Evaluation of depression, anxiety, risky eating behaviors, eating habits and physical activity after the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents in Mexico City.

INTRODUCTION: during the pandemic, an increase in symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as lifestyle changes in adolescents has been reported. OBJECTIVES: to evaluate anxiety and depression symptoms, risky eating behaviors (REB), eating habits and physical activity after the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexican adolescents; to associate the study variables with the development of REB. METHODS: a study was performed with a sample of 2,710 adolescents. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Questionnaire to measure Risky Eating Behaviors were applied; eating habits and physical activity were evaluated. A Multivariate Logistic Regression analysis was performed to evaluate an association between study variables and REB. RESULTS: it was found that 34.4 % and 47.2 % of the adolescents presented symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively. Furthermore, 10.6 % had REB and 18.1 % were at risk of REB. The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity was 46.5 %; only 13.1 % of the participants had healthy eating habits and 18.2 % adequate physical activity. Symptoms of depression (p < 0.0001), anxiety (p < 0.0001), higher BMI (p < 0.0001), female sex, excessive consumption of sugary drinks, eating outside the home (p < 0.0001), and lifestyle (p = 0.001) were associated with REB. CONCLUSIONS: confinement caused chaos on the lifestyle of adolescents as well as their psychological health. It is essential to develop educational programs that involve government authorities, parents and health agencies to reinforce the topics of healthy eating, physical activity and mental health in the country's secondary schools.

Epidemiological Overview of Overweight and Obesity Related to Eating Habits, Physical Activity and the Concurrent Presence of Depression and Anxiety in Adolescents from High Schools in Mexico City: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Overweight and obesity in adolescents has become a serious public health problem worldwide and Mexico City is no exception. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiological panorama of overweight and obesity related to eating habits, physical activity and the concurrent presence of depression and anxiety in adolescents from high schools in Mexico City. Anthropometric measurements were taken from 2710 adolescents from 33 participating high schools. Likewise, a previously validated eating habit and physical activity questionnaire was administered, which consisted of four different sections, where each of the sections focused on key aspects of the participants' lifestyle: (1) eating habits, (2) intake of non-recommended foods, (3) food and company environment, and (4) physical activity. Moreover, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for anxiety and depression was applied. In this study, a high prevalence of overweight and obesity (26.5% overweight and 20.0% obese) was found in adolescents from high schools in Mexico City. Only 13.14% of participants had adequate eating habits and 18.19% physical activity habits. An association was found between having inadequate eating habits and obesity in adolescent women (OR = 1.95; CI 1.009-3.76). Additionally, associations were observed between depression symptoms and obesity (OR = 5.68, CI 1.36-32.81; p = 0.01), while anxiety was associated with underweight and obesity adjusted by other dietary habits and psychological factors. Therefore, it is important to identify adolescents with overweight or obesity and establish prevention strategies for weight control in this age group, promoting healthy eating, physical activity and education in mental health.

Construct Validity of a Questionnaire on Eating and Physical Activity Habits for Adolescents in Mexico City.

The assessment of eating and physical activity habits is an important step in promoting healthy behaviors among the adolescent population and is key in the prevention and management of chronic non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. For this purpose, reliable and valid measuring instruments are essential. In this context, the aim of this article is to present the validation of a self-report questionnaire on eating and physical activity habits among adolescents in Mexico City. In order to validate the questionnaire, a cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 2710 adolescents between 11 and 12 years of age, the piloting of the questionnaire was carried out in September 2022 with a focus group, and the programming of the anthropometric measurements was established with the Federal Educational Authority of CDMX, as well as the application of the questionnaire to 33 schools, with these activities being scheduled from 7 November 2022 to 3 February 2023 and having an application duration of 15-25 min for each of the groups to which it was applied; the questionnaire that was applied consists of 31 questions that refer to the frequencies, quantity, or performance of behaviors related to the frequency and type of food, type of physical activity and behaviors related to the act of eating referring to the place where it is carried out (home or away from home) and with whom it is carried out (alone or in company), and about the individual's lifestyle. Subsequently, the reliability of the instrument was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine the structure of the questionnaire. The results obtained showed that the questionnaire was adequately reliable (α = 0.778) with an eight-factor structure: four questions on mealtime frequencies, four questions on physical activity and lifestyles, six questions on the consumption of high-calorie foods, four questions on company and food consumption, four questions on the consumption of vegetables and fruits, four questions on the place of food consumption, two questions on the consumption of alcoholic beverages, and three questions on the consumption of sugary drinks, plain water, and milk. In conclusion, the self-report questionnaire on eating and physical activity habits among adolescents in Mexico City is reliable, has adequate internal consistency, and can therefore be used as a useful tool for the evaluation of eating and physical activity habits in this population.

