Eating Behaviors Associated With Suicidal Behaviors and Overall Risk.

OBJECTIVE: Maladaptive eating behaviors remain prevalent in the US population, and a significant percentage of US college students acknowledge engaging in maladaptive eating. Formally defined eating disorders (EDs) have one of the highest mortality rates among all mental illnesses. Suicide risk is substantially elevated among individuals diagnosed with EDs, and even subclinical levels of maladaptive eating behaviors are associated with suicidality. The current study examined associations between specific problematic eating behaviors measured dimensionally (eg, purging, binging, laxative use) and specific suicide-related constructs and behaviors as well as overall suicide risk. METHODS: College students (N=188; 62% women) completed the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire, a well-established measure of dysfunctional eating, as well as several self-report measures of theoretical components of suicidality, and, finally, a semistructured clinical interview to specify suicide risk category. RESULTS: Results showed a general pattern of moderate and strong associations between the subscales and the overall score of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire and core suicide constructs of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide. Many substantive correlations were found between specific eating behaviors and specific suicide-related behaviors; for example, purging was the highest correlate of overall suicide risk (ρ=0.36). DISCUSSION: These results are discussed in terms of consistency with the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide as well as practical implications for intervention.

Nutritional and Culinary Habits to Empower Families (n-CHEF): a feasibility study to increase consumption and home cooking of plant-based foods.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the feasibility and acceptability of a culinary nutritional intervention aimed at increasing plant-based foods consumption in the context of the Mediterranean diet in parent-child dyads. DESIGN: The Nutritional and Culinary Habits to Empower Families (n-CHEF) is a 9-month feasibility study that included four culinary nutritional workshops (two face to face, two online) led by a chef and a dietitian-nutritionist. These workshops combined cooking with plant-based foods, with nutritional advice and experimental activities. The main outcomes were retention, quality of the intervention (monitoring workshops, acceptability and perceived impact) and changes in dietary and cooking habits. SETTING: Parent-child dyads, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Parent-child (aged 10-14 years) dyads. RESULTS: Fifteen parent-child dyads were recruited, of which thirteen were retained during the 6-month follow-up. All but one parent-child dyads attended the four workshops. The overall assessment of the workshops was positive, although the online workshops were rated lower than the face to face. In general, parent-child dyads reported benefits in terms of nutrition and cooking aspects. Parents significantly increased their adherence to the Mediterranean diet, but non-significant changes were observed in children. However, children increased their consumption of vegetables and legumes and reduced snacks and ready meals. Parents also changed some of their culinary habits and increased their confidence in cooking at home. CONCLUSIONS: The n-CHEF showed that the culinary nutritional intervention had good levels of recruitment, retention and acceptability among parent-child dyads. In addition, dietary and culinary knowledge and habits can be improved, although further studies are needed to know the long-term effects in larger populations.

Influence of age and self-stigmatization on social eating and drinking issues in French outpatients living with and beyond head and neck cancer: a mixed-method study.

PURPOSE: Social eating (SE) is a corner stone of daily living activities, quality of life (QoL), and aging well. In addition to feeding functional disorders, patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) face individual and social psychological distress. In this aging population, we intended to better assess the influence of age on these challenges, and the role of self-stigmatization limiting SE in patients with and beyond HNC. METHODS: This was an exploratory multicenter cross-sectional mixed method study. Eligibility criteria were adults diagnosed with various non-metastatic HNC, before, during, or until 5 years after treatment. SE disorders were explored with the Performance Status Scale Public Eating rate (PSS-HN PE). In the quantitative part of the study, SE habits, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Body Image Scale (FACT-MBIS) and specific to HNC (FACT-HN35) were also filled in by the patients. In the qualitative study, the semi-structured interview guide was drawn out to explore stigma, especially different dimensions of self-stigmatization. RESULTS: A total of 112 patients were included, mean age 64.7 years, 23.2% of female. One-third (n = 35) of patients had an abnormal PSS-HN PE rate < 100. Younger patients had more often an impaired Normalcy of Diet mean (70.4 vs 82.7, p = .0498) and PE rates (76 vs 86.9, p = .0622), but there was no difference between age subgroups in MBIS nor FACT-HN scores. Seventy patients (72.2%) found SE and drinking « important¼ to « extremely important¼ in their daily life. The qualitative study reported self-stigmatization in two older patients and strategies they have developed to cope with in their behaviors of SE. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that SE remains of high concern in patients with and beyond HNC. Even in older patients experiencing less often functional feeding disorders, body image changes and SE issues are as impaired as in younger patients and need to be addressed.

