Consumption Of Salty Snacks Research Articles

Moroccan eating habits during COVID-19 lockdown: a preliminary analysis

The present study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dietary habits. Data were collected from an online survey (n = 171, out of 315 initial respondents) during the lockdown period from April to June 2020. The questionnaire was provided in Arabic, French, and English language and divided into five sections: sociodemographic and socioeconomic information, eating motivations, food consumption frequency, food-related behaviors, and purchase priorities. The results showed that health and pleasure were the primary perceived changes in eating motivations caused by the pandemic. The results of cluster analysis exhibited that individuals from cluster 1 with “Good Habits” had not changed their consumption frequency of food during the lockdown. In contrast, cluster 2 with “Bad Habits” showed higher consumption of salty snacks, chocolates, cakes, cookies, and processed foods (p < 0.001) than the period before the pandemic. On the other hand, the priority to purchase frozen vegetables, chocolates, and canned beans and legumes was observed to increase in cluster 2 during the lockdown period (p = 0.02, p = 0.005, and p = 0.001, respectively). The COVID-19 pandemic had a discernible impact on Moroccan dietary habits, emphasizing the need to fully understand the long-term effects. The observed changes highlight the importance of promoting healthy eating habits, especially during times of crisis. By analyzing the shifts in food consumption and the underlying motivations, policymakers can develop targeted interventions to support healthier dietary choices among the Moroccan population, contributing to improved public health outcomes.

Dietary habits, nutritional knowledge, and nutritional status among cardiological patients, including those with obesity and diabetes.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide. The increase in patients with obesity and diabetes raises the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Proper eating habits and adequate nutritional knowledge play a key role in preventing and treating these conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the dietary habits, nutritional knowledge, and nutritional status of patients hospitalized in a cardiology department in Poland, including those with obesity or diabetes. The study was conducted at St. Barbara Regional Specialized Hospital No. 5 in Sosnowiec from January to June 2021, involving 301 patients, 154 women (51.2%) and 147 men (48.8%), aged 29 to 87. Participants were assessed for BMI, NRS 2002 scale, morphology, biochemistry results, blood pressure, and examined for nutritional knowledge and habits using proprietary questionnaires. A proprietary scale was used to assess eating habits. Most cardiology patients were overweight or obese, with 80% exceeding the normal weight range. No significant gender differences were noted in malnutrition risk on the NRS 2002 scale. The study found patients rarely consumed recommended amounts of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish, and dairy products. Only 26.2% regularly ate a second breakfast, and just 9.3% chose water with meals. However, consumption of salty snacks, energy drinks, and alcohol was low. Biochemical and blood test analysis did not show significant differences between patients with diabetes, obesity, and others. Most cardiology patients were overweight or obese, which poses a significant risk for further health complications, including cardiovascular diseases. Although patients with diabetes and/or obesity had better nutritional knowledge in some areas, this did not lead to healthier eating habits. The absence of significant differences in biochemical tests suggests that overall lifestyle and diet are crucial to cardiovascular health.

Food deconsumption as part of a sustainable lifestyle: A study of Polish deconsumers

