Diet-related Behaviors Research Articles

Healthier Diet and Diet-Related Behaviors Are Associated with Increased Physical Activity and Reduced Sedentary Behavior Among Adolescents in Greece

Background/Objectives: Healthy diet, regular physical activity (PA), and minimizing sedentary behavior (SB) are crucial in promoting adolescents’ health and well-being. We assessed adherence to PA and SB recommendations among a representative sample of adolescents and explored their relationship with diet and diet-related behaviors. Methods: Data from the Greek arm of the 2017/2018 international Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) cross-sectional study were used, including a probability sample of 3357 students (47.6% boys) who were 11, 13, and 15 years old. PA, SB, consumption of food groups/beverages, and diet-related behaviors were self-reported. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify potential associations. Results: Most students failed to meet PA (83.9%) (i.e., ≥1 h of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity/day) and SB (90.2%) (i.e., ≤2 h of screen time/day) recommendations. Daily consumption of fruit and vegetables compared to consumption at ≤1 day/week was associated with increased adherence to PA recommendations (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 2.26, 95% Confidence Intervals (CI): 1.62–3.17 for fruit; aOR = 1.35, 95%CI: 1.00–1.82 for vegetables). Eating sweets ≤1 day/week vs. every day was associated with higher adherence to SB recommendations (aOR = 2.41, 95%CI: 1.43–4.04). Poor diet quality was related to lower adherence to PA and SB recommendations. Daily breakfast consumption vs. never and abstaining from eating at fast-food restaurants were associated with better adherence to PA and SB recommendations. Rarely eating in front of screens was associated with substantially higher odds of adhering to SB recommendations (aOR = 5.79, 95%CI: 3.67–9.14). Conclusions: Healthier diet/diet-related behaviors were associated with increased PA and reduced SB in this sample of adolescents.

Genomic Structural Equation Modeling Offers Insight Into Expressive Differences Between Childhood and Late-Diagnosed ADHD

Recent literature on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has identified differences in the genetic influence of age at first diagnosis. In particular, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have found that childhood, persistent, and late-diagnosed categories of ADHD exhibit divergent comorbidity patterns. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that there would be significant differences in genetic risk sharing across childhood and late-diagnosed ADHD with other external traits. The traits selected for analysis included 3 dimensions of risk-taking behavior, Automobile Speeding Propensity, Drinks Per Week, and Number of Sexual Partners, and 4 dimensions of diet-related behavior, Protein Intake, Fat Intake, Carb Intake, and Sugar Intake. Results from Genomic SEM applied to investigate differences in genetic risk sharing with these external traits and the two ADHD subgroups revealed significant differences for number of sexual partners (p = 0.003) and automobile speeding propensity (p = 0.001). Practical implications of these findings are discussed and offer reason to reevaluate the current treatment of ADHD. For the full text, please visit https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/ng451j94g.

Stubby versus stabby: A preliminary analysis of canine microwear in primates: Implication for inferring ingestive behaviors.

Molar and incisor microwear reflect aspects of food choice and ingestive behaviors in living primates and have both been used to infer the same for fossil samples. Canine microwear, however, has received less attention, perhaps because of the prominent role canines play in social display and because they are used as weapons-while outside of a few specialized cases, their involvement in diet related behaviors has not been obvious. Here, we posit that microwear can also provide glimpses into canine tooth use in ingestion. Canines of Sumatran long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), agile gibbons (Hylobates agilis), lar gibbons (Hylobates lar), Thomas' leaf monkeys (Presbytis thomasi), and orangutans (Pongo abelii), and two African great apes, bonobos (Pan paniscus) and common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), were considered. The labial tips of maxillary canine replicas were scanned using a white-light confocal profiler, and both feature and texture analyses were used to characterize microwear surface patterning. The taxa exhibited significant differences in canine microwear. In some cases, these were consistent with variation in reported anterior tooth use such that, for example, the orangutans, known to use their front teeth extensively in ingestion, had the highest median number of microwear features on their canines, whereas the gibbons, reported to use their front teeth infrequently in food acquisition, had the lowest.

