Food safety-related practices among residents aged 18-75 years during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Southwest China.

BACKGROUND: Good food safety practices are essential to minimizing foodborne diseases. The present study explored the food safety-related practices of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Southwest China and identified the impacting factors. METHODS: Residents aged 18-75 years from Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, and Chongqing, China, were included in our study. The convenience sampling method was used to select participants, and face-to-face surveys were conducted in households and communities to collect data. Descriptive statistics including sociodemographic characteristics of respondents and weighted percentages were obtained and the log-binomial regression was used to evaluate the influencing factors associated with food safety-related practices. RESULTS: Overall, 7,848 respondents were involved, with 97.5% efficacy. Disparities in food safety-related practices were observed between males and females, with the former performing poorer practices than the latter (70.5% vs. 68.0%, respectively). Notably, paying attention to nutrition labels when shopping for prepackaged foods was the worst practice. Age, ethnicity, region, occupation, education level, and income were identified as significant determinants of food safety-related practices. Moreover, in comparison to males, females were more likely to acquire pertinent knowledge from diverse sources, including social media, family members/ friends, books/ newspapers/ magazines, experts, and food sales staff (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Males performed inferior food safety-related practices than females during the COVID-19 pandemic in Southwest China. It is suggested that future food safety education programs should incorporate diverse targeted approaches, with emphasis on males. The role of mainstream media in promoting food safety practices should be expanded and prioritized in the forthcoming initiatives.

Resurgence of influenza during COVID-19 in Chongqing, China: A retrospective analysis.

To better understand the trends of influenza and the impact of public health and social measures (PHSMs) implemented during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) period in Chongqing, China. Data from the China Influenza Surveillance Information System from January 2017 to June 2022 were extracted. Epidemiological characteristics (influenza-like illness [ILI] and ILI%) and virological characteristics (influenza positive rate and circulating (sub)types) of influenza were described and compared between the pre-COVID-19 period and the COVID-19 period. Our survey showed that the implementation of PHSMs during the COVID-19 period had a positive impact on reducing influenza transmission. However, influenza activity resurged in 2021-2022 as the PHSMs were eased. Children under 5 years old constituted the highest proportion of ILI cases. The overall influenza positive rate was 23.70%, with a higher rate observed during the pre-COVID-19 period (31.55%) compared to the COVID-19 period (13.68%). Influenza virus subtypes co-circulated and the predominant subtype varied each year, with influenza A subtypes predominated in 2018/2019, while influenza B/Victoria lineage dominated in 2020/2021. PHSMs are effective measures to mitigate the spread of influenza. The findings underscore the need for bolstering monitoring systems, advocating influenza vaccination, and implementing practical PHSMs to strengthen prevention and control measures against influenza.

Repurposing of the antihistamine mebhydrolin napadisylate for treatment of Zika virus infection.

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection can lead to severe neurological disorders and fetal defects, which has become a public health problem worldwide. However, effective clinical treatment for ZIKV infection was still arduous. Antihistamines are attractive candidates for drug repurposing due to their low price and widespread availability. Here we screened FDA-approved antihistamine drugs to obtain anti-ZIKV candidate compounds and identified mebhydrolin napadisylate (MHL) that exhibits the potent inhibition of ZIKV infection in various cell lines in a histamine H1 receptor-independent manner. Mechanistic studies suggest that MHL acts as a ZIKV NS5 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibitor, supported by a structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis showing the correlation between the inhibitory effect upon viral RNA synthesis and ZIKV infectivity. Furthermore, MHL was shown to bind ZIKV NS5 RdRp in vitro and predicted to interact with key residues at the active site of ZIKV NS5 RdRp by molecular docking analysis. Our data together suggest that MHL suppresses ZIKV infection through the inhibition of ZIKV NS5 RdRp activity. This study highlights that MHL might be a promising clinical anti-ZIKV therapeutic.

Understanding the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Healthy Eating among Adolescents in Chongqing, China: An Empirical Study Utilizing Structural Equation Modeling.