[Intervention for the promotion on the consumption of milk and dairy products as a strategy to reduce overweight in adolescents of México]. / Intervención para el fomento del consumo de leche y productos lácteos como parte de una estrategia para la disminución del exceso de peso en adolescentes de la Ciudad de México.

INTRODUCTION: Introduction: the consumption of milk and dairy products can play an important role in the maintenance of healthy body weight, since, under normal conditions of individuals, a negative association has been observed between daily intake of calcium contained in milk and dairy products and adiposity markers. Objective: to determine if the consumption of milk and dairy products affects the body weight reduction of adolescents in high school in Mexico City. Methods: community trial with 2,368 adolescents in three phases: description of the initial nutritional status, multidisciplinary educational intervention in the intervention group and evaluation of the changes observed. A food frequency and reminder questionnaire of 24 hours was applied to the participants, anthropometric measures were taken and the Who Anthro Plus® program was used to obtain the nutritional diagnosis. Results: it was found, in the intervention group, that adolescents who never consume whole milk, skimmed milk, fresh cow's cheese and natural yogurt have a higher prevalence of obesity (15.8%, 12.5%, 19.0% and 19.0%, respectively), compared to the adolescents who consume them daily (0.0%, 0.0%, 2.3% and 5.6%, respectively), there being a highly significant difference for the consumption of cheese fresh cow's milk and natural yogurt (p ≤ 0.01). It was possible to increase the frequency of dairy consumption and changes in nutritional status were observed in the intervention group, where the prevalence of obesity decreased from 13.8% to 6.1%. Conclusions: adolescents with higher milk consumption and its dairy products had a lower prevalence of obesity.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Introducción: el consumo de leche y productos lácteos puede jugar un papel importante en el mantenimiento del peso corporal saludable, ya que, en condiciones normales de los individuos, se ha observado una asociación negativa entre la ingesta diaria del calcio contenido en la leche y los productos lácteos con el incremento adipositario. Objetivo: determinar si el consumo de leche y productos lácteos repercute en la disminución del peso corporal de los adolescentes de escuelas secundarias de la Ciudad de México. Métodos: ensayo comunitario con 2.368 adolescentes en tres fases: descripción del estado de nutrición inicial, intervención educativa multidisciplinaria en el grupo intervención y evaluación de los cambios observados. Se aplicó a los participantes un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos y recordatorio de 24 horas, se tomaron medidas antropométricas y se utilizó el programa Who Anthro Plus® para obtener el diagnóstico nutricional. Resultados: se encontró, en el grupo de intervención, que los adolescentes que nunca consumen leche entera, leche descremada, queso fresco de vaca y yogur natural presentan mayor prevalencia de obesidad (15,8%, 12,5%, 19,0% y 19,0%, respectivamente), en comparación con los adolescentes que los consumen diariamente (0,0%, 0,0%, 2,3% y 5,6%, respectivamente), con una diferencia altamente significativa para el consumo de queso fresco de vaca y yogurt natural (p ≤ 0,01). Se logró aumentar la frecuencia de consumo de lácteos y se observaron cambios en el estado de nutrición en el grupo de intervención, donde la prevalencia de obesidad disminuyó del 13,8% al 6,1%. Conclusiones: los adolescentes con mayor consumo de leche y productos lácteos presentaron menor prevalencia de obesidad.