Working from Home and Dietary Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Working from Home and Dietary Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Author: Koryu Sato
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2020
Genre:
ISBN:

It is plausible that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and related lifestyle changes affected dietary patterns, but existing studies have limitations owing to a cross-sectional design. Using longitudinal data, we examined dietary changes in people due to the pandemic and related lifestyles. We conducted an online survey on lifestyle changes during the pandemic from April 30 to May 8, 2020, among users of a health app called CALO mama provided in Japan. We retrieved and linked the dietary data for 5,929 participants from January 1 to May 13, 2020. Generalized linear mixed models were used to estimate the frequencies of food intake associated with the pandemic and lifestyles. During the governmental declaration of a state of emergency, the frequency of intake of self-made meals (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.05), vegetables (IRR = 1.06), and snacks increased (IRR = 1.04). Similarly, working from home was associated with increased rates of intake of self-made meals (IRR = 1.02), vegetables (IRR = 1.02), fruits (IRR = 1.06), and snacks (IRR = 1.04). In contrast, working hours (self-made meals: IRR = 0.997, fruits: IRR = 0.99, snacks: IRR = 0.99 [per hour]), time spent on childcare (self-made meals: IRR = 0.99, vegetables: IRR = 0.99, fruits: IRR = 0.98 [per hour]), and depressive symptoms (self-made meals: IRR = 0.93, vegetables: IRR = 0.92, fruits: IRR = 0.90) tended to be negatively associated with the frequency of food intake. This study showed that the pandemic affected dietary patterns in various ways. It is important to record and notice such changes and modify them to the recommended balance during a prolonged pandemic to ensure healthy eating habits.

Food in Chinese Culture

Food in Chinese Culture
Author: Kwang-chih Chang
Publisher:
Total Pages: 429
Release: 1977
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780300027594

Studies food traditions in each major period of Chinese history, noting the impact of methods of preparing, serving, preserving, and eating foods on Chinese culture

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2013-04-23
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309263476

For many Americans who live at or below the poverty threshold, access to healthy foods at a reasonable price is a challenge that often places a strain on already limited resources and may compel them to make food choices that are contrary to current nutritional guidance. To help alleviate this problem, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers a number of nutrition assistance programs designed to improve access to healthy foods for low-income individuals and households. The largest of these programs is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called the Food Stamp Program, which today serves more than 46 million Americans with a program cost in excess of $75 billion annually. The goals of SNAP include raising the level of nutrition among low-income households and maintaining adequate levels of nutrition by increasing the food purchasing power of low-income families. In response to questions about whether there are different ways to define the adequacy of SNAP allotments consistent with the program goals of improving food security and access to a healthy diet, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to conduct a study to examine the feasibility of defining the adequacy of SNAP allotments, specifically: the feasibility of establishing an objective, evidence-based, science-driven definition of the adequacy of SNAP allotments consistent with the program goals of improving food security and access to a healthy diet, as well as other relevant dimensions of adequacy; and data and analyses needed to support an evidence-based assessment of the adequacy of SNAP allotments. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Examining the Evidence to Define Benefit Adequacy reviews the current evidence, including the peer-reviewed published literature and peer-reviewed government reports. Although not given equal weight with peer-reviewed publications, some non-peer-reviewed publications from nongovernmental organizations and stakeholder groups also were considered because they provided additional insight into the behavioral aspects of participation in nutrition assistance programs. In addition to its evidence review, the committee held a data gathering workshop that tapped a range of expertise relevant to its task.

Introduction to Human Nutrition

Introduction to Human Nutrition
Author: Michael J. Gibney
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 740
Release: 2013-03-14
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1118684702

In this Second Edition of the introductory text in the acclaimed Nutrition Society Textbook Series, Introduction to Human Nutrition has been revised and updated to meet the needs of the contemporary student. Groundbreaking in their scope and approach, the titles in the series: Provide students with the required scientific basics of nutrition in the context of a systems and health approach Enable teachers and students to explore the core principles of nutrition, to apply these throughout their training, and to foster critical thinking at all times. Throughout, key areas of knowledge are identified Are fully peer reviewed, to ensure completeness and clarity of content, as well as to ensure that each book takes a global perspective Introduction to Human Nutrition is an essential purchase for undergraduate and postgraduate students of nutrition/nutrition and dietetics degrees, and also for those students who major in other subjects that have a nutrition component, such as food science, medicine, pharmacy and nursing. Professionals in nutrition, dietetics, food science, medicine, health sciences and many related areas will also find much of great value within this book.

The Challenge of Obesity in the WHO European Region and the Strategies for Response

The Challenge of Obesity in the WHO European Region and the Strategies for Response
Author: World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe
Publisher: World Health Organization
Total Pages: 77
Release: 2007
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9289013885

In a brief, clear and easily accessible way, this summary illustrates the dynamics of the obesity epidemic and its impact on public health throughout the WHO European Region, particularly in eastern countries. It describes how factors that increase the risk of obesity are shaped in different settings, such as the family, school, community and workplace. It makes both ethical and economic arguments for accelerating action against obesity, and analyses effective programs and policies in different government sectors, such as education, health, agriculture and trade, urban planning and transport. The summary also describes how to design policies and programs to prevent obesity and how to monitor progress, and calls for specific action by stakeholders: not only government sectors but also the private sector - including food manufacturers, advertisers and traders - and professional consumers' and international and intergovernmental organizations such as the European Union.

