Food Preferences in Undergraduate Nursing Students and Its Relationship with Food Addiction and Physical Activity.

The transition to college is a decisive stage for the acquisition of eating habits that continue into adulthood. The aim of this study is to assess the consumption of healthy elements of the Mediterranean diet in a group of university students and to evaluate whether the consumption pattern was related to sex, Body Mass Index (BMI), food addiction or the amount of physical activity performed. A total of 515 nursing students participated. The Mediterranean diet adherence questionnaire (PREDIMED), the food addiction scale (YFAS 2.0) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were completed. For data analysis, multivariate analysis was performed with multiple linear regression and adjusted for sex, age, and BMI. The results showed that females consumed various types of meats (white/red, processed) in a healthier proportion (p < 0.05). Students that consumed more than one per day (unhealthy) of red/processed meats (mean difference (MD) = −0.49; 95% CI: −0.83; −0.15), soft drinks (MD = −0.82; 95% CI: 82−1.36; −0.27) and pastries (MD = −0.63; 95% CI: −0.97; −0.30) displayed higher food addiction scores. In addition, students who skipped breakfast also scored higher on food addiction (MD = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.31−1.19). Higher values of physical activity were observed in those who presented a healthy consumption of vegetables (MD = 140.86; 95% CI: 72.71−209.02), fruit (MD = 145.78; 95% CI: 69.35−222.21), legumes (MD = 136.46; 95% CI: 60.43−212.50) and nuts (MD = 74.36; 95% CI: 14.23−134.49). Students who consumed more red or processed meats, more pastries and more soft drinks had higher values of food addiction, while those who consumed more vegetables, fruits, legumes, and nuts had more minutes of physical activity per week. These findings invite us to insist on expanding knowledge regarding the health benefits of consuming a Mediterranean-type diet as a whole. The healthy consumption of fish, fruit and legumes should also be emphasized, especially among university students.

Food Addiction and Lifestyle Habits among University Students.

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing in our society, with a complex, multifactorial origin, and associated with greater morbidity and mortality in the population. Food addiction (FA) is a common disorder in overweight/obese people, which appears to be increasingly common in young people. This study analyzed food addiction in a group of young university students and to examine its association with body composition, quality of sleep, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, physical activity/sedentary habits, tobacco or alcohol consumption, and health status. A total of 536 undergraduate nursing students participated in a questionnaire that included the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS 2.0). Up to 6.4% of the students presented FA. Statistically significant associations were observed in the variables for sleep quality odds ratio (OR) 4.8 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.66-13.87), anxiety/depression OR 8.71 (95% CI: 3.93-19.27), body mass index (BMI) OR 8.32 (95% CI: 3.81-18.15) and sedentary lifestyle OR 2.33 (95% CI: 1.09-5.01). A predictive model was developed after binary logistic regression (area under the ROC curve 0.84 (95% CI: 0.77-0.91). Students with FA presented higher BMI values, worse sleep quality, anxiety or depression problems, and more time spent in sedentary behaviors.

Physical Activity and Sedentary Lifestyle in University Students: Changes during Confinement Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Regular physical activity is related to many factors in a university student's environment. The coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown have restricted many elements of our environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate students' physical activity and sedentary behaviour at two points in time: before and during the coronavirus lockdown. As a secondary aim, we also wanted to look at changes resulting from other factors (alcohol, tobacco, diet, stages of change, symptoms of anxiety/depression and sociodemographic characteristics). We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, pre-post study with two cut-off points. Two hundred and thirteen students took part in the study. The main dependent variables were physical activity and sitting time, measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Parametric and non-parametric tests were used for paired and unpaired data, as well as group-stratified analysis. During lockdown, both weekly physical activity (MD: -159.87; CI: -100.44, -219.31) and weekly sitting time increased (MD: -106.76; CI: -71.85, -141.67). In the group analysis, differences were observed in relation to gender, year of study, BMI, alcohol consumption, tobacco use, symptoms of anxiety/depression, Mediterranean diet, living situation and stage of change. The results showed an increase in both physical activity and sitting time globally and by group.

