ABSTRACT
Background: Confinement is an effective measure to control COVID-19, but it can have repercussions on lifestyle-related behaviors, especially among adolescents. Poor quality diet and low physical activity could trigger weight gain and the appearance of chronic non-communicable diseases at an early age. Aim: To study the changes in eating and physical activity patterns before and during the first COVID-19 confinement in Chilean adolescents. Material and Methods: Chilean adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years were invited to answer an online survey with 47 questions about dietary habits and physical activity. Results: The survey was answered by 420 participants and only four adolescents declined to answer it. Changes in eating patterns were evidenced, such as an increase in lunch consumption from 54.1 to 83%, and a decrease in the consumption of both healthy and unhealthy foods. Also, significant changes were observed in physical activity patterns, and an increase in the time spent sitting, from 4.7 to 5.8 hours during confinement. Conclusions: The first confinement for COVID-19 modified eating and physical activity patterns in Chilean adolescents towards unhealthy habits, which if maintained, could negatively affect their health and quality of life.
ABSTRACT
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in school closures and required school nutrition directors to shift their methods of executing the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The procurement of items, the composition of meals, and meal delivery were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Responding to these changes, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released several waivers allowing for flexibility in meal patterns and meal delivery, while maintaining federal reimbursements to schools. Although school meals have yet to reach pre-pandemic participation numbers, school districts nationwide have experienced the effects of supply chain disruptions, therein impacting their ability to meet the nutritional standards of the NSLP and SBP. To mitigate supply chain issues and provide consistent, quality meals, School Food Authorities needed to leverage USDA's additional funding and waivers by continuing to innovate, establish, and communicate best practices for effective meal delivery.
ABSTRACT
PurposeDuring the COVID-19 pandemic people worldwide in the same household spent more time together and school children engaged in remote learning throughout extended lockdowns and restrictions. The present study aimed to explore parents' perceptions of their involvement and enjoyment in food-related interactions with their children during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated lockdowns/restrictions and changes in their children's food intake, especially children's lunches during the remote learning period.Design/methodology/approachData from parents (n = 136) were collected via an online survey in 2020. Parents' responses to closed-ended questions were analysed via descriptive statistics and open-ended responses were analysed thematically.FindingsMost parents (62%) reported that they interacted more with their school-aged (5–17 years) children about food during COVID-19 compared to pre-pandemic times. These interactions included cooking, menu planning, eating, conversations around food, and gardening. Most parents (74%) prepared meals with their children during the pandemic and most of them (89%) reported that they enjoyed it. Most parents (n = 91 out of 121) perceived that their children's lunches during remote learning were different to when attending school in person and these changes included eating hot and home-cooked food and more elaborate meals.Originality/valueThis study sheds important insights into a sample of Australian parents' food-related interactions with their school-aged children during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns and parents' observations and perceptions of changes in the children's food intake during the remote learning period.
ABSTRACT
Like all healthcare professionals, hospitalists are at risk for burnout, and COVID-19 has made burnout symptoms worse, according to survey data of hospitalists at Mayo Clinic sites.1 Burnout is destructive;it is associated with shorter lifespan, depression, staff turnover, medical errors, and high costs to healthcare systems.2-6 Hospitalists, as leaders of healthcare teams in the hospital setting, also face personal risk in caring for hospitalized patients during the pandemic. At one New York City health system, hospital leaders fostered the emotional well-being of staff with individual and group counseling sessions, respite rooms, wellness rounds, assistance with transportation, childcare, and temporary lodging.7 A culture committee at Stanford University created several initiatives to address the needs of healthcare workers, including obtaining donations of masks and gift cards, providing snacks, and creating safe social interactions through podcasts and virtual gatherings.8 Others have offered workshops on mind-body practices.9 We report on a simple, low-cost effort led by wellness physician champions to directly support the well-being of frontline hospitalists at a large academic medical center: the personal interview. With the backing of the larger Health System Wellness Committee, which had identified wellness champion leaders early in the pandemic, we embarked on a variety of hospital medicine wellness activities. Hospitalists are accustomed to talking on the phone;they respond to pages by contacting patient care nurses and other staff by phone;they discuss patient care with consultants via phone;they update patients' families by phone;and, importantly, they sign out to oncoming teammates by phone. Because of the severe restrictions placed on social interactions, these essential exchanges with hospitalist teammates were now, at times, taking place between teammates who had never met.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the implementation status of school lunches and simplified school lunches after a state of emergency was declared due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and the content of a simplified school lunch.
