Search Results (963)

Background: Restrictive dieting is a common behavior among young adults and may be associated with increased vulnerability to disordered eating. University students represent a population potentially exposed to multiple influences affecting eating behaviors, including academic stress, social pressures, and appearance-related standards promoted through digital media. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between restrictive dietary practices, eating behaviors, and indicators of vulnerability to disordered eating among university students in Poland. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 university students aged 19–34 years. Data were collected using an anonymous online questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic questions, the original Restrictive Diet Motivation Questionnaire (RDMQ), and the validated Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-13 (TFEQ-13). Motivational factors were categorized into aesthetic, social, health-related, eating control, and self-discipline, and personal beliefs regarding restrictive dieting. Statistical analyses included the Gamma correlation coefficient, chi-square test, and ordinal logistic regression, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Restrictive dieting was reported by a substantial proportion of participants, with women reporting this behavior more frequently than men. The most prominent motivations were related to appearance, weight control, social influences, and personal beliefs regarding restrictive diets. Participants who followed restrictive diets demonstrated higher levels of cognitive restraint compared with those who did not engage in restrictive dieting. Strong associations were observed between cognitive restraint and aesthetic motivations, personal beliefs regarding restrictive dieting, social motivations, eating control and self-discipline, and health-related motivations. Multivariable analysis confirmed that aesthetic motivation, personal beliefs, previous restrictive dieting, and female sex were independent predictors of higher cognitive restraint. Conclusions: Restrictive dieting among university students is strongly associated with appearance-related motives, dieting-related beliefs, and increased cognitive restraint. In this study, eating disorder risk was inferred from behavioral indicators, particularly cognitive restraint, rather than from clinical diagnostic criteria. These findings highlight the need for preventive strategies promoting evidence-based nutrition knowledge, healthy eating behaviors, and a positive body image among young adults. Full article

Methane (CH₄) emissions from dairy cattle contribute substantially to agricultural greenhouse gas production and are influenced by genetic, physiological, environmental and management-related factors. The present study investigated CH₄-related traits and genotype–system interactions in Holstein Friesian (HF) dairy cows using repeated laser methane detector (LMD)-based measurements. A total of 134 cows from one research herd reflecting a commercial production system were repeatedly recorded for CH₄ traits (739 observations per trait) between 2020 and 2024 and linked with milk performance test-day data, behavioral observations, environmental measurements and genomic breeding values. CH₄ traits were derived separately for respiration- and eructation-related emissions. Generalized linear mixed models revealed significant effects of wind speed, rumination behavior, interaction behavior and days in milk on several CH₄ traits. Across lactation, respiration-related CH₄ traits slightly decreased, whereas eructation-related traits increased toward later lactation stages. Correlations between CH₄-related breeding values and production traits were generally low to moderately negative, ranging from −0.24 to 0.08, indicating that selection for reduced CH₄ emissions may be achievable without major unfavorable effects on milk production traits. To evaluate the complex relationships among CH₄ emissions, production, behavior, environment, diet and genetic background, a structural equation model (SEM) was applied. Environmental conditions, particularly temperature and humidity, showed the strongest positive association with CH₄ emissions, while eructation-related CH₄ traits contributed more strongly to the latent CH₄ construct than respiration-related traits. Behavioral activity, especially rumination, indicated relevant associations with CH₄ expressions. The SEM further suggested that CH₄ emissions are shaped by interconnected environmental, physiological and genetic pathways rather than by a single dominant factor. Overall, the results highlight the importance of environmental sensitivity and longitudinal biological variation in CH₄ phenotypes under commercial dairy production conditions. Repeated on-farm CH₄ measurements, particularly eructation-associated traits, may provide valuable indicator traits for future genomic breeding and management strategies to reduce the environmental footprint of dairy cattle production. Full article