Healthy eating is crucial for optimal growth, development, and the prevention of chronic diseases in adolescents. Our study aimed to develop a comprehensive structural equation model (SEM) to analyze the relationships between knowledge, attitudes, practices (KAP), and healthy eating among adolescents in Chongqing. An online questionnaire was administered to middle school students in 39 districts and counties of Chongqing, China from 2 December to 15 December 2021 to collect sociodemographic and KAP information. SEM models were constructed to examine the relationships between educational environment and healthy eating knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The Monte Carlo test was employed to assess the significance of the mediating effect of relevant variables. The study included 139,832 adolescents aged 14.8 ± 0.7 years, with a 14% rate of overweight and obesity. Health and nutrition knowledge averaged a score of 3.60 ± 1.50 (correct rate: 60%). Participants had positive attitudes (average score: 13.61 ± 2.29) and engaged in healthy eating practices (average score: 12.06 ± 3.08). The results of the SEM revealed a significant influence of the educational environment on adolescents' knowledge (ß = 0.235, p < 0.001) and attitude towards healthy eating (ß = 0.143, p < 0.001). Knowledge exhibited positive effects on both attitude (ß = 0.225, p < 0.001) and practice (ß = 0.054, p < 0.001), while attitude exhibited positive effects on practice behavior (ß = 0.565, p < 0.001). The indirect effect of knowledge on practices through attitude was more substantial than the direct effect (ratio 2.361). Our study highlights the mediating role of attitude between healthy eating knowledge and practices. A significant association exists between a favorable educational environment and improved knowledge and positive attitudes toward healthy eating among adolescents. In the future, nutrition and health education should prioritize exploring effective ways to translate knowledge into practices.

Epidemic patterns of the different influenza virus types and subtypes/lineages for 10 years in Chongqing, China, 2010-2019.

To optimize seasonal influenza control and prevention programs in regions with potentially complicated seasonal patterns. Descriptive epidemiology was used to analyze the etiology of influenza, and chi-square tests were used to compare the epidemic patterns among different influenza virus types and subtypes/lineages. From January 2010 to December 2019, a total of 63,626 ILI cases were reported in Chongqing and 14,136 (22.22%) were laboratory-confirmed influenza cases. The proportions of specimens positive for influenza A and influenza B were 13.32% (8,478/63,626) and 8.86% (5,639/63,626), respectively. The proportion of positive specimens for influenza A reached the highest in winter (23.33%), while the proportion of positive specimens for influenza B reached the highest in spring (11.88%). Children aged 5-14 years old had the highest proportion of positive specimens for influenza. The influenza virus types/subtypes positive was significantly different by seasons and age groups (P<.001), but not by gender (p = .436). The vaccine strains were matched to the circulating influenza virus strains in all other years except for 2018 (vaccine strain was B/Colorado/06/2017; circulating strain was B/Yamagata). The study showed significant variations in epidemic patterns, including seasonal epidemic period and age distributions, among different influenza types, subtypes/lineages in Chongqing. Influenza vaccines matched to the circulating influenza virus strain in nine of the ten years. To prevent and mitigate the influenza outbreaks in this area, high risk population, especially children aged 5-14 years, are encouraged to get vaccinated against influenza before the epidemic seasons.

Relationships among Sleep Time, Physical Activity Time, Screen Time, and Nutrition Literacy of Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study in Chongqing, China.

Background: Unhealthy lifestyles among adolescents are reaching alarming levels and have become a major public health problem. This study aimed to assess the relationship between sleep time, physical activity (PA) time, screen time (ST), and nutritional literacy (NL). Methods: This cross-sectional online study involving adolescents aged 10-18 years was conducted in September 2020 in 239 schools in Chongqing, China. NL was measured using the "Nutrition Literacy Scale for middle school students in Chongqing (CM-NLS)". According to the recommended by the Chinese dietary guidelines (2022), we divided the sleep time of junior high school students into <9 h and ≥9 h, high school students into <8 h and ≥8 h, divided the workdays into weekend PA time < 1 h and ≥1 h, and divided the workdays into weekend ST < 2 h and ≥2 h. The multinomial logistic regression model was used to examine the association. Results: A total of 18,660 adolescents (50.2% males) were included. The proportion of participants that were junior high school students and attended boarding schools was 57.2% and 65.3%, respectively. Compared with senior high school students, junior high school students had a higher level of NL. Whether on workdays or weekends, participants with sleep time ≥ 8/9 h, PA time ≥ 1 h, and ST < 2 h per day had higher levels of NL. On weekdays, participants who met the sleep time ≥ 8 h/9 h (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.36, 1.62) and PA time ≥ 1 h (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.59, 1.81) had higher reporting of NL levels. Conclusions: Sleep time, PA time, and ST were positively correlated with NL among adolescents, especially junior high school students.

Differences in Awareness of Chinese Dietary Guidelines Among Urban and Rural Residents: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Southwest China.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the awareness of Chinese dietary guidelines (CDGs, 2016) between rural and urban areas in Southwest China and identify the factors that affect CDGs (2016) awareness. Methods: This cross-sectional survey included 8,320 individuals aged 18-75 years from Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, China. Convenience sampling method was adopted to select the survey subjects and face-to-face surveys in each region were conducted to collect data. Descriptive statistics and generalized linear model were used to evaluate differences in awareness of CDGs among urban and rural residents and its influencing factors. Results: Overall CDGs awareness was low in urban and rural areas, although the awareness rate was higher in the former than in the latter (29.1% vs. 19.9%, respectively). Region, education level, Body Mass Index (BMI), gender, income, and age are the influencing factors of CDGs awareness. Urban participants were likely to acquire relevant knowledge from social media, books/magazines, family/friends, and experts. However, rural participants were likely to acquire relevant knowledge from food sales staff (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Rural residents are less aware of CDGs than their urban counterparts in Southwest China. Future dietary education should adopt different strategies for different populations, with considerable focus on rural residents.