User-centered design and development of a web-based tool to support healthy feeding practices by parents of urban minority youth at risk for childhood obesity.

Technology, mobile health (mHealth), and "eHealth" are broadly used in childhood overweight and obesity interventions. However, the impact of technology-based interventions where parents or caregivers are involved is unclear. Thus, the objective of this manuscript is to provide valuable insights about the development of a parent-child web-based tool to promote healthy eating among preadolescents. The tool development was an iterative process and comprised of two phases. In Phase 1, formative research (focus groups and interviews) were conducted with parents of children around the topics of dietary behaviors, technology use, and proposed intervention components. In Phase 2, a brief survey, focus groups, interviews, and user-centered approaches were used to confirm/finalize content, assess the website wireframe, and conduct usability testing. From the Phase 1 formative research, parents preferred reading/looking up health-related information on larger laptop/tablet screens, but preferred smartphones when reading "on-the-go." Suggestions for an online health tool included quick/easy/low-cost recipes, tips for healthy feeding and involving their children around healthy dietary-related behaviors, clear tool navigation, and using pictures/visuals. In Phase 2, when finalizing the tool wireframe and content, parents preferred a variety of motivational healthy feeding tips, local family-oriented community events, and a simple layout with minimal clicking to access links. During usability testing, parents responded positively to the content (healthy feeding tips, recipes, coupons, and free community events) and the clean layout. Formative research and user-centered approaches with parents of preadolescents resulted in a web-based, mobile-friendly health promotion tool.

A participatory approach to model the neighbourhood food environment.

Inequalities in exposure to a health-promoting local food environment have been implicated in the generation of inequalities in diet-related behaviours and outcomes, including obesity and diabetes. Increasingly, poor diet and diet-related disease have been characterised as an emergent property of a complex system and, as such, the drivers of poor diet may be better understood by using a complex system perspective. In this study, we describe a participatory approach for understanding the system drivers of unhealthy food consumption. System dynamics (SD) was used to identify, understand, and visualise the elements of the neighbourhood food retail system that influence individuals' eating behaviour. Group Model Building (GMB), undertaken online with stakeholders (n = 11), was used to funnel existing knowledge and evidence on urban food environments and to build a conceptual system map of the local food retail environment inclusive of the drivers that influence the decision to purchase and consume meals that are high in fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS), and calories. The GMB was organised as a knowledge elicitation process involving a questionnaire, a workbook, and a structured workshop. The GMB generated a comprehensive causal loop diagram (CLD) of the retail environment inclusive of the drivers that influence the decision to purchase and consume unhealthy meals. The CLD was designed around two main variables (i) exposure to food outlets and (ii) food consumption. The system map built during the Group Model Building session linked exposure to food outlets with the possibility to purchase and consume unhealthy meals. The effectiveness of this link will be tested in an Agent-Based model. The conceptual model illustrates the complexity of the factors responsible for inequalities in unhealthy eating. The GMB approach provides a basis for building an agent-based model for local authorities to characterise their food retail environment, uncover potential leverage points for interventions and test them 'in silico' in a virtual environment.

Improvements in dietary intake, behaviors, and psychosocial measures in a community-randomized cardiovascular disease risk reduction intervention: Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities 2.0