Ex situ conservation programs maintain threatened mammal populations and support conservation breeding and reintroduction, but success also depends on physiological function, behavioral competence, welfare, and reproductive performance. This critical narrative review combined structured literature searches with a descriptive quantitative evidence map of published summary values to evaluate mammalian fecal or intestinal microbiomes in relation to wild–captive transitions, diet and management, welfare-related outcomes, and reproduction. Captivity was repeatedly associated with altered microbial community composition, but richness and major phylum-level changes showed no universal direction. Host phylogeny, diet, digestive anatomy, facility, environmental exposure, reproductive state, and analytical methods constrained comparisons. Five studies provided direct Tier 1 evidence by jointly measuring microbiomes with outcomes spanning stereotypic behavior, stress and endocrine measures, breeding season, breeding success, and multigenerational fitness within the same ex situ-managed populations. These included associations with stereotypic behavior, breeding season, hormone metabolites, breeding success, and multigenerational fitness trajectories. However, the evidence remains observational and taxon-specific, and no bacterial feature is currently validated as a transferable biomarker. Longitudinal fecal microbiome monitoring may add value when integrated with behavioral, endocrine, clinical, dietary, and breeding data. Standardized repeated-measures studies, functional profiling, and prospective management interventions are priorities for translating microbiome research into evidence-based ex situ conservation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Lifestyle-related behaviors and chronic stress are key determinants of metabolic health, psychological well-being, and biological aging. Structured behavioral interventions that enhance self-awareness and self-regulation may promote sustained improvements across multiple health domains. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a six-week Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention (PSAI) on dietary habits, anthropometric and psychological outcomes, and biomarkers of oxidative stress and telomere length in adults. Methods: This quasi-experimental pre–post intervention study included 30 apparently healthy adults. Participants underwent baseline assessments followed by a six-week Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention (PSAI) and were reassessed post-intervention. Outcomes included Mediterranean diet adherence (MedDiet Score), anthropometric and body composition measures, validated psychological questionnaires (PSS-14, DASS-21, RSES, HLPCQ, HLC, STAXI, SSGS, PSQI), cognitive performance (SDMT, CVLT-II, BVMT-R), serum oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity, and leukocyte telomere length (T/S ratio). Statistical analyses were performed using paired-samples Student t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Significant improvements were observed in Mediterranean diet adherence (p = 0.001), along with reductions in body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumference, and intermuscular adipose tissue (all p < 0.05). Psychological outcomes improved significantly, including reduced perceived stress (PSS-14, p = 0.004) and depressive symptoms (DASS-21, p = 0.005), and improved self-esteem (RSES, p = 0.003) and sleep quality (PSQI, p < 0.001). Cognitive performance improved across all domains, including information processing speed, verbal learning, and visuospatial memory (all p < 0.05). Regarding biological markers, oxidative stress decreased (p = 0.023), and antioxidant capacity (p = 0.009), and leukocyte telomere length increased (p < 0.001), indicating improved redox balance and cellular aging profiles. Conclusions: The six-week Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention (PSAI) was associated with significant improvements in dietary habits, anthropometric and psychological outcomes, cognitive performance, and biomarkers of oxidative stress and telomere length. These findings suggest that participation in a structured self-awareness-based intervention was associated with multidomain improvements in this cohort. However, given the quasi-experimental design without a control group, these findings should be considered preliminary and require confirmation in adequately powered randomized controlled trials. Full article

Adolescence is a critical developmental period marked by the interaction of health behaviors, psychosocial functioning, and peer relationships. This scoping review mapped quantitative evidence on the associations between health behaviors, emotional and behavioral problems, and peer-related factors among adolescents, accounting for sociodemographic characteristics. An electronic literature search was conducted in November 2025 using the ProQuest Summon Discovery Service, in line with PRISMA-ScR reporting guidance. Studies published between 2015 and 2025 that focused on adolescent populations and examined at least two key variables were considered; the included samples collectively spanned ages 10–18 years. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Across the included studies, health behaviors, particularly physical activity, diet, sleep, and screen use, were examined both individually and as co-occurring lifestyle patterns. Less favorable behavioral patterns were generally associated with poorer mental health and psychosocial indicators, whereas healthier patterns were associated with better well-being and quality of life. Associations with screen and internet use varied according to the type and intensity of digital engagement, with evidence of dose–response patterns for internet use and divergent associations across different screen activities. Peer relationships and related social factors were most often operationalized through social support, friendship quality, bullying, or victimization rather than through direct measures of peer attachment security. Within this limited and heterogeneous evidence base, supportive peer contexts were generally associated with more favorable behavioral and emotional outcomes, whereas bullying and victimization were associated with poorer outcomes. The mapped evidence is consistent with a biopsychosocial perspective but remains predominantly cross-sectional, underscoring the need for longitudinal research and more precise measurement of peer attachment processes. Full article

