Stress and the Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods during COVID-19's Social Distancing: Are Mental Disorders Mediators in This Association? ELSA-Brasil Results.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated various determinants of mental disorders. Several behavioral changes were observed given this increase, including harmful health consequences, such as excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). To assess this relationship, we investigated the meditational role of symptoms of mental disorders (anxiety and depression) in the association between stress resulting from social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic and the consumption of UPFs in 3884 Brazilian public employees in a supplementary study of the ELSA-Brasil study. Structural equation models (SEMs) were estimated to assess the direct and indirect effects mediated by symptoms of mental disorders. The results suggested a significant and positive mediational effect of the symptoms of mental disorders on the association between the stress resulting from social distancing and the consumption of UPFs. These findings contribute to informing the need for policies and early interventions in potentially stressful situations, with a focus on the promotion of mental health, and may thus help prevent or reduce the consumption of unhealthy foods.

Effectiveness Comparison of Polysaccharides, Proteins, and Lipids as Composite Edible Coatings on the Quality of Food Products / Comparación de la Efectividad de Polisacáridos, Proteínas y Lípidos como Recubrimientos Compuestos Comestibles en la Calidad de los Productos Alimenticios

Background: This research was motivated by the complaints of tomato farmers about their crops that quickly rotted before being sold, as well as the many research results (raw materials and methods) that edible coating films could not be applied optimally. Objectives: The research was a practical recommendation by comparing the effectiveness of raw materials (polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids) with the dipping and spray methods. Materials and methods used in the comparison process were the application of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the Partial Least Square (PLS) approach. Results: Dipping has a strong effect (f2 ≥ 0.35; p<0.05), while spray had a moderate effect (f2: 0.15-0.35; p<0.05). Thus, the role of dipping as a mediator was more dominant than spray. Compared to proteins and lipids, polysaccharides had the best effectiveness (ß:0.460-0.584; f2: 0.15-0.35; p<0.05). Conclusion: the three ingredients improved the quality of tomatoes, and the dipping method was easier to apply by farmers than the spray method, which had many obstacles in its application

Antecedentes: esta investigación está motivada por las quejas de los productores de tomate sobre sus cultivos que se pudren rápidamente antes de ser vendidos, así como por los muchos resultados de la investigación (materias primas y métodos) de que las películas de recubrimiento comestibles no se pudieron aplicar de manera óptima. Objetivos: La investigación consiste en recomendaciones prácticas mediante la comparación de la eficacia de las materias primas (polisacáridos, proteínas y lípidos) con los métodos de inmersión y aspersión. Métodos: El método utilizado en el proceso de comparación es la aplicación del modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM) con el enfoque de mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLS). Resultados: La inmersión tiene un efecto fuerte (f2 ≥ 0,35; p<0,05), mientras que la pulverización tiene un efecto moderado (f2: 0,15-0,35; p<0,05). Por lo tanto, el papel de la inmersión como mediador es más dominante que el del rociado. Los polisacáridos tienen la mejor eficacia (ß:0,460-0,584; f2: 0,15-0,35; p<0,05) en comparación con las proteínas y los lípidos. Conclusión: es que los tres ingredientes pueden mejorar la calidad de los tomates, y el método de inmersión es más fácil de aplicar por los agricultores que el método de aspersión, que tiene muchos obstáculos en su aplicación

The influence of local market and household factors on aflatoxin presence in maize and symptoms of its exposure to children in Guatemala.

Recent evidence supports the hypothesis that aflatoxin exposure from maize can influence malnutrition rates among children. Therefore, in Guatemala we investigated two questions; which maize sources exposed households to higher risk of aflatoxin exposure symptoms and what the risk factors were for each maize source, pre- and post-maize harvest. Survey data and household maize samples were collected in October 2016 (pre-harvest) and February 2017 (post-harvest) in San Vicente, Guatemala. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and odds ratios were used to assess the data. The results suggested that households which purchased maize from the market had 3.64 higher odds of high levels of aflatoxin. The models identified that good market purchase habits were significant for market-based maize sources while improved post-harvest practices and improved types of maize storage were significant for subsistence-based maize sources. Cumulative results suggest multiple interventions may be effective but are dependent on time of year and source of maize.

Life, Family and Food Satisfaction in University Students / Satisfacción con la vida, la familia y la alimentación en estudiantes universitarios

Abstract This study assesses the relationship between food satisfaction and family satisfaction and their relationships to university student life satisfaction, while also exploring the moderating role of the place of student residence, student self-health perception and the importance students assign to food in relation to well-being. A survey was applied to a convenience sample of 269 university students. The questionnaire included: the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Satisfaction with Food-related Life, the family subscale of the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale and the first item of the Health-related Quality of Life Index. Having controlled for gender and socioeconomic status, it was found that a student's life satisfaction was significantly related to food satisfaction and, to a lesser extent, family satisfaction. Food satisfaction was positively and significantly related to family satisfaction. A moderating role of student residence was not found. Student health self-perception was found to moderate the relationship between family and life satisfaction, whereas the importance assigned to food in relation to well-being was found to moderate the relationship between food and student life satisfaction. These findings suggest that, in order to increase student life satisfaction, it is important to improve family satisfaction for those students who have a negative health self-perception. Likewise, improving food satisfaction is relevant for those students who gave low importance to food in regard to their well-being.

Resumen El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la relación entre la satisfacción con la alimentación y la satisfacción familiar, sus relaciones con la satisfacción con la vida de estudiantes universitarios y explorar el rol moderador del lugar donde el estudiante vive, su autopercepción de la salud y de la importancia asignada a la alimentación para el bienestar. Se aplicó una encuesta a una muestra por conveniencia de 269 estudiantes universitarios. El cuestionario incluyó la Escala de Satisfacción con la Vida, Satisfacción con la Alimentación, la subescala de Familia de la Escala Multidimensional de Satisfacción con la Vida de Estudiantes y el primer ítem del Índice de Calidad de Vida Relacionado con la Salud. Habiendo controlado por género y nivel socioeconómico, se encontró que la satisfacción con la vida del estudiante se relacionó significativamente con la satisfacción con la alimentación y, en menor medida, con su satisfacción familiar. La satisfacción con la alimentación se relacionó positiva y significativamente con la satisfacción familiar. No se encontró un rol moderador del lugar donde el estudiante vive. La autopercepción de salud del estudiante moderaría la relación entre la satisfacción con la vida y la familia, mientras la importancia asignada a la alimentación para el bienestar moderaría la relación entre la satisfacción con la vida y la alimentación. Estos resultados sugieren que para incrementar la satisfacción con la vida de los estudiantes, es importante mejorar la satisfacción con la familia en los estudiantes que tienen una mala autopercepción de salud, mientras que mejorar la satisfacción con la alimentación es relevante en los estudiantes que asignan baja importancia a la alimentación para su bienestar.