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) prevalence has disproportionately risen among midlife and older female adults of rural communities, partly due to poor diet and diet-related behaviors and psychosocial factors that impede healthy eating. ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the impact of Strong Hearts Healthy Communities 2.0 (SHHC-2.0) on secondary diet-related outcomes between intervention and control participants that align with the dietary goal and behavioral aims of the SHHC-2.0, a CVD risk reduction program. MethodsA community-randomized controlled trial was conducted in rural, medically underserved communities. Participants were female adults ≥40 y who were classified as obese or both overweight and sedentary. Communities were randomized to SHHC-2.0 intervention (n = 5 communities; n = 87 participants) or control (with delayed intervention) (n = 6 communities; n = 95 participants). SHHC-2.0 consisted of 24 wk of twice-weekly experiential nutrition education and group-based physical activity classes led by local health educators. Changes between baseline and end point (24 wk) in dietary intake (24-h recalls), dietary behaviors (e.g., Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants-Short Version [REAP-S] scores) and diet-related psychosocial measures (e.g., Three Factor Eating questionnaire) between groups were analyzed using linear mixed-effects multilevel models. ResultsAt 24 wk, participants from the 5 intervention communities, compared with controls, consumed fewer calories (mean difference [MD]= −211 kcal, 95% CI: −412, −110, P = 0.039), improved overall dietary patterns measured by REAP-S scores (MD: 3.9; 95% CI: 2.26, 5.6; P < 0.001), and improved psychosocial measures (healthy eating attitudes, uncontrolled eating, cognitive restraint, and emotional eating). ConclusionsSHHC-2.0 has strong potential to improve diet patterns and diet-related psychosocial wellbeing consistent with improved cardiovascular health.This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03059472.

Evaluation of food security status, psychological well-being, and stress on BMI and diet-related behaviors among a sample of college students

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to evaluate food insecurity on body mass index (BMI) and diet-related behaviors among college students and whether psychological well-being (PWB) and stress levels mediate this relationship. Study designThis was a cross-sectional study. MethodsData from 1439 students from the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment III (Fall 2020) were used. Food security status was evaluated by the USDA Six-Item Short Form. PWB was measured using the Diener Flourishing Scale. Diet-related behaviors included the average servings of fruits, vegetables, and sugar-sweetened beverages consumed per day. Stress was measured by self-reported levels. Regression model analysis evaluated the influence of food security status, PWB, and stress levels on BMI. PWB and stress were also tested as mediators in the relationship between food insecurity and BMI. ResultsAmong our sample of college students, 44.54% (n = 641) were food insecure, and 55.46% (n = 798) were food secure. Multiple regression analysis showed that higher food insecurity, older age, full-time enrollment status, and fifth-year student status were positively associated with a higher BMI score (P < 0.05). Results from mediation models revealed that PWB, but not stress, mediated the relationship between food security and BMI among Black/African American students. Regarding diet-related behaviors, high stress levels mediated the relationship between food insecurity and sugar-sweetened beverage intake among students. ConclusionsFood insecurity appears to influence BMI in college students. This relationship seems to be mediated by disrupted PWB and a higher intake of sugar-sweetened beverages due to stress.

Real-life experiments in supermarkets to encourage healthy dietary-related behaviours: opportunities, challenges and lessons learned

BackgroundSupermarkets are the primary source of food for many people yet their full potential as a setting to encourage healthy dietary-related behaviours remains underutilised. Sharing the experiences from research groups who have worked with supermarket chains to evaluate strategies that promote healthy eating could improve the efficiency of building such relationships and enhance the design quality of future research studies.MethodsA collective case study approach was used to synthesise experiences of engaging and sustaining research collaborations with national supermarket chains to test the effectiveness of health-focused in-store interventions. The collective narrative covers studies conducted in three high-income countries: Australia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.ResultsWe have distilled our experiences and lessons learned into six recommendations for conducting high quality public health research with commercial supermarket chains. These include: (i) using personal contacts, knowledge of supermarket activities and engaging executive management to establish a partnership and allowing time to build trust; (ii) using scientifically robust study designs with appropriate sample size calculations; (iii) formalising data exchange arrangements and allocating adequate resource for data extraction and re-categorisation; (iv) assessing effects at individual/households level where possible; (v) designing a mixed-methods process evaluation to measure intervention fidelity, dose and unintended consequences; and (vi) ensuring scientific independence through formal contract agreements.ConclusionsOur collective experiences of working in non-financial partnerships with national supermarket chains could be useful for other research groups looking to develop and implement supermarket studies in an efficient manner. Further evidence from real-life supermarket interventions is necessary to identify sustainable strategies that can improve population diet and maintain necessary commercial outcomes.