Deconsumption, defined as a wide spectrum of voluntary activities aimed at reducing consumption levels, is a multidimensional and multidisciplinary phenomenon, which concerns the reduction of goods and resources purchased, consumed, and used by consumers. The phenomenon could be manifested in a partial resignation from the purchase of products or possession of goods, reducing the consumption of resources or changing the current way of meeting needs. Deconsumption has numerous links with the concept of sustainable development, a trend that has gained importance in recent years as a response to excessive and unsustainable consumption and production. The purpose of this article is to examine and characterize the importance and interactions between food deconsumption — its forms (such as limiting consumption levels, eliminating food categories, etc.) and subjects (different food categories) — and the sustainable lifestyles of consumers. Empirical research was conducted in order to recognize consumer opinions and behaviors in the context of selected manifestations of deconsumption. The quantitative study was conducted in November 2021 on a sample of N = 516 Polish respondents using the CAWI technique and the authors’ own questionnaire. The respondents were asked about, among other things, the reduction of food consumption. The main hypothesis of the study was that deconsumption practices among Polish respondents are manifestations of their aspirations to live a sustainable lifestyle — for this purpose, a statistical hypothesis of no correlation between belonging to one of the groups of respondents (incidental, fragmentary, or lifestyle deconsumers) and food deconsumption practices was formulated and tested in a quantitative study. One in two respondents declared a reduction of food consumption in the twelve months preceding the survey. Health concerns were the second most common reason for food deconsumption, preceded by rising food prices, which highlighted the importance of motives of an economic and health nature over the others covered in the survey, and could therefore be attributed to sustainable practices relating to consumers’ lifestyles. The respondents gave up or limited the consumption of salty snacks, sweets, and ready meals to the highest degree. A relatively high percentage of respondents declared limiting the consumption of meat and cold cuts as well. The reduction of fish and seafood and dairy products consumption was observed to a slightly lesser extent. The results of the study revealed a relatively high consumer awareness of healthy eating, as well as care for health and a slim figure. This observation coincides with current consumer trends (care for health, conscious consumer, well-being, “health again”). Deconsumption in the researched study sample took also the form of dietary trends such as flexitarianism, vegetarianism, and veganism, which are gaining popularity nowadays.

Nutritional Behavior of Patients with Bone Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Study from Austria.

A balanced diet rich in calcium and protein is recommended for bone-healthy people and osteoporosis patients, but it may also be important for rare bone disease (RBD). Little data is available on RBD and diet. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional behavior of patients with RBD. This single-center, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study assessed the nutritional behavior of RBD patients (X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH), osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), hypophosphatasia (HPP)), osteoporosis (OPO) patients and healthy controls (CTRL). The nutritional questionnaire comprised 25 questions from seven nutritional areas. The associations between socioeconomic factors and BMI were assessed by age-adjusted univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Fifty patients with RBD (17 OI, 17 HPP, 16 XLH; mean age of 48.8 ± 15.9, 26.0% male, mean BMI 26.2 ± 5.6), 51 with OPO (mean age 66.6 ± 10.0, 9.8% male, mean BMI 24.2 ± 3.9) and 52 CTRL (mean age 50.8 ± 16.3, 26.9% male, mean BMI 26.4 ± 4.7) participated. Twenty-six (52.0%) RBD, 17 (33.4%) OPO and 24 (46.1%) CTRL were overweight or obese according to BMI. Only a minority of RBD, OPO and CTRL had a daily intake of at least three portions of milk or milk products (17.3% RBD, 15.6% OPO, 11.6% CTRL, p = 0.453). In general, similar nutritional behavior was observed between the three subgroups. However, significant differences were found in caffeine consumption (p = 0.016), fruit/vegetable juice consumption (p = 0.034), portions of fish per week (p = 0.044), high-fat meals per week (p = 0.015) and consumption of salty snacks (p = 0.001). Nutritional counseling, controlling BMI and ensuring sufficient calcium and protein intake are crucial in patients with osteoporosis as well as in rare bone diseases. Vitamin D does not appear to be sufficiently supplied by the diet, and therefore supplementation should be considered in patients with bone diseases.

Infant Feeding Outcomes From a Culturally-Adapted Early Obesity Prevention Program for Immigrant Chinese American Parents

ObjectiveTo examine whether a cultural adaptation of an early childhood obesity prevention program promotes healthy infant feeding practices. MethodsProspective quasi-experimental study of a community-engaged multiphasic cultural adaptation of an obesity prevention program set at a federally qualified health center serving immigrant Chinese American parent-child dyads (N = 298). In a group of historical controls, we assessed early infant feeding practices (breastfeeding, sugar-sweetened beverage intake) in 6-month-olds and then the same practices alongside early solid food feeding practices (bottle weaning, fruit, vegetable, sugary or salty snack consumption) in 12-month-olds. After implementation, we assessed these practices in an intervention cohort group at 6 and 12 months. We used cross-sectional groupwise comparisons and adjusted regression analyses to evaluate group differences. ResultsAt 6 months, the intervention group had increased odds of no sugar-sweetened beverage intake (aOR: 5.69 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.65, 19.63], P = .006). At 12 months, the intervention group also had increased odds of no sugar-sweetened beverage intake (aOR: 15.22 [95% CI: 6.33, 36.62], P < .001), increased odds of bottle weaning (aOR: 2.34 [95% CI: 1.05, 5.23], P = .03), and decreased odds of sugary snack consumption (aOR: 0.36 [0.18, 0.70], P = .003). We did not detect improvements in breastfeeding, fruit, vegetable, or salty snack consumption. ConclusionsA cultural adaptation of a primary care-based educational obesity prevention program for immigrant Chinese American families with low income is associated with certain healthy infant feeding practices. Future studies should evaluate cultural adaptations of more intensive interventions that better address complex feeding practices, such as breastfeeding, and evaluate long-term weight outcomes.

