Survey Regarding Changing Food Habits in Wake of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by the emergence of the new coronavirus (SARS-Cov2) in Wuhan, China, on December 12, 2019, and it has significantly impacted human health. It has also caused abrupt changes in lifestyle that have had social and economic repercussions, including social exclusion and isolation at home. This study aimed to investigate how COVID-19 has affected the food habits and lifestyle of the general population. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Chennai to assess the awareness level of the population regarding the protective measures they take during the pandemic, and 500 participants of all ages were included in the study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. The study found that over 50% of the participants increased their intake of vegetables and fruits, and about 49.33% decreased their intake of fast food and snacks. Furthermore, more than 40% of the participants added immune-boosting ingredients to their diet. These results suggest that the study population adopted healthier dietary habits and behaviors, including a more nutritious diet with more vegetables, immune-boosting foods, and increased water intake. © 2023 IEEE.

A Study To Understand Public Knowledge And Perception Towards Immunity Food Booster's Consumption During COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic has brought a significant change in the lives of all population segments. Irrespective of the country, religion, economic status, and position worldwide, a committed thought is developed on "IMMUNITY" and "IMMUNITY BOOSTERS."The nutrition and health portfolio of many populations worldwide reported severe impacts from changing trends in modern lifestyle, food habits, food consumption, and the environment. Defining health remains a crucial task over several decades. The present study is to understand and evaluate the knowledge and purchasing behaviour of the population during COVID-19 time. A survey is conducted through social media platforms with pre-designed and tested questionnaires. Data were collected from 200 respondents. A rapid assessment survey was conducted using Google Forms. Google Form was distributed through various social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and LinkedIn in Indian communities residing across the globe. The above data shows that 64% have consumed Vitamin C supplements almost every day for 15 days, 13% for one month, 10% of the respondents more than one month, and 13% took supplements as supplements per the doctor's advice. The results indicate that nearly 73% of the respondents started consuming supplements, 15% sometimes, and 4% of the respondents expressed their consumption was on and off. When questioned in detail, it is mentioned that they have taken supplements. The results depict buying behaviours, reading and understanding the food labels, purchasing supplements and immune boostersCopyright © 2023, Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences.All Rights Reserved.

ON ROUTE TO HEALTH EDUCATION DIAGNOSING HEALTHY EATING HABITS AMONG ADOLESCENTS

Adolescents' general well-being and health in particular, are conditioned by healthy eating habits which many adolescents lack. Learning their actual eating habits, is therefore, a seminal step towards creating an educational curriculum aimed to improve the dietary habits among adolescents, and in the long run create healthier individuals, stronger collective immunity and physical longevity, what was the aim of this research. To accomplish the end, this study has registered the eating habits among Pristina adolescents aged 12-15, focusing on their daily food consumption practices, including meal consumption temporal distribution, meals' ingredient structure and the correlation between eating habits and adolescents leisure time activities (reading books, watching TV, playing video games, etc.). A sample of 209 high school Pristina adolescents was selected to participate in a printed survey conducted in the period between the 19th and 23rd of October 2020, in the heat of the COVID 19 pandemic. The quantitative data collected through the survey was later processed and analyzed by using SPSS data analysis software. The key findings reveal regularity in meal consumption, even in circumstances of global COVID 19 pandemic. Almost all adolescents have three meals a day, (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) with varying times of consumption, with bread (84%) and fruits (71%) being the most frequently consumed food articles, while water (96%) and juice (51%) are the adolescents choice of liquids. As for the snack, 36% of respondents consume snack between lunch and dinner, while 25% eat snacks between breakfast and lunch. The results also revealed adolescents frequent use of social media (75%) and game playing (51%), high engagement in sport (99%), satisfaction with physical appearance (81%), and fairly high gain weight in one year (62%) Cross matching the results showed interesting correlations. Male adolescents with regular eating habits who enjoy spending time on the internet or gaming, have gain weight in the last year. There is also discrepancy in the eating and leisure time activities among urban and rural respondents. The former, have meals late in the day, purchase food more often, have snacks and engage in digital forms of entertainment and leisure activities. Adolescents form rural areas, on the other hand, have more healthy diets, consume home prepared and diverse food and tend to engage more in reading then social media or gaming. The findings justify and demand further actions. They can serve as an interpretative background to state statistics on the effects of bad eating habits among adolescents (increased body weight, blood parameters, vitamin and mineral deficiency, etc.). More importantly, these findings can help advocate for an obligatory school curriculum in healthy food consumption, can help design a program for extra-curricular activities intended to promote healthy lifestyle, and even a digital platform to accomplish the same ends while at the same time more easily penetrate the digital world of social media, frequented by adolescents on daily basis. © 2023, Consulting and Training Center - KEY. All rights reserved.

