Nutritional Status, Intentions and Motivations towards Adopting a Planetary Health Diet-A Cross-Sectional Study.

The planetary health diet is a proposition of a diet that is healthy for both people and the environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the nutritional behaviours among people who follow the planetary health diet and those who do not and assess the source of motivation that drives a willingness to follow sustainable diet guidelines. Using a self-administered questionnaire, data were collected from Polish adult volunteers. For analysis, respondents were divided into the following two groups: those following a planetary health diet (PD) and those who were not (O). Of the 216 respondents, 39.4% followed the PD. Non-adherence to the PD was linked to a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity. Taste was the most important factor for both groups during grocery shopping. However, sustainable agriculture and the health benefits of products were significantly more important for the PD followers. It can be concluded that adherence to the planetary diet is associated with lower body mass. This highlights the need for increased awareness and education about a diet's health benefits and environmental impact.

Lifestyle Changes during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic as Predictors of BMI Changes among Men and Women in Poland.

BACKGROUND: Social isolation during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic affected people's body weight, therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the association between lifestyle elements and the change in BMI during lockdown. METHODS: This retrospective observational study involved 290 questionnaires completed by adult participants divided into three groups according to BMI change during isolation. The structured questionnaire included a general description of the study objective and collected data regarding sociodemographics, anthropometrics, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep duration, and food intake pre- and during COVID-19 lockdown. RESULTS: A decrease or increase in BMI was found in 23.6% and 47.8% of women and 18.5% and 42.6% of men, respectively. Among those who lost weight, 46.5% of women and 40% of men followed a diet of their own choice, 30.2% of women and 25% of men changed their product mix and reduced their intake, 40% of men stopped eating outside the home. An increase in BMI was associated with increased food intake (32.2% of women and 28.3% of men), increased sleep duration on weekdays (49.2% of women and 43.5% of men) and, in more than 50% of subjects, decreased physical activity. In women, increased BMI was associated with the highest frequency of snacking (p = 0.0003), the highest intake of sweets (p = 0.0021), and in men with the highest intake of alcohol (p = 0.0017). CONCLUSIONS: The observed changes in BMI during social isolation were the result of lifestyle modifications including dietary behaviour and differed by gender.

Nutritional behaviors of women and men in Poland during confinement related to the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.

The influence of the confinement on the changes of eating behaviors in men and women in Poland and between groups were assessed. Results were obtained for 112 men and 200 women. An anonymous questionnaire available on-line from 29 April to 19 May 2020 was the research tool. It contained questions about the frequency of consumption "before" and "during" confinement. Additionally, anthropometric measurements were declared by the respondents. An increase in the number of meals and an improvement in their regularity were observed in both groups. However, the frequency of snacking also increased. During lockdown women consumed potatoes, sweets, canned meat and eggs and men consumed canned meat more frequently. Products consumed less frequently were: fast food, instant soups and energy drinks (women), and white bread and fast food (men). The frequency of alcohol consumption also increased during lockdown. Average body weight and BMI increased significantly during social isolation. Body weight increase was declared by almost half of women and 40% of men. During the blockade period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in the dietary behavior of the study group of women and men were found. The nature of these changes varied according to gender and the dietary parameters analyzed.

Caffeine Consumption in a Group of Adolescents from South East Poland-A Cross Sectional Study.

Caffeine is the most common psychoactive substance available to adults, as well as to children and adolescents. The safety of its use in younger age groups requires further research. The aim of this study was to evaluate caffeine intake, to identify products and drinks that are the main sources of caffeine intake in the diet of the subjects and the risk of excessive caffeine intake with the diet of adolescents, stratified by gender. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 508 adolescents aged 16-18 years from southern Poland. Black tea, cola-based soft drinks and milk chocolate were the most frequently consumed products containing caffeine in the diet of the examined persons. The average caffeine intake was 95.54 mg/day (1.54 mg/kg b.w.). In 12.2% of the subjects the dose of 3 mg/kg b.w./day was exceeded, and in over 41.3% the dose causing sleep disorders was exceeded. The dose causing anxiety was also exceeded in 18.1% of the respondents, significantly more often in girls than boys (p = 0.0487).