Recall of food marketing on videogame livestreaming platforms: Associations with adolescent diet-related behaviours and health

Digital media has become an integral part of adolescents’ lives. Mirroring this trend, food and non-alcoholic beverage (hereafter: food) brands increasingly promote products in digital media to maximise reach with young consumers. Videogame livestreaming platforms, where individuals can broadcast or watch streamed videogame footage, are a growing form of digital media. The top three platforms (market share by hours watched) are Twitch (72%), YouTube Gaming (13%), and Facebook Gaming Live (9%), with a combined 34.6 billion hours watched in 2021. These platforms represent a hybridisation of two popular digital trends amongst teenagers: viewing online video content and playing videogames. On these platforms, gaming influencers promote food brands and products, with energy drinks and fast-food restaurants representing the most frequently promoted categories. Evidence suggests that food marketing via Twitch is associated with food craving, purchasing and consumption in adults. Yet, despite the evident teenage appeal and prevalence of food marketing on these platforms, research is yet to explore its associations with adolescent eating behaviour. Adolescents (n = 490, Mage = 16.81, 30.2% female) completed an online cross-sectional questionnaire exploring their recall of food marketing on the top three videogame livestreaming platforms, and relevant behavioural (purchase, consumption) and health (Body Mass Index) outcomes. Structural equation modelling was used to explore hierarchical relationships between the key variables. Results showed that recall of unhealthy food marketing on these platforms was significantly associated with purchase and consumption of marketed food categories. Attitudes towards unhealthy foods mediated this relationship. Findings are the first to demonstrate the relationships between unhealthy food marketing via videogame livestreaming platforms and adolescent eating behaviours, which has implications for the design of policies to restrict digital food marketing to young people.

Patterns and correlates of nutrition knowledge across five countries in the 2018 international food policy study

BackgroundNutrition knowledge is an important determinant of diet-related behaviour; however, the use of disparate assessment tools creates challenges for comparing nutrition knowledge levels and correlates across studies, geographic contexts, and populations. Using the Food Processing Knowledge (FoodProK) score – a measure of nutrition knowledge based on consumers’ ability to understand and apply the concept of food processing in a functional task – nutrition knowledge levels and associated correlates were assessed in five countries.MethodsAdults, aged ≥18 years, were recruited through the Nielsen Consumer Insights Global Panel in Australia (n = 3997), Canada (n = 4170), Mexico (n = 4044), the United Kingdom (UK) (n = 5363), and the United States (US) (n = 4527). Respondents completed web-based surveys in November–December 2018. Functional nutrition knowledge was measured using the FoodProK score. Linear regression models examined associations between FoodProK score and sociodemographic, dietary behaviours, and knowledge-related characteristics.ResultsFoodProK scores (maximum, 8 points) were highest in Canada (mean: 5.1) and Australia (5.0), followed by the UK (4.8), Mexico (4.7), and the US (4.6). Health literacy and self-rated nutrition knowledge were positively associated with FoodProK scores (p < .001). FoodProK scores were higher among those who reported vegetarian/other dietary practices (p < .001); made efforts to consume less sodium, trans fats, or sugars (p < .001); ≥60 years (p = 0.002), female (p < .001), and ‘majority’ ethnic group respondents in their respective countries (p < .001).ConclusionsThis study found differences in consumers’ ability to distinguish levels of food processing for common foods, with somewhat lower levels of nutrition knowledge in countries with the highest intake of highly processed foods. Nutrition knowledge differences based on consumer characteristics highlight the need for accessible policy interventions that support uptake of healthy eating efforts across populations to avoid exacerbating nutrition-related disparities. Tools such as the FoodProK can be used to evaluate the impact of policies targeting nutrition knowledge across contexts.

Dietary behaviours during COVID-19 among households at risk for food insecurity.