Longitudinal associations between food parenting practices and dietary intake in preschool children: The ToyBox Study

IntroductionFood Parenting Practices (FPPs) include the practices parents use in the act of feeding their children, which may further influence their health. ObjectivesTo assess associations between changes in FPPs (permissiveness, food availability, guided choices, water encouragement, rules and limits and the use of food as reward) over 1 year and dietary intake (water, energy-dense/nutrient-poor and nutrient-dense foods) at follow-up in 4- to 6-year-old preschool-aged children. MethodsLongitudinal data from the control group of the ToyBox study, a cluster-randomized controlled intervention study, was used (NCT02116296). Multilevel ordinal logistic regression analyses including FPP as the independent variables and dietary intake as outcome. ResultsNine hundred sixty-four parent-child dyads (50.5% boys and 95.0% mothers) were included. Limited changes on the use of FPPs were observed over time. Nevertheless, in boys, often having F&V at home was associated with higher F&V consumption (OR = 6.92 [1.58; 30.38]), and increasing home availability of F&V was directly associated with higher water consumption (OR = 7.62 [1.63; 35.62]). Also, not having sweets or salty snacks available at home was associated with lower consumption of desserts (OR = 4.34 [1.75; 10.75]). In girls, having F&V availability was associated with higher F&V consumption (OR = 6.72 [1.52; 29.70]) and lower salty snack consumption (OR = 3.26 [1.50; 7.10]) and never having soft drinks at home was associated with lower consumption of sweets (OR = 7.89 [6.32; 9.86]). Also, never being permissive about soft drink consumption was associated with lower soft drink consumption (OR = 4.09 [2.44; 6.85]). ConclusionUsing favorable FPPs and avoiding the negative ones is prospectively associated with healthier dietary intake, especially of F&V, and less intake of soft drinks, desserts, and salty snacks.

Changes in eating behaviours and physical activity among primary schoolchildren aged 7-12 during the pandemic in the light of qualitative and quantitative research - Junior-Edu-Żywienie (JEŻ) Project.

The COVID-19 pandemic had many direct and indirect effects, including lifestyle changes in all subpopulations, including children and adolescents. The aim of the study was to identify: 1) attitudes of students aged 7-12 years and their parents towards food, nutrition, and physical activity; 2) changes in the consumption of basic food products during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative survey was conducted among students and their parents using the Focus Group Interview method, as well as quantitative research among parents and schoolchildren aged 10-12 years. During the pandemic, changes were demonstrated in the eating habits of primary schoolchildren which were both positive and negative. Positive changes include a greater number of meals and their regularity, especially in relation to meals prepared at home, and a greater consumption of mainly fruit, and to a lesser extent vegetables and whole grain products. Among the negative changes observed were an increased consumption of salty snacks and sweets, including those prepared at home. Moreover, limiting physical activity during isolation may have resulted, as a long-term effect, in excessive body weight and obesity-related non-communicable diseases in children and adolescence, and later in adulthood. There is a need to develop post-pandemic support strategies addressed to both schoolchildren and their parents regarding adequate eating behaviours and physical activity.

Relation between caries experience and the consumption of sweetened drinks and processed food in children: A population-based study.