[Sarcopenic obesity in elderly women: influence of I/D polymorphism of the angiotension converter enzyme]. / Obesidad sarcopénica en mujeres mayores: influencia del polimorfismo I/D de la enzima convertidora de angiotensina.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is a term that refers to an increase of fat mass together with a decrease of muscle mass, which is suffered by a high percentage of elderly population. Physical activity seems to be a good strategy to prevent it getting worse. However, genetic factors related to the aging process and to elderly's physical fitness could have an influence on it. AIM: To determine if elderly women > 60 who practice physical activity regularly had differences in sarcopenic obesity according to the I/D polymorphism from the ACE (angiotensin converter enzyme) gen. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 300 elderly women who have practiced physical exercise at least twice a week for the past two years. Anthropometric data, physical activity and sedentary behaviour questionnaire, sarcopenic obesity (determining the percentage of fat mass and total muscle mass by electrical impedance and grouping the quintiles of these values into four groups) and physical fitness assessment, as well as ACE gen genotype measured by oral mucosa sample, were evaluated. RESULTS: There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in sarcopenic obesity according to ACE I/D genotype (SO values: 2.18 ACE DD vs 2.48 ACE II + ACE ID). CONCLUSIONS: Women who were ACE DD presented lower risk of sarcopenic obesity than those in the ACE II and ACE ID groups.

[Achievement of physical activity healthy guidelines in hypertensive adults]. / Cumplimiento de las recomendaciones de actividad física para la salud en adultos hipertensos.

INTRODUCTION: It seems necessary to educate patients in the need of realize the importance of physical activity to improve their health, and specifically, about the important implications that the intensity of physical activity has for health and fitness benefits. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this was to evaluate achievement of physical activity recommendations for health in a group of hypertensive controlled patients from two primary care centers: La Estación y La Algodonera located in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. LOCATION: Primary care centers: La Estación y La Algodonera located in Talavera de la Reina. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 80 controlled hypertensive patients aged 40 to 60 years old who met the inclusion criteria were invited to the study. A sample of 52 patients obtained valid results to enter the study. MAIN MEASURES: Minutes of Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), minutes of light activity and number steps were measured. Data was displayed by gender and weekdays vs weekend days. RESULTS: Only 59.6% of patients achieved the minimum recommendation of 30 minutes of MVPA at least every day to improve health. Male achieved significantly more MVPA during the weekend than female did. Only women presented significant differences between MVPA during week days vs weekend days. CONCLUSIONS: 59.6% of hypertensive controlled patients of our sample achieve the minimal physical activity recommendations for health; the rest of the sample should increase their physical activity to achieve the recommendation and to improve their blood pressure levels.

Introducción: Parece necesario educar a los pacientes en la importancia de realizar AF para mejorar su salud, y específicamente, sobre las implicaciones que la intensidad de la AF tiene para la salud. Objetivo: El propósito de este estudio fue evaluar si se cumplían las recomendaciones de actividad física (AF) para la salud en un grupo de pacientes hipertensos controlados de dos centros de atención primaria: La Estación y La Algodonera, situados en Talavera de la Reina (Toledo). Métodos: Diseño: Estudio descriptivo transversal. Emplazamiento: Centros de atención primaria "La Estación" y "La Algodonera", situados en Talavera de la Reina. Participantes: Un total de 80 pacientes hipertensos controlados de 40 a 60 años que cumplían los criterios de inclusión, fueron invitados a formar parte en el estudio, de los cuales fueron analizados los resultados válidos de 52 pacientes. Mediciones principales: Se cuantificó la actividad física diaria con acelerometría, obteniéndose los minutos de AF a intensidad de moderada a vigorosa (AFMV) y de actividad ligera, y el número de pasos. Los datos se presentaron diferenciando los días laborables y los días festivos. Resultados: Sólo un 59,6 % de los sujetos de la muestra cumplía la recomendación de realizar un mínimo de 30 minutos de AF de intensidad de moderada a vigorosa al día para la mejora de la salud. Los hombres realizaron significativamente más minutos de AFMV en los días festivos que las mujeres, y solamente las mujeres, mostraron diferencias significativas en los minutos de AFMV entre en los días laborables respecto a los festivos. Conclusiones: El 59,6% de los pacientes hipertensos controlados de esta muestra cumplían con las recomendaciones mínimas de AF para la salud; el resto debería incrementar su AF para cumplir las recomendaciones y con ello mejorar sus niveles de tensión arterial.