% and a high risk of bias for comparability, sample selection and non respondents. Shift workers show changes in meal patterns, skipping more meals and consuming more food at unconventional times. They also show higher consumption of unhealthy foods, such as saturated fats and soft drinks.  This review suggests that shift work can affect the quality of workers' diets, but new studies, especially longitudinal studies, which examine the time of exposure to shift work, the duration of the workday and sleep patterns, are necessary to confirm this association.

title: Identifying eating habits in Finnish children: a cross sectional study
abstract: BackgroundWe aimed to identify different eating habits among Finnish children and to evaluate their association with meal patterns, breakfast consumption, and socio demographic characteristics in a large, nationwide cohort of children.MethodsWe evaluated 10,569 children aged 9 14 years into the Finnish Health in Teens cohort in a cross sectional design. The hierarchical K means method was used to identify groups of children with different eating habits, based on five factors obtained through factor analysis of 10 food items. Multiple correspondence analysis was used to show associations between groups with different eating habits and meal patterns, breakfast patterns, gender, age, and language spoken at home.ResultsAnalyses identified three groups: unhealthy eaters (12.3% fruit and vegetable avoiders (43.3% and healthy eaters (44.1% Most children had regular meal and breakfast patterns. The proportion of boys was higher among unhealthy eaters. Unhealthy eaters also showed irregular meal and breakfast patterns, and had parents with low education level. There was a higher proportion of girls among healthy eaters. Healthy eaters also showed regular meal and breakfast patterns, and had parents with high education level.ConclusionsAlthough the number of unhealthy eaters was small, special attention should be still paid to these, mostly male children, as they have poor eating habits and they lack regular eating routine. Skipping breakfast was more common among older children and girls, although girls had healthier eating habits overall. Our results can contribute to public health efforts to improve eating behaviours, especially among children with poor eating habits and those skipping healthy food items.

title: Effects of exercise motivations on body image and eating habits/behaviours: A systematic review.
abstract: The quality of exercise motivations may undermine body image and eating habits/behaviours. This systematic review summarizes the state of the scientific evidence on the effects of exercise motivations on body image and eating habits/behaviours.  This review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019129904) Three electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, SportDiscus) were searched using combinations of terms concerning: (a) the population of interest (adults, exercisers) (b) the independent variables (eg, exercise autonomous motivations) and (c) the outcomes of interest (eg, body image, eating habits) No study design restrictions were implemented. To be included, empirical studies had to be published up to June 2019, in English, in peer reviewed journals/theses and analyse associations between exercise motivations and body image or eating habits/behaviours. Study quality was assessed using the EPHPP Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Two authors performed all steps. Outcome data were combined narratively.  Of 168 records, 26 were included in this review: 22 analysing links between exercise motivations and body image and 11 exploring links between exercise motivations and eating habits/behaviours. Autonomous motivations (eg, for pleasure, health, wellbeing) and health focused exercise were associated with positive body image and healthy eating habits/behaviours, whereas exercising for appearance related and other controlled reasons was inversely related to both outcomes.  Better quality exercise motivations (ie, autonomous) seem to result in healthier body image and eating outcomes. Further research is still recommended to explore these associations in more depth. Nevertheless, these findings suggest that future interventions should promote individuals' autonomy, competence and relatedness to foster autonomous motivations.

title: College Students and Eating Habits: A Study Using An Ecological Model for Healthy Behavior
abstract: Overweightness and obesity rates have increased dramatically over the past few decades and they represent a health epidemic in the United States (US) Unhealthy dietary habits are among the factors that can have adverse effects on weight status in young adulthood. The purpose of this explorative study was to use a qualitative research design to analyze the factors (barriers and enablers) that US college students perceived as influencing healthy eating behaviors. A group of Cornell University students (n 35) participated in six semi structured focus groups. A qualitative software, CAQDAS Nvivo11 Plus, was used to create codes that categorized the group discussions while using an Ecological Model. Common barriers to healthy eating were time constraints, unhealthy snacking, convenience high calorie food, stress, high prices of healthy food, and easy access to junk food. Conversely, enablers to healthy behavior were improved food knowledge and education, meal planning, involvement in food preparation, and being physically active. Parental food behavior and friends' social pressure were considered to have both positive and negative influences on individual eating habits. The study highlighted the importance of consulting college students when developing healthy eating interventions across the campus (e.g. labeling healthy food options and information campaigns) and considering individual level factors and socio ecological aspects in the analysis.

title: College students eating habits and knowledge of nutritional requirements
abstract: Inadequate nutrition affects students' health and academic success. Students may have proficient knowledge regarding nutritional requirements; however, the transition to college life gives them more freedom to choose the type and the amount of food they eat. Most college campuses have dining facilities that provide a variety of food options, which can lead to establishing either good or bad eating behaviors.  The purpose of this study was to examine college students' eating habits and knowledge of nutritional requirements for health.  This was a quantitative, cross sectional study, with a descriptive design.  The students are knowledgeable that consuming fast food, soda, and processed food are unhealthy and they contain additives. They indicated strong agreement to keep themselves hydrated and choosing food because of taste preference. Even though majority admitted eating fresh fruits, a significant number consume processed food such as chips, cookies, and cereal based on convenience. Smartphone resources, vending machine use, and drinking soda were their least frequently used habits.  Students have a fair knowledge of nutritional requirements for health; however, food choices they make are not necessarily healthy. Convenience and taste of food were priority.

title: Association of night eating habits with metabolic syndrome and its components: a longitudinal study
abstract: BackgroundNight time eating is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome and obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether dinner immediately before bed, snacks after dinner, or combinations of both were associated with metabolic syndrome and its components in a large Japanese cohort.MethodsWe enrolled 8153 adults aged 40 54 years who participated in specific medical checkups in an Okayama facility from 2009 to 2010 and from 2013 to 2014. Age adjusted and multivariable adjusted odds ratios of metabolic syndrome and its components in participants with both night eating habits for an average of 3.9 years were evaluated. The relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) was utilized to determine the supra additive interaction of both eating habits on metabolic syndrome and its components.ResultsThe multivariable adjusted odds ratio for obesity for those with both eating habits compared to those with neither habit was 2.11 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.42 3.15) for men and 3.02 (95%CI, 1.72 5.29) for women. Both habits had a supra additive interaction effect on obesity development in women (RERI, 1.67; RERI% 85.0; p 0.058) although this result was not significant. In women, there was an association between eating habits at night and metabolic syndrome, but in men it was unrelated. Both night eating habits were associated with dyslipidemia in men and women.ConclusionsThese findings suggest the need for intervention and awareness among individuals with night eating habits to mitigate further complications.