Adherence to mediterranean diet and its associated factors in adolescents from Madrid

BACKGROUND // Unhealthy diet is the main contributor to childhood obesity. The aim of this study was to assess adherence to the mediterranean diet in a sample of adolescents and analyse adherence-related factors. METHODS // Cross-sectional descriptive study (June-October 2020), in a non-probabilistic sample of 473 patients with Substance Use Disorder, from the 8 Addiction Care Centers (CAD) of the Madrid City Council. Their demographic, habits and health characteristics, IgM and IgG for SARS-CoV-2, previous PCR, presence of symptoms, contact with COVID-19 cases were described, and multivariate analysis was performed using binary logistic regression. RESULTS // A total of 64.3% of participants displayed a medium level and 21.3% a high level of adherence to the mediterranean diet. High adherence was less frequent among teenage girls (17% [PR=0.63;p=0.02]), those whose mothers had not gone beyond primary school (16.3% [PR=0.58;p=0.07]), those who slept less than 8.5 h/day (16.8% [PR=0.54;p < 0.01]), and those who used a mobile telephone for more than 2.6 hours per day (12.2% [PR=0.56;p=0.02]). CONCLUSIONS // Adherence to the mediterranean diet is less than optimum in four out of five adolescents, and is lower in teenage girls whose mothers had not gone beyond primary school or who devote more time to mobile telephones and less time to sleeping. Our results highlight the importance of paying attention to sleeping habits and reducing the use of screens when seeking to improve mediterranean diet adherence among adolescents.

Organic food consumption in emerging markets after COVID-19: value-attitude-behaviour model

This study aims to analyse the factors responsible to change the attitudes, intentions, and actual purchasing behaviour of customers toward organic food products in Indian and Nepalese consumers. In the current situation of COVID-19, we are more conscious about our food consumption. Organic food has become very famous at this time because of its use of natural and non-harmful factors of production. This study focuses on changing food habits and consumption patterns of consumers toward more healthy organic food. The sample size of this study is 600. Smart PLS and Mann-Whitney test are used to analyse the data. Safety, awareness and attributes have a positive impact on trust formation towards green organic food. Results of the study shows that perceived health, hedonic and social value positively influence consumers' attitudes, which leads to positive intention, which finally leads to green purchase behaviour of consumers.