Association between perceived stress, emotional eating, and adherence to healthy eating patterns among Saudi college students: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: College students are vulnerable to high perceived stress (PS) and emotional eating (EE) levels, which are associated with their food consumption. In this study, we aimed to examine the links between perceived stress, emotional eating, and adherence to a healthy eating index. Furthermore, we aimed to test whether sociodemographic data and health measures, including body mass index and physical activity, are associated with perceived stress, emotional eating, or healthy eating index. METHODS: This study included students from King Abdulaziz University. The participants completed validated perceived stress, emotional eating, and short healthy eating index surveys via an online questionnaire from September to December 2022. Univariate linear regression analysis was performed to examine the association between perceived stress, emotional eating, and adherence to healthy eating index using the short healthy eating index. RESULTS: Of 434 students (49.8% male, mean age 21.7 ± 3.0 years), 11.3% had low, 72.0% moderate, and 16.7% high perceived stress. Students with moderate perceived stress had the highest short healthy eating index score (P = 0.001), outperforming those with low and high perceived stress for fruit juice (P = 0.002), fruits (P[Formula: see text]0.001), vegetables (P=0.03), greens and beans (P<0.001), whole grains (P=0.009), and seafood/plant proteins (P = 0.001) consumption. Also, emotional eating was significantly associated with short healthy eating index score (P = 0.04), fruit juice (P = 0.01) fruit consumption (P<0.001), added sugar (P=0.02) and saturated fatty acids (P = 0.03). Academic major was associated with perceived stress (P = 0.006) and emotional eating (p=0.04). Higher physical activity levels were associated with low perceived stress levels (P<0.001) and high short healthy eating index score (P=0.001), while high body mass index was associated with high emotional eating score (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings confirmed that students are highly vulnerable to moderate and high perceived stress levels. Furthermore, high perceived stress is inversely associated with adherence to a healthy eating index, especially for fruits, vegetables, greens and beans, whole grains, and seafood and plant proteins consumption. Emotional eating, also, associated with students dietary pattern. Physical activity will be beneficial for reducing the level of perceived stress and improving overall dietary patterns.

Pain's impact on eating patterns and inflammation: A case-control study.

Pain is a widespread and troubling clinical and social problem with important effects on society and individuals. The purpose is to assess the relationship between pain and eating behavior, macro-micronutrient intake, and dietary inflammation index. The study was carried with a total of 80 patients, consisting of 40 patients diagnosed with pain and 40 patients not diagnosed with pain, who applied to a private hospital in Istanbul as outpatients with a questionnaire face-to-face consisting of questions about sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, pain-related information, Eating Attitude Test (EAT-19), and 24-hour food consumption record. The statistical analysis of the data was conducted with SPSS v27 package program. People who had pain had higher levels of disrupted eating attitudes than those who did not have pain. The "Bulimia" subfactor mean score of the EAT-19 was higher in those with pain (P < .05). No difference was found between the case-control groups regarding the mean dietary inflammation index (DII) score and energy, macro- and micronutrient consumption values (P > .05). No difference was detected between the case-control groups with disrupted eating attitudes regarding the median DII score (P > .05). The median DII score was significantly higher in individuals with pain and normal eating attitudes than in those without pain and with disrupted eating attitudes (P < .05). There is a relationship between pain, eating attitudes, and DII, the median DII score of those who had pain and had normal eating attitudes was higher.

Actions speak louder than coaches: Eating disorder behaviour among student-athletes.

