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The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of people worldwide. In this study, we assessed the burden of stress during the pandemic and its relationship with eating practices in a national random sample of American adults. Data were collected using an online survey and the participants were asked about their demographic characteristics, perceived stress, and eating practices in April 2020. Compared to their counterparts, average stress scores were statistically significantly higher for racial and ethnic minority individuals, those who were employed part-time, were single, lived in the Midwest, and were ≤35 years of age. More than one-tenth of the participants reported practicing more unhealthy eating practices during the pandemic lockdowns: fasting (16%), restricting eating (20%), skipping meals (25%), and overeating (39%). Concerning the overall perception of diet, nearly a third reported that their diet had worsened during the pandemic (31%). In adjusted and unadjusted analyses after controlling for demographic characteristics, stress scores were statistically significantly higher for those engaging in unhealthy eating practices and those who reported that their diet had worsened. Policymakers and public health practitioners should redouble their efforts in preventing morbidity and premature mortality by implementing interventions that address the multiple detrimental stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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This research investigated the effect of a three-week school based nutrition education program on the nutrition knowledge and healthy food choices of 187 fifth graders who were randomly divided into a control (n ¼ 97) or an experimental (n ¼ 90) group. The control group received no nutrition education while the experimental group received 45 minutes of nutrition education, 4 days a week for 3 weeks. Nutrition knowledge scores and 3-day food records were collected at the beginning of the study and after 3 weeks. Food records were used to evaluate healthy food choices (i.e. Dietary Guideline's recommended intake for macronutrients and the recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid for each food group). In the experimental group there was a significantly greater increase in nutrition knowledge score (p ¼ 0.001) and significant change in compliance in meeting the Dietary Guidelines (p ¼ 0.0001) and the Food Guide Pyramid's recommendations (p ¼ 0.0001). This study showed the effectiveness of a nutrition education program on nutrition knowledge scores and healthy food choices of fifth grade children.

The COVID-19 outbreak was declared a national emergency in the U.S. in March 2020, and in April 2020, the U.S. government authorities issued recommendations on the use of masks and gloves as protective measures. Despite such recommendations, popular media reports highlighted a lack of compliance. However, no systematic study has examined the use of protective strategies (e.g., wearing a mask) by the American public to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during early stages of the pandemic. The purpose of this study was to conduct a rapid national assessment of public behaviors to prevent COVID-19 spread during the early stages of the pandemic and to assess how these behaviors may have differed based on selected sociodemographic characteristics. A total of 835 adult Americans nationwide took a multi-item survey and were asked about wearing masks, gloves, and their demographic background. The majority of the study participants reported wearing a mask more often during the pandemic (76%), but the majority did not wear gloves more often during the pandemic (30%). Significant differences (p < 0.05) for wearing masks were found based on sex, age, ethnicity, marital status, living arrangements, and employment status. For gloves, significant differences were found based on sex, age, marital status, and employment. While the pandemic continues to unfold and with recent reports of a surge in cases in the U.S., public health practitioners and policymakers must emphasize COVID-19 prevention strategies for the general public and explore pragmatic options to increase compliance of protective behaviors among the general public.

Background Disease and lifestyle patterns have been changing rapidly especially in Africa due to transformation in economic development and urbanization. Research on the magnitude and consequences of these transformations in Africa is limited. This study investigates the shifts in nutritional status in children and adults in four selected low-, middle- and high-income countries in Africa, identifies factors associated with the shifts, and provides recommendations for future studies. Methods Malawi, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa were selected based on their Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Nationally representative data were obtained from the 2017 Global Nutrition Report, Demographic Health Surveys (DHSs), and the World Health Organization (WHO) database. Prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity were assessed and compared across the countries, gender, residence, and over time. Results: South Africa had the highest GDP and largest prevalence of overweight and obesity rates in children < 5 years old and adults > 18 (13.3% and 51.9%, respectively). Malawi, with the lowest GDP, had the highest stunting rate (37.0%). In all 4 countries, but most notably in South Africa, trends indicated that the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity was much greater than the declining rate of underweight. Malawi, Kenya, and Ghana had a slight decline in overweight prevalence in children under 5 years. Conclusions Nutritional shifts are occurring in Africa and seem to be heavily influenced by economic development. The double-burden of malnutrition presents prioritization challenges for policymakers. Attention needs to be shifted towards prevention of obesity, at least in the higher income countries in Africa.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between comfort food preferences of adults when under normal (nonstressful) and stressful conditions. A total of 185 university faculty completed on InQsit, a 31‐item Stress‐Eating Survey. Sixty‐seven percent experienced changes in appetite when stressed, with 69% having an increase in appetite and 31% a decrease. Under stressful conditions, participants chose a wider variety of sweet (p ≤ .001) and salty/crunchy foods (p = .004). High‐restrained eaters chose significantly more types of sweet foods (p = .031) and beverages (p = .020) than low‐restrained eaters. Variety of mixed dishes significantly decreased (p = .048) with increased age. This research suggests that majority of adults may experience an increased appetite with stress and may choose more types of sweet and salty/crunchy foods. Under normal and stressful conditions, it appears that gender, age, and restraint level may also influence comfort food choices.

We aimed to systematically examine Americans' perceptions of fast food (FF) and how these perceptions might affect fast food consumption (FFC) and obesity risk. We searched PubMed and Google for studies published in English until February 17, 2017 that reported on Americans' perceptions (defined as their beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge) regarding FF as well as those on their associations with FFC and obesity risk. Thirteen articles met inclusion criteria. Limited research has been conducted on these topics, and most studies were based on convenience samples. A 2013 nationally representative phone survey of about 2000 subjects showed that one-fifth of Americans thought FF was good for health, whereas two-thirds considered FF not good. Even over two-thirds of weekly FF consumers (47% of the total population) thought FF not good. Americans seem to have limited knowledge of calories in FF. Negative and positive FF perceptions were associated with FFC. Those who consumed less FF seemed more likely to view FF negatively. When Americans valued the convenience and taste of FF and preferred FF restaurants with kid's menus and play areas, they were likely to purchase more FF. Available research indicates neither perceived availability of FF nor Geographical Information System (GIS)-based FF presence in the neighborhood has significant associations with weekly FFC. No studies examined potential links between FF perceptions and obesity risk. Americans' perceptions of FF and how they might associate with FFC and obesity risk are understudied. Considerable variation was observed in Americans' perceptions and FFC.