Associations of socio-demographic factors with adiposity among immigrants in Norway: a secondary data analysis

The Cardiometabolic Health of African Immigrants in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

In recent decades, the number of African immigrants in high-income countries (HICs) has increased significantly. However, the cardiometabolic health of this population remains poorly examined. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to examine the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors among sub-Saharan African immigrants residing in HICs. Studies were identified through searches in electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science up to July 2021. Data on the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors were extracted and synthesized in a narrative format, and a meta-analysis of pooled proportions was also conducted. Of 8655 unique records, 35 articles that reported data on the specific African countries of origin of African immigrants were included in the review. We observed heterogeneity in the burden of cardiometabolic risk factors by African country of origin and HIC. The most prevalent risk factors were hypertension (27%, range: 6-55%), overweight/obesity (59%, range: 13-91%), and dyslipidemia (29%, range: 11-77.2%). The pooled prevalence of diabetes was 11% (range: 5-17%), and 7% (range: 0.7-14.8%) for smoking. Few studies examined kidney disease, hyperlipidemia, and diagnosed cardiometabolic disease. Policy changes and effective interventions are needed to improve the cardiometabolic health of African immigrants, improve care access and utilization, and advance health equity.

Changes in nutrition and lifestyle habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey and the effects of healthy eating attitudes

BACKGROUND: Social isolation required by the pandemic has led to some changes in individuals’ eating and lifestyle habits. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the change in nutrition and lifestyle habits of Turkish people during the COVID-19 outbreak and investigate the effects of individuals’ attitudes to healthy eating on this change. METHOD: At the beginning of the pandemic, individuals over the age of 18 participated in this cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire. Demographic information (age, gender, education level, place of residence and occupation), anthropometric data (reported weight and height); nutritional behavior information (number of meals per day, changes in consumption of various foods, use of nutritional supplements, etc.) and changes in lifestyle habits were requested from the participations. In addition, the Healthy Nutrition Attitude Scale (ASHN) was used to determine the healthy eating attitudes of the participants. RESULTS: A total of 432 volunteers participated in the study. It was revealed that body weight increased in 38.0% of the participants and activity level decreased in 73.1% of them during the initial stage of the pandemic. Nevertheless, 44.7% of participants reported increased sleep time, 77.8% reported increased social media use, and 66.7% reported increased stress and anxiety. It was found that the most commonly used nutritional supplements during this period were vitamin C, vitamin D and multivitamin complex. Women have significantly higher ASHN scores compared to men (p < 0.001). The total ASHN scores of those whose body weight did not change and those who increased their activity level were found to be significantly higher. It was determined that as the age and education level increased, the healthy eating attitude increased. CONCLUSION: In this study, findings regarding the negative effects of the COVID-19 quarantine on the nutrition and lifestyle of the Turkish people are presented. However, those with a positive attitude toward healthy eating were observed to have better weight control and eating habits and stress management during the pandemic. Therefore, it is thought that the dissemination of healthy eating attitudes in society may contribute to the maintenance of physical and mental health in the event of a pandemic.