Health Food Junkies

Health Food Junkies
Author: Steven Bratman, M.D.
Publisher: Harmony
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2004-07-27
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0767905857

The first book to identify the eating disorder orthorexia nervosa–an obsession with eating healthfully–and offer expert advice on how to treat it. As Americans become better informed about health, more and more people have turned to diet as a way to lose weight and keep themselves in peak condition. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa–disorders in which the sufferer focuses on the quantity of food eaten–have been highly documented over the past decade. But as Dr. Steven Bratman asserts in this breakthrough book, for many people, eating “correctly” has become an equally harmful obsession, one that causes them to adopt progressively more rigid diets that not only eliminate crucial nutrients and food groups, but ultimately cost them their overall health, personal relationships, and emotional well-being. Health Food Junkies is the first book to identify this new eating disorder, orthorexia nervosa, and to offer detailed, practical advice on how to cope with and overcome it. Orthorexia nervosa occurs when the victim becomes obsessed, not with the quantity of food eaten, but the quality of the food. What starts as a devotion to healthy eating can evolve into a pattern of incredibly strict diets; victims become so focused on eating a “pure” diet (usually raw vegetables and grains) that the planning and preparation of food come to play the dominant role in their lives. Health Food Junkies provides an expert analysis of some of today’s most popular diets–from The Zone to macrobiotics, raw-foodism to food allergy elimination–and shows not only how they can lead to orthorexia, but how they are often built on faulty logic rather than sound medical advice. Offering expert insight gleaned from his work with orthorexia patients, Dr. Bratman outlines the symptoms of orthorexia, describes its progression, and shows readers how to diagnose the condition. Finally, Dr. Bratman offers practical suggestions for intervention and treatment, giving readers the tools they need to conquer this painful disorder, rediscover the joys of eating, and reclaim their lives.

A review of studies examining the link between food insecurity and malnutrition

A review of studies examining the link between food insecurity and malnutrition
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 73
Release: 2018-10-02
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9251309426

A review of 120 studies published since 2006 was undertaken to examine the relationship between food insecurity at the household or individual level and the following nutrition indicators: child stunting, child wasting, low birth weight, exclusive breastfeeding of infants < 6 months of age, anaemia in women of reproductive age, child overweight and adult obesity. While there is some evidence of a direct association between food insecurity and stunting for children in lower-middle and upper-middle income countries, evidence of links between food insecurity and either child wasting or overweight is almost absent, with the exception of an association with overweight among girls in middle- and high-income countries. The obesity–food insecurity link is most predominant among women in high-income countries, while it is almost absent in men. In addition, food insecurity increases the risk for low birth weight in infants and anaemia in women. Methodological concerns that pose challenges for valid comparison of results relate to study design, data analysis techniques, use of different indicators of household/individual food security and malnutrition, and the limited availability of high-quality micro-level data from large-scale surveys. Most studies report correlation rather than causal associations between food insecurity and nutrition indicators; longitudinal micro-level data from large-scale surveys can help establish causal association and capture the dynamic nature of food insecurity. Food insecurity emerges as a predictor of undernutrition as well as overweight and obesity, highlighting the need for multisectoral strategies and policies to combat food insecurity and multiple forms of malnutrition.

Impacts of COVID-19 on food security: Panel data evidence from Nigeria

Impacts of COVID-19 on food security: Panel data evidence from Nigeria
Author: Amare, Mulubrhan
Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Total Pages: 43
Release: 2020-08-11
Genre: Political Science
ISBN:

This paper combines pre-pandemic face-to-face survey data with follow up phone surveys collected in April-May 2020 to quantify the overall and differential impacts of COVID-19 on household food security, labor market participation and local food prices in Nigeria. We exploit spatial variation in exposure to COVID-19 related infections and lockdown measures along with temporal differences in our outcomes of interest using a difference-in-difference approach. We find that those households exposed to higher COVID-19 cases or mobility lockdowns experience a significant increase in measures of food insecurity. Examining possible transmission channels for this effect, we find that COVID-19 significantly reduces labor market participation and increases food prices. We find that impacts differ by economic activities and households. For instance, lockdown measures increased households' experience of food insecurity by 12 percentage points and reduced the probability of participation in non-farm business activities by 13 percentage points. These lockdown measures have smaller impacts on wage-related activities and farming activities. In terms of food security, households relying on non-farm businesses, poorer households, those with school-aged children, and those living in remote and conflicted-affected zones have experienced relatively larger deteriorations in food insecurity. These findings can help inform immediate and medium-term policy responses, including social protection policies aiming at ameliorating the impacts of the pandemic, as well as guide targeting strategies of governments and international donor agencies by identifying the most impacted sub-populations.

COVID-19 and food security in Ethiopia: Do social protection programs protect?

COVID-19 and food security in Ethiopia: Do social protection programs protect?
Author: Abay, Kibrom A.
Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Total Pages: 46
Release: 2020-11-11
Genre: Political Science
ISBN:

We assess the impact of Ethiopia’s flagship social protection program, the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) on the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food and nutrition security of households, mothers, and children. We use both pre-pandemic in-person household survey data and a post-pandemic phone survey. Two thirds of our respondents reported that their incomes had fallen after the pandemic began and almost half reported that their ability to satisfy their food needs had worsened. Employing a household fixed effects difference-in-difference approach, we find that the household food insecurity increased by 11.7 percentage points and the size of the food gap by 0.47 months in the aftermath of the onset of the pandemic. Participation in the PSNP offsets virtually all of this adverse change; the likelihood of becoming food insecure increased by only 2.4 percentage points for PSNP households and the duration of the food gap increased by only 0.13 months. The protective role of PSNP is greater for poorer households and those living in remote areas. Results are robust to definitions of PSNP participation, different estimators and how we account for the non-randomness of mobile phone ownership. PSNP households were less likely to reduce expenditures on health and education by 7.7 percentage points and were less likely to reduce expenditures on agricultural inputs by 13 percentage points. By contrast, mothers’ and children’s diets changed little, despite some changes in the composition of diets with consumption of animal source foods declining significantly.