ABSTRACT
Background: The aim of this research was to explore how food insecurity affected food behavior prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (year 2018-2019) in a sample of people residing in nine administrative regions of Venezuela. Method(s): 1099 people aged between 17 and 75 years participated, with a majority residing in the Andes, Capital and Central regions of the country. A reduced version of a modified national survey on living conditions (Encovi-2017) composed of 11 questions was administered. Estimates with chi square (chi2) were made to verify associations between the characteristics of the sample (age, region of origin and sex) with the approaches of the administered survey. Result(s): A high degree of food insecurity was observed as people reported concerns about food access (88.95%), or lack of them (55.79%), periods of food deprivation and alteration of eating patterns. Those participants under 21 years were more likely to alter their daily intake pattern (p = 0.01), with women being the most affected in terms of the family running out of food in the last three months (p = 0.020) and if in the last trimester a whole day had gone without eating (p = 0.05). Conclusion(s): The study shows that women and young people under 21 years of age or middle-aged adults and inhabitants of the Capital region turn out to be the people most affected by food insecurity as they consumed less food or ate fewer servings per day. The data reveal a worsening of the food situation.Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Espanola de Nutricion Comunitaria. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
In Europe, an estimated 87.6 million tonnes of food is wasted in one year. Romania is in the middle of the European ranking in terms of the volume of food thrown away, a fact mentioned in the study published by the ONU. It is estimated that 1.35 million tons of food are dumped annually in our country, indicating only food from people's households. So, every year, 70 kilograms of food per person is thrown in the trash. The COVID pandemic has caused an increase in food waste, both because of the population that has procured very large quantities to stock up and because of the distribution chains that have undergone changes in their functioning. The EU and its Member States have set themselves the goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030, using the ONU targets. Concrete measures have been taken to reduce food waste and losses. Where this cannot be done, they urge the reuse, recycle and use the food for another purpose. Citizens of the EU are urged: to reduce the production of food waste from production to distribution, to reduce the amount of food thrown away from households, to stimulate food donations, to monitor and account for the application of measures to combat food waste.
ABSTRACT
Background: The lockout of borders, lockdown of the population and social isolation are key measures adopted in many countries to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. This study describes changes in eating habits and other lifestyles during confinement in a population group in Spain. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted on a convenience sample of people aged 18 yr. and over, recruited online between April 21 and May 8, 2020 (weeks 6-8 of lockdown) in Spain (n = 1036). The protocol considered sociodemographic data, characteristics of confinement, usual food consumption and physical activity, and changes during confinement. Results: Most frequently reported changes in dietary habits are increased consumption of fruit (27%), eggs (25.4%), legumes (22.5%), vegetables (21%) and fish (20%) and reduced consumption of processed meats (35.5%), lamb or rabbit (32%), pizza (32.6%), distilled alcoholic beverages (44.2%), sugary drinks (32.8%) or chocolate (25.8%). Some differences were observed depending on age and adequacy of the usual diet. Some 14.1% who do not usually cook do so during this period;15% do not do physical exercise, 24.6% sit more than 9 hours a day and 30.7% of smokers (14.7%) report increased tobacco use. 37% reported not sleeping well. Conclusions: Participants in this study report dietary changes during lockdown in Spain with a trend towards greater consumption of healthier foods, less consumption of foods of poor nutritional interest and an increase in the practice of cooking at home. © 2020 Sociedad Espanola de Nutricion Comunitaria. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: A respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, began in China in December 2019 and subsequently spread around the world. The efficacy of high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) is still unknown in patients with this disease. The principal aim of this research is to describe its utility as a therapy for the treatment of the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) caused by SARS-CoV-2 Methods: Retrospective analysis carried out from March 18 to April 18, 2020. 196 patients with bilateral pneumonia were admitted to our pulmonology unit during this period. 40 of them suffered from ARDS and were treated with HFNC in which whom intubation rate and mortality were analyzed. Results: Mean age was 58.9 years, and 70% were men. Twenty-one patients (52.5%) experienced therapy failure and required intubation, with a median time-to-intubation of 2 days (IQR: 1-4). After initiating HFNC, the Sp02/Fi02 ratio was significantly better in the group that did not require intubation (113.4±6.6 vs 93.7±6.7, p=0.020), as was the ROX index (5±1.6 vs 4±1, p=0.018). A ROX index less than 4.94 measured 2 to 6 hours after the start of therapy was associated with increased risk of intubation (HR 4.03 [95% CI 1.18 - 13.7];p=0.026). The overall mortality rate was nine patients (22.5%), all of whom were in the failed HFNC therapy group. Conclusions: High-flow therapy is a useful treatment in ARDS in order to avoid intubation or as a bridge therapy and no increased mortality was observed secondary to the delay in intubation. After initiating HFNC, a ROX index below 4.94 predicts the need for intubation.