Diet and Lifestyle Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ibero-American Countries: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and Spain.

This study aimed to evaluate changes in dietary and lifestyle habits during the period of confinement due to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ibero-American countries. A cross-sectional investigation was conducted with 6,325 participants of both genders (68% women), over 18 years of age and from five countries: Brazil (N = 2,171), Argentina (N = 1,111), Peru (N = 1,174), Mexico (N = 686), and Spain (N = 1,183). Data were collected during the year 2020, between April 01 and June 30 in Spain and between July 13 and September 26, in the other countries studied using a self-administered online survey designed for the assessment of sociodemographic, employment, physical activity, health status, and dietary habits changes. Most participants (61.6%), mainly those from Spain, remained constant, without improving or worsening their pattern of food consumption. Among those who changed, a pattern of better eating choices prevailed (22.7%) in comparison with those who changed toward less healthy choices (15.7%). Argentina and Brazil showed the highest proportion of changes toward a healthier pattern of food consumption. Peruvians and Mexicans were less likely to make healthy changes in food consumption (OR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.4-0.6 and OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.4-0.8, respectively), when compared to Argentinians. Most respondents did not change their pattern of meal consumption, but those who did reduced their consumption of main meals and increased intake of small meals and snacks. Although most participants affirmed to be doing physical activity at home, about one-half reported perception of weight gain. Individuals with alterations in sleep pattern (either by increasing or decreasing sleep time) were more likely to change their diets to a healthier pattern. In contrast, individuals with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and those who reported feeling anxious were more likely to perform changes to a less healthy eating pattern (OR: 1.72; 95% CI: 1.2-2.3 and OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.1-1.4, respectively). In conclusion, although most participants remained constant in their eating habits, lifestyle changes and anxiety feelings were reported. Among those who changed patterns of food consumption, healthier choices prevailed, with differences between countries. However, there were alterations in the distribution of meals, with higher consumption of snacks and small meals. These results can be used to guide policies to prevent deleterious consequences that may affect the incidence of chronic diseases.

Arterial Stiffness and Blood Pressure in a Multicultural Child Sample (Angola, Brazil, and Spain).

BACKGROUND: To analyze the relationship between early-life indicators, blood pressure (BP), and arterial stiffness in childhood, in three samples with different bio-cultural characteristics. METHODS: The total sample included 520 schoolchildren 9-10 years of age from Madrid (Spain), Vitória (Brazil), and Luanda (Angola). Height and weight, BP, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) were measured, all by one observer in each site, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Birth weight, gestational age, type of feeding, and age at weaning were extracted from official health cards. Data were analyzed by multiple linear regression models. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) among the samples (P = 0.107 and P = 0.808). Luanda showed the higher cf-PWV (5.7 m/s), followed by Vitória (5.3 m/s) and Madrid (4.9 m/s; P < 0.001). Explanatory factors for the observed variability in SBP, DBP, and cf-PWV, obtained by means of multiple linear regression models, were different in three samples. BMI showed a positive and significant association with SBP, DBP, and cf-PWV in three samples. In the Angolan sample, in addition to BMI, birth weight was maintained in the explanatory models of SBP and cf-PWV adjusted for BP, with a negative and significant coefficient (-0.019 and -0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Higher values of BMI in childhood are related with higher values of cf-PWV, SBP, and DBP in the three samples. Children from Angola showed the highest mean value of cf-PWV, especially those who had lower birth weight, suggesting that worse conditions in fetal life may contribute to increased aortic stiffness in childhood.

New records of ectoparasitic Acari (Arachnida) and Streblidae (Diptera) from bats in Jalisco, Mexico.

Ectoparasites of bats in the Neotropics are diverse and play numerous ecological roles as vectors of microbial pathogens and endoparasites and as food sources for other cave fauna living both on their hosts and in bat roosts. The ectoparasites of bats in Jalisco State of western Mexico have not been as well described as those of other states with recent checklists that have focused primarily on the Yucatan Peninsula. We captured bats from 2011-2015 on the south coast and Sierra de Amula, Jalisco using mist nets, and we removed ectoparasites by hand. We identified 24 species of streblid bat flies and six ectoparasitic mites from bats caught in mist nets. There were an additional eight possibly undescribed species of Streblidae. Our collections extend the known range of species into Jalisco.