The effect of family empowerment on preventive lifestyle of cardiovascular disease risk factors in middle-aged women during the covid-19 pandemic: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background and Objective: The Covid-19 pandemic doubled the need for creative interventions to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of intervention based on family empowerment on preventive lifestyle of cardiovascular disease risk factors in middle-aged women. Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study, 74 middle-aged women covered by comprehensive health service centers in the south of Tehran were selected based on inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to two intervention and control groups and were investigated. The family-centered empowerment program based on the preventive lifestyle of the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases was conducted for the intervention group during 6 sessions and each session lasted for 30 minutes virtually and through the WhatsApp application. After 8 weeks, the questionnaires were re-completed and the data were collected using demographic information, Food Frequency questionnaire, Baecke and metabolic health questionnaires and descriptive statistics methods (frequency distribution tables - index numerical values calculation) and inferential statistics (chi-square test, independent t, paired t and Fisher) were used and analyzed in SPSS statistical software version 20. Results: The findings of this study showed that the average age in the control group was 44.03 ± 2.35 in the intervention group was 46.65 ± 3.29 and the intervention and control groups were homogenous in terms of demographic variables, eating habits, physical activity, and metabolic health, and there were no significant differences (P<0.001). After the intervention in metabolic health (control of blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol and smoking), physical activity and eating habits, there was a significant difference between the two groups, which indicates the effectiveness of the intended intervention (P<0.001). Conclusion: Family empowerment is one of the most effective methods to prevent modifiable risk factors in chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases. The covid-19 pandemic created a good opportunity for families to participate in the implementation of the above programs. Programs that focus on the foundation of the family leads positive effects in the direction of educating people, especially older people in the family, in relation to changing behavior, and it can be used as a safe and effective method for cardiovascular disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Iranian Journal of Health Education & Health Promotion is the property of Iranian Association of Health Education & Health Promotion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Antecedents of obesity among Indian youth: from consumer psychological and lifestyle perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to determine the antecedents of obesity among the younger generation of Indians (Generation Y) from a psychological and lifestyle consumer perspective. The study also investigates the moderating role of demography on the body mass index (BMI) of Indian youths.Design/methodology/approachThe study initially develops a conceptual model, stemming from an extensive theoretical research, and subsequently validates this using structural equation modeling (SEM) technique with a sample size of 1,242 Indian youths.FindingsThe study concludes that consumers' food habits (FH) and physical activity (PA) positively impact consumers' physical health (PH), which influences their BMI levels (BLs). Anxiety (AX), depression (DE), stress (ST), peer pressure (PP) and work pressure (WP) impact individuals' mental health (MH), which also influences their BLs. Finally, there is a significant moderating impact of demographic factors, such as age (AG), gender (GE) and income levels (ILs) on the relationship between individuals' physical and MH and individuals' BLs.Research limitations/implicationsThis study proposes a new model which highlights the issue of youth consumer obesity from the psychological and lifestyle perspectives. The model is effective as it has a high explanative power of 73%. The study investigates consumer obesity from emerging market like India perspective, but the study does not examine consumer food consumption behavior and obesity from developed market perspective.Practical implicationsYouth obesity could be considered a global pandemic, and obesity rates among the Indian youth are also increasing. This study provides valuable inputs and understanding of consumer markets to policy makers, consumer protection institutions, organizations related to the food and beverage industry, healthcare workers and consumers themselves regarding the antecedents of youth obesity (BL) in developing and emerging markets.Originality/valueThe study adds value to the body of literature related to consumer obesity, FH, consumer psychology and lifestyle through findings that are new in terms of findings' specificity, contextual focus and explication. Moreover, the study extends the cognitive theory of DE and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The research effectively offers significant theoretical and practicable market knowledge to both scholars and marketing practitioners, as well as policy makers and institutions dealing with youth obesity, particularly in emerging markets.

Food waste in time of COVID-19: The heterogeneous effects on consumer groups in Italy and the Netherlands.

Since COVID-19 outbreak, States adopted different combinations of measures to restrain its spread that affected individual behaviors and the already fragile local and global food systems. The aim of this research is to contribute to the scientific debate around food systems sustainability through the analysis of behavioral shifts in household food waste drivers, specifically occurring during the recent global pandemic. A survey was developed based on an extended version of the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) approach. A representative sample of 3000 respondents in Italy and in the Netherlands (1500 per country) completed this survey in May 2020, while lockdown to mitigate the first wave of COVID-19 outbreak was active in both countries. A cluster analysis based on individual food-waste- related behaviors identified four homogenous groups of consumers in the Italian sample and five in the Dutch sample. The comparative analysis of these groups led to the identification of several communalities in behavioral patterns, both within and between the two countries. Results suggest that in both countries, self-reported quantities of household food waste actually decreased, with a stronger reduction reported by Italian consumers. The MOA approach allowed to explain this perceived reduction as largely depending on the increase of opportunity to dedicate more time - to food-related activities as compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, with positive consequences on food management ability. These findings assist in drafting recommendations for tailored interventions to reduce the amount of domestic food waste and preserve positive behaviors emerged during lockdown, that could be continued in the absence of crisis.

