Food purchasing and preparation patterns by gender during the COVID-19 lockdown in Chilean workers/Patrones de compra y preparación de alimentos según género durante la cuarentena por COVID-19 en trabajadores chilenos

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demands that workers face regarding household food-related tasks, such as grocery shopping and cooking. The literature shows that there are differences in these demands by gender, but also based on other sociodemographic characteristics, such as schooling level. The aim of this study was to compare food purchasing and preparation patterns by gender in Chilean workers, before the COVID-19 lockdown and during the first six weeks of lockdown. The study was cross-sectional, and data was collected for the first wave of a multi-country study in April 2020. The sample was composed of 317 participants who were employed during lockdown (67.8% women, mean age of 38.14). Participants answered sociodemographic questions and reported their food purchasing and preparing practices before and during lockdown. Analysis of comparison of proportions was used. On average, during lockdown, men increased their involvement in grocery shopping while women cooked more. Overall, female workers have turned to food-related tasks more often during the pandemic than male workers. This study shows the extent to which workers have changed their degree of involvement in food-related tasks, accounting for conditions such as gender roles, schooling level and working from home. These findings can inform interventions and policies that reinforce advantageous changes brought on by lockdown measures (e.g., home-cooking) to contribute to workers’ and their families’ food-related well-being during and in the aftermath of the pandemic

Call for emergency action to restore dietary diversity and protect global food systems in times of COVID-19 and beyond: Results from a cross-sectional study in 38 countries

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the fragility of the global food system, sending shockwaves across countries' societies and economy. This has presented formidable challenges to sustaining a healthy and resilient lifestyle. The objective of this study is to examine the food consumption patterns and assess diet diversity indicators, primarily focusing on the food consumption score (FCS), among households in 38 countries both before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 37 207 participants (mean age: 36.70 ± 14.79, with 77 % women) was conducted in 38 countries through an online survey administered between April and June 2020. The study utilized a pre-tested food frequency questionnaire to explore food consumption patterns both before and during the COVID-19 periods. Additionally, the study computed Food Consumption Score (FCS) as a proxy indicator for assessing the dietary diversity of households. Findings: This quantification of global, regional and national dietary diversity across 38 countries showed an increment in the consumption of all food groups but a drop in the intake of vegetables and in the dietary diversity. The household's food consumption scores indicating dietary diversity varied across regions. It decreased in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, including Lebanon (p < 0.001) and increased in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries including Bahrain (p = 0.003), Egypt (p < 0.001) and United Arab Emirates (p = 0.013). A decline in the household's dietary diversity was observed in Australia (p < 0.001), in South Africa including Uganda (p < 0.001), in Europe including Belgium (p < 0.001), Denmark (p = 0.002), Finland (p < 0.001) and Netherland (p = 0.027) and in South America including Ecuador (p < 0.001), Brazil (p < 0.001), Mexico (p < 0.0001) and Peru (p < 0.001). Middle and older ages [OR = 1.2; 95 % CI = [1.125–1.426] [OR = 2.5; 95 % CI = [1.951–3.064], being a woman [OR = 1.2; 95 % CI = [1.117–1.367], having a high education (p < 0.001), and showing amelioration in food-related behaviors [OR = 1.4; 95 % CI = [1.292–1.709] were all linked to having a higher dietary diversity. Conclusion: The minor to moderate changes in food consumption patterns observed across the 38 countries within relatively short time frames could become lasting, leading to a significant and prolonged reduction in dietary diversity, as demonstrated by our findings.Revisión por pare

Call for emergency action to restore dietary diversity and protect global food systems in times of COVID-19 and beyond: Results from a cross-sectional study in 38 countries