Diet can play a role in caries disease and the consumption of ultra-processed foods has increased over the years. The purpose was to propose predictive models on the relation between caries experience, diet, sex, and oral health aspects. This cross-sectional study included 5213 schoolchildren aged 2-11 years and a questionnaire based on WHO Oral Health Survey was applied to assess the intake of sugary foods, oral hygiene practices, access to health services and parents' perception; dmft/DMFT index, biofilm accumulation and orthodontic treatment need were assessed by 6 calibrated dentists. The logistic model showed that female sex and presence of biofilm increased the chance of having early childhood caries; besides, this chance increased by 17% for each additional day of sweetened drink intake. In children aged 6-11 years, a negative binomial regression model showed that the absence of biofilm and frequency of toothbrushing were related to lower caries index, while male sex and the consumption of salty snacks and cake/cookies were related to higher dmft+DMFT index. Disagreement or weak agreement between caregivers' perception of the presence of dental caries and children's need for dental treatment was found. Early childhood caries was dependent on the consumption of sweetened drinks and the presence of biofilm, while in older children the caries experience was predicted by the consumption of snacks, cakes and biscuits, biofilm accumulation and toothbrushing frequency, emphasizing the need of health education to encourage healthy eating habits and oral care with an approach to parents/caregivers to prevent dental caries development.

Frequency of sweet and salty snack consumption among children in relation to their mothers' education level.

Aim To investigate the frequency of consumption of sweet and salty snacks among children aged 2-18 years in relation to their mothers' education level. Methods A descriptive epidemiological study was conducted in five dental practices at the School of Medicine of the University of Mostar from May to October 2022. The data were collected from medical records. Results: Out of a total of 477 children, 172 (36.1%) had mothers with a high school education, while 305 (63.9%) had mothers with a university degree. In the group of preschool children (aged 2-6 years), there were 42 mothers with high school education and 105 with university degree. In the group of school children (age 7-18 years) there were 130 mothers with high school education and 200 with university degree. The difference in the consumption of sweetened beverages among children of mothers with high school and university was not statistically significant. Similar results were found for the consumption of salty snacks, lollipops, caramels and candies. The frequency of the consumption of biscuits, chocolate and cakes (several times a day) was statistically significantly higher among the children of mothers with high school education (p=0.04), especially among school children. Eating habits of children, regardless of the level of education of their mothers, differed significantly only in the consumption of lollipops, caramels, and candies (p=0.03), which were consumed once a day by 79 (63.7%) schoolchildren and 45 (36.3%) of pre-schoolers. Conclusion A higher level of education among mothers does not necessarily equate to proper nutritional knowledge.

Junk food consumption in relation to menstrual abnormalities among adolescent girls: A comparative cross sectional study

The study was aimed at evaluating the association between junk food consumption and BMI of adolescent girls along with the menstrual abnormalities and to compare it with controls. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 girls between 13 - 19 years of age at Bahria International Hospital, Lahore based on self-administered questionnaire from July 2021 to September 2021. The total subjects were divided in two groups Viz; Group-A which comprised of 100 girls with menstrual abnormalities and Group-B included 100 girls without menstrual problem (control group). The data recorded on the questionnaire about the demographic profile, anthropometric measurements, menstrual cycle characteristics, and dietary habits was subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS version 20 and Chi-Square was used to test quantitative significance between the two groups. The mean age of participants was 17.02±1.76 years. It was observed that 40% girls had irregular menstrual cycle, 56% girls were suffering from dysmenorrhea and almost all girls of Group-I were suffering from premenstrual dysfunctions. The current study found a non-significant difference between two groups with regard to body mass index (P≥0.05). Significant difference was observed between two groups (P ≤ 0.05) as junk food consumption was high in Group-A as compared to Group-B. However, no significant difference was found between Group-A and B in relation to the consumption of salty snacks and frozen meat items (P≥0.05). The results suggested that junk food consumption affects menstrual cycle negatively however more studies are needed to confirm the association of BMI, consumption of salty snacks and frozen meat items with menstrual abnormalities.