COVID-19 pandemic roles on consumer behaviour towards sustainable transitions: a retail industry survey

In this paper, we offer some initial examination on how Covid-19 pandemic impacted the consumer behaviour towards retail sector in India. We argue that Covid-19 pandemic offers a great opportunity for businesses. We also discuss some potential directions of how consumer sustainable decision making will be shifted to due to the pandemic. In this paper the data is collected from various Indian consumers from different cities who made purchases from organised retail store. In our discussion of consumer behaviour we outline how COVID-19 has impacted retail sector and also the behaviour of the consumers towards sustainable transitions. It has been seen that consumers interest have been shifted towards retailing, online payments, sustainable food habits, and sustainable lifestyle. This study will help the businesses as well the academicians in determining what consumers prefer during this pandemic.

COVID-19 Lockdown: Impact on Oral Health-Related Behaviors and Practices of Portuguese and Spanish Children.

This study aimed to assess and compare the impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns on the oral health attitudes, dietary habits and access to dental care of Portuguese and Spanish children. A cross-sectional observational study involving caregivers of 3−17-year-old children who had cohabited during a COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Spain and Portugal was conducted. Caregivers completed an online anonymous questionnaire. Aiming groups comparison, chi-square test was used for qualitative variables. 770 surveys were obtained. Significant changes in the children's routine were higher in Portugal (p < 0.001). Both countries showed a large percentage of children who had between 2−3 snacks between meals (p < 0.001) and a higher consumption of snacks was particularly noticed among Spanish children with untreated dental caries during the lockdown (p = 0.003). Most caregivers reported children's oral hygiene habits did not suffer noteworthy alterations (p = 0.417), although parental supervision of toothbrushing was associated with dental attendance during the lockdown. The majority of the sample had no dental attendance during confinement. Confinement appears to have not markedly affected the oral health status and habits of the majority of these children, although an important impact of some demographic and behavioral factors upon dietary and oral care/habits was detected.

Impact of Mass Media on Changes in Food Habits and Food Preferences among Adolescence during Covid – 19 pandemic