Background/Objectives: Empowerment strategies promoting healthy behaviors are important for preventing chronic diseases and cancer, while individual health responsibility (IHR) plays a significant role. Although widely discussed in the literature, the concept of IHR does not have clearly defined domains or a validated instrument for assessment. Its overlap with locus of control theory, self-motivation, and personality type creates further difficulties. Meanwhile, perception of one’s own responsibility for health is an intuitive, simple item to answer, reflecting a person’s belief related to this topic. Moreover, for ethical reasons, this concept cannot be separated from personal beliefs and should not be adjusted according to strict scales and externally imposed definitions. Therefore, this study aimed to: (1) explore whether there is an association between self-perception of IHR and preventive/risk-taking behaviors; and (2) examine socio-demographic factors associated with the IHR score and three self-perceived characteristics, namely self-perceived locus of control, health literacy, and health status. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 968 healthcare workers was conducted in a large, multidisciplinary hospital covering several behaviors (smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, and participation in a screening program for hepatitis C). IHR was evaluated on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 meant “to very little extent” and 10 meant “to a great extent”. Results: The average IHR score was 8.80 (SD = 1.88). In the univariate analysis, the IHR score was significantly related to gender, age, education, marital status, and all three personal characteristics. In the multivariate analysis, the socio-demographic associations lost statistical significance. IHR maintained its association with the healthy diet score in the multivariable model (B = 0.113, p = 0.036). In the unadjusted analyses, the distribution of IHR differed between participants who declared alcohol consumption and those who declared abstinence (χ² = 17.157, p = 0.002). However, this association was not retained in the multivariable model. Self-perceived internal locus of control was negatively associated with screening acceptance, but not with IHR. The OR of 0.927 refers to a one-point increase on the 1–10 scale. Across the full observed scale range, this corresponds to an OR of 0.51 (95% CI: 0.29–0.89), indicating lower odds of screening acceptance among participants with higher perceived internal control. Because this estimate assumes linearity across the entire scale, it should be interpreted cautiously. Conclusions: The gap between perceived responsibility and actual behavior suggests that IHR messaging alone is unlikely to be sufficient. Future research should consider social desirability and external locus of control when analyzing IHR and health behaviors. Full article

Historically framed as a behavioral addiction, gambling disorder (GD) has had its somatic dimension neglected by standard clinical evaluation. This is a narrative, hypothesis-generating review focusing on the somatic aspects of GD. Cross-sectional and prospective evidence increasingly shows a somatic phenotype distributed across four axes: cardiovascular (hypertension, angina, stroke, acute stress-induced cardiac events), metabolic (obesity, type 2 diabetes, chronic liver disease), sleep-related (insomnia, poor sleep quality, daytime sleepiness), and—as an emerging and insufficiently characterized dimension—neurological (clustering with seizures and frontal lobe epilepsy). Three candidate biological systems may translate this exposure into multi-system physiology: (i) a hyperreactive mesostriatal reward circuit hypothesized to sustain a behavioral cluster of smoking, hazardous alcohol use, low physical activity, and unhealthy diet; (ii) an integrated stress response postulated to shift from acute hyperreactivity to chronic basal cortisol blunting and reduced vagal tone; and (iii) putative alterations in peripheral neurotrophic signaling and frontal-callosal structure, marked by elevated peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factor and by frontal-callosal white-matter alterations—with cumulative allostatic load serving as a conceptual integrating frame. We propose that GD can be a behaviorally driven systemic medical condition, warranting internal medicine involvement alongside addiction psychiatry. Within this framework, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists emerge as an exploratory therapeutic hypothesis warranting dedicated evaluation in GD, given their action on the mesolimbic reward substrate and phase 3 evidence in adjacent cardiometabolic, hepatic, and sleep conditions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Problematic digital technology use may be associated with unhealthy dietary behaviors, but different forms of digital dependence may not relate to diet quality in the same way. This study examined the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and problematic smartphone, Internet, and video game use in young adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 496 adults aged 18–34 years participating in the EVA-Adic study. Mediterranean diet adherence was assessed using the 14-item Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS). Problematic digital use was evaluated using the EDAS-18 for smartphone dependence, the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS), and the Questionnaire of Experiences Related to Video Games (CERV). Multivariable regression models were adjusted for sociodemographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle factors. Results: Of the participants, 339 had low-to-moderate Mediterranean diet adherence, and 157 had high adherence. In fully adjusted models, higher EDAS-18 scores were associated with lower MEDAS scores (β = −0.022; 95% CI: −0.041 to −0.003), whereas higher CIUS scores showed a small positive association with MEDAS scores (β = 0.025; 95% CI: 0.002 to 0.049). CERV scores and the global digital addiction index were not associated with overall Mediterranean diet adherence. At the individual dietary-component level, higher smartphone dependence was associated with lower compliance with fruit and sugar-sweetened beverage recommendations. Conclusions: In this cross-sectional sample of young adults, smartphone dependence and compulsive Internet use showed small associations with Mediterranean diet adherence in opposite directions, whereas problematic video-game use and the exploratory global composite were not associated with the overall MEDAS-14 score. The magnitude of the observed associations was modest; their clinical and public-health relevance remains uncertain, and the component-level findings should be considered exploratory in the context of multiple testing. These results do not establish causality and require confirmation in longitudinal, multicenter studies using objective and context-specific measures of digital use. Full article

