Journal Articles
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915
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Item Call for emergency action to restore dietary diversity and protect global food systems in times of COVID-19 and beyond: Results from a cross-sectional study in 38 countries(Elsevier Ltd, 2023-11-07) Hoteit M; Hoteit R; Aljawaldeh A; Van Royen K; Pabian S; Decorte P; Cuykx I; Teunissen L; De Backer C; Bergheim I; Staltner R; Devine A; Sambell R; Wallace R; Allehdan SS; Alalwan TA; Al-Mannai MA; Ouvrein G; Poels K; Vandebosch H; Maldoy K; Matthys C; Smits T; Vrinten J; DeSmet A; Teughels N; Geuens M; Vermeir I; Proesmans V; Hudders L; De Barcellos MD; Ostermann C; Brock AL; Favieiro C; Trizotto R; Stangherlin I; Mafra AL; Correa Varella MA; Valentova JV; Fisher ML; MacEacheron M; White K; Habib R; Dobson DS; Schnettler B; Orellana L; Miranda-Zapata E; Wen-Yu Chang A; Jiao W; Liu MT; Grunert KG; Christensen RN; Reisch L; Janssen M; Abril-Ulloa V; Encalada L; Kamel I; Vainio A; Niva M; Salmivaara L; Mäkelä J; Torkkeli K; Mai R; Risch PK; Altsitsiadis E; Stamos A; Antronikidis A; Henchion M; McCarthy S; McCarthy M; Micalizzi A; Schulz PJ; Farinosi M; Komatsu H; Tanaka N; Kubota H; Tayyem R; Al-Awwad NJ; Al-Bayyari N; Ibrahim MO; Hammouh F; Dashti S; Dashti B; Alkharaif D; Alshatti A; Al Mazedi M; Mansour R; Naim E; Mortada H; Gutierrez Gomez YY; Geyskens K; Goukens C; Roy R; Egli V; Te Morenga L; Waly M; Qasrawi R; Hamdan M; Sier RA; Al Halawa DA; Agha H; Liria Domínguez MR; Palomares L; Wasowicz G; Bawadi H; Tayyem R; Othman M; Pakari J; Abu Farha A; Abu-El-Ruz R; Petrescu DC; Petrescu Mag RM; Arion F; Vesa SC; Alkhalaf MM; Bookari K; Arrish J; Rahim Z; Kheng R; Ngqangashe Y; Mchiza ZJ-R; Gonzalez-Gross M; Pantoja-Arévalo L; Gesteiro E; Ríos Y; Yiga P; Ogwok P; Ocen D; Bamuwamye M; Al Sabbah H; Taha Z; Ismail LC; Aldhaheri A; Pineda E; Miraldo M; Holford DL; Van den Bulck HBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the fragility of the global food system, sending shockwaves across countries' societies and economy. This has presented formidable challenges to sustaining a healthy and resilient lifestyle. The objective of this study is to examine the food consumption patterns and assess diet diversity indicators, primarily focusing on the food consumption score (FCS), among households in 38 countries both before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 37 207 participants (mean age: 36.70 ± 14.79, with 77 % women) was conducted in 38 countries through an online survey administered between April and June 2020. The study utilized a pre-tested food frequency questionnaire to explore food consumption patterns both before and during the COVID-19 periods. Additionally, the study computed Food Consumption Score (FCS) as a proxy indicator for assessing the dietary diversity of households. Findings: This quantification of global, regional and national dietary diversity across 38 countries showed an increment in the consumption of all food groups but a drop in the intake of vegetables and in the dietary diversity. The household's food consumption scores indicating dietary diversity varied across regions. It decreased in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, including Lebanon (p < 0.001) and increased in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries including Bahrain (p = 0.003), Egypt (p < 0.001) and United Arab Emirates (p = 0.013). A decline in the household's dietary diversity was observed in Australia (p < 0.001), in South Africa including Uganda (p < 0.001), in Europe including Belgium (p < 0.001), Denmark (p = 0.002), Finland (p < 0.001) and Netherland (p = 0.027) and in South America including Ecuador (p < 0.001), Brazil (p < 0.001), Mexico (p < 0.0001) and Peru (p < 0.001). Middle and older ages [OR = 1.2; 95 % CI = [1.125–1.426] [OR = 2.5; 95 % CI = [1.951–3.064], being a woman [OR = 1.2; 95 % CI = [1.117–1.367], having a high education (p < 0.001), and showing amelioration in food-related behaviors [OR = 1.4; 95 % CI = [1.292–1.709] were all linked to having a higher dietary diversity. Conclusion: The minor to moderate changes in food consumption patterns observed across the 38 countries within relatively short time frames could become lasting, leading to a significant and prolonged reduction in dietary diversity, as demonstrated by our findings.Item Effectiveness of a Sodium-Reduction Smartphone App and Reduced-Sodium Salt to Lower Sodium Intake in Adults With Hypertension: Findings From the Salt Alternatives Randomized Controlled Trial.