Dietary intake of university students during COVID-19 social distancing in the Northeast of Brazil and associated factors.

This study aimed to analyze the influence of COVID-19 social distancing on the dietary pattern of university students in the Northeast of Brazil and associated factors. This is a cross-sectional study of 955 students from four universities carried out via a web survey containing social, economic, demographic, and health information. A food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate diet. Weight and dietary alterations were reported. Exploratory factor analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used as statistical analyses. The mean age was 26 and 53.7% of the students observed an increase in their weight. Four dietary patterns were identified: (1) a predominantly in natura pattern, (2) a pattern of processed and ultra-processed foods, (3) a protein-based pattern, and (4) an infusion-based pattern. It was observed that students having a darker skin colour (OR 1.8; CI 95% 1.3-2.6) and 19-29 years old and not being a health course student (OR 1.5; CI 95% 1.1-2.1) were associated with greater adhesion to the in natura pattern. Not engaging in physical activity was statistically associated with not adhering (OR 0.5; CI 95% 0.4-0.7) to that pattern. The university students who saw an alteration in their weight during the social distancing period studied presented a greater probability of consuming the processed and ultra-processed foods pattern (OR 1.8; CI 95% 1.2-2.6), while the men (OR 0.7; CI 95% 0.4-0.9) and those not engaging in physical activity (OR 0.7; CI 95% 0.5-0.9) presented less adhesion to that pattern. These findings indicate that social isolation affected the dietary intake of university students, with adhesion to mixed dietary patterns in terms of health. The adhesion to the pattern of processed and ultra-processed foods identified may affect the students' health, especially the occurrence of excess weight and obesity.

Avaliação da percepção sensorial ao gosto salgado em pessoas hipertensas / Sensory perception evaluation of salty taste in hipertensive people

Objetivo: avaliar a percepção gustativa ao gosto salgado em pessoas com hipertensão arterial sistêmica. Método: trata-se de um estudo quantitativo, descritivo e transversal, realizado com indivíduos diagnosticados com hipertensão arterial, caracterizando o grupo teste, e com indivíduos não hipertensos, definindo o grupo controle. Realizou-se este estudo no segundo semestre de 2017. Executou-se o teste de estímulo da boca toda para o gosto salgado a fim de avaliar o limiar gustativo. Utilizou-se, para a comparação entre as médias de dados não pareados, o teste de Mann-Whitney a 5% de probabilidade. Estudaram-se as análises no Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, apresentando os resultados em forma de figura e tabela. Resultados: observou-se que, na primeira e segunda seções, que continham as menores concentrações de NaCl, 0,09 g/L e 0,18 g/L, respectivamente, 54% do grupo controle conseguiu detectar o gosto salgado, resultado muito maior que o do grupo teste (18,82%). Conclusão: notou-se que o limiar gustativo para o gosto salgado foi maior nos indivíduos hipertensos quando comparados aos indivíduos normotensos.(AU)

Objective: to evaluate gustatory perception of salty taste in people with systemic arterial hypertension. Method: this is a quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study of individuals diagnosed with arterial hypertension, characterizing the test group, and non-hypertensive individuals, defining the control group. This study was carried out in the second half of 2017. The whole mouth stimulus test for the salty taste was performed in order to evaluate the taste threshold. The Mann-Whitney test at 5% probability was used to compare unpaired mean data. The analyzes were studied in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, presenting the results in figure and table form. Results: it was observed that in the first and second sections, containing the lowest concentrations of NaCl, 0.09 g / L and 0.18 g / L, respectively, 54% of the control group was able to detect salty taste, higher than that of the test group (18.82%). Conclusion: it was observed that the taste threshold for salty taste was higher in hypertensive individuals when compared to normotensive individuals.(AU)

Objetivo: evaluar la percepción gustativa del gusto salado en personas con hipertensión arterial sistémica. Método: se trata de un estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo y transversal, realizado con individuos diagnosticados con hipertensión arterial, caracterizando el grupo test, y con individuos no hipertensos, definiendo el grupo control. Se realizó este estudio en el segundo semestre de 2017. Se ejecutó la prueba de estímulo de la boca entera para el gusto salado a fin de evaluar el umbral gustativo. Se utilizó, para la comparación entre los promedios de datos no pareados, la prueba de Mann-Whitney al 5% de probabilidad. Se estudiaron los análisis en el Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, presentando los resultados en forma de figura y tabla. Resultados: se observó que, en la primera y segunda secciones, que contenían las menores concentraciones de NaCl, 0,09 g / L y 0,18 g / L, respectivamente, el 54% del grupo control logró detectar el gusto salado, mayor que el del grupo de prueba (18,82%). Conclusión: se notó que el umbral gustativo para el gusto salado fue mayor en los individuos hipertensos cuando comparados a los individuos normotensos. (AU)