Influence of eating behaviors on dietary intake and quality of life among low-income bariatric surgery candidates: A preliminary study

Dysfunctional eating behavior is common among candidates for bariatric surgery. However, the influence of eating behaviors on dietary intake and quality of life in the low-income population undergoing this kind of surgery is unclear. To evaluate the association between eating behavior, sociodemographic variables, quality of life, and eating habits of candidates for bariatric surgery. This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the Bariatric Surgery Outpatient Clinic of the University Hospital of Sergipe with 42 severely obese patients. Socioeconomic and anthropometric data, food frequency, and eating behavior questionnaire (Binge Eating Scale - BES and the Three-factor Eating Questionnaire - TFEQ-21) were collected pre-surgery. Data of 42 patients were available with a mean age of 44.3 (SD 5.8) years, and the majority of them were female (73,81%). There was a significant association between emotional eating and marital status, with higher scores on the emotional eating scale observed among patients with a partner when compared to those without a partner (p = 0.01). Assessing the association between behavior and eating habits, positive correlations happened between higher BES scores and higher consumption of salty snacks (r = 0.47; p = 0.03), higher cognitive restriction scores, and higher consumption of vegetables (r = 0.46; p = 0.04). There was inverse correlation between higher emotional eating score and lower cereal consumption (r = − 0.59; p = 0.01), higher cognitive restriction score and lower emotional aspects score (r = − 0.45; p = 0.01). Analyzing the relationship between eating behavior and quality of life, patients with lower vitality scores showed a higher uncontrolled eating score (r = − 0.42; p = 0.03). The findings suggest there is an association between eating behavior, dietary habits, and the quality of life of patients. These results may bring more appropriate strategies to improve patients' health care, which is also essential for successful post-surgery outcomes. • Eating behavior is closely associated with how bariatric surgery candidates relate to food choices. • Uncontrolled eating was linked to lower vitality in severely patients with obesity. • Restrictive cognition was correlated with higher consumption of vegetables and lower emotional aspects scores. • There was a positive association between binge eating and a higher intake of salty snacks.

Measuring Food Loss and Waste Costs in the Italian Potato Chip Industry Using Material Flow Cost Accounting

Material flow cost accounting (MFCA) represents an innovative tool to identify inefficiencies in the use of resources in agribusiness, measuring either mass flows or costs incurred along the entire supply chain. The purpose of the article is to estimate the meso-level ecological and economic impacts of food loss and waste in the Italian salty snack sector before and during the COVID-19 lockdown by applying MFCA. Furthermore, in the light of the European Commission Delegated Decision 2019/1597, it aims to assess whether MFCA is a suitable tool to support food waste management along the entire food supply, discussing implications for researchers, academics and managers, as well as for public authorities. The research explores potato chip production from the agricultural stage (either considering plant cultivation and harvest) to the final consumption stage. The functional unit is 1 ton of unpackaged chips produced. The Italian lockdown spurred an intense upsurge in snacking activities (i.e., the consumption of salty snacks), justifying the need to investigate an agri-food segment often overlooked from an economic, resources and waste management perspective. It emerges that the “chips system” generates production valued at EUR 461 million (78%) and costs associated with food loss and waste that exceed EUR 131 million (22%), revealing an economically important potential for savings through a reduction in undesirable negative material flows, or through the valorization of previously hidden material losses according to circular economy paradigms. This suggests that the company-level adoption of appropriate material and financial accounting systems could enhance both internal savings and collective benefits towards sustainable resources and waste management.

Frequency of family meals and food consumption in families at high risk of type 2 diabetes: the Feel4Diabetes-study