(JMIR Publications, 2023-03-09) Eyles H; Grey J; Jiang Y; Umali E; McLean R; Te Morenga L; Neal B; Rodgers A; Doughty RN; Ni Mhurchu C; Buis LR; Eysenbach GBACKGROUND: Even modest reductions in blood pressure (BP) can have an important impact on population-level morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. There are 2 promising approaches: the SaltSwitch smartphone app, which enables users to scan the bar code of a packaged food using their smartphone camera and receive an immediate, interpretive traffic light nutrition label on-screen alongside a list of healthier, lower-salt options in the same food category; and reduced-sodium salts (RSSs), which are an alternative to regular table salt that are lower in sodium and higher in potassium but have a similar mouthfeel, taste, and flavor. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to determine whether a 12-week intervention with a sodium-reduction package comprising the SaltSwitch smartphone app and an RSS could reduce urinary sodium excretion in adults with high BP. METHODS: A 2-arm parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted in New Zealand (target n=326). Following a 2-week baseline period, adults who owned a smartphone and had high BP (≥140/85 mm Hg) were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention (SaltSwitch smartphone app + RSS) or control (generic heart-healthy eating information from The Heart Foundation of New Zealand). The primary outcome was 24-hour urinary sodium excretion at 12 weeks estimated via spot urine. Secondary outcomes were urinary potassium excretion, BP, sodium content of food purchases, and intervention use and acceptability. Intervention effects were assessed blinded using intention-to-treat analyses with generalized linear regression adjusting for baseline outcome measures, age, and ethnicity. RESULTS: A total of 168 adults were randomized (n=84, 50% per group) between June 2019 and February 2020. Challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and smartphone technology detrimentally affected recruitment. The adjusted mean difference between groups was 547 (95% CI -331 to 1424) mg for estimated 24-hour urinary sodium excretion, 132 (95% CI -1083 to 1347) mg for urinary potassium excretion, -0.66 (95% CI -3.48 to 2.16) mm Hg for systolic BP, and 73 (95% CI -21 to 168) mg per 100 g for the sodium content of food purchases. Most intervention participants reported using the SaltSwitch app (48/64, 75%) and RSS (60/64, 94%). SaltSwitch was used on 6 shopping occasions, and approximately 1/2 tsp per week of RSS was consumed per household during the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: In this randomized controlled trial of a salt-reduction package, we found no evidence that dietary sodium intake was reduced in adults with high BP. These negative findings may be owing to lower-than-anticipated engagement with the trial intervention package. However, implementation and COVID-19-related challenges meant that the trial was underpowered, and it is possible that a real effect may have been missed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12619000352101; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=377044 and Universal Trial U1111-1225-4471.Item Less Food Wasted? Changes to New Zealanders' Household Food Waste and Related Behaviours Due to the 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-09-07) Sharp EL; Haszard J; Egli V; Roy R; Te Morenga L; Teunissen L; Decorte P; Cuykx I; De Backer C; Gerritsen SFood waste is a crisis of our time, yet it remains a data gap in Aotearoa New Zealand’s (NZ’s) environmental reporting. This research contributes to threshold values on NZ’s food waste and seeks to understand the impact of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown on household food waste in NZ. The data presented here form part of the ‘Covid Kai Survey’, an online questionnaire that assessed cooking and food planning behaviours during the 2020 lockdown and retrospectively before lockdown. Of the 3028 respondents, 62.5% threw out food ‘never’/‘rarely’ before lockdown, and