Five new insights into the COVID-19 pandemic's effects on eating and health

New studies presented at NUTRITION 2022 examine the causes and effects of COVID-19-related food insecurity, how the pandemic affected breastfeeding practices and many more.

Firstly if I talk about the Internet access and food security in older adults In a new study, researchers sought to find out how technology use and access are related to food security at-risk. The analysis revealed that food insecurity in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with poorer social and mental well-being and less access to the internet. These findings suggest that technology access should be considered when developing interventions to address food insecurity for older adults.

Breastfeeding experiences during stay-at-home orders Investigators explored how the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted mothers' roles and breastfeeding practices.

The survey results revealed that some mothers found that the extra time at home facilitated a bond between them and their baby, resulting in breastfeeding longer than planned. However, many mothers reported the COVID-19 pandemic to be stressful, and in some cases, mothers reported low milk supply due to stress.

The next insight is- Giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic Researchers assessed anxiety, confusion and breastfeeding self-efficacy — a mother's perception of her ability to breastfeed — among mothers who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers found that mothers in the study were

Able to maintain planned infant feeding decisions and retained high breastfeeding self-efficacy despite the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Then is the Food insecurity and distress around managing diabetes

Researchers analyzed associations between food insecurity and diabetes distress related to COVID-19 in adults with pre-diabetes or diabetes. The study was based on a national, web-based survey administered to low-income adults. Diabetes distress was measured by assessing emotional burden, physician-related distress, self-management-related distress and interpersonal distress. Based on these findings, the researchers said that healthcare providers should screen for diabetes distress and connect patients to resources to help manage food and mental health needs. Lastly is the Vitamin A levels in hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Vitamin A plays a key role in regulating the immune system, development of lung tissue and repair of infection-related damage. To better understand its potential role in COVID-19, researchers compared vitamin A blood plasma levels in critically ill and recovering COVID-19 patients. They found that critically ill patients in the acute phase of COVID-19 showed significantly decreased total vitamin A and RBP-bound levels compared to patients who were recovering. So these five aspects detailed how COVID-19 pandemic effected on our health.