Changes in food during the COVID-19 pandemic: The different roles of stress and depression in women and men

The Impact of Stress and Social Determinants on Diet in Cardiovascular Prevention in Young Women

The prevention of cardiovascular diseases is a fundamental pillar for reducing morbidity and mortality caused by non-communicable diseases. Social determinants, such as socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood, physical environment, employment, social support networks, and access to health care, play a crucial role in influencing health outcomes and health inequities within populations. Social determinants and stress in women are interconnected factors that can significantly impact women's health and well-being. Pregnancy is a good time to engage young women and introduce them to beneficial behaviors, such as adopting essential life skills, especially diet, and learning stress management techniques. Stress influences diet, and women are more likely to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors such as emotional eating or coping with stress with food. Strong action is needed to improve women's lifestyle starting at a young age considering that this lays the foundation for a lower cardiovascular risk in adults and the elderly. The objective of this review is to examine cardiovascular primary prevention in young healthy women, focusing particularly on unresolved issues and the influence of social determinants, as well as the correlation with stressors and their influence on diet.

COVID-19 Linked Social Stigma Among Arab Survivors: A Cross-Sectional Experiences from the Active Phase of the Pandemic

Objective

This study aimed to explore the magnitude and variability of the disease-linked stigma among COVID-19 survivors and their experiences of social stigma, coping strategies, contextual challenges, and preferences for support.

Methods

An Arabic version of the social stigma survey questionnaire was designed and validated to obtain socio-demographic characteristics and quantitative measures of stigma encountered by the survivors. 482 COVID-19 survivors completed the survey, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

Results

The results of this study revealed the prevalence of high levels of both perceived external stigma and enacted stigma among participants. Enacted and Internalized stigma were associated with survivors' educational background/ status. The participants suggested three levels of support: organizational, social, and personal. Establishing an online stigma reduction program and national psychological crisis interventions at the organizational level. It is crucial to assist coping mechanisms and societal reintegration techniques at the social level.

Conclusion

These results provide valuable insights for holistic health policy formation and preparedness strategies for future pandemics, helping survivors promote health and reintegrate into society, where stigma reduction and psychological crisis interventions are underdeveloped.

Monitoring Caffeine Intake: The Relevance of Adequate Assessment in the Population

The present letter to editor comments on the manuscript "Bulczak EM, Chmurzyńska AU. Caffeine Consumption in Polish Adults: Development and Validation of a Polish Questionnaire for Assessing Caffeine Intake. J Am Nutr Assoc. 2023 Feb 1:1-7. doi:10.1080/27697061.2023.2172749. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36725370." regarding adequate monitoring of the consumption of caffeine.