The objective of the current study was to examine the prevalence of eating disorder behaviours among student-athletes at a small, non-NCAA (Canadian) university, while evaluating the influence of gender, type of sport, and perceived social support. Two hundred participants (130 female, 70 male) completed an online survey that assessed participants eating disorder behaviours (EAT-26), behaviours consistent with the Adonis Complex (ACQ) and perceived social support (modified MPSS). The results revealed significant differences in eating disorder behaviour between female and male athletes, with females scoring significantly higher; yet no differences were found between how female and male athletes scored on the Adonis Complex Questionnaire. Significant differences were found between lean-sport and non-lean sport athletes, with lean sport athletes exhibiting more eating disorder behaviours. Furthermore, non-lean sport male athletes were found to score significantly higher than lean-sport male athletes for the Adonis Complex. Perceived social support was found to be negatively correlated to eating disorder behaviours and when considering gender and type of sport, accounted for unique variance in eating disorder behaviour. These results suggest that student-athletes are susceptible to negative mental health outcomes, even within the context of a smaller (and non-NCAA) university context, and eating behaviours vary among athlete and sport type. The results highlight the importance of continued research in this area and of having support systems in place for student-athletes and increasing awareness of athletic staff and coaches as to the seriousness and prevalence of eating disorder behaviours.

Score of fear of COVID-19 and physical activity level are related to the habitual consumption of dietary supplements.

The measures implemented to contain the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in both behavioral and lifestyle changes. The "Changes in Lifestyle-Related Behavior" instrument was developed to assess lifestyle-related behaviors in the Indian population. However, considering current knowledge, this instrument was not adapted for the Brazilian population. In addition, the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and consumption of dietary supplements has not yet been evaluated. Thus, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the use of dietary supplements with lifestyle behavior and the fear of COVID-19, as well as assess the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the "Changes in Lifestyle-Related Behavior" instrument. An online questionnaire assessed sociodemographic, occupational, anthropometric, physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short form), fear of COVID-19, and lifestyle behavior data from 416 Brazilian adults (237 females; 18-60y). Mann-Whitney, Chi-square test, exploratory, and confirmatory analyses were applied. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses showed a satisfactory adequacy level of the questionnaire (CMIN/DF = 2.689; Cronbach's α = 0.60) with 5 domains ('Bad eating behavior'; 'Healthy eating'; 'Sleep quality'; 'Interest in cooking'; 'Number of portions and meals'). Lower fear of COVID-19 scores and higher levels of physical activity were found in participants who reported previous dietary supplement intake during the pandemic; in addition, the group that did not ingest dietary supplements reported greater changes in stress and anxiety levels during the pandemic (p<0.05). The intake of dietary supplements before the pandemic was associated with greater energy expenditure and better coping with the fear of COVID-19 during the pandemic. Additionally, the Changes in Lifestyle-Related Behavior tool can be used to assess lifestyle-related variables during the pandemic.

[Impact of the Mediterranean diet and the consumption of fermented beverages on subjective well-being in different contexts in Spain]. / Impacto de la dieta mediterránea y del consumo de bebidas fermentadas en el bienestar subjetivo en diferentes contextos en España.

Introduction: The relationship between the Mediterranean diet, the consumption of fermented beverages (beer and wine), and subjective well-being in Spain was investigated. Using a cross-sectional study with 2,752 participants, dietary patterns and emotional well-being were evaluated in contexts such as work, the gym, and bars/restaurants. The results showed that context significantly impacts dietary habits and well-being. Participants at the gym adhered more to the Mediterranean diet and reported fewer negative emotions compared to other contexts. Correlation maps indicated that beer consumption was associated with a higher intake of red meat, while wine was related to a higher consumption of fish and seafood. Additionally, the study found that participants following the Mediterranean diet experienced higher levels of emotional well-being, with less frequent negative emotions such as anxiety and anger, and higher levels of life satisfaction, especially in contexts like the gym. These findings suggest that public health interventions should consider contextual factors to promote healthy eating habits and improve emotional well-being, highlighting the importance of the Mediterranean diet in health and the prevention of psychological problems.