The objective of the present study was to examine associations between variables of COVID-19-related concerns and changes in fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption among a sample of participants from the Brighter Bites program at risk for food insecurity. Cross-sectional data were collected during April-June 2020 using a rapid-response survey to understand social needs, COVID-19-related concerns and diet-related behaviours among families with children participating in Brighter Bites (n 1777) in the 2019-2020 school year at risk for food insecurity, within the surrounding Houston, Dallas, Austin, Texas area; Southwest Florida; Washington, D.C., United States. Of the 1777 respondents, 92 % of households reported being at risk for food insecurity. Among those from food insecure households, the majority were of Hispanic/Mexican-American/Latino (84⋅1 %) ethnic background, predominantly from Houston, Texas (71⋅4 %). During the pandemic, among individuals from food insecure households, 41 % (n 672) reported a decrease in FV intake, 32 % (n 527) reported an increase in FV intake, and 27 % (n 439) reported no change in FV intake. Those who reported concerns about financial stability had a 40 % greater risk of decreased FV intake compared to those not concerned about financial stability (RR 1⋅4; 95 % CI 1⋅0, 2⋅0; P = 0⋅03). The present study adds to this current body of sparse literature on how the initial phase of the pandemic impacted FV consumption behaviours among food insecure households with children. Effective interventions are needed to diminish the negative impact of COVID-19 on the population's health.

Uticaj navika u ishrani na uhranjenost adolescenata u Srbiji - rezultati istraživanja zdravstvenog ponašanja školske dece 2018. godine

Adolescence represents a high-risk period for weight gain, due to hormonal and metabolic changes that lead to changes in body composition, but also to changes in diet and exercise-related behaviours. Dietary habits of adolescents have a significant impact on their nutritional and health status; establishment of adequate habits is important, due to their impact on growth and development at this stage in life, but also on health consequences in adulthood. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of diet and diet-related behaviours in adolescents aged 11, 13 and 15 in Serbia and to examine their relationship with nutritional status categories. In this paper, data from the Health Behaviour in School-age Children Study in Serbia from 2018 were used. The study was conducted as a cross-sectional study of a national representative sample of adolescents aged 11, 13 and 15. In this study, according to the BMI, 12% of the respondents were underweight, 70.8% were of normal weight, while 17.2% were overweight and obese. When it comes to dietary habits, 59.3% of the respondents regularly eat breakfast during the working week. Fruits are consumed once per day or more often by 42%, and vegetables by 41.5% of the respondents. Sweets are consumed once per day and more often by 35.7% of adolescents, while a fifth of the adolescents drink juices every day, older children more often than the younger. A fifth of the adolescents have snacks every day while watching TV and working/playing on a computer, and the same number have at least one meal per day while watching television, as well. Findings of this study indicate a need for a more intensive health education for adolescents, not just for the purpose of preventing obesity, but also to prevent unwanted diet-related behaviours such as snacking or "grazing", skipping meals etc, since dietary habits adopted in childhood and adolescence persist in adulthood.

Association between Diet-related Behaviour and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Scoping Review.

Individual dietary patterns may be influenced by diet-related behaviours, which may eventually play a significant role in contributing to colorectal cancer risk. As nearly half of colorectal cancer cases can be prevented through diet and lifestyle modification, in this study, we aimed to present an overview of the literature on diet-related behaviour and its effect on colorectal cancer risk among adults. Articles published from 2011 until July 2021 were selected. Out of the 1,198 articles retrieved, 25 were analyzed. There were 16 case-control studies, and nine of them were cohort studies. As a finding, the instruments used in this review were food frequency questionnaires (n = 23), followed by a semi-structured interview (n = 1), and diet records (n = 1). We demonstrated that unhealthy diet-related behaviours are linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer in adults and those food frequency questionnaires or food records are common instruments used to collect diet-related behaviours. This article imparts the research trends and directions of colorectal cancer risk factors and shows that diet-related behaviour varies and changes over time.

