High-sugar Foods Research Articles

A molecular outlook review on how coffee and oats can help redefine the way we take care of our health

Chronic degenerative diseases like obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, fatty liver, have gained high prevalence in the world, due to sedentarism, improper nutritional habits as well as alcohol and tobacco consumption. Studies have shown that regular consumption of breakfast leads to a wide range of benefits, especially for the liver. The liver is a key organ for metabolic homeostasis regulating and governing energy metabolism, mostly providing nutrients for reabsorption. Benefits of a nutrimental quality breakfast seem to help lower body mass index, prevent metabolic diseases, and overall improve quality of life. Unfortunately, these include either high cholesterol or high-sugar foods including cold cuts, bread, eggs, and sugary beverages. Also, much of the population’s work schedule relates to long hours and high-level of stress, therefore malnutrition, and inadequate eating schedules are common.

N-acetylcysteine reduces addiction-like behaviour towards high-fat high-sugar food in diet-induced obese rats.

Compulsive forms of eating displayed by some obese individuals share similarities with compulsive drug-taking behaviour, a hallmark feature of substance use disorder. This raises the possibility that drug addiction treatments may show utility in the treatment of compulsive overeating. N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is a cysteine pro-drug which has experienced some success in clinical trials, reducing cocaine, marijuana and cigarette use, as well as compulsive behaviours such as gambling and trichotillomania. We assessed the impact of NAC on addiction-like behaviour towards highly palatable food in a rat model of diet-induced obesity. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were placed on a high-fat high-sugar diet for 8weeks and then assigned to diet-induced obesity-prone (DIO) or diet-induced obesity-resistant (DR) groups based on weight gain. DIO and DR rats were subjected to an operant conditioning paradigm whereby rats could lever press for high-fat high-sugar food pellets. This alternated with periods of signalled reward unavailability. Before treatment DIO rats ate more in their home cage, earned more food pellets in operant sessions, and responded more during periods that signalled reward unavailability (suggestive of compulsive-like food seeking) compared with DR rats. This persistent responding in the absence of reward displayed by DIO rats was ameliorated by daily injections of NAC (100mg/kg, i.p.) for 14days. By the end of the treatment period, lever-pressing by NAC-treated DIO rats resembled that of DR rats. These findings suggest that NAC reduces addiction-like behaviour towards food in rats and supports the potential use of this compound in compulsive overeating.

Association of a Sweetened Beverage Tax With Purchases of Beverages and High-Sugar Foods at Independent Stores in Philadelphia

The relationship between a sweetened beverage tax and changes in the prices and purchases of beverages and high-sugar food is understudied in the long term and in small independent food retail stores where sugar-sweetened beverages are among the most commonly purchased items. To examine whether a 1.5 cent-per-fluid-ounce excise tax on sugar- and artificially sweetened beverages Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was associated with sustained changes in beverage prices and purchases, as well as calories purchased from beverages and high-sugar foods, over 2 years at small independent stores. This cross-sectional study used a difference-in-differences approach to compare changes in beverage prices and purchases of beverages and high-sugar foods (candy, sweet snacks) at independent stores in Philadelphia and Baltimore, Maryland (a nontaxed control) before and 2 years after tax implementation, which occurred on January 1, 2017. Price comparisons were also made to independent stores in Philadelphia's neighboring counties. Changes in mean price (measured in cents per fluid ounce) of taxed and nontaxed beverages, mean fluid ounces purchased of taxed and nontaxed beverages, and mean total calories purchased from beverages and high-sugar foods. Compared with Baltimore independent stores, taxed beverage prices in Philadelphia increased 2.06 cents per fluid ounce (95% CI, 1.75 to 2.38 cents per fluid ounce; P < .001), with 137% of the tax passed through to prices 2 years after tax implementation, while nontaxed beverage prices had no statistically significant change. A total of 116 independent stores and 4738 customer purchases (1950 [41.2%] women; 4351 [91.8%] age 18 years or older; 1006 [21.2%] White customers, 3185 [67.2%] Black customers) at independent stores were assessed for price and purchase comparisons. Purchases of taxed beverages declined by 6.1 fl oz (95% CI, -9.9 to -2.4 fl oz; P < .001), corresponding to a 42% decline in Philadelphia compared with Baltimore; there were no significant changes in purchases of nontaxed beverages. Although there was no significant moderation by neighborhood income or customer education level, exploratory stratified analyses revealed that declines in taxed beverage purchases were larger among customers shopping in low-income neighborhoods (-7.1 fl oz; 95% CI, -13.0 to -1.1 fl oz; P = .001) and individuals with lower education levels (-6.9 fl oz; 95% CI, -12.5 to -1.3 fl oz; P = .001). This cross-sectional study found that a tax on sweetened beverages was associated with increases in price and decreases in purchasing. Beverage excise taxes may be an effective policy to sustainably decrease purchases of sweetened drinks and calories from sugar in independent stores, with large reductions in lower-income areas and among customers with lower levels of education.

