Search

Aim: The COVID -19 pandemic has changed the way people live, and children are particularly at risk because of their vulnerable age. The aim of this work was to evaluate the changes in nutritional status, physical activity, and eating habits of elementary schoolaged children during the Covid 19 pandemic. Methods: The study was conducted from February to April 2021 and included 197 primary school children, 100 boys, and 97 girls. A questionnaire was used to collect data on lifestyle, eating habits, and physical activity outside school. The Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and adolescents was used to determine membership in the Mediterranean diet. The kinanthropological and anthropological data of the students were obtained from the diary of the physical education and health teacher. Results: The average rating of the quality of the children's diet, as determined by the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for Children and Adolescents, showed a moderate affiliation with the Mediterranean diet. Before online instruction, 65.9% of students ate breakfast daily, whereas during online instruction, 75.7% ate breakfast (p< 0.001). Results showed that students exercised statistically significantly more before online instruction than during online instruction (p< 0.05). Students had weaker kinanthropological scores than before beginning online instruction. Conclusions: According to the results, students' diet is of average quality, and some habits, such as breakfast, have improved, while physical activities have decreased significantly during the pandemic. Therefore, the promotion of proper nutrition and physical activity through public health programs should be emphasized to educate both children and parents about the importance of proper nutrition, physical activity, and responsible use of various media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with reducing the risk of many chronic non-communicable diseases. The aim of this study was to determine diet quality in students from Rijeka. In addition, adherence to Mediterranean diet was assessed using two indices, the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index and the Mediterranean Diet Score. The research was conducted from January to May 2018 and included 455 students from Rijeka University, 336 women and 119 men. Data on age, physical activity, anthropometry, smoking habits and eating habits were obtained from the above mentioned questionnaires. The mean diet quality score of the students obtained by the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index was 9.61, implying medium to poor diet quality. According to the Mediterranean Diet Score, diet quality was estimated as being poor (mean score 3.70). Women had a significantly better Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (9.36) than men (p<0.001) and non-smoking students had a significantly better Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (9.11) than those that smoked (p<0.001). In conclusion, according to the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index and the Mediterranean Diet Score, the study showed the diet of students to be medium to poor. From these results, it is evident that there is the need to increase adherence to the Mediterranean diet and to change dietary habits of students. According to the results obtained, there is clear need to create a health promotion program, with special emphasis on diet and diet education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]