Background: Oral diseases remain a major public health challenge globally and in Hungary, where untreated caries, periodontal disease, and edentulism are highly prevalent. Diet is a key modifiable determinant of oral health, yet the cumulative impact of multiple unfavorable nutritional behaviors on self-perceived oral health has not been assessed at the national level in Hungary, nor have population-attributable fraction (PAF) estimates been reported. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 5146 adults in the 2019 Hungarian European Health Interview Survey. A six-component nutritional-risk score was constructed from self-reported dietary behaviors (fruit intake, vegetable intake, sugary soft drink consumption, sweets consumption, processed meat consumption, and water intake). Survey-weighted logistic regression estimated associations between nutritional-risk categories and poor self-perceived oral health, adjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health-related covariates. Counterfactual PAFs with 95% Monte Carlo uncertainty intervals (1000 bootstrap replications) were estimated for three nutritional-risk scenarios. Results: The weighted prevalence of poor self-perceived oral health was 19.2%. Compared with participants with 0–1 unfavorable nutritional factors, those with 3 factors (OR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.09–1.73) and 4–6 factors (OR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.15–1.85) had significantly higher odds of poor oral health. Low water intake was independently associated with poor oral health (OR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.16–1.64). The main counterfactual PAF analysis estimated that 16.1% (Monte Carlo 95% UI: 5.93–26.48%) of poor oral health burden was attributable to unfavorable nutritional profiles. High nutritional risk was also associated with active caries, gum bleeding, and tooth loss. Conclusions: Cumulative nutritional risk is independently associated with poor self-perceived oral health in Hungarian adults. Integrating dietary improvements into oral health prevention strategies may substantially reduce the population-level burden of oral disease. Full article

Background: Children with food allergy (FA) may develop eating difficulties that extend beyond medically required allergen avoidance, including food neophobia, selective eating, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)-related symptoms. This mixed-methods study aimed to assess ARFID symptoms, food neophobia, diet quality, and food-related psychological experiences in children with FA. Methods: Seventy children with confirmed FA were enrolled in an observational cross-sectional mixed-methods study conducted at a tertiary pediatric allergy center. Quantitative assessment included the Eating Disorders in Youth-Questionnaire (EDY-Q), the Italian Child Food Neophobia Scale (ICFNS), and the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for Children and Adolescents (KIDMED). Qualitative data were collected from a purposive subsample of 26 children through semi-structured child-friendly interviews and drawing-based elicitation activities and were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: A positive EDY-Q screening result for ARFID-related symptoms was observed in 3 children (4.3%). Selective Eating showed the highest median EDY-Q domain score (median 1.50, IQR 0.67–4.00), followed by Food Avoidance Emotional Disorder (median 1.00, IQR 0.00–2.00) and Functional Dysphagia (median 0.00, IQR 0.00–2.00). Moderate food neophobia was observed in 45 children (64.3%), while 24 children (34.3%) were classified within the high food-neophobia category. KIDMED score was negatively correlated with EDY-Q total score (Spearman’s ρ = −0.302; p = 0.011), Selective Eating (ρ = −0.356; p = 0.002), and Functional Dysphagia (ρ = −0.238; p = 0.048). In an exploratory hierarchical regression, Selective Eating remained inversely associated with KIDMED after adjustment for demographic and FA-related covariates (β = −0.386; p = 0.002); however, the overall model did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.081), and the additional clinical covariates did not significantly improve model fit. Accordingly, the fully adjusted findings should be interpreted as exploratory. Qualitative analysis identified five themes: anticipatory fear of food and tasting, emotional memory of allergic reactions and generalization of risk, selective avoidance and food rigidity, reassurance-seeking and decision-making dependence, and ambivalent parental dynamics. Conclusions: Within this tertiary-care sample, positive EDY-Q screening results were uncommon, whereas broader food-related difficulties were identified. Pediatric FA assessment may benefit from attention to eating behavior, diet quality, and avoidance extending beyond confirmed allergens. Full article