Differences in Food Craving in Individuals With Obesity With and Without Binge Eating Disorder.

Overeating behavior is supposedly a major contributing factor to weight gain and obesity. Binge eating disorder (BED) with reoccurring episodes of excessive overeating is strongly associated with obesity. Learning models of overeating behavior and BED assume that mere confrontation with food leads to a conditioned response that is experienced as food craving. Accordingly, individuals with obesity and BED were shown to have high trait food cravings. To date, little is known about differences in state food cravings and cue reactivity at the sight of palatable food in individuals with obesity and BED compared to individuals with obesity without BED. Therefore, the aim of our study was to examine differences in cue-induced, state and trait food cravings in people with obesity with and without BED. We found that all aspects of food cravings were more prevalent in individuals with obesity and BED than in individuals without BED. By implementing a food cue reactivity paradigm, our results show that individuals with obesity with BED have more cue-induced cravings than individuals with obesity without BED. Moreover, these cue-induced cravings in individuals with obesity and BED were highest for high-fat and high-sugar foods as opposed to low-calorie foods. Thus, our results emphasize the role of increased cue reactivity and craving at the sight of palatable foods in individuals with obesity and BED. Hence, our findings support etiological models of conditioned binge eating and are in line with interventions targeting cue reactivity in BED.

Nutritional quality of the food choices of Canadian children

BackgroundThe release of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), Nutrition 2015 provides a unique opportunity since CCHS 2004 to investigate food choices of Canadian children and adolescents at a national level.ObjectiveThis study examined the quality and quantity of food choices of children ages 2–8 years and adolescents 9–18 years, using Health Canada’s Surveillance Tool Tier System 2014. It is hypothesized that Canadian children and adolescents are consuming diets poor in nutritional quality based on evidence from the last national nutrition survey in 2004.DesignIntakes from CCHS 2015, 24-h dietary recall were categorized into Health Canada’s Tiers 1–4, based on CNF/CFG classification system and thresholds for nutrients to limit i.e., total fat, saturated fats, sugars, and sodium to assess quality of food choices. Additionally, dietary intakes were grouped according to Canada’s 2007 food guide servings as the 2019 food guide was not available.ResultsMajority of foods reported by children 2–18 years were categorized as Tier 2 and Tier 3 foods. Investigation of energy contributions from the Tier 4 and “other foods” represented 21–25% of daily calorie intake and of these foods, high fat and/or high sugar foods contributed majority of daily calories to these categories.ConclusionsThis study showed Canadian children 2–18 years are consuming diets high in nutrients recommended to limit. Evidence from this study provides a unique opportunity to improve the nutritional quality of foods, and the food choices of children.

Foods and Nutritional Characteristics Associated With Addictive-Like Eating.

