Diet, Exercise, and Nutrition Challenges in Mexican Adults During COVID-19: a Study (UDEM Covid19)

Dietary Patterns, Physical Activity, and Nutritional Challenges Among Mexican Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Cross-Sectional Study

The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly devastating in developing countries such as Mexico, where the nation reported some of the highest COVID-19 cases and a high prevalence of obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the food consumption among Mexican adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 1,082 Mexican adults recruited through online invitations containing a link to complete a survey. A 48-item questionnaire was designed to assess the frequency of food consumption and sociodemographic characteristics in a semi-quantitative manner. A retrospective instrument was used to evaluate physical activity (days/week and duration).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: COVID19 Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Diagnostic test: Food Consumption survey

Detailed Description

The COVID-19 pandemic had a particularly harsh impact on developing countries like Mexico, which reported some of the highest numbers of COVID-19 cases and a significant prevalence of obesity. This study aimed to examine the eating habits of Mexican adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, involving 1,082 Mexican adults who were recruited via online invitations that included a link to complete a questionnaire. A 48-item survey was created to evaluate the frequency of food consumption and sociodemographic factors semi-quantitatively. Physical activity was assessed using a retrospective tool to measure the frequency and duration of exercise per week.

The main discovery identified two dietary patterns: industrialized and healthy. The industrialized dietary pattern was more common and included the consumption of sugary dairy products, sugary drinks, alcoholic beverages, sweets, fried foods, and both red and processed meats. Men consumed significantly more ultra-processed foods (22.5%) compared to women (15.45%) based on a 2000 kcal diet. In addition, participants did not meet the recommended intake levels for fruits, vegetables, legumes, and natural dairy products. Intake of sugary drinks was three times higher than recommended for both genders. Regarding physical activity, only 29.7% of participants reported engaging in adequate physical activity.

The study also highlighted insufficient consumption of nuts and an excessive intake of red and processed meats. It underscored the necessity for intervention and educational initiatives to improve dietary choices, particularly among younger populations.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 1082

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Mexico
  • Nuevo Leon
    • Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, 66238
      • Universidad de Monterrey

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

People living in Mexico during the pandemic, from all the states and genders.

Description

Inclusion Criteria: Additional to the age, people living in Mexico during the COVID pandemics.

Exclusion Criteria: People who did not live in Mexico during the COVID pandemics

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Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

General Study Group; Overall participants having either underweight, normal weight, overweight, or the 3 obesity types

Diagnostic test: Food Consumption survey; A comprehensive survey was created using Google Forms® to collect sociodemographic, clinical, anthropometric, dietary data, and physical activity information from participants across most Mexican states. All self-administered surveys began with informed consent and were distributed via instant messaging (WhatsApp), social networks (Facebook, Twitter), and email using a snowball sampling method. Sociodemographic data included age, gender, and residence, while anthropometric data covered weight, height, and physical activity. Food intake was assessed using a 48-item semi-quantitative tool based on the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2021, with participants reporting the frequency and quantity of food consumed on a Likert scale. Responses were converted to daily consumption values and caloric intake using the Mexican System of Foods and Equivalents. Foods and beverages were categorized into twelve groups: six healthy (fruits, vegetables, legumes, natural dairy, white meat, nuts, and; Other Names: Anthropometric characteristics

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Sociodemographics	The survey yielded a sample of 1,082 participants. Women made up 66% of the respondents. The majority of participants were in the 18 to 24-year-old age group (48.9%), followed by those aged 25 to 34 (15.8%). As for BMI, 64% of participants reported having a normal BMI. Additionally, 47.9% indicated they led a sedentary lifestyle, whereas only 29.7% reported engaging in optimal physical activity.	2 months
Dietary Patterns	Two dietary patterns were identified in the study. The first, termed the "industrialized diet," is characterized by high consumption of natural dairy products, white meats, processed dairy products with added sugar, red and processed meats, alcoholic beverages, sugary drinks, confectionery, sweets, snacks, and fried foods. The second, known as the "healthy dietary pattern," includes high consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, natural dairy products, white meats, and nuts. These patterns explained 43.33% of the total variance in the participants' diets.	2 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro
• Collaborators: Universidad de Granada; Universidad de Monterrey; Tecnologico de Monterrey
• Investigators: Study Chair: Anayansi Escalante-Aburto, Ph. D., Tecnologico de Monterrey

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 1, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 1, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): October 15, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 6, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 6, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 6, 2025
• Last Verified: February 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: dietary patterns; ultraprocessed foods; mexican population; SARS Cov-2; Frequency of intake
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; COVID-19
• Other Study ID Numbers: UDEM-AGOC21

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: Results will be published in a research manuscript.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: June 2025 to June 2027
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Researchers and academics
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No