Introducción: Se investigó la relación entre la dieta mediterránea, el consumo de bebidas fermentadas (cerveza y vino) y el bienestar subjetivo en España. Utilizando un estudio transversal con 2752 participantes, se evaluaron los patrones dietéticos y el bienestar emocional en contextos como el trabajo, el gimnasio y bares o restaurantes. Los resultados mostraron que el contexto tiene un impacto significativo en los hábitos dietéticos y el bienestar. Los participantes del gimnasio siguieron más la dieta mediterránea y reportaron menos emociones negativas en comparación a los de otros contextos. Los mapas de correlación indicaron que el consumo de cerveza se asociaba con una mayor ingesta de carne roja, mientras que el vino se relacionaba con un mayor consumo de pescado y mariscos. Además, el estudio encontró que los participantes que seguían la dieta mediterránea experimentaban mayores niveles de bienestar emocional, con menor frecuencia de emociones negativas, como la ansiedad y la ira, y mayores niveles de satisfacción con la vida, especialmente en contextos como el gimnasio. Estos hallazgos sugieren que las intervenciones de salud pública deberían considerar los factores contextuales para fomentar hábitos alimenticios saludables y mejorar el bienestar emocional, resaltando la importancia de la dieta mediterránea en la salud y en la prevención de problemas psicológicos.

Diet culture on TikTok: a descriptive content analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how dieting is portrayed on TikTok and the potential implications for public health considering the effect of diet culture on eating disorders amongst young people. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive content analysis of 250 videos from the five most popular diet-related hashtags. A codebook was developed to analyse the content of the videos and collect the engagement for each video (likes, comments and shares). SETTING: TikTok website. PARTICIPANTS: There were no participants in this study. RESULTS: More than half of the videos portrayed 'body checking', a potentially harmful practice for body image. Of the videos that represented body image, almost half represented body image negatively. However, most videos promoted the idea of 'healthy eating', and only 6·4 % displayed disordered eating behaviours. Over half of the videos provided dietary advice, and of those videos, most content creators claimed to be experts (64 %). Claiming expertise was not significantly associated with engagement; however, the use of humour was significantly associated with engagement. Additionally, males were more likely than females to disclose their goals of the diet. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, it appears that TikTok is commonly used to share nutrition tips and personal experiences around dieting and eating in general, often employing humour as an effective technique. The popularity of the platform and rapid dissemination of information would be a useful tool for health professionals, especially those working with eating disorders, to utilise.

Medical Students Wellness Habits and Perceived Stress Levels, a Cross-Sectional Study of USD SSOM Students.

INTRODUCTION: Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It includes feelings of energy depletion and cynicism and reduced professional efficacy. Psychological distress among U.S. and Canadian medical students is higher overall relative to both the general population and age-matched peers. Physical activity has been shown to decrease burnout and improve quality of life. In addition, unhealthy eating patterns and poor sleep quality have been linked to elevated levels of stress. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional, survey-based study of medical students currently enrolled at the USD SSOM. All students received an email with the survey. Participation was anonymous and voluntary. We used the Perceived Stress Scale6 and compared it to exercise, dietary, sleep, and mindfulness habits. RESULTS: 147 students responded. The average perceived stress scale score was 16, indicating moderate stress. Most students reported engaging in light exercise either every day (37%) or a few times per week (42%). Fifty percent reported moderate exercise a few times per week. For vigorous exercise, 29% reported a few times per week. Only 63% of students reported eating breakfast compared to 90% for lunch and 99% for dinner. Eating a home cooked meal every day was reported by 52% of students. Twenty five percent of students reported eating out a few times a week. Caffeine intake varied amongst students, with 15% of students having 0 servings of caffeine daily, 23% having 1, 33% having 2, 15% having 3, 7% having 4, and 7% reported more than 4. The average amount of sleep reported was 7.3 hours nightly and the average amount of mindfulness activities per week was 2.4. CONCLUSIONS: The average USD SSOM student reports moderate stress levels. Addressing lifestyle habits can lead to a reduction of stress and burnout.

Emotional food craving across the eating disorder spectrum: an ecological momentary assessment study.

