Changes in the consumption of foods characterising the Mediterranean dietary pattern and major correlates during the COVID-19 confinement in Italy: results from two cohort studies

Ruggiero, Emilia; Mignogna, Cristiana; Costanzo, Simona; Persichillo, Mariarosaria; Castelnuovo, Augusto Di; Esposito, Simona; Cerletti, Chiara; Donati, Maria Benedetta; Gaetano, Giovanni de; Iacoviello, Licia; Bonaccio, Marialaura

doi:10.1080/09637486.2021.1895726

Cited by 26 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…However, the increase of the frequency of consumption of certain food categories (e.g., olive oil) and the increased consumption of sweets, pastries, and comfort foods coupled with physical activity reduction, could be claimed to be responsible for the perceived increased body weight. The sedentary lifestyle and the weight gain reported in this study are confirmed by others similar studies performed in Italy [3,42,45]. In addition to these, our work is in line with the conclusions of a recent scoping review carried out by Bennett et al [46] which reported that the lockdown had both positive and negative impact on dietary practices across Europe and worldwide, and negative eating habits were associated with other lifestyle outcomes as weight gain and a reduced physical activity.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Thus, the present data do not confirm the worsening of the dietary profile as stated by Ammar et al [ 41 ] in a survey covering Europe, North-Africa, Western Asia, and the Americas carried out during the isolation period. In fact, in Italy, the scenario was different considering that other studies reported an increased adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and a highest intake of healthy foods during the confinement [ 3 ] as well as most sustainable food choices with increased consumption of organic and locally grown food [ 42 ]. It is interesting to point out that another Mediterranean country, Spain [ 43 ], also reported the adoption of healthier dietary habits and increased adherence to the Mediterranean Diet during the confinement period.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Eating Habits during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy: The Nutritional and Lifestyle Side Effects of the Pandemic

et al. 2021

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To limit the spread of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, a nationwide lockdown started in Italy in March 2020. In this unpredictable situation, a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire was carried out by the Observatory on Food Surplus, Recovery and Waste of CREA Food and Nutrition Centre. The aim of this work was to evaluate how Italian habits changed during this period, the determinants of changes, and the effect on food waste prevention. In a sample of 2678 respondents, 62% showed low Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (AMD). During lockdown many of participants improved the quality of their diet, increasing their consumption of fruit (24.4%), vegetables (28.5%), legumes (22.1%), nuts (12%), and fish or shellfish (14%). Unfavorable changes were observed with the excessive consumption of sweets or pastries (36.9%) and comfort foods (22.7%), and a lack of physical activity (37.2%). The main novelty of this study was the examination of dietary changes identified by a cluster analysis. Respondents with generally high AMD improved their eating habits, while the habits of the respondents with generally low AMD remained unchanged. In addition, nearly 80% of respondents were sensitive to food waste. The study provides a useful contribution to the debate on nutritional recommendations in case of further lockdown.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eating Habits during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy: The Nutritional and Lifestyle Side Effects of the Pandemic

et al. 2021

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“…Due to pandemic status limitations, with difficulty in performing person-to-person questionnaires or interviews, all of the studies included data collected through online questionnaires or, on a few occasions, through telephone or web interviews ( 22 , 23 , 25 , 31 , 56 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Nationwide Lockdowns Resulting from the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Intake, Eating Behaviors, and Diet Quality: A Systematic Review

Mignogna

Costanzo

Ghulam

et al. 2022

Advances in Nutrition

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The lockdowns resulting from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted deeply on all life activities, including diet. We performed a systematic review to investigate changes in food intake, eating behaviours and diet quality during lockdown as compared to before. A literature search was performed using three electronic databases from inception until June 13, 2021. Observational studies evaluating changes in general populations during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown were eligible. Out of 1,963 studies achieved from the search strategy, 95 met inclusion criteria (85 on adults, 10 on children/adolescents), and the majority were of high quality (72.6%). Most of the studies were web-based surveys using convenience sampling, mainly focused on variations in the consumption of foods and eating behaviours during lockdown, whereas only 15 studies analysed diet quality through dietary indices. On the basis of the definition of a healthful diet as reflected by a traditional Mediterranean diet, an increase in recommended foods such as fruit and vegetables, legumes, cereals and olive oil was observed, although a sharp decrease in fish intake and an increase in dairy products were documented. Accordingly, a reduction in foods that should be eaten less frequently was reported, namely, red and processed meat. However, a higher consumption of unhealthy foods (e.g., snacks and sweets) was also observed. Results indicated improved diet quality in Europe, especially among Mediterranean countries, with the exception of France, while a switching to poor nutrient patterns was observed in Colombia and Saudi Arabia. Analyses of eating behaviours suggest an increase in food intake, number of daily meals and snacking. In conclusion, changes in intake of major food groups, apart from fish intake, were in line with the definition of a traditional Mediterranean diet, indicating a consistent moderate improvement of dietary habits worldwide. This review protocol was registered at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ as CRD42020225292.

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“…Modification of lifestyle by COVID‐19 lockdown caused also perceived stress, 33 worse sleep quality, 33,34 reduced physical activity 29,34‐36 and altered dietary habits (ie variable adherence to Mediterranean diet, 29,33,37 lower meat and fish consumption, 29 high fast food consumption 29 and reduced consumption of fresh food 38 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiplying effects of COVID‐19 lockdown on metabolic risk and fatty liver

Shanmugam

Ciaula

Palo

et al. 2021

Eur J Clin Investigation

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Background Social containment measures imposed in Europe during the lockdown to face COVID‐19 pandemic can generate long‐term potential threats for metabolic health. Methods A cohort of 494 non‐COVID‐19 subjects living in 21 EU countries were interviewed by an anonymous questionnaire exploring anthropometric and lifestyle changes during 1‐month lockdown. A subgroup of 41 overweight/obese Italian subjects with previously diagnosed nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) joined the study following a 12‐month follow‐up period promoting weight loss by healthy lifestyle. Results During the lockdown, body weight increased in 55% of subjects (average 2.4 ± 0.9 kg). Weight change increased with age, but not baseline body mass index. Subjects living in Italy had greater weight gain than those living in other European Countries. Weight gain during the lockdown was highest in subjects reporting no physical activity, and low adherence to Mediterranean diet. In the NAFLD group, weight gain occurred in 70% of cases. Subjects reporting weight loss during lockdown had decreased fatty liver score at 3 months before the lockdown, as compared with 1 year before. Conclusions Strict measures of social containment—even short‐term—pave the way to the increased risk of metabolic abnormalities in the medium‐long term. In this context, adherence to Mediterranean diet and regular physical activity play a protective role both in terms of weight gain and fatty liver development/progression, with implication for primary and secondary prevention. When adopting measures imposing social containment, intensive educational campaigns must increase public awareness about beneficial effects of healthy lifestyles.

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Changes in the consumption of foods characterising the Mediterranean dietary pattern and major correlates during the COVID-19 confinement in Italy: results from two cohort studies

Cited by 26 publications

References 37 publications

Eating Habits during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy: The Nutritional and Lifestyle Side Effects of the Pandemic

Eating Habits during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy: The Nutritional and Lifestyle Side Effects of the Pandemic

Impact of Nationwide Lockdowns Resulting from the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Intake, Eating Behaviors, and Diet Quality: A Systematic Review

Multiplying effects of COVID‐19 lockdown on metabolic risk and fatty liver

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