Background: Assessing overall diet quality has become increasingly important in nutritional epidemiology. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is one of the most widely used measures of diet quality; however, comparable data on Hungarian children are scarce. The current study aimed to assess the diet quality of Hungarian children using the Healthy Eating Index and to examine demographic factors associated with diet quality. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 666 children aged 4–10 years. Dietary intake was measured using three-day dietary records, and sociodemographic factors were collected via parental questionnaires. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2020 (HEI-2020). For the statistical analysis, linear regression, random forest models and one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test were used. Results: The mean HEI score was 48.2 (SD 8.02), indicating low diet quality. Settlement type was significantly associated with the HEI score (p = 0.009). The multiplicity-corrected p-values for pairwise comparisons showed that children living in towns had significantly lower HEI scores (44.9, SD 7.97) than those living in county capitals (3.9, 95% CI:0.8–7.0, p = 0.006) and villages (−3.6, 95% CI: −0.61–−6.6, p = 0.011), but not significantly lower than those living in the capital (3.09, 95% CI: −0.25–6.4, p = 0.08). These differences were primarily related to whole-fruit and whole-grain component scores. Sex, age, and maternal education were not significantly associated with HEI score. The random forest model showed weak predictive performance (RMSE = 7.66). Conclusions: Diet quality among Hungarian children was generally suboptimal. The examined sociodemographic characteristics accounted for only a small proportion of the variability in the HEI score. This highlights the importance of ongoing research to understand dietary patterns and to uncover additional social, environmental, and behavioral aspects of dietary habits across cultures. Furthermore, the results indicate that interventions should also consider local food environments. Full article

Background: Obesity-linked anxiety may involve leptin resistance, impairing serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) signaling. In addition to drugs, nutraceuticals have been explored for their potential to address this pathophysiology. Herein, natural honey and its glycoproteins were assessed for their roles in modulating the leptin–serotonin axis to alleviate metabolic and anxiety-related disturbances. Methodology: Sixty Wistar rats were allocated to two groups (n = 30 each), one on a normal diet (ND) and the other on a high-fat diet (HFD), for four weeks to induce obesity. Each group was further divided into five sub-groups (n = 6 each) as follows: saline, low honey dose (LHD, 1 g/kg), high honey dose (HHD, 2 g/kg), low protein dose (LPD, 0.25 mg/kg), and high protein dose (HPD, 0.5 mg/kg), while continuing on the ND or HFD. The interventions were administered for four weeks. Body weight and behavioral activities were measured weekly, whereas serum leptin and triglycerides, and brain 5-HT and its primary metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), were measured at sacrifice. Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA, Tukey’s post hoc test, and correlation analyses. Results: The HFD induced leptin-driven metabolic dysfunction and serotonergic disruption, exacerbating anxiety-like behavior and locomotor deficits compared with the ND rats (p < 0.05). HHD produced a dual metabolic–neurochemical improvement by reducing hyperleptinemia, elevating 5-HT, and restoring locomotor activity while reducing anxiety-like behavior. In contrast, HPD increased 5-HIAA without altering 5-HT, reflecting an imbalanced serotonin turnover that yielded only partial anxiolytic effects. Overall, HHD partially reversed HFD-induced pathology through leptin–serotonin crosstalk, whereas HPD provided more targeted neurochemical modulation. Conclusions: Natural honey and its glycoproteins attenuate HFD-induced metabolic dysregulation and anxiety-like behavior by counteracting hyperleptinemia and enhancing serotonin synthesis. These findings highlight the potential of diet-personalized, honey-based interventions for metabolic–CNS comorbidities, warranting validation through clinical trials. Full article

