Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on food habits, Appetite and body weight in tunisian adults

Regional Agriculture and Food Systems Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the Near East and North Africa Region

The COVID-19 pandemic affected agri-food systems worldwide. However, while the impacts differed from one country/region to another, the scholarly literature seems to focus on developed countries in the Global North. Consequently, this review scrutinizes the literature on the pandemic's impacts in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. A search on the Web of Science in March 2023 generated 334 documents, of which 151 were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review. According to the bibliometric analysis, the most active nations are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon. In general, the coverage of studies is better in the Gulf region than in the less developed countries of North Africa and those suffering from wars (cf. Libya, Syria, and Yemen). Studies generally focus on crop production and the downstream food chain (cf. distribution and consumption). While the pandemic influenced every pillar of food security, this research concentrates on access and utilization. Meanwhile, the lion's share of the literature deals with the pandemic's socio-economic effects, especially those linked to food (in)security and health. The pandemic, which laid bare the agri-food system vulnerabilities, should be seized to foster the transition towards more resilient agri-food systems in the NENA region.

Metabolic control of diabetic patients assisted by private and public health care systems during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective cohort study

AIMS

We sought to analyze the impacts of social restriction measures imposed by the pandemic COVID-19 on the control of metabolic parameters in diabetic patients.

METHODS

We accessed the medical records of patients who underwent clinical follow-up in the public and private health systems between July 2019 and June 2021. The sample consisted of 288 patients (111 adults and 177 older individuals). A two-way ANOVA mixed model was used to test the effects of intra- (time: baseline and after 24 months) and inter-subject factors. Linear regression analysis was used to predict the difference in body weight considering age, sex, HbA1c, health care system and insulin use.

RESULTS

Among adults, we observed an increase in body weight and LDL-c levels, especially for insulin users (p ≤ 0.05). Adults assisted by the public health care system showed higher HbA1c levels (p = 0.001). Among older individuals using insulin, blood glucose levels decreased (p = 0.019). Body weight decreased in those assisted by the private system (p = 0.005), while glycemia decreased for patients assisted by both health care systems (p = 0.043). The linear regression model confirmed that the increase in body weight was more pronounced in adults than in older individuals.

CONCLUSION

The social restriction measures imposed by the pandemic affected the metabolic control of diabetic patients, especially adults assisted by the public health care system.

Assessment of Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Lifestyle Change during COVID-19 National Lockdown in Tunisian Adult Population

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is a plant-based diet associated with a reduction in the risk of developing COVID-19 comorbidities. Lockdown instigation during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected eating habits and lifestyles, highlighting the need to analyze the healthiness of new consumption patterns. We conducted a survey to assess lifestyle change in Tunisian adults and their MD adherence. A total of 1082 respondents completed a self-administered online survey designed to assess their food and lifestyle habits. Poor overall adherence to MD was observed (mean MEDAS score 6.6, SD 1.07) in a preponderance of the mid-MD adherent subgroup (71.2% of the participants). Location, age, profession, and household welfare proxy were the main determinants of high MD adherence. When adjusting for sociodemographic variables, location and income remained statistically significant. Positive health outcomes were noticed in respondents with high MEDAS scores. Most importantly, binary logistic regression showed that risk of COVID-19 infection decreased as MEDAS score increased for unvaccinated obese participants (OR = 0.63; confidence interval (CI) 0.4–0.98; p = 0.045). Regarding lifestyle changes, confinement had contributed to an overall reduction in cigarette consumption, sleeping hours, and physical activity. Long-term consequences of these changes on health outcomes must be further explored.