Emerging literature is exploring the contribution of specific nutritional characteristics and food additives to the development of addictive-like eating, implicating highly processed foods and those high in fat and sugar in its pathophysiology. To our knowledge, no mixed methods study has yet aimed to investigate the relationship between food characteristics and addictive-like eating. Towards this end, we applied an a priori classification scheme to open-ended answers to enable us to use quantitative methods to analyze qualitative data. A sample of individuals who endorsed self-perceived "food addiction" (N = 182; 50% female; Mage = 34.1) reported the foods to which they believed they were "addicted." We classified these foods according to their levels of fat, carbohydrates, sugar, and sodium, and evaluated their predictive power on addictive-like eating. Pizza, chocolate, hamburgers, and pasta respectively, were the most reported food items to which participants felt they were addicted. Addictive-like eating was significantly predicted by endorsement of "addiction" to high-sodium foods. In contrast, "addiction" to high-sugar foods negatively predicted addictive-like eating symptoms. Findings support an association between highly processed and high-sodium foods with addictive-like eating behavior among humans, consistent in large part with prior human and animal literature. Results also suggest that people are readily able to report on their experiences of addiction to foods; specifically, they can freely endorse the experience of addictive-like eating and offer experiences of addictive foods that are largely consistent with theory and the literature.

Sex Differences in Oral Health and the Consumption of Sugary Diets in a Saudi Arabian Population.

Background and PurposeAdolescence is a crucial period for developing healthy lifestyle and dietary habits. The growing consumption of high-sugar foods and beverages constitutes a serious public health concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate sex differences in the consumption of a sugary diet and oral health among Saudi adolescents.Subjects and MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between January and February 2019. A multistage sampling technique was used to recruit 2265 middle-school children aged 12–16 years. Data were collected via the Food Frequency Questionnaire and via an oral health examination, using the WHO criteria. The chi-squared test, Student’s t-test, and Mann–Whitney U-test were used to investigate the associations between the study variables.ResultsThe most consumed foods and beverages reported were water, juices, and biscuits (90%), while the least consumed were energy drinks and jams. A significant difference was found between males and females in the frequency of consumed sugary foods (P=0.01) and the quantity of consumed sugary beverages (P=0.000); males over all consumption were greater than their counterpart. However, no differences were found between sexes in the frequency of sugary drink consumption (P=0.2). The decayed–missing–filled index score was significantly higher in females (4.29 ± 3.44) than in males (3.61 ± 3.14; P=0.001). The mean plaque index among males and females was 1.72 (±0.79) and 1.20 (±0.78), respectively, while the mean gingival index was 1.31 (±0.77) in males and 0.69 (±0.73) in females—a statistically significant difference (P=0.001).ConclusionSex differences were found in sugary diet consumption and oral health status. Thus, policy makers are encouraged to consider sex-based differences when planning preventative programs and initiatives. Nevertheless, further research is needed on the dietary intake patterns of young adults.

Sociodemographic differences in self-reported exposure to high fat, salt and sugar food and drink advertising: a cross-sectional analysis of 2019 UK panel data

ObjectivesTo explore sociodemographic differences in exposure to advertising for foods and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) and whether exposure is associated with body mass index (BMI).DesignCross-sectional survey.SettingUK.Participants1552...

COVID-19 Stress and Food Intake: Protective and Risk Factors for Stress-Related Palatable Food Intake in U.S. Adults.

(1) Background: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused disruptions to what people eat, but the pandemic’s impact on diet varies between individuals. The goal of our study was to test whether pandemic-related stress was associated with food intake, and whether relationships between stress and intake were modified by appetitive and cognitive traits. (2) Methods: We cross-sectionally surveyed 428 adults to examine current intake frequency of various food types (sweets/desserts, savory snacks, fast food, fruits, and vegetables), changes to food intake during the pandemic, emotional overeating (EOE), cognitive flexibility (CF), and COVID-19-related stress. Models tested associations of stress, EOE, and CF with food intake frequency and changes to intake. (3) Results: Models demonstrated that the positive relationship between stress and intake of sweets/desserts was stronger with higher EOE, while the positive relationship between stress and intake of chips/savory snacks was weaker with higher CF. Higher EOE was associated with greater risk of increased intake of palatable foods. (4) Conclusions: Findings suggest that emotional overeating may escalate stress-associated intake of high-sugar foods, and cognitive flexibility may attenuate stress-associated intake of high-fat foods. Differences in appetitive and cognitive traits may explain changes to and variability in food intake during COVID-19, and efforts to decrease emotional overeating and encourage cognitive flexibility could help lessen the effect of COVID-19-related stress on energy dense food intake.