Nutrition Behaviors in Polish Adults before and during COVID-19 Lockdown.

Unexpected isolation, which has not yet been seen on a global scale, has created the conditions for evaluating nutrition in a situation of reduced spatial activity. The study aimed to assess the influence of lockdown on selected eating habits of Polish adults. An anonymous questionnaire was conducted, including questions about eating habits and self-reported anthropometric measurements, referring to "before" and "during" lockdown. We reported the findings of 312 adults (aged 41.12 ± 13.05 years). Overall, 64.1% of the participants were women, 77.7% urban inhabitants and 78.6% employed. The average length of social isolation was 50.79 ± 10.53 days. The majority (51.6%) of the respondents did not eat outside the house during lockdown (p < 0.0001). The number of meals eaten during the day during lockdown increased significantly, 11.2% of the respondents ate 5 and more meals (p < 0.0001). The percentage of people snacking between meals increased by 5.1% during lockdown (p = 0.0001). Eggs, potatoes, sweets, canned meat and alcohol were consumed considerably more commonly during lockdown, while fast-food products, instant soups and energy drinks were eaten or drunk significantly less frequently. A marked decrease in the number of daily servings of the following products was observed: bakery products, red meat, fast food, instant soups, sweet beverages and energy drinks. Conversely, the number of daily servings of sweets and canned meat significantly increased. Two thirds of the respondents reported body weight changes, with 45.86% of the participants being overweight during lockdown. Significant changes in the diet of Polish adults were found during lockdown due to COVID-19.

Risk Factors and Prevalence of Abdominal Obesity among Upper-Secondary Students.

Inadequate eating habits, as well as a low level of physical activity, influence adipose tissue deposition. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of central obesity in upper-secondary students and to determine the factors related to its occurrence. The survey included 309 participants, aged 16 to 18 years from Krakow (Poland). Anthropometric measurements were taken during the periodic assessment of students' health status. An anonymous questionnaire was used to assess the nutritional and non-nutritional risk factors of participants. According to different methods of measurement, abdominal obesity (AO) was observed in 15.5% (WC-waist circumference), 10.7% (WHtR-waist to height ratio) or 21.7% (WHR-waist to hip ratio) participants. Abdominal obesity (WC) was significantly associated with family history of excess body weight and higher economic status of the family. The risk of AO (WC) was significantly lower among adolescents who declared higher physical activity. Boys who eat first breakfasts have lower AO risk according to WHtR interpretation. Abdominal obesity in gender group was related to the self-esteem of one's own appearance according to WHtR and WC. Abdominal obesity was associated with the family environment and modifiable lifestyle factors and was dependent on gender.

Evaluation of Caffeine Consumption among Pregnant Women from Southern Poland.

Caffeine is the most widely consumed stimulant worldwide, including by pregnant women. Products containing caffeine should be limited in accordance with the recommendations for pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate consumption of caffeinated products and daily caffeine intake from food by pregnant women. The study was conducted on a group of healthy pregnant women: attendees of antenatal classes (n = 70) and patients of an outpatient gynecological clinic (n = 70) from Krakow (Southern Poland). A questionnaire about the frequency of consumption of selected foods and drinks containing caffeine was used. The average caffeine content in food products obtained from other Polish studies was used to estimate average daily caffeine intake in our study group. Mean daily caffeine intake was 49.60 ± 59.15 mg/day and the maximum was 498.0 mg/day. The main sources of caffeine were as follows: black tea (bags, leaf), instant coffee and ground coffee. No statistically significant differences in caffeine intake between the groups were found. A weak negative correlation (rs) = -0.28 (p = 0.0208) between month of pregnancy and caffeine intake was observed among attendees of antenatal classes. Mean daily caffeine intake did not exceed the maximum recommended dose in our study group.