Gender and socioeconomic inequalities in changes in a Mediterranean lifestyle among elderly Italians

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic and the adoption of restrictive measurements to control the SARS-CoV-2 spread disrupted general population lifestyles including dietary behaviours. However, there is poor knowledge on potential socioeconomic and gender disparities in dietary changes. We conducted a telephone-based survey during fall 2020 on a sample of 4,400 participants representative of the population aged 65-99 years living in Lombardy, Italy. Changes in a Mediterranean lifestyle were assessed retrospectively by asking participants to report modifications in the consumption of nine food groups and five diet-related behaviours (e.g., consumption of organic and local foods) compared to the previous year (2019). We then computed a Mediterranean COVID-19 Pandemic Score (MedCovid-19 Score), reflecting changes during pandemic, ranging from -14 to 14, with increasing values indicating improvements in line with a Mediterranean lifestyle. Overall, 18.3% of the study participants worsened their Mediterranean lifestyle (MedCovid-19 Score &amp;lt;0), 35.1% remained stable (MedCovid-19 Score = 0), while 46.6% reported improvements (MedCovid-19 Score ≥1). Predictors of favourable changes toward a Mediterranean lifestyle were educational level (OR = 1.52; 95% CI 1.19-1.95 for postgraduate vs lower education), wealth (OR = 1.52; 1.14-2.02 for high vs low wealth), and skilled manual occupations (OR = 1.57; 1.28-1.92 vs white collars). Women were more likely than men to move away from a Mediterranean lifestyle (OR = 1.86; 1.58-2.21). In conclusion, improvements in line with a Mediterranean lifestyle prevailed in almost half of a large sample of elderly Italians surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, changes towards a Mediterranean lifestyle were disproportionately distributed across gender and socioeconomic strata. These findings were similar to those from the general population of the Moli-sani study, where it was observed that healthful dietary changes were associated greater wealth.

7.D. Workshop: Older adults’ resilience and vulnerability to COVID-19: 2-years results of multicentric LOST project

Abstract COVID-19 pandemic and consequent mitigation and containment measures greatly impacted people's daily life. Older adults, especially those with chronic conditions, have paid the highest price for the emergency. Indeed, they are the most at-risk of severe and deadly forms of COVID-19; they deal with unmet healthcare needs because of considerable pressure on healthcare systems; they are at higher risk of worsening lifestyles, mental and socioeconomic status. In this context, we designed and are currently conducting the multi-partner project LOckdown and lifeSTyles in Lombardia (LOST in Lombardia), funded by AXA and Lombardy region. We will present the design and outputs of a telephone-based cross-sectional study conducted in the fall of 2020 on a representative sample of adults aged more than 65 years living in Lombardy. Researchers from the University of Pavia, Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Insubria University, University of Genoa, Bocconi University, Health Protection Agency of Bergamo and Brianza are involved. This project aims to evaluate the COVID-19 pandemic impact and nationwide stay-at-home order on a wide range of behavioural and health-related outcomes among the older population and provide useful evidence to plan, implement, and evaluate targeted prevention programmes and welfare policies facing pandemic consequences. The workshop will be structured as follows: We will first set the scene by focusing on the determinants of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the older adult population. The second panellist will discuss changes in healthcare services use and delivery during the pandemic. Sociodemographic, physical and mental health-related determinants’ roles will be thoroughly analysed. Data on the access to hospital in older adults with chronic conditions from two local health Units from the Lombardy region, Italy during the first wave of the pandemic wee also presented. We will then provide two original contributions about lifestyle changes. In the first one, we will present data exploring how Mediterranean diet adherence has changed. A Mediterranean COVID-19 Pandemic Score was computing by scoring modifications in the consumption of nine food groups and five diet-related behaviours, and predictors of favourable changes will be debated. The fifth panellist will open up about the mental health burden. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, insomnia and hopelessness before and during the COVID-19 lockdown will be assessed, identifying subgroups at higher risk of mental distress due to pandemic-associated restrictions. In the end, we will engage in a fruitful discussion with the audience on the data presented and practical public health implications, exploring how they can inform critical policy debates addressing health system resilience and health inequalities at the European and global levels. Key messages • Public health management of older people and chronic patients represents a major challenge within and beyond pandemic times, as they have been disproportionally impacted by COVID-19. • Evidence-based recommendations are needed for the post-pandemic phase, and the results on successes and failures from one of the worst-affected regions provide guidance for the rest of Europe.