Content analysis of Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video original films in the UK for alcohol, tobacco and junk food imagery.

BackgroundExposure to alcohol, tobacco and high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) food imagery is a significant risk factor for the uptake and regular use of these products in young people, and imagery are more frequently portrayed in video-on-demand (VOD) than in terrestrial television programmes. This study compared alcohol, tobacco and HFSS imagery in original films on Amazon Prime Instant Video and Netflix.MethodsContent analysis of 11 original films released by Amazon Prime and Netflix in 2017 using 5-minute interval coding of alcohol, tobacco and HFSS content. Proportions of intervals containing alcohol, tobacco and HFSS imagery were compared between services using the chi-square test.ResultsAlcohol content appeared in 200 (41.7%) out of the total of 479 intervals coded, whereas tobacco and HFSS appeared in 129 (26.9%) and 169 (35.24%), respectively. Proportions were similar between Amazon Prime Instant Video and Netflix original films and were unrelated to film age classification.ConclusionsAlcohol, tobacco and HFSS content likely to promote consumption among young people occurs frequently in original films shown by VOD services in the UK. Further studies are needed to investigate effective regulatory frameworks for VOD services to protect viewers from harmful or unwanted contents.

Longitudinal Associations Between Taste Sensitivity, Taste Liking, Dietary Intake and BMI in Adolescents.

Taste sensitivity and liking drive food choices and ingestive behaviors from childhood to adulthood, yet their longitudinal association with dietary intake and BMI is largely understudied. Here, we examined the longitudinal relationship between sugar and fat sensitivity, sugar and fat liking, habitual dietary intake, and BMI percentiles in a sample of 105 healthy-weight adolescents (baseline: BMI %tile 57.0 ± 24.3; age 14–16 years) over a 4-year period. Taste sensitivity was assessed via a triangle fat and sweet taste discrimination test. Taste liking were rated on a visual analog scale for four milkshakes that varied in sugar and fat contents (high-fat/high-sugar (HF/HS), low-fat/high-sugar (LF/HS), high-fat/low-sugar (HF/LS), low-fat/low-sugar (LF/LS) milkshakes). A modified version of the reduced Block Food Frequency Questionnaire (BFFQ) was used to assess dietary intake. All measurements were repeated annually. Repeated measures correlations and linear mixed effects models were used to model the associations between the variables. Sugar sensitivity was negatively associated with liking for the LF/HS milkshake over the 4-year period. Low sugar sensitivity at baseline predicted increases in BMI percentile over time, but this association didn’t survive a correction for multiple comparisons. Percent daily intake from fat was positively associated with liking for the HF/HS milkshake and negatively associated with liking for the LF/LS milkshake over 4 years. Together, these results demonstrate that lower sensitivity to sweet taste is linked to increased hedonic response to high-sugar foods and increased energy intake from fat seems to condition adolescents to show increased liking for high-fat/high-sugar foods.