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the fragility of the global food system, sending shockwaves across countries\u27 societies and economy. This has presented formidable challenges to sustaining a healthy and resilient lifestyle. The objective of this study is to examine the food consumption patterns and assess diet diversity indicators, primarily focusing on the food consumption score (FCS), among households in 38 countries both before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 37 207 participants (mean age: 36.70 ± 14.79, with 77 % women) was conducted in 38 countries through an online survey administered between April and June 2020. The study utilized a pre-tested food frequency questionnaire to explore food consumption patterns both before and during the COVID-19 periods. Additionally, the study computed Food Consumption Score (FCS) as a proxy indicator for assessing the dietary diversity of households. Findings: This quantification of global, regional and national dietary diversity across 38 countries showed an increment in the consumption of all food groups but a drop in the intake of vegetables and in the dietary diversity. The household\u27s food consumption scores indicating dietary diversity varied across regions. It decreased in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, including Lebanon (p \u3c 0.001) and increased in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries including Bahrain (p = 0.003), Egypt (p \u3c 0.001) and United Arab Emirates (p = 0.013). A decline in the household\u27s dietary diversity was observed in Australia (p \u3c 0.001), in South Africa including Uganda (p \u3c 0.001), in Europe including Belgium (p \u3c 0.001), Denmark (p = 0.002), Finland (p \u3c 0.001) and Netherland (p = 0.027) and in South America including Ecuador (p \u3c 0.001), Brazil (p \u3c 0.001), Mexico (p \u3c 0.0001) and Peru (p \u3c 0.001). Middle and older ages [OR = 1.2; 95 % CI = [1.125–1.426] [OR = 2.5; 95 % CI = [1.951–3.064], being a woman [OR = 1.2; 95 % CI = [1.117–1.367], having a high education (p \u3c 0.001), and showing amelioration in food-related behaviors [OR = 1.4; 95 % CI = [1.292–1.709] were all linked to having a higher dietary diversity. Conclusion: The minor to moderate changes in food consumption patterns observed across the 38 countries within relatively short time frames could become lasting, leading to a significant and prolonged reduction in dietary diversity, as demonstrated by our findings

Sex disparities in food consumption patterns, dietary diversity and determinants of self-reported body weight changes before and amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 10 Arab countries

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic along with its confinement period boosted lifestyle modifications and impacted women and men differently which exacerbated existing gender inequalities. The main objective of this paper is to assess the gender-based differentials in food consumption patterns, dietary diversity and the determinants favoring weight change before and amid the COVID-19 pandemic among Arab men and women from 10 Arab countries. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted based on a convenience sample of 12,447 households' family members (mean age: 33.2 ± 12.9; 50.1% females) and information from participants aged 18 years and above was collected about periods before and during the pandemic. Results: Findings showed that, during the COVID-19 period, the dietary diversity, declined by 1.9% among females compared to males (0.4%) (p < 0.001) and by 1.5% among overweight participants (p < 0.001) compared to their counterparts. Conclusions: To conclude, gender-sensitive strategies and policies to address weight gain and dietary diversity during emergent shocks and pandemics are urgently needed in the region.This research was funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (G047518N) and Flanders Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HBC.2018.0397). These funding sources had no role in the design of the study, the analysis and interpretation of the data or the writing, nor the decision to publish the manuscript.Scopu

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on smoking (waterpipe and cigarette) and participants' BMI across various sociodemographic groups in Arab countries in the Mediterranean Region

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco smokers are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19. Lockdown was a chosen strategy to deal with the spread of infectious diseases; nonetheless, it influenced people's eating and smoking behaviors. The main objective of this study is to determine the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on smoking (waterpipe and cigarette) behavior and its associations with sociodemographic characteristics and body mass index. METHODS: The data were derived from a large-scale retrospective cross-sectional study using a validated online international survey from 38 countries (n=37207) conducted between 17 April and 25 June 2020. The Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO-EMR countries) data related to 10 Arabic countries that participated in this survey have been selected for analysis in this study. A total of 12433 participants were included in the analysis of this study, reporting their smoking behavior and their BMI before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between smoking practices and the participant's country of origin, sociodemographic characteristics, and BMI (kg/m2). RESULTS: Overall, the prevalence rate of smoking decreased significantly during the lockdown from 29.8% to 23.5% (p<0.05). The percentage of females who smoke was higher than males among the studied population. The highest smoking prevalence was found in Lebanon (33.2%), and the lowest was in Oman (7.9%). In Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, the data showed a significant difference in the education level of smokers before and during the lockdown (p<0.05). Smokers in Lebanon had lower education levels than those in other countries, where the majority of smokers had a Bachelor's degree. The findings show that the BMI rates in Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, and Saudi Arabia significantly increased during the lockdown (p<0.05). The highest percentages of obesity among smokers before the lockdown were in Oman (33.3%), followed by Bahrain (28.4%) and Qatar (26.4%), whereas, during the lockdown, the percentage of obese smokers was highest in Bahrain (32.1%) followed by Qatar (31.3%) and Oman (25%). According to the logistic regression model, the odds ratio of smoking increased during the pandemic, whereas the odds ratio of TV watching decreased. This finding was statistically significant by age, gender, education level, country of residence, and work status. CONCLUSIONS: Although the overall rates of smoking among the studied countries decreased during the lockdown period, we cannot attribute this change in smoking behavior to the lockdown. Smoking cessation services need to anticipate that unexpected disruptions, such as pandemic lockdowns, may be associated with changes in daily tobacco consumption. Public health authorities should promote the adoption of healthy lifestyles to reduce the long-term negative effects of the lockdown