PURPOSE: Emotional eating during negative emotions might underlie disordered eating behavior (i.e., binge eating and food restriction). Positive emotions, by contrast, seem to promote healthier eating behavior. Naturalistic research on the links between emotions and eating across individuals with binge-eating disorder (BED), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge-purge anorexia nervosa (AN-BP), and restrictive anorexia nervosa (AN-R) is, however, lacking. METHODS: Individuals without eating disorders (comparison group, CG, n = 85), and patients with BED (n = 41), BN (n = 50), AN-BP (n = 26), and AN-R (n = 29) participated in an ecological momentary assessment study. Six daily notifications over eight days prompted ratings of momentary food craving and emotional states differing in valence and arousal. RESULTS: Results supported specific emotion-food-craving patterns in each group. Compared to the CG, arousing negative emotions and higher cravings co-occurred in patients with BN. In patients with AN-BP (at trend level also in patients with AN-R) less arousing negative emotions and lower cravings co-occurred. In patients with AN, positive emotions and higher cravings co-occurred whereas in patients with BED less arousing positive emotions and lower cravings co-occurred. CONCLUSION: The found emotion-craving associations may underlie group-specific (dys-)functional eating behaviors, i.e., binge eating and food restriction during negative emotions in patients with BN and AN, and normalized appetitive responses during positive emotions in patients with BED and AN. Therapeutic efforts could target arousing negative emotions in patients with BN, and less arousing negative emotions in patients with AN. Positive emotions could be used in a salutogenetic approach in patients with BED and AN.

Associations between maternal diet, family eating habits and preschool children's dietary patterns: insights from the UPBEAT trial.

BACKGROUND: Dietary behaviours in early life often track across the life course, influencing the development of adverse health outcomes such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to explore the between dietary patterns (DP) in preschool children and maternal DP and family eating habits. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of 488 mother-child pairs from the UK pregnancy Better Eating and Activity Trial (UPBEAT) at 3-year follow-up. Previously published DP from mothers and children (derived from food-frequency questionnaires and exploratory factor analysis) were used. Mothers' DP were "Fruits-Vegetables", "African-Caribbean", "Processed and Snacks", and children's DP were "Prudent", "Processed-Snacking", and "African-Caribbean". Family meal environments were evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Linear regression models revealed that child's prudent pattern was positively associated with maternal Fruits-Vegetables (B = 0.18 (0.08, 0.27)), Snacks patterns (B = 0.10 (0.01, 0.18)), and eating the same foods during meals (B = 0.25 (0.07, 0.43)). Child's Processed-Snacking pattern was directly associated with maternal Processed (B = 0.22 (0.13, 0.30)) and Snacks (B = 0.27 (0.18, 0.36)) patterns, receiving food as reward (B = 0.22 (0.04, 0.39)) and watching TV during meals (B = 0.27 (0.09, 0.45)). Finally, the child African-Caribbean pattern was directly associated with that from the mother (B = 0.41 (0.33, 0.50)) and watching TV during meals (B = 0.15 (0.09, 0.30)), and inversely associated with maternal processed (B=-0.09 (-0.17, -0.02)) and snacking (B=-0.08 (-0.15, -0.04)) patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Unhealthy dietary patterns in childhood are directly linked to similar maternal patterns and family meal behaviours, such as television viewing and food rewards. These findings highlight targetable behaviours for public health interventions.