Heart-attack: Causes and Preventions

Every year, around 12 million people die from a heart attack or stroke throughout the world. Both the rich and the poor are affected by these illnesses. The majority of people believe these are illnesses that affect middle-aged males. The fact is that heart attacks and strokes strike both men and women. After menopause, women are significantly more vulnerable. Although the human heart is only the size of a fist, it is the body's strongest muscle. The heart pumps blood to all areas of the body with each beat, bringing oxygen and nutrients. At rest, a person's heart beats around 70 times each minute. When we are active or experience intense emotions, our heart rate rises. Coronary arteries are blood channels that supply oxygen and nourishment to the heart. When the heart's blood supply is cut off, the lack of oxygen and nutrients can cause long-term harm to this important organ. A heart attack occurs when the blockage occurs suddenly. If the blockage is just partial and blood supply to the heart is reduced, chest discomfort known as angina might result. Although it may not create long-term damage to the heart muscle, it is an indication that a person is at risk of having a severe heart attack. Cause A blockage that stops blood from flowing to the heart or the brain is the major cause of heart attacks and strokes. A build-up of fatty deposits on the inner walls of the blood arteries that supply the heart or the brain is the most prevalent cause. The blood vessels become smaller and less flexible as a result of this. Atherosclerosis, or artery stiffening, is another name for it. Blood clots are more prone to clog the blood arteries as a result. When this happens, the blood arteries that provide blood to the heart and brain get blocked, causing damage to the heart and brain. A cerebral blood artery can break and haemorrhage, causing brain tissue damage. Intracerebral haemorrhage is the medical term for this. High blood pressure is a significant contributor to this. Preventions Almost two-thirds of people who have a heart attack die before reaching medical help. Despite having access to contemporary, advanced therapy, 60% of stroke victims die or become handicapped. As a result, it's critical to recognise the warning signals and respond quickly. But it's much better to avoid having a heart attack or stroke in the first place. Most heart attacks and strokes may be avoided, thus prevention is always preferable than therapy. According to research, a lot of factors increase our chances of having a heart attack or stroke. These are referred to as risk factors. Some risk factors are connected to the lifestyle choices we make. The three most important lifestyle variables are: • Tobacco usage • A poor diet and • Insufficient physical activity Tobacco usage is increasing in several countries across the world. In many nations, people are growing overweight as a result of less physical activity and increased consumption of high-fat, high-sugar foods. Obesity is causing an increasing number of young adults and children to get diabetes. We owe it to our children to alter our habits.

Sleep Quality and Processed Food Consumption among Female College Students

Background: Shorter sleep duration and processed food intake have been associated with higher body mass index and increased risk to metabolic syndrome. We conducted a cross-sectional study to find the association between processed food intake and sleep quality. Materials and Methods: We recruited 100 female college students aged 18–24 years. Height, weight, and waist circumference were measured. We used Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep quality. Processed food intake was estimated by using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Results: Half of the students had poor sleep quality. One-fourth of the students slept for more than 7 h/day. Fast food intake was associated poorer sleep quality and higher daytime dysfunction (P &lt; 0.05). Consumption of high sugar foods was associated with the shorter duration of sleep (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests that the quality of food can potentially influence the quality of sleep.

Emotional Eating in Relation to Worries and Psychological Distress Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Population-Based Survey on Adults in Norway.

Population-based studies have revealed a high occurrence of self-reported psychological distress symptoms during the early phases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Stress and negative affect can lead to emotional eating, which in turn can have negative outcomes on health. In this population-based study, 24,968 Norwegian inhabitants participated in an electronic questionnaire including structured questions on dietary habits, emotional eating, psychological distress symptoms, and COVID-19-related worries. The study took place during April 2020 after around six weeks of interventions to tackle the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, emotional eating was reported in 54% of the population and was markedly more frequent in female participants. Worries related to consequences of the pandemic were associated with increased emotional eating, and the association was stronger for worries related to personal economy—odds ratios (OR) 1.7 (95% confidence interval (CI95%) 1.5–1.9)—compared to worries related to health—OR 1.3 (CI95% 1.2–1.5). Psychological distress had a strong association with emotional eating—OR 4.2 (CI95% 3.9–4.4). Correspondingly, the intake of high-sugar foods and beverages was higher for those with substantial COVID-19-related worries and those with psychological distress compared to the overall population.

Healthwashing in high-sugar food advertising: the effect of prior information on healthwashing perceptions in Austria.