Cooking up a media storm : the association between food media and our dietary behavior

Media stelt ons dagelijks bloot aan voedingscontent. Of het nu gaat om smakelijke foto's, nieuwe dieethypes of recepten, we genieten ervan om voedingscontent binnen de media (voedingsmedia) te consumeren en te delen met anderen. Toch is het niet duidelijk naar welke voedingsmediafiguren (bijvoorbeeld influencers, experts of bekende koks) mensen grijpen als ze voedingsinformatie nodig hebben, hoe dit door de tijd heen is geëvolueerd en wat de mogelijke impact hiervan is op ons eetgedrag. In dit proefschrift onderzoeken we daarom de evolutie van populaire voedingsmediafiguren, hoe ze communiceren, wat ze promoten, en hoe hun populariteit verband houdt met ons eetgedrag in de periode 2008-2019. In het eerste onderzoek lag de focus op communicatie. Met behulp van het driedimensionale framework van Fairclough hebben we geanalyseerd wat de bestverkopende kookboeken in Vlaanderen, gepubliceerd tussen 2008 en 2018, verkondigen, hoe het discours in de loop van de tijd is geëvolueerd en hoe het verband houdt met de samenleving. Hieruit bleek dat beroemde koks de best verkopende auteurs waren van kookboeken in de periode 2008-2014, terwijl influencers de best verkopende auteurs waren in de periode 2015-2019. Wat betreft de inhoud tonen onze bevindingen aan dat moderne kookboeken, naast hun informatieve doel, gericht zijn op inspiratie en entertainment. Ze maken gebruik van een persoonlijk discours dat zich richt op gedeelde waarden en authenticiteit. Beroemde koks benadrukken bijvoorbeeld traditie, familie en het plezier van koken, terwijl influencers levensadvies geven dat zich richt op postmoderne waarden zoals morele keuze, prestatie en persoonlijke verantwoordelijkheid. Influencers nemen ook een anti-establishment positie in door "conventionele wetenschap" en bewerkte voeding te bekritiseren, als reactie op het groeiende maatschappelijke wantrouwen tegenover voedingswetenschap en de voedingsindustrie. Als tweede hebben we cross-sectioneel onderzocht welke bronnen van voedingsinformatie mensen het meest gebruiken. Uit de resultaten blijkt dat mensen voornamelijk vertrouwen op bekende koks, gevolgd door familie/vrienden en influencers. Experts en de overheid worden slechts door een klein deel van de bevolking genoemd als bron voor voedingsinformatie. Vervolgens hebben we gekeken naar de relatie tussen het volgen van verschillende bronnen en veranderingen in eetgewoonten. De volgers van bekende koks vertonen een traditioneler eetpatroon met meer aardappelen, vlees en groenten. De volgers van influencers hebben een meer plantaardig en minder bewerkt dieet, maar ook meer eetrestricties. Mensen die de overheid of experts raadplegen, hebben over het algemeen een gezonder eetgedrag. Als derde hebben we een longitudinaal onderzoek uitgevoerd om de relatie tussen de populariteit van bekende koks op televisie en het internet, en voedselaankopen te onderzoeken. Uit de resultaten blijkt dat de populariteit van bekende koks op televisie geen directe invloed heeft op veranderingen in de aankopen van vlees en groenten. Dit kan worden verklaard door het entertainende karakter van televisieprogramma's. Er was echter wel een verband tussen de populariteit van bekende koks en vlees- en groenteaankopen in de daaropvolgende maand bij huishoudens in de leeftijdsgroepen onder de 30 jaar en tussen 50 en 64 jaar. Tot slot onderzochten we de evolutie van voedingswaarden in populaire voedingsmedia-recepten gedurende de periode 2008-2018. We analyseren de macronutriënten en voedingsgroepen in de hoofdgerechten van de vijf best verkochte kookboeken per jaar. Uit de resultaten blijkt dat de recepten in de loop van de tijd steeds meer suiker, vezels en koolhydraten bevatten, terwijl het vetgehalte afneemt. Deze veranderingen in voedingswaarden zijn ook zichtbaar in de voedselconsumptiecijfers van de Vlaamse bevolking. Er is een trend waarneembaar waarbij er meer gebruik wordt gemaakt van plantaardige ingrediënten. Deze veranderingen in voedingswaarden vertonen een correlatie met algemene trends in de aankopen van voedingsgroepen bij Vlaamse huishoudens gedurende dezelfde periode. De bevindingen van dit doctoraat kunnen gebruikt worden om inzicht te krijgen in de complexe relatie tussen populaire media bronnen en onze eetgedrag