Effects of time-restricted eating and low-carbohydrate diet on psychosocial health and appetite in individuals with metabolic syndrome: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Time-restricted eating (TRE) and low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) can improve multiple cardiometabolic parameters in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS), but their effects on psychosocial health and satiety are unclear. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of TRE, LCD, and their combination (TRE + LCD) on quality of life (QoL), sleep, mood, appetite, and metabolic hormones in patients with MetS. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a single-center, 3-month, open-label, randomized clinical trial investigating the effects of TRE, LCD, and TRE + LCD on weight and cardiometabolic parameters in individuals with MetS. This secondary analysis examined QoL, sleep, mood, and appetite using the Rand 36-Item Short Form (SF-36); Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; and Eating Behavior Rating Scale, respectively, as well as measured levels of metabolic hormones including leptin, amylin, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), pancreatic polypeptide (PP), and peptide YY. Between-group comparisons were conducted via one-way ANOVAs and post hoc LSD tests for normally distributed variables or Kruskal‒Wallis H tests and the Nemenyi test for abnormally distributed variables. P < 0.017 was considered significant in multiple comparisons following Bonferroni adjustment. RESULTS: A total of 162 participants (mean [SD] age, 41.2 [9.9] years; mean [SD] body mass index, 29.3 [3.4] kg/m2; 102 [63%] men) who started the intervention were analyzed. After 3 months, only the TRE group decreased GLP-1 levels (-0.9 [IQR, -1.9 to -0.3] pg/mL; P = 0.002), increased PP levels (8.9 [IQR, -7.6 to 71.8] pg/mL; P = 0.011), physical functioning in the SF-36 (5.2 [95% CI, 1.9 to 8.5]; P = 0.001), social functioning in the SF-36 (9.1 [95% CI, 2.5 to 15.6]; P = 0.005), role-physical in the SF-36 (24.1 [95% CI, 11.8 to 36.4]; P < 0.001), role-emotional in the SF-36 (22.4 [95% CI, 12.6 to 32.2]; P < 0.001), and sleep efficiency in the PSQI (0.29 [95% CI, 0.03 to 0.55]; P = 0.021). Compared with changes in LCD, TRE further increased general health in the SF-36 (9.7 [95% CI, 3.3 to 16.0]; P = 0.006). Relative to the changes of TRE + LCD, TRE significantly increased role-emotional in the SF-36 (19.9 [95% CI 4.9 to 34.8]; P = 0.006). Changes in sleep quality, mood status, appetite, and metabolic hormones did not differ among three groups. Greater weight loss was associated with decreased leptin levels (r = 0.538), decreased amylin levels (r = 0.294), reduced total appetite scores (r = 0.220), and improved general health (r = -0.253) (all P ≤ 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: TRE, LCD, and TRE + LCD all could improve psychosocial health and reduce appetite. Notably, TRE yielded greater benefits in QoL compared with LCD or TRE + LCD in individuals with MetS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04475822.

Nutrition literacy and eating habits in children from food-secure versus food-insecure households: A cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to explore whether maternal food and nutrition literacy (FNL) can mitigate negative effects of food insecurity on children's eating habits and assist food-insecure households in making better nutrition choices with limited resources available. A cross-sectional study was conducted on children aged 6 to 12 years and their mothers. FNL was assessed using a validated Food and Nutrition Literacy Assessment Tool, and household food security was evaluated with the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Eating habits were measured through a structured questionnaire that focused on various dietary habits. Logistic regression was used to determine the associations between maternal FNL, food insecurity status, and children's eating habits. A total of 327 children-mothers, comprising 159 food-secure and 168 food-insecure households, were evaluated. Maternal FNL was inversely associated with consumption of fast-foods and fried foods, and skipping breakfast in both food-secure and food-insecure participants. However, only food-secure participants showed an inverse association between FNL and the habit of eating out. Both groups indicated lower sweet consumption associated with higher FNL. Maternal FNL was inversely associated with lower dairy and nut intake in food-secure group and lower fruit and vegetable consumption in food-insecure participants. This study suggests that in conditions of food insecurity FNL may reduce the negative impact of food insecurity on children's nutrition choices and food habits.

Understanding bidirectional and transactional processes of child eating behaviours and parental feeding practices explaining poor health outcomes across infancy and early childhood in Australia: protocol for the Longitudinal Assessment of Children's Eating (LACE) study.

INTRODUCTION: Child eating behaviours develop through interactions between the child's characteristics, psychological factors and the child's social environment and this affects the child's diet and weight. To examine the currently existing birth cohort studies examining child eating behaviours, a review was conducted. There are currently no birth cohorts that concurrently examine child eating behaviours, dietary intake, growth and parental feeding practices from birth into early childhood. Therefore, the primary objective of the Longitudinal Assessment of Children's Eating (LACE) study is to examine the bidirectional and transactional processes of child eating behaviours and parental feeding practices explaining poor dietary intake and excess weight across infancy and early childhood. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The LACE study will be a prospective, longitudinal parent-reported study following infants from younger than 4 months of age across nine waves of data collection: younger than 4 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 18 months, 2 years, 3 years and 5 years. Participants will be included if they are parents of infants younger than 4 months, 18 years or older, fluent in English and living in Australia at baseline. A sample size of 1210 is proposed. Participants will be recruited online via paid social media (Facebook and Instagram) advertisements. The study will examine child eating behaviours, body mass index Z-score, dietary intake, screen time, temperament, parent feeding practices and styles, and demographics. The data will be obtained using the online survey software Qualtrics. Data analyses will be conducted using Stata. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was granted by the Deakin University Human Ethics Advisory Group, Faculty of Health (HEAG-H 120_2022). The findings from this study will be disseminated via presentations at scientific conferences and published manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. Findings will be disseminated to the general public via mainstream media and to participants of the study with a summary of the findings.

