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Background and Objectives: Although some studies have related social media use and depressive symptoms, little is known about the role of psychoactive substance use in this relationship. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the association between time spent on social media (TSSM) and depressive symptoms and to examine whether this relationship is mediated by psychoactive substances in students. Methods: Our cross‐sectional analysis included a sample of students from a university in a large city in southern Brazil. The TSSM and tobacco frequency of consumption were self‐reported. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire. Alcohol and illicit drug‐related risks were assessed with the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test. Hayes's PROCESS macro was used for mediation analyses, adjusted for age, sex, body mass index and physical activity. Results: A total of 3161 students were included, of which, 69.0% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms. The association between TSSM and depressive symptoms was statistically significant and partially mediated by tobacco consumption (indirect effect [IE] = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.02–0.08), alcohol‐related risk (IE = 0.19; 95% CI: 0.14–0.25), and illicit drug‐related risk (IE = 0.08; 95% CI: 0.05–0.12). Conclusion and Scientific Significance: Our data suggest a direct relationship between TSSM and depressive symptoms, with a partial mediation effect of psychoactive substance use. This study highlights the importance that public health initiatives aimed at preventing depressive problems in young adults should focus not only on TSSM, but also on controlling and reducing psychoactive substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We estimated the association between the consumption of select ultra‐processed food (UPF), homemade fried food and overweight/obesity in Latin American university undergraduate students during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted an analytical cross‐sectional study. 4539 university students (73.6% female, mean age 22.5 ± 4.4) from 10 Latin American countries completed a self‐administered online survey. UPF eating habits and homemade fried food were measured according to a validated survey. Height and body weight were self‐reported. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. A BMI ≥25 kg/m2 was categorized as overweight/obesity. Ordinal logistic regression models were applied. Results: Snacks (36.2%) and homemade fried food (30.2%) had a higher prevalence of consumption than sugary drinks (22.5%) and fast food (7.2%). The greatest strength of association was found between fast food consumption [odds ratio (OR) = 2.16; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.63–2.85], sugary drinks [OR = 2.05; CI: 1.63–2.59] and homemade fried food [OR = 1.46; CI: 1.16–1.85] with overweight/obesity. Conclusion: Latin American university undergraduates present risky eating behaviors associated with overweight and obesity. Effective policies to promote healthy eating should be incorporated and issued from universities to reduce the consumption of UPF and promote homemade, healthier and more natural food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]