SummaryIn the context of exceeding levels of sugar consumption, some food companies advertise high-sugar products using inappropriate and misleading health claims (i.e. healthwashing). To reduce sugar consumption, consumers need to recognize what these healthwashed claims are. This study investigates how prior sugar-related health information moderates the effect of exposure to healthwashed advertisements (ads) on healthwashing perceptions and how such perceptions are related to attitudes towards product consumption. We conducted a 2 × 2 online experiment with 292 adult participants in Austria. We manipulated the presence of healthwashing and participants’ prior sugar-related health information. The results indicated that exposure to healthwashed ads increased healthwashing perceptions only when the participants received additional health information prior to ad exposure, whereas no significant effect was found when the participants did not receive such prior health information. Healthwashing perceptions were then negatively related to individuals’ attitudes towards product consumption. Based on these results, the study suggests that public access to health-related information might play an important role in empowering consumers to detect inappropriate health claims and become more critical towards food companies’ underlying strategies in ads.

Association between dietary patterns and risk of breast cancer in Chinese female population: a latent class analysis.

To determine if specific dietary patterns are associated with breast cancer (BC) risk in Chinese women. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify generic dietary patterns based on daily food-frequency data. The Chinese Wuxi Exposure and Breast Cancer Study (2013-2014). A population-based case-control study (695 cases, 804 controls). Four dietary patterns were identified, Prudent, Chinese traditional, Western and Picky; the proportion in the controls and cases was 0·30/0·32/0·16/0·23 and 0·29/0·26/0·11/0·33, respectively. Women in Picky class were characterised by higher extreme probabilities of non-consumption of specific foods, the highest probabilities of consumption of pickled foods and the lowest probabilities of consumption of cereals, soya foods and nuts. Compared with Prudent class, Picky class was associated with a higher risk (OR = 1·42, 95 % CI 1·06, 1·90), while the relevant association was only in post- (OR = 1·44, 95 % CI 1·01, 2·05) but not in premenopausal women. The Western class characterised by high-protein, high-fat and high-sugar foods, and the Chinese traditional class characterised by typical consumption of soya foods and white meat over red meat, both of them showed no difference in BC risk compared with Prudent class did. LCA captures the heterogeneity of individuals embedded in the population and could be a useful approach in the study of dietary pattern and disease. Our results indicated that the Picky class might have a positive association with the risk of BC.

Ginsenoside Rb1 protects porcine oocytes against methylglyoxal damage thus it improves the quality of parthenogenetic activation and in vitro fertilization embryos.

Panax ginseng, a functional food, has been widely used as an edible nourishment and medicinal supplement. Ginsenoside Rb1 is a major bioactive ingredient of ginseng, which shows very specific anti-apoptosis and anti-oxidant activities. Methylglyoxal (MGO) is one of intermediate products of glucose metabolism, which is absorbed easily from high sugar foods or carbonated beverages. It may involve in a variety of detrimental processes in vivo. However, it has not been fully explored the effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on MGO-induced oocytes damage. This study found that MGO-induced DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction result in the failure of porcine oocytes maturation and low in vitro development capacity of parthenogenetic activation (PA) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos. Conversely, Rb1 supplementation recovered the rate of maturation, and improved in vitro development capacity of PA and IVF embryos. Rb1 also provided porcine oocytes a lower level of reactive oxygen species production, higher level of ATP content and mitochondrial membrane potential, and stimulated pluripotency gene expression in blastocysts. The findings of this study reveal ginsenoside Rb1 protects porcine oocyte from the cytotoxicity effects of methylglyoxal and provides novel perspectives for the protection of reproduction system by functional food of ginseng.

The Nutritional Profile of Food Advertising for School-Aged Children via Television: A Longitudinal Approach.