Beyond Distracted Eating: Cognitive Distraction Downregulates Odor Pleasantness and Interacts with Weight Status.

Considering the widespread issue of distracted eating, our study investigates how cognitive distraction influences the sensory perception of food-related odors among individuals with varying weight statuses. We conducted an exploratory, randomized, and cross-sectional experimental study, using the Tetris game to simulate real-life cognitive distraction, incorporating two distraction levels (low and high) and presenting five distinct odors. A total of 59 participants, categorized into a lean (n = 30) and overweight/obese group (n = 29) based on their body mass index (BMI), received odor stimuli while playing Tetris at low and high difficulty, corresponding to low and high distraction levels, respectively. Participants subsequently rated odor intensity and pleasantness under the two cognitive distraction conditions. Respiratory movements were monitored to ensure accurate olfactory stimulation. Our findings revealed no significant difference in odor intensity ratings across distraction levels (p = 0.903). However, there was a significant reduction in odor pleasantness under high cognitive distraction (p = 0.007), more pronounced in lean participants compared to those with an overweight status (p = 0.035). Additionally, an interaction between gender and cognitive distraction effects was observed in odor pleasantness perception. The differential effects of distraction across weight-status groups and genders are discussed in the context of hedonic motivation and compensatory mechanisms. This study sheds light onto the sensory mechanisms underlying distracted eating and could inform more personalized strategies for promoting healthier eating habits in a world dominated by distractions.

Emotional Impact of COVID-19 and Emotional Eating and the Risk of Alcohol Use Disorder in Peruvian Healthcare Students.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the association between the emotional impact of COVID-19 and emotional eating and the risk of alcohol use disorder among Peruvian health science students. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analytical study in which an online questionnaire was administered to 456 health science interns from four cities in Peru. We used the COVID-19 Emotional Impact Profile questionnaire, Mindful Eating Questionnaire, and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Spearman's correlations were calculated and two multiple linear regression models were developed. RESULTS: 68.4% of the participants were emotional eaters and 8.6% reported low-risk levels of alcohol use disorder. Based on the results of the first model, the overall emotional impact of COVID-19, being overweight or obese, depression and anxiety levels, and living with only one parent were factors associated with emotional eating. The results of the second model showed that the level of depression, living with just one parent, living alone, sex, and number of months as an intern were factors associated with the risk of alcohol use disorder. CONCLUSIONS: To reduce emotional eating and the risk of alcohol use disorder among interns, universities should implement interventions aimed at reducing the emotional impact of COVID-19 and provide nutritional counseling.

Irruption of Network Analysis to Explain Dietary, Psychological and Nutritional Patterns and Metabolic Health Status in Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Overweight and Obese University Students: Ecuadorian Case.

BACKGROUND: The association between dietary nutritional patterns, psychological factors, and metabolic health status has not been investigated in university students. There are studies that include numerous variables to test hypotheses from various theoretical bases, but due to their complexity, they have not been studied in combination. The scientific community recognizes the use of Gaussian graphical models (GGM) as a set of novel methods capable of addressing this. OBJECTIVE: To apply GGMs to derive specific networks for groups of healthy and unhealthy obese individuals that represent nutritional, psychological, and metabolic patterns in an Ecuadorian population. METHODOLOGY: This was a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational study conducted on a sample of 230 obese/overweight university students, selected through a multi-stage random sampling method. To assess usual dietary intake, a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used; to evaluate psychological profiles (anxiety, depression, and stress), the DASS-21 scale was employed; blood pressure and anthropometric data were collected; and insulin levels, lipid profiles, and glucose levels were determined using fasting blood samples. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria were applied to identify metabolically healthy and unhealthy individuals. Statistical analysis relied on univariate methods (frequencies, measures of central tendency, and dispersion), and the relationships were analyzed through networks. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze differences between groups. RESULTS: In metabolically unhealthy obese individuals, GGMs identified a primary network consisting of the influence of waist circumference on blood pressure and insulin levels. In the healthy obese group, a different network was identified, incorporating stress and anxiety variables that influenced blood pressure, anthropometry, and insulin levels. Other identified networks show the dynamics of obesity and the effect of waist circumference on triglycerides, anxiety, and riboflavin intake. CONCLUSIONS: GGMs are an exploratory method that can be used to construct networks that illustrate the behavior of obesity in the studied population. In the future, the identified networks could form the basis for updating obesity management protocols in Primary Care Units and supporting clinical interventions in Ecuador.