Nutrition Knowledge, Dietary Habits, and Food Labels Use-A Representative Cross-Sectional Survey among Adults in Poland.

An unhealthy diet is an important risk factor for disability and premature death. This study aimed to assess nutrition knowledge, dietary habits, and food label use among adults in Poland as well as to identify factors associated with diet-related behaviors. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in July 2020 on a non-probability quota-based sample of 1070 adult citizens of Poland. The most common sources of nutrition knowledge were news websites (41.8%) or family/friends (32.4%). Over one-quarter of adults in Poland were on a diet (28.7%). Over one-tenth of respondents (11.9%) consumed less than three meals per day. Half of the respondents (50.3%) declared that they use food labels when shopping, and 15.4% checked the nutrition information on restaurant menus. Female gender (OR:1.70; 95%CI:1.26–2.29; p < 0.001), presence of chronic diseases (OR:1.83; 95%CI:1.37–2.44; p < 0.001), regular physical activity (p < 0.001), and being a non-smoker (OR:1.45; 95%CI:1.02–2.06; p = 0.04) were significantly associated with higher odds of being on a diet. Females (OR:1.63; 95%CI:1.24–2.15; p < 0.001), respondents with higher education (OR:1.53; 95%CI:1.17–2.01; p = 0.002), those who had never been married (OR:1.49; 95%CI:1.07–2.07; p = 0.02), respondents with chronic diseases (OR:1.73; 95%CI:1.30–2.31; p < 0.001), those with regular physical activity (p < 0.05), as well as non-smokers (OR:1.42; 95%CI:1.04–1.95; p = 0.03) had higher odds of checking the food labels. This study showed a significant gap in nutrition knowledge among adults in Poland.

Initial investigation of associations between feeding practices, eating behaviours, and weight status in Vietnamese children using modified questionnaires

AimsThis cross-sectional study aims to extend the preliminary validation of the Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire (FPSQ) and Children’s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) in the Vietnamese context by examining associations between maternal feeding practices, child eating behaviours, and child weight status. MethodsModified versions of the FPSQ and CEBQ were used to measure maternal feeding practices and child eating behaviours, respectively, in a sample of Vietnamese mothers of children within the age range of two to five years (n = 100). Children’s weight-for-height z-scores (WHZs) were calculated using weight and height measurements obtained by clinicians. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to examine bivariate associations between maternal feeding practices, child eating behaviours, and child WHZs. Significant variables were then entered into a multivariable regression model. ResultsChild WHZs were associated with maternal persuasive feeding, and child slowness in eating, enjoyment of food/food responsiveness, and emotional undereating, but in multivariable regression analysis, only persuasive feeding (β = −0.44, p = 0.027) and slowness in eating (β = −0.39, p = 0.036) contributed significantly to the model. ConclusionsThe findings provide some evidence of construct validity for the modified questionnaires. Potential implications of dietary-related behaviours on weight status in preschool-aged children in Viet Nam are evident. However, further validation and analysis in larger datasets must be undertaken in order to examine these associations with increased certainty.

P046 Perceptions of Risk and Prevention of COVID-19 Among College Students

BackgroundCOVID-19 has become a worldwide pandemic, causing immense physical, social & emotional repercussions. Unbalanced nutrition and social isolation can lead to compromised immune systems, which can increase vulnerability to this viral infection. There is limited research addressing college students’ beliefs of COVID-19 related to nutrient intake.ObjectiveThe purpose of this qualitative study is to ascertain health-related beliefs related to COVID-19 risk and prevention among undergraduate students enrolled in a New Jersey university.Study Design, Setting, ParticipantsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five undergraduate, full-time students (18 females, 7 males) between the ages of 18 to 25. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted virtually on Zoom and audio-recorded for transcription.Measurable Outcome/AnalysisAn interview protocol consisted of seven open-ended questions related to COVID-19 using tenets of Health Belief Model. Perceived susceptibility and severity to the virus were ascertained along with perceived benefits of adopting diet-related behaviors. Questions pertaining to perceived barriers and self-efficacy were queried. All interviews were transcribed verbatim with qualitative analyses performed by two independent researchers who coded the transcripts to achieve inter-rater reliability. Codes were merged into broad themes to derive an original theoretical framework addressing participants' risk and prevention of COVID-19.ResultsPerceptions of susceptibility varied among the respondents based on their age, public exposure, and preexisting health conditions. Fear of social isolation was identified as a major consequence of testing positive for COVID-19. Dietary measures identified to boost the immune system included taking vitamin C supplements and including more fruits and vegetables. Barriers in adopting healthy diet included financial constraints, plethora of junk foods, and lack of time in food prepping. Social media platforms provide a means for young adults to gain nutrition knowledge and culinary skills.ConclusionsHealth practitioners and educators need to ascertain young adults’ perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 and address their intentions to adopt healthy diets. Providing sound nutrition knowledge while creating positive social and emotional support systems are critical measures to navigate through the global pandemic.FundingNone