A family meal is defined as a meal consumed together by the members of a family or by having ≥ 1 parent present during a meal. The frequency of family meals has been associated with healthier food intake patterns in both children and parents. This study aimed to investigate in families at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes across Europe the association (i) between family meals’ frequency and food consumption and diet quality among parents and (ii) between family meals’ frequency and children’s food consumption. Moreover, the study aimed to elucidate the mediating effect of parental diet quality on the association between family meals’ frequency and children’s food consumption. Food consumption frequency and anthropometric were collected cross-sectionally from a representative sample of 1964 families from the European Feel4Diabetes-study. Regression and mediation analyses were applied by gender of children. Positive and significant associations were found between the frequency of family meals and parental food consumption (β = 0.84; 95% CI 0.57, 1.45) and diet quality (β = 0.30; 95% CI 0.19, 0.42). For children, more frequent family meals were significantly associated with healthier food consumption (boys, β = 0.172, p < 0.05; girls, β = 0.114, p < 0.01). A partial mediation effect of the parental diet quality was shown on the association between the frequency of family meals and the consumption of some selected food items (i.e., milk products and salty snacks) among boys and girls. The strongest mediation effect of parental diet quality was found on the association between the frequency of family breakfast and the consumption of salty snacks and milk and milk products (62.5% and 37.5%, respectively) among girls.Conclusions: The frequency of family meals is positively associated with improved food consumption patterns (i.e., higher intake of fruits and vegetables and reduced consumption of sweets) in both parents and children. However, the association in children is partially mediated by parents’ diet quality. The promotion of consuming meals together in the family could be a potentially effective strategy for interventions aiming to establish and maintain healthy food consumption patterns among children.Trial registration: The Feel4Diabetes-study is registered with the clinical trials registry (NCT02393872), http://clinicaltrials.gov, March 20, 2015.What is Known:• Parents’ eating habits and diet quality play an important role in shaping dietary patterns in children• Family meals frequency is associated with improved diet quality of children in healthy populationWhat is New:• Frequency of family meals was significantly associated with healthier food consumption among parents and children in families at high risk of type 2 diabetes in six European countries.• Parental diet quality mediates the association between family meals frequency and the consumption of some selected food items among children.

Changes in food habits amongst Norwegian adolescents in 2016 and 2019 according to gender and socioeconomic status.

BackgroundMonitoring dietary habits is important in order to identify risk groups and as a basis for targeted public health initiatives.ObjectiveTo study trends in consumption of selected foods and beverages from 2016 to 2019 amongst Norwegian adolescents according to gender and parental education.DesignRepeated cross-sectional study amongst 25,996 adolescents, aged 14–17 years old. Consumption of selected food and beverages was measured by an online food frequency questionnaire and general linear models were applied to estimate changes in dietary habits.ResultsBetween 2016 and 2019, we observed a reduced frequency of consumption of vegetables (from 4.7 to 4.4 times/week), fruit and berries (from 4.4 to 4.2 times/week), whole-grain bread (from 5.1 to 4.2 times/week), and fish (from 2.3 to 1.6 times/week). During this time period, we also observed a reduced frequency of consumption of salty snacks (from 2.1 to 1.9 times/week), sweets (from 2.3 to 2.0 times/week), sugar-sweetened beverages (from 2.8 to 2.6 times/week), and artificially sweetened beverages (from 2.2 to 1.5 times/week). In girls, there was a decrease in the reported frequency of consumption of fruit and berries (−4%, vs. no change in boys). The decrease in consumption frequency of whole-grain bread was larger in girls than in boys (−19% vs. −14%). Further, a 17% decrease in consumption of sweets was observed amongst adolescents with no or only one parent having college/university education compared to a 13% decrease in adolescents whose both parents had college/university education.ConclusionOur results showed a decrease in frequency of consumption of selected healthy and unhealthy food and beverages amongst adolescents between 2016 and 2019. The gender gap in consumption of fruit and berries and whole-grain bread seemed to decrease during this time period, and the socio-economic gap in consumption of sweets seemed to disappear.

Contribution of home availability, parental child-feeding practices and health beliefs on children's sweets and salty snacks consumption in Europe: Feel4Diabetes-Study.