The emergence of COVID 19 pandemic has severely impacted individuals from all walks of life. The present aims to evaluate the mass media impact on food habits, food preference and quality of life during the COVID 19 among adolescence. An questionnaire was framed and converted as Google form. The developed Google form was sent to 200 adolescents belonging to AC & RI and CSC & RI, Madurai and the received 200 responses from the students. The data obtained was consolidated. From the results it was found that the consumption of cereals and millets reminded the same among 46 % of the participants. Around 55 % of the respondents increased their fruits and vegetable and green leafy vegetables intake during COVID 19. 38 % of the respondents have significantly decreased their consumption of unhealthy foods such as fast foods / junk foods. 36 % of the respondents falls under the category of significantly decreased of their consumption of sugar sweetened beverages during COVID 19. 32 % of the respondents have slightly increased their consumption of non vegetarian foods during COVID 19. 42.3 % of the respondents have slightly increased their immunity boosting foods followed by 30.8 % of the respondents have significantly increased their immunity boosting foods. 46.3 % of the respondents used television is a major source of information to get information regarding COVID 19. The platforms such as twitter, facebook, radio and local news station were some of the mass media lowest used for COVID 19 information. © 2022 University of Stockholm. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Association between Adolescents' Food Habits and Body Mass Change in a Population-Based Sample: Diet and Activity of Youth during COVID-19 (DAY-19) Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to food habit changes, including some negative ones that may increase the risk of overweight and obesity. The aim of the study was to analyze the association between adolescents' food habits, body mass change, as well as physical activity level in a population-based sample within the Diet and Activity of Youth during COVID-19 (DAY-19) Study. The DAY-19 Study was conducted in a cohort of 1333 students (aged 10-16 years) recruited in schools after stratified random quota sampling of primary schools (sampling counties within voivodeships and schools within counties) in June 2020. The food habits were assessed for the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and the period before the COVID-19 pandemic while using Adolescent Food Habits Checklist (AFHC). The body mass changes were assessed based on body weight and height for the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and the period before the COVID-19 pandemic while using Polish growth reference values. The physical activity changes were assessed based on the subjective assessment of adolescents. It was stated that for female adolescents declaring body mass gain during the COVID-19 pandemic the highest AFHC purchase scores (healthy purchase habits) (p < 0.0001) were accompanied by the lowest AFHC consumption score (unhealthy consumption habits) (p < 0.0001), as well as for female adolescents declaring physical activity decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic the highest AFHC purchase scores (healthy purchase habits) were observed (p = 0.0333). It was stated that for male adolescents declaring physical activity increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, the highest AFHC consumption scores (healthy consumption habits) were observed (p = 0.0003). In the case of a majority of participants, the general food habits were unchanged, which was observed mainly for food habits associated with food preparation. More food habits changes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in body mass changes were observed in females than in male adolescents. Body mass gain during the COVID-19 pandemic in adolescents may have resulted from unhealthy consumption habits, accompanied by decreased physical activity, in spite of the fact that this sub-group presented healthy purchase habits, which was observed especially for female adolescents.

Consumers in Limbo : How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Changed Local Food Consumption in Tehran

The present paper investigates the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer behavior related to local food products (LFPs). The study relies on the interpretation of in-depth interviews (N = 26) conducted through phone calls in Tehran, Iran, between September 23 to October 27, 2020. The results reveal substantial changes in buying behavior and food habits. Our findings present four behavioral categories with different underlying motivational factors: (1) ceased consumption, (2) reduced consumption, (3) unchanged consumption, and (4) increased consumption of LFPs. The results show that reduced accessibility during the lockdowns inhibited some respondents from acquiring the products they wanted. Moreover, health concerns due to distrust of food safety made some consumers hesitant about local food consumption. Our findings enhance understanding of how and why pandemics like COVID-19 may affect food habits and, consequently, attitudes and behaviors toward local food consumption. As consumption is constrained by time and place, the study contributes by bringing a localized perspective into consumers’ understanding of “local” products and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tehran.

Food Intake Changes and Their Impact on Quality of Life in Spanish Citizens with and without COVID-19 during Lockdown.

The pervasive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is just beginning to be analyzed. To date, only a handful of these studies have investigated the relationship between an individual's quality of life (QoL) and their changes in food intake due to the virus (from the associated symptomatology of diagnosis to the universal impact of lockdown on individual lives, regardless of a person's health status). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify changes in food intake resulting from the pandemic and the corresponding impact on QoL in the Spanish population. This study focuses its investigation on the 3-month time period within which lockdown was its most restrictive, March-May 2020. Survey questions ask participants to compare their eating habits, general health status, and QoL during these 3 months to times prior to the pandemic. We conducted an online survey amongst the Spanish population over 18 years old. Three surveys were administered: (1) the adult eating behavior questionnaire (EABQ), (2) EuroQoL-5D-5L, and (3) The determinants lifestyle changes during lockdown period (March to May 2020). A total of 86 participants were included, with a mean age of 34 years. In the analysis of QoL, significant differences were found according to age, sex, and the presence of a COVID-19 diagnosis. Likewise, in the analysis of food intake, significant differences were found by age (greater changes in the 18-29-years-old population) (p< 0.01) and by sex (women p < 0.03), as well as greater changes in those with a diagnosis of COVID-19. Furthermore, both food intake and COVID-19 diagnosis were variables that predicted QoL outcomes. In sum, forced home lockdown can cause changes in food intake, which can predict a lower QoL. It follows that the lockdown situation caused by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has affected the food intake and overall QoL of the Spanish population.