Validity of the Addiction-like Eating Behavior Scale among Patients with Compulsive Eating.

Food addiction (FA) and binge eating disorder (BED) co-occur and share compulsive eating symptoms. When using an FA measure, it is important to evaluate its performance in a population presenting compulsive eating. The study aims to validate the Addiction-like Eating Behavior Scale (AEBS) among a clinical sample characterized by compulsive eating and overweight/obesity and to evaluate its incremental validity over the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS). Patients seeking help for compulsive eating (n = 220), between January 2020 and July 2023, completed online questionnaires, including FA, compulsive eating, and BMI evaluations. The factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent, divergent, and incremental validity were tested. The sample had a mean age of 44.4 years old (SD = 12.7) and a mean BMI of 38.2 (SD = 8.0). The two-factor structure provided a good fit for the data, with factor loadings from 0.55 to 0.82 (except for item 15) and the internal consistency was high (ω = 0.84-0.89). The AEBS was positively correlated with the YFAS (r = 0.66), binge eating (r = 0.67), grazing (r = 0.47), craving (r = 0.74), and BMI (r = 0.26), and negatively correlated with dietary restraint (r = -0.37), supporting good convergent and divergent validity. For each measure of compulsive eating, linear regression showed that the AEBS "appetite drive" subscale had a unique contribution over the YFAS. This study provided evidence that the AEBS is a valid measure among a clinical sample of patients with compulsive eating and overweight/obesity. However, questions remain as to whether the AEBS is a measure of FA or compulsive eating.

Food Neophobia and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake among Adults and Related Factors.

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) includes age-inappropriate feeding behaviors in eating patterns, including food neophobia, defined as refusal or reluctance to eat new or unknown foods. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of ARFID and food neophobia among adults and determine the related characteristics of these risks. The study used an anonymous survey questionnaire consisting of three parts as the research tool. The first part of the questionnaire was a metric and concerned socio-demographic data. The Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) and the Nine-Item Avoidance/Restrictive Food Disorder Screen Questionnaire (NIAS) were used to evaluate the eating disorders. The survey included 309 people (60.2% women, 39.8% men) aged 18-77 years. NIAS results indicated that 15.2% of the subjects showed food selectivity, and 11.0% had food anxiety. In the FNS assessment, 42.4% had a low risk of food neophobia, 38.2% a medium risk, and 19.4% a high risk. A higher risk of food neophobia correlated with higher NIAS scores, indicating a higher risk of ARFID (p = 0.00231). The NIAS score increased with the risk of food neophobia (p = 0.000). Respondents at low risk of neophobia were most likely to avoid several products (83.97%), while in the high-risk group, 56.67% did not want to eat a favorite food enriched with a new ingredient. A higher risk of neophobia was correlated with more food avoidance and adverse reactions to new foods (p = 0.000). A higher risk of food neophobia is strongly correlated with a higher risk of ARFID. Although demographics did not significantly impact NIAS results, some trends were noted, such as higher scores among older and underweight people. Those with a higher risk of food neophobia show more food avoidance and a greater reluctance to experiment with new ingredients. Public education should emphasize that eating disorders affect both sexes equally, with tailored interventions for high-risk groups such as the elderly, rural populations, and those with lower education. Health policies should promote access to nutrition education, psychological support, and diverse food options, while further research is needed to improve targeted interventions.