Adoption of healthy dietary and snacking habits could support optimum physical and mental development in children as they define health in adulthood. This study assessed parameters associated with children's snacking such as food home availability, parenting practices, and parents' health beliefs. In this cross-sectional study 12 039 children, 49·4% boys 5-12 years, participating in the European Feel4Diabetes-Study were included. Children's weekly consumption of sweets and salty snacks, home availability of snacks, food parenting practices, and health beliefs were assessed via questionnaires. Logistic regression was applied to explore associations of a) home availability of snacks, b) food parenting practices (permissiveness and rewarding with snacks) and c) parent's opinions on deterministic health beliefs with children's consumption of sweets and salty snacks. Results showed that home availability (sweets: ORadj: 4·76, 95 % CI: 4·32, 5·23; salty snacks: ORadj: 6·56, 95 % CI: 5·64, 7·61), allowing to consume (sweets: ORadj: 3·29, 95 % CI: 2·95, 3·67; salty snacks: ORadj: 3·41, 95 % CI: 2·98, 3·90) and rewarding with sweets/salty snacks (sweets: ORadj: 2·69, 95 % CI: 2·23, 3·24; salty snacks: ORadj: 4·34, 95 % CI: 3·57, 5·28) 'sometimes/or less frequently' compared to 'always/or often' were associated with lower weekly consumption of sweets and snacks. Parents' disagreement compared to agreement with deterministic health beliefs and inattentive eating were associated with lower consumption of salty snacks and sweets in children. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that attempts to promote healthy snacking habits in children should aim to improve parental dietary habits, food parenting practices, health beliefs, and reducing home availability of unhealthy foods and snacks.

Has COVID-19 Changed the Lifestyle and Dietary Habits in the Spanish Population after Confinement?

Since 2020, the world has been immersed in a change in lifestyle (social, lifestyle, nutri-tion and physical activity patterns), due to the appearance of COVID-19 and the strict mobility measures which were implemented to prevent its spread. All these changes had a nutritional impact on people, modifying their dietary guidelines. This cross-sectional study was carried out to assess whether dietary habits, lifestyle, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet among the Spanish adult population (25–65 years old) during confinement was modified during the post-confinement period, using an e-survey through social networks, involving 510 subjects. A decrease in the intake of ultra-processed products, with a correlation between weekly food delivery orders at home and the consumption of salty snacks, sugary drinks, and processed pastries was also recorded. Most of the subjects performed physical exercise on a regular basis, maintaining the body weight in half of the participants. During the post-confinement period a substantial proportion of the population had healthy lifestyle and dietary habits, including the adequate consumption of fruits, vegetables and legumes; adequate time was spent preparing meals and the population did not regularly order food at home, which in the long term, reduced the risk of several diseases.

Prevalence of energy drink consumption and association with dietary habits among governmental university students in Riyadh.

To determine the prevalence of Energy Drinks (ED) consumption, and the adverse effects experienced by consumers among governmental university students in Riyadh, and to assess the relationship between ED consumption and dietary habits. This is a cross-sectional study carried out in 2020 in a random sample of students at government universities in Riyadh (King Saud University (KSU) and Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU). The study was conducted within a time frame of 3 months which included a total of 546 students. The data collection tool was an online self-administered questionnaire that included three sections. The first section addressed the characteristics of the students, the second section addressed ED consumption, and the third section addressed the dietary habits of ED consumers. A SPSS software-based analysis revealed that the percentage of ED consumers in our cohort was 29.3%. Moreover, we found a significant association between ED consumption and consumption of fewer than three meals, skipping breakfast, and fast food intake (χ2 = 0.002, P = 0.364; χ2 = 0.028, P = 0.341; and (χ2 = 0.010, P = 0.369, respectively), with moderate correlation. No association was found between the consumption of EDs and that of fruits, vegetables, and snacks. Moreover, 36% of the consumers experienced jolt-and-crash symptoms and signs after ED consumption, with 84.5% of them exhibiting increased consumption of salty snacks, sweets, and fast food during the episodes. Our findings showed that ED consumption is not a common practice among governmental university students in Riyadh. Furthermore, the consumption of EDs was correlated with unhealthy dietary habits. Creating educational programs for school going students and providing healthy alternative options to the students is highly recommend. Future research should be conducted using a larger sample and including universities from the private sector, to compare the results.

Association of dietary behaviors, biochemical, and lifestyle factors with metabolic phenotypes of obesity in children and adolescents