Factors Affecting Food Consumers' Behavior during COVID-19 in Romania.

Crisis periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic may reshape consumers' behavior and challenge all food chain actors on how to assure and better respond to consumers' needs and wants. This study aimed to reveal the main concerns of consumers related to food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify factors that may influence their behavior. An online survey was performed among 859 Romanian consumers. The Principal Component Analysis revealed five factors: ecofriendly, socio-economic aspects, food waste, plant-based food, and easily accessible food, which affected consumers' food behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was noticed that females tended to be more preoccupied with the socio-economic aspects and food waste components, compared to males. At the same time, older people were more concerned about the ecofriendly, socio-economic aspects and health concerns, compared with the younger group, the differences being statistically significant. These insights provide information on crucial aspects that shape consumers' behavior during crisis periods.

P125 Online Nutrition Curriculum Improves Middle School Students' Food, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Practices

To evaluate the improvement in nutrition, food safety, food resource management, and physical activity practices among youth participating in an online nutrition education series. Previous evaluation studies of the goal-oriented EatFit curriculum demonstrated positive behavior change outcomes when delivered in person. Pivoting to remote programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of an online version of the curriculum. Middle school students enrolled in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) in Contra Costa County, California During FFY21, a nutrition educator implemented an online version of the EatFit curriculum. Six lessons were adapted for remote delivery and included activities focused on MyPlate, the nutrition facts label, hydration, fast food, physical activity, and goal setting. Students worked to accomplish their eating and fitness goals each week. The engaging video lessons were delivered asynchronously through a learning management system. To interact with the students the nutrition educator provided each class with a live Zoom introductory and review session. Students completed an online version of the EFNEP 6th-8th grade pre-post Nutrition Education Survey and provided responses to an open-ended question about the online lessons. Pre-post analyses were completed using the Web-Based Nutrition Education Evaluation and Reporting System (WebNEERS). In total, 855 students received the online lessons, and 284 students completed the pre-post surveys. The majority of students identified as Hispanic. Differences in the pre-to-post scores indicated improvement in desired behaviors: 88% of students improved their diet quality, 51% improved food safety practices, 49% improved food resource management practices, and 71% improved physical activity practices. Students described specific behaviors they adopted and enjoyable aspects of the online lessons. The online goal-oriented EatFit lessons provided middle school students with the knowledge and skills to improve their nutrition, food safety, food resource management, and physical activity practices and is an alternative delivery method to consider in post-pandemic programming. NIFA

P049 The Impact of Work Environment on Cooking and Eating Habits for Adults in the United States

For many, work environments changed during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as more people began working from home. To determine if people who began working more from home had changes in meal consumption patterns (meals cooked at home vs. outside of the home) different from people who did not begin to work more from home. A cross-sectional observational survey was conducted with a convenience sample of adults (n = 9329) from the United States from March 2020 to May 2021. Demographics and behavior changes were assessed (including home cooking frequency, eating outside of the home frequency, and changes in work environment). Chi squared analysis were conducted to determine the difference between cooking and eating habits based on work environment controlling for income Many (34.7%) reported working more from home at the beginning of the pandemic. Individuals who worked more from home consumed more meals cooked at home and ate fewer meals cooked outside of the home than individuals who did not report working more from home (P < 0.001, respectively). For some people, working from home during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in eating more food cooked at home and fewer meals cooked outside of the home. Future research needs to determine if shifts in these consumption patterns were associated with improved diet quality and if the changes in patterns were transient or long-lasting. None