Aims: Dietary supplement use has increased among adolescents, but its association with metabolic health remains unclear. This study examined the relationship between dietary supplement use, diet quality, obesity, and metabolic risk among Korean adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional study used nationally representative KNHANES 2022–2024 data. A total of 1550 adolescents aged 10–18 years were included. Dietary supplement use during the previous year was assessed by questionnaire. Diet quality was evaluated using diet quality score based on selected dietary guideline-related components. Survey-weighted logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted after adjustment for demographic and dietary covariates. An exploratory indirect association analysis was performed to examine whether diet quality was statistically associated with the relationship between supplement use and metabolic risk clustering. Results: Overall, 43.1% of adolescents reported dietary supplement use. Supplement users had significantly better diet quality scores than non-users (β = 0.30, p < 0.001). Dietary supplement use was significantly associated with BMI (p = 0.011) and waist circumference (p = 0.010), but not with metabolic risk clustering (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.67–1.24), fasting glucose, triglycerides, or HDL-cholesterol levels. Obesity was strongly associated with metabolic risk clustering regardless of supplement use. Compared with non-obese non-users, obese non-users (OR = 5.31, 95% CI: 3.22–8.78) and obese supplement users (OR = 3.68, 95% CI: 2.07–6.53) had significantly higher odds of metabolic risk clustering. Exploratory indirect association analysis showed that diet quality did not significantly mediate the association between dietary supplement use. Conclusions: Dietary supplement use was associated with better diet quality and favorable anthropometric indicators, but not with metabolic risk clustering or biochemical metabolic markers. These findings suggest that supplement use may reflect broader health-related behaviors rather than direct metabolic protection among Korean adolescents. Full article

Parenthood has been linked to changes in health-related behavior, though studies have reported mixed findings on whether these changes are beneficial or harmful. To date, most research has focused on associations between parenthood and individual health behaviors, while research on the association with overall health lifestyles is limited. This study investigates how health lifestyles change following the transition to parenthood based on longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (Sozioökonomisches Panel, SOEP) from 2008 to 2019. A Health Lifestyle Index (HLI) was constructed including the health behaviors physical activity, diet, smoking, and sleep. We use longitudinal group trend regression models to account for unobserved heterogeneity between parents and childless individuals. A decline in the HLI following childbirth was found, with the largest reduction observed in physical activity. For women, the decline in HLI scores was more pronounced than for men. Over time, the decline in HLI levels stagnated and did not revert to pre-birth levels during the 5+ years post-birth observed in this study. These results indicate that the transition to parenthood is associated with a shift towards a less healthy lifestyle. Women were disproportionally affected, highlighting gendered inequalities in changes in health lifestyles following the transition to parenthood. Full article

The flatfish Citharichthys spilopterus is a common predatory species in the estuaries of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. In general, factors controlling the foraging behavior of fish can be extrinsic (environmental conditions) or intrinsic (size-related differences). The main objective of this study was to analyze spatiotemporal and body size-related variations in the diet of this species and their coupling with main environmental conditions. Every two months, 24 h sampling cycles were conducted in two habitats, one with submerged vegetation and the other without vegetation. Fish were collected every 2 h during each cycle. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that submerged vegetation and body size were the main factors influencing diet composition, while diurnal variation was not significant. Decapod larvae and copepods were consumed more frequently in the unvegetated habitat during the dry season and by smaller fish, while peracarids, shrimp, and fish were consumed more frequently in the vegetated habitat during the rainy season and by larger fish. PERMANOVA analysis detected significant differences in diet between size groups, habitats, and months. Similarly, the fullness index showed significant differences between size groups and months. These spatiotemporal and ontogenetic trophic changes reflect the adaptation processes of the species to the