Background and aimsTo examine the association of dietary behaviors, lifestyle, and biochemical factors with metabolic phenotypes of obesity among obese Iranian children and adolescents.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted within the framework of the fifth phase of CASPIAN study. Of 3840 students aged 7–18 years of 30 Iranian provinces, 408 subjects were diagnosed as obese; they were divided into metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) groups. Biochemical factors, anthropometric measures, dietary, and lifestyle habits were compared between groups.ResultsOf the 408 obese subjects, 68 (16.7%) were the MUO; the remaining 340 (84.3%) fall in the MHO group. The MUO group had significantly higher systolic and diastolic BPs, FBS, TG, ALT, anthropometric measures, and lower HDL levels than MHO groups (all p-value < 0.05). The frequency of high birth weight (> 4000 gr) was significantly higher in the MUO group than the MHO group (p-value: 0.04). A higher percentage of individuals with breastfeeding duration ≥ 6 month was found in the MUO group (95.5% (95% CI 86.1–98.6%)) compared to MHO group (85.7% (95% CI 80.4–89.7%)) (p-value = 0.04). Among dietary and lifestyle-related behaviors, only the frequency of salty snack consumption and eating food according to the parents’ request was significantly higher in the MUO group than the MHO group (p-value < 0.05).ConclusionDietary habits and lifestyle factors may determine the obesity phenotypes in children and adolescents.

A Cross-Sectional Survey of Salty Snack Consumption among Serbian Urban-Living Students and Their Contribution to Salt Intake.

This study investigated the behavior of urban-living students related to the salty snacks consumption, and their contribution to salt daily intake. A cross-sectional survey on 1313 urban-living students (16–25 years, 61.4% university students and 38.6% high school students) used a pre-verified questionnaire created specifically for the study. The logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the factors influencing snack consumption. The results of salt content and the snack consumption frequency were used to evaluate snack contribution to salt intake. All subjects consumed salty snacks, on average several times per week, more often at home and slightly more during periods of intensive studying, with 42% of the participants reporting to consume two or more packages per snacking occasion. Most of the participants consumed such products between main meals, but 10% of them took snacks immediately after the main meal. More high-school students than university students were in the “high snack group” (p < 0.05). The most frequently consumed salty snacks were those with the highest content of salt. Salt intake from snack products for a majority of participants ranged between 0.4 and 1 g/day. The research revealed younger age, home environment and significant contribution to salt intake as critical points in salty snack consumption among urban-living students important for the better understanding of their dietary habits.

Blood Pressure Association with Sodium Intake from Snacks Among Undergraduates of Afe Babalola University, Nigeria

Abstract Objectives The aim of the study was to assess the association between blood pressure (BP) values and sodium intake from snacks. Methods The mean weekly consumption of snacks was evaluated in 1500 randomly selected undergraduate aged 16–24 years by a food frequency questionnaire. Participants were divided into quartiles of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. The mean weekly exercise level was calculated as the product of duration and frequency of each activity (in hours/week), weighted by an estimate of the metabolic equivalent of the activity (MET) and summed for the activities performed. The whole cohort was divided into tertiles of exercise and the individuals were classified as; sedentary, moderately active and active. The cut of points in the whole cohort were respectively; ≤10, 11–29, ≥30 MET h/week. Exercise levels were therefore expressed as MET h/week. Results The mean age, metabolic equivalent of activity (METs), body mass index (BMI) and mean sodium intake from snacks per day were; 20.10 ± 1.44 years, 25.51 ± 10.03 METs h/week, 24.86 ± 4.80 kg/m2 and 1.5 g/day respectively. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) ranges between 104.43 ± 4.89 mmHg and 137.27 ± 16.71 mmHg while the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ranges from 71.24 ± 7.83–83.11 ± 12.03 mmHg. The SBP and DBP significantly increased from the lower to the higher tertile of sodium from snacks and with increasing frequency of salty snacks consumption (P &amp;lt; 0.001). In the multiple logistic regression model, being in the highest SBP quartile (≥115 mmHg) was significantly associated with consumption of sodium from snacks (odds ratio (OR) = 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13–1.82; P = 0.001), age, gender and body mass index. Also, being in the highest DBP quartile (≥70 mmHg) was significantly associated with consumption of sodium from snacks (odds ratio (OR) = 2.84; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.41–5.69; P = 0.003), age, body mass index, but not with gender. Conclusions The study has shown that a strong association exists between sodium intake from snack, daily frequency of consumption of salty snacks and blood pressure. Public education and social marketing are needed to motivate the undergraduate to choose healthier snacks with lower sodium content. Funding Sources The study did not receive any funding from any source.