ABSTRACT
This research was conducted within the framework of a research project aimed at detecting patterns of plate waste and developing recommendations for improving catering in seven schools in Rezekne city (Latvia) by a combination of observation, physical weighing, semi-structured interview approaches and statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA). We identified plate waste (including wasted beverages), which remains after the lunch of schoolchildren in grades 1–7, examining a total of 7064 lunch samples. The originality of the research is due to the fact that a unified menu was designed for the field study, which ensured the same field study conditions in all the schools. The results of the research revealed that the average weight of plate waste per schoolchild reached 178 g, and the total weight of plate waste accounted for 28.75% of the total weight of food served. No significant differences in plate waste weight between various age groups and grades of schoolchildren were found, which was also confirmed by a one-way ANOVA test. An analysis of plate waste by food category showed that beverages accounted for the largest share of total plate waste (42.24%), followed by staple food (28.38%) and meat (11.77%). An analysis of plate waste shares of food served (%) by food category revealed a similar situation: the largest share of food served was made up of beverages (37.56%), followed by staple food (36.48%) and meat (28.77%). An analysis of the monetary value of food waste showed that the average cost of plate waste (excluding beverage) per schoolchild was EUR 0.236, which represented 16.6% of the national and municipal funding of EUR 1.42 per portion. Given the research results, the authors have concluded that in order to reduce the amount of plate waste generated by Rezekne city schools, school menus should be based not only on the requirements prescribed by relevant legal acts but also on cooking processes that meet the requirements of modern consumers (learners), e.g., by following trends in cooking practices in society to make the learners interested in consuming school food.
ABSTRACT
For many decades, children from low-income families have been able to receive free or reduced-price lunches and breakfasts at their school. Provision of school meals addresses concerns about student hunger and is believed to promote positive education and health outcomes for target children. When the COVID pandemic led to abrupt school closures in the Spring of 2020, students lost access to those school meals. Congress addressed the lack of school meals by creating greater flexibility in how food assistance was provided to children while they were unable to attend school in person.
ABSTRACT
For many decades, children from low-income families have been able to receive free or reduced-price lunches and breakfasts at their school. Provision of school meals addresses concerns about student hunger and is believed to promote positive education and health outcomes for target children. When the COVID pandemic led to abrupt school closures in the Spring of 2020, students lost access to those school meals. Congress addressed the lack of school meals by creating greater flexibility in how food assistance was provided to children while they were unable to attend school in person.
ABSTRACT
For many decades, children from low-income families have been able to receive free or reduced-price lunches and breakfasts at their school. Provision of school meals addresses concerns about student hunger and is believed to promote positive education and health outcomes for target children. When the COVID pandemic led to abrupt school closures in the Spring of 2020, students lost access to those school meals. Congress addressed the lack of school meals by creating greater flexibility in how food assistance was provided to children while they were unable to attend school in person.
ABSTRACT
For many decades, children from low-income families have been able to receive free or reduced-price lunches and breakfasts at their school. Provision of school meals addresses concerns about student hunger and is believed to promote positive education and health outcomes for target children. When the COVID pandemic led to abrupt school closures in the Spring of 2020, students lost access to those school meals. Congress addressed the lack of school meals by creating greater flexibility in how food assistance was provided to children while they were unable to attend school in person.
ABSTRACT
For many decades, children from low-income families have been able to receive free or reduced-price lunches and breakfasts at their school. Provision of school meals addresses concerns about student hunger and is believed to promote positive education and health outcomes for target children. When the COVID pandemic led to abrupt school closures in the Spring of 2020, students lost access to those school meals. Congress addressed the lack of school meals by creating greater flexibility in how food assistance was provided to children while they were unable to attend school in person.