this number increased to 79.0% during lockdown. Participants who wasted food less frequently during lockdown were more likely to be older, work less than full-time, and have no children. During lockdown, 30% and 29% of those who ‘frequently’ or ‘sometimes’ struggled to have money for food threw out food ‘sometimes or more’; compared with 20% of those who rarely struggled to have money for food (p < 0.001). We found that lower levels of food waste correlated with higher levels of cooking confidence (p < 0.001), perceived time (p < 0.001), and meal planning behaviours (p < 0.001). Understanding why food waste was generally considerably lower during lockdown may inform future initiatives to reduce food waste, considering socio-economic and demographic disparities.Item Seven weeks of home-cooked meals: changes to New Zealanders’ grocery shopping, cooking and eating during the COVID-19 lockdown(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 2021) Gerritsen S; Egli V; Roy R; Haszard J; De Backer C; Teunissen L; Cuykx I; Decorte P; Pabian S; Van Royen K; Te Morenga LThe first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand resulted in disruptions to everyday life, including changes in grocery shopping, cooking and eating. This study aimed to capture changes in behaviours and perceptions of grocery shopping and food preparation during the lockdown, and the extent to which dietary patterns changed during this period. Data were collected in an online survey of 3028 adults (89% women, mean age = 44 years, range 18–87 years, the median time in lockdown = 40 days), during Aotearoa New Zealand's lockdown Alert levels 4 (33.4%) and Level 3 (66.6%). Respondents had decreased enjoyment of grocery shopping and increased home cooking and baking from scratch. There was an overall shift toward an unhealthy dietary pattern, with some respondents reporting increased consumption of sweet snacks (41%), salty snacks (33%), alcohol (33%), and sugary drinks (20%) during the lockdown. Age moderated the effect of lockdown for nearly every measure, with adults aged under 50 years the most likely to report adverse changes to their eating behaviours and diet. Future pandemic responses by government and employers should include public health nutrition policies and mitigate the stress for younger adults and those caring for children at home.Item Who We Seek and What We Eat? Sources of Food Choice Inspirations and Their Associations with Adult Dietary Patterns before and during the COVID-19 Lockdown in New Zealand(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-11-01) Roy R; Gontijo de Castro T; Haszard J; Egli V; Te Morenga L; Teunissen L; Decorte P; Cuykx I; De Backer C; Gerritsen SResearch shows the shaping of food choices often occurs at home, with the family widely recognised as significant in food decisions. However, in this digital age, our eating habits and decision-making processes are also determined by smartphone apps, celebrity chefs, and social media. The 'COVID Kai Survey' online questionnaire assessed cooking and shopping behaviours among New Zealanders during the 2020 COVID-19 'lockdown' using a cross-sectional study design. This paper examines how sources of food choice inspirations (cooking-related advice and the reasons for recipe selection) are related to dietary patterns before and during the lockdown. Of the 2977 participants, those influenced by nutrition and health experts (50.9% before; 53.9% during the lockdown) scored higher for the healthy dietary pattern. Participants influenced by family and friends (35% before; 29% during the lockdown) had significantly higher scores for the healthy and the meat dietary patterns, whereas participants influenced by celebrity cooks (3.8% before; 5.2% during the lockdown) had significantly higher scores in the meat dietary pattern. There was no evidence that associations differed before and during the lockdown. The lockdown was related to modified food choice inspiration sources, notably an increase in 'comforting' recipes as a reason for recipe selection (75.8%), associated with higher scoring in the unhealthy dietary pattern during the lockdown. The lockdown in New Zealand saw an average decrease in nutritional quality of diets in the 'COVID Kai Survey', which could be partly explained by changes in food choice inspiration sources.