Self-Reported Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Diet-Related Behaviors and Food Security in 5 Countries: Results from the International Food Policy Study 2020

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted many aspects of daily life, including dietary intake; however, few studies have reported its impacts on dietary behaviors and food security across multiple countries. ObjectivesWe examined self-reported impacts of COVID-19 on food behaviors, food security, and overall diet healthfulness in 5 countries. MethodsAdults aged 18–100 years (n = 20,554) in Australia, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States completed an online survey in November and December 2020 as part of the International Food Policy Study, an annual, repeat cross-sectional survey. Survey measures assessed perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating food prepared away from home, having food delivered from a restaurant, and buying groceries online, as well as perceived food security and overall diet healthfulness. Regression models examined associations between each outcome and sociodemographic correlates. ResultsAcross all countries, 62% of respondents reported eating less food prepared away from home due to the pandemic, while 11% reported eating more. Some participants reported having less food delivered from a restaurant (35%) and buying fewer groceries online (17%), while other respondents reported more of each (19% and 25%, respectively). An average of 39% reported impacts on their food security, and 27% reported healthful changes to their overall diet. The largest changes for all outcomes were observed in Mexico. Participants who were younger, ethnic minorities, or had lower income adequacy tended to be more likely to report food-related changes in either direction; however, these relationships were often less pronounced among respondents in Mexico. ConclusionsRespondents reported important changes in how they sourced their food during the pandemic, with trends suggesting shifts towards less food prepared away from home and more healthful diets overall. However, changes in diet and food behaviors occurred in both healthful and less healthful directions, suggesting that dietary responses to the pandemic were highly variable.

The Conceptual Framework for the International Food Policy Study: Evaluating the Population-Level Impact of Food Policy

An unhealthy diet is among the leading global causes of death and disability. Globally, a range of policies are being implemented to support healthy food choices at a population level, including novel polices in the areas of food marketing, nutrition labeling, and taxation of less healthy foods. There is a need to evaluate and inform the implementation of these policies, including their impacts on marginalized population subgroups. The International Food Policy Study (IFPS) consists of repeated cross-sectional surveys conducted in 5 high- and upper-middle-income countries: Australia, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In each country, approximately 4000 adults and 1200 children and youth (aged 10–17) were recruited from a global commercial panel to complete an online survey using consistent measures and methodologies across countries. The first annual IFPS surveys were conducted in 2017 with adults; annual surveys for young people aged 10–17 were launched in 2019 in the same countries, as well as in Chile. The design of the IFPS surveys creates a framework for evaluating “natural experiments” in food policies, including comparisons over time within countries implementing the policy and comparisons with countries in which the policy was not implemented. IFPS surveys have 3 primary areas of focus: 1) knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs associated with specific policies; 2) diet-related behaviors; and 3) dietary intake, including 24-hour dietary recalls for adults in 4 of the 5 countries. Surveys also assess food insecurity, income adequacy, sex and gender, race/ethnicity, and a range of other measures to assess trends among priority subgroups. Overall, the IFPS project has the potential to address important gaps in national monitoring surveys for dietary patterns, and to evaluate the impacts of novel food policies implemented in any of the 5 countries over the study period.