The prevalence of childhood obesity continues to increase. Screen time, one of the most documented reasons for the obesogenic environment, enhances childhood obesity, since advertisements for unhealthy food products are still broadcast on channels for children. This is presently one of the main challenges for the government in Spain, since the current laws and obligations are not updated. This study aims to analyze food advertising aimed at children on Spanish television in 2013 and 2018 on children’s and general channels to test the effect of laws and obligations over time. In total, we viewed 512 h of the most viewed channels, two children’s and two general channels, during the week and on weekends during specific periods of 2013 and 2018. Food advertising was categorized as core, non-core, and other food advertisement (CFA, NCFA, and OFA, respectively) according to the nutritional profile. A total of 2935 adverts were analyzed, 1263 in 2013 and 1672 in 2018. A higher proportion of NCFAs were broadcast on children’s channels than in prior years, rising from 52.2% to 69.8% (p < 0.001). Nowadays, the risk of watching NCFAs on children’s channels compared to general channels turns out to be higher (Odds ratio > 2.5; p < 0.001), due to exposure to adverts for high-sugar and high-fat foods such as cakes, muffins, cookies, and fried and frozen meals rich in fat. In conclusion, the trends of nutritional profiles in food advertising on television are worsening over time, since the prevalence of NCFAs was higher in 2018 than in 2013. Currently, CFAs are not mainly broadcast on children’s channels, confirming high-risk exposure to non-core food advertising by watching them. Thus, food advertising laws and obligations should be adapted to increase compliance.

Stress and behavioral changes with remote E-exams during the Covid-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study among undergraduates of medical sciences

BackgroundEmergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) forced the worldwide higher educational institutes to adopt distance learning mode. Further, remote electronic exams (E−exams) were considered as mode of assessment. Objectives: This cross-sectional study evaluated the students' experience of remote E-exams during the COVID-19 pandemic among Medical Sciences students in Jordan. Materials and Methods: A survey of 29 questions was prepared on Google forms and distributed among students at Faculties of Medical Sciences (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and Applied Medical Sciences) at Jordan University of Science and Technology. The questions include students' demographics, stress experience, and factors contributing to stress as well as behavioral changes related to remote E-exams. Responses were analyzed using descriptive, cross tabulation and Chi-square tests. Results: Among 1019 respondents, 32% reported more stress with remote E-exams. This was associated with academic major and gender. Among students with more stress during remote E-exams, the exam duration, mode of questions navigation and technical problems (exam platform and internet connectivity) appeared as the main factors related to stress in 78%, 76% and >60%, respectively. Other factors include concern regarding the teaching methods, exam environment and students' dishonesty. Remote E-exams had negative impact on students' dietary habits (increase consumption of caffeine and high energy drinks, high sugar food, fast food), sleep (reduction in sleeping hours, more consumption of insomnia medications), physical activity (less exercises) and smoking habits (increase). Conclusion: Results suggested a negative impact of E-exams on students within Medical Faculties. Robust exam platform and remote mock E-exams are recommended to reduce students' potential stress. A stress-free environment is very essential to encourage students to adopt remote E-exams, particularly if the pandemic will take longer. Various awareness programs about students' habits related to dietary, sleep quality, physical activity and smoking are highly valuable for students’ health benefits. This is of particular importance since the current students at Faculties of Medical Sciences are the future health care providers.

Overweight and Obesity in Children of Immigrant Versus Native Parents: Exploring a Local Setting in Portugal.

In Portugal, the majority of immigrants come from Portuguese-speaking countries. Among children, overweight and obesity are serious public health concerns, but a few studies include children with immigrant background. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity and risk of abdominal obesity in school-age children and to explore potential determinants, considering the origin of the children’s parents (both mother and father are non-Portuguese, only one Portuguese, and both are Portuguese). A cross-sectional study included a random sample of 789 children (5–11 years old, 49.2% of males and 50.8% female) attending public primary schools in Barreiro, district of Setubal, Portugal. Fieldwork occurred from 20th April to 3rd July 2009. Data concerning socioeconomic, eating habits, and sports outside school were obtained through a questionnaire applied to the children’s person in charge. Anthropometric measures were collected by certified technicians. One-third of the children presented overweight and obesity (33.7%, 95% CI [30.0; 37.7]) and risk of abdominal obesity (16.4%, 95% CI [13.6; 19.7]) without differences according to parents’ origin. Children with immigrant background presented higher consumption of low-priced, high-sugar, and high-fat foods, with a worse situation for girls. Females from both non-Portuguese parents also practiced less sports outside school than those where one or two parents are Portuguese. Thus, promoting and monitoring a healthy diet and physical activity in this group should be prioritized in this local setting.