Food writings in a postmodern society : a discourse analysis of influencer and celebrity chef cookbooks in Belgium

IntroductionThe landscape of food writings has undergone a significant transformation, shifting from traditional informational cookbooks to hybrid edutaining cookbooks authored by celebrity chefs and influencers. To gain a better understanding of this evolution, we conducted a discourse analysis to examine the proclamations made by cookbooks authored by celebrity chefs and influencers and their alignment with our society. MethodsWe conducted a critical discourse analysis on 18 best-selling cookbooks published in Flanders (Belgium) between 2008 and 2018. Applying Fairclough's three-dimensional framework, we conducted text, process, and social analyses to delve into the content and context of the cookbooks. ResultsOur analysis reveals that modern cookbooks not only provide information but also aim to inspire and entertain readers. They adopt a personal discourse that emphasizes shared values and authenticity. Celebrity chefs focus on traditional aspects, such as family, tradition, and the joy of cooking, while influencers offer lifestyle advice centered on postmodern values, including moral choice, achievement, fulfillment, and personal responsibility. Additionally, influencers take an anti-establishment stance by criticizing "conventional science" and processed food, reflecting the growing societal distrust toward food science and the food industry. DiscussionThe shift from traditional informational cookbooks to hybrid edutaining cookbooks authored by media icons such as celebrity chefs and influencers is apparent based on our analysis. These contemporary cookbooks not only provide recipes but also serve as outlets for inspiration and entertainment. Furthermore, the discourse found in modern cookbooks reflects the prevailing societal trends of our postmodern and individualistic era

Food media and dietary behavior in a Belgian adult sample : how obtaining information from food media sources associates with dietary behavior

Objective: We aim to relate Flemish adults' main food information sources (e.g., celebrity chefs, experts) with their dietary behavior.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey among 1115 Flemish adults who regularly cook, measured the food information sources the respondents used to obtain recipes, their dietary intake and dietary restrictions. Ordinal and logistic regression were used to investigate the relation between food media, dietary intake and dietary restrictions.Results: Celebrity chefs were mentioned most often (37%) as main food information source, followed by family and acquaintances (21%) and lifestyle gurus (12%). Using lifestyle gurus as a source of dietary information is associated with more dietary restrictions and a higher intake frequency of plant-based food groups, whereas using celebrity chefs or experts is associated with a different (but less unequivocal vegetarian or healthy) dietary intake.Conclusion: Media icons like lifestyle gurus and celebrity chefs appear to be among people's main sources of food information. There is a significant association between using them as a source of food information and dietary behavior. Further research on the influence of media on diet is required