Association Between Nutrition Literacy and Overweight/Obesity of Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study in Chongqing, China.

Objective: The burden of overweight and obesity in adolescents is increasing rapidly. This study aimed to assess the association between nutrition literacy and overweight/obesity among adolescents in China. Methods: This cross-sectional online study involving adolescents aged 10-18 years was conducted in September 2020 in 239 schools in Chongqing China. Overweight and obese adolescents were determined based on the International Obesity Task Force's recommended age-sex specific body mass index cutoff points. Nutrition literacy was measured using the "Nutrition literacy scale for middle school students in Chongqing (CM-NLS)." The CM-NLS included three subdomains (functional nutritional literacy, interactive nutrition literacy, and critical nutrition literacy). Multinomial logistic regression model was used to examine the association. Results: A total of 18,176 adolescents (49.8% girls) were included. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 9.6% and 17.0%, respectively. Compared with those having a low nutrition literacy score (below median), those with a high score were less likely to be overweight and obese. The odds ratio (95% CI) for overweight was 0.87 (0.79-0.97) (nutrition literacy) and 0.81 (0.73-0.90) (functional nutritional literacy). The corresponding figures for obesity were 0.84 (0.77-0.91) and 0.73 (0.67-0.80), respectively. Significant interaction existed between grade and nutrition literacy. The inverse association between nutrition literacy and overweight/obesity was significant among those in senior school but not among those in junior high school. Conclusion: Nutrition literacy was inversely associated with overweight/obesity among adolescents, especially those attending senior high schools.

Selenium Intake and its Interaction with Iron Intake Are Associated with Cognitive Functions in Chinese Adults: A Longitudinal Study.

Studies on the relation between selenium intake and cognitive function are inconclusive. This study aimed to examine the associations between dietary selenium intake and cognitive function among Chinese adults and tested the interaction effect of selenium intake and iron intake on cognition. Data from 4852 adults aged 55 years and above who attended the 1991-2006 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were used. Cognitive function was assessed through face-to-face interviews in 1997, 2000, 2004, and 2006. A 3-day, 24-hour recall was used to collect dietary selenium intake. Multivariable mixed linear regression and logistic regression were used in the analyses. In fully adjusted regression models, the regression coefficients (95% confidence interval) were 0.00, 0.29 (-0.12-0.70), 0.26 (-0.18-0.70), and 0.50 (0.02-0.97) across the quartiles of selenium intake. In the subgroup analysis, the positive association between selenium intake and cognitive function was only observed in the participants who live in the southern region but not those in the northern region. The selenium-intake-to-iron-intake ratio was inversely associated with low global cognition scores. Furthermore, only those with a normal BMI had a positive association between selenium and cognition. In conclusion, high selenium intake was linked to better cognitive function and a lower risk of cognition decline in Chinese adults among those with low iron intake. A substantial interaction was found between selenium intake and BMI or region.

Association between modes of delivery and postpartum dietary patterns: A cross-sectional study in Northwest China.

Objective: Puerperae' dietary patterns (DPs) during the puerperium may be influenced by the mode of delivery, but population studies on this topic are scarce. This study aims to explore the relationship between DPs and different modes of delivery among puerperae. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 3,345 parturients in Lanzhou, China. The postpartum food intake was measured by a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Factor analysis was used to determine the DPs. Multiple linear regression was employed to examine the association between the mode of delivery and DP. Results: In this study, two DPs, i.e., traditional and modern DPs, were identified. Traditional DP was characterized by high energy-adjusted intake of tubers, coarse cereals, rice, whole grains, fishery products, and eggs. Modern DP included a high intake of coffee, non-sugary drinks, wine, tea, and fishery products. Compared with participants with vaginal delivery (reference category), cesarean section had an inverse association with modern DP (ß: -0.11, 95% CI: -0.36, -0.09). A significant interaction was found between education level, monthly household income, alcohol drinking, and modes of delivery. The inverse association between cesarean section and modern DP or the intake of coffee was significant among puerperae with higher or lower monthly household income. However, the inverse association between cesarean section and traditional DP was only found among puerperae with higher monthly household income. Moreover, among the participants with high education, cesarean section was positively associated with intake of vegetables. Conclusion: Cesarean puerperae with higher levels of education and those with lower and higher monthly household income had less unhealthy foods intake than those who had vaginal delivery. They need to be accounted for in educational programs and interventions focused on healthy diet recommendations in puerperium.