Dietary habits and COVID. Descriptive analysis during social isolation in Argentina.

Abstract

Introduction: The disease caused by SARS-Cov-2 has caused an unprecedented pandemic in public health. A number of measures have been taken to control its spread, including self-isolation and social estrangement, a measure that impacts on food access and use. Long-term confinement
of people could lead to irregular feeding patterns and increased sedentary lifestyle, associated with increased caloric intake and risk of malnutrition.
Objective: To describe the frequency of consumption and food practices of the inhabitants of the province of Buenos Aires and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) Argentina, during social isolation, preventive and mandatory.
Methods: Descriptive, cross-cutting study. Data collection was carried out in June 2020, through a self-administered survey. The sample consisted of 788 people. Food practices were described according to the frequency of weekly consumption of the main food groups.

Results: Of the total respondents, 73.9% were women and 26.0% were men, with an average BMI of 23.0 x 3.97 and 26.4 x 3.94 respectively; 72.2% of respondents achieved complete or incomplete levels of university studies. The low frequency of daily consumption of: milk 44.5% was highlighted; 11.5%, fruits 44.5% and vegetables 50.5%.

Conclusion: It is necessary to design and implement effective interventions that actively promote the consumption of milk and derivatives, meats, vegetables and fruits, even for populations with high levels of schooling. Given the negative impact of the pandemic on the economy and employment, socio-economic vulnerable people would be going through a much more unfavourable scenario for accessing food, so it is of paramount importance to consider upcoming studies.