O01 Optimizing a Theoretical Framework for Virtual Nutrition Education Programs for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate more problematic eating behaviors and unhealthy dietary patterns than their neurotypical peers. As the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a continued need for virtual interventions, a tailored framework to guide virtual nutrition education programs for this population is warranted. To optimize a theoretical framework based on empirical data from a virtual nutrition education intervention study for adolescents with ASD. This is a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected from a pre-post intervention study with 27 adolescents with ASD aged 12-21 years. Six adolescent focus groups (n = 12) and 21 parent interviews were conducted after the intervention. The initial framework based on social cognitive theory (SCT) was applied to a virtual nutrition education intervention, BALANCE (Bringing Adolescent Learners Nutrition and Culinary Education), that consisted of eight weekly sessions. The framework had 6 domains (ASD-related Barriers, SCT Constructs, Environmental Context, Eating Habits, Other Lifestyle Behaviors, and Health Outcomes) and 21 constructs. Focus group and interview data were analyzed for emergent themes, and the framework was refined based on key findings. Emergent themes that were overlooked in the initial framework development included that adolescents improved 'Self-regulation';parents particularly liked that children's 'Autonomy and independence' were encouraged;and 'Family support' for healthy eating increased, e.g., parents teaching their children how to prepare food themselves, after participating in BALANCE. The optimized framework included 3 new constructs based on these results: Self-regulation, Autonomy, and Supportive Social Environment, which can be well-explained with self-determination theory (SDT). The findings suggest that future versions of the BALANCE intervention should incorporate SDT constructs to improve adolescents' intrinsic motivation to make healthy food choices. The optimized framework can be used to inform future virtual nutrition education programs for this population. University of South Florida College of Public Health.

COVID-19 pandemic and behaviour of Indian consumers: a sustainable transition

In this paper, we offer some preliminary examinations of how COVID-19 pandemic affects Indian consumers' behaviour. In this paper, data is collected from various Indian consumers from different cities. 300 consumers are randomly selected to fill the questionnaire. (76 responses are from a semi-urban city in Uttar Pradesh, Aligarh, 70 were from Delhi/NCR, 100 were from Hyderabad and 54 were from Bangalore). We argue that COVID-19 pandemic offers great opportunities for businesses. We also discuss some potential directions of how consumer sustainable decision making has been shifted due to this pandemic. The results show that Indian consumers' interests have been shifted towards online retailing, online payments, sustainable food habits, and a sustainable lifestyle. This study will help the businesses as well the academicians in determining what consumers are preferring during this COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first study conducted in India that addressed the consumers' behaviours at the best knowledge of the authors.

Eating Behaviour and Lifestyle Changes Among Elderly During COVID-19 Pandemic

This web-based cross-sectional survey aimed to explore the changes in eating behaviour and lifestyle pattern among elderly residing in Delhi during the Covid-19 pandemic. 113 elderly persons (46 males and 67 females), age varying from 61 yrs. to 75 yrs., were purposely selected in this study. The data was collected using Google Form and the participants were asked to fill in the online Google Form whose link was shared via email and WhatsApp. Telephonic interviews were conducted for those who did not have android mobile phones. The findings of the study revealed that 44.44 per cent elderly were consuming healthier meals in joint families. 23.01 percent of participants were often skipping meals. 66.37 percent of participants reported neutral mood, 61.06 per cent of participants reported that emotions influence their eating pattern. Participants meals were based on their health status (66.37%), likes and dislikes (56.64%), hunger (53.1%), and family (44.25%). A significant relationship was observed between gender and skipping meals (p<0.05) in which the frequency of skipping meals was higher in males (61.53%). Only 35.4 per cent of the participants was physically active in which most of them were going for a walk (69.91%) while 37.17 per cent of participants were engaged in extracurricular activities. Thus, this study shows an impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the psychological and emotional responses in the elderly thereby affecting their eating behaviour including changes in meal patterns and physical activity level that directly or indirectly pose a risk to public health. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Indian Journal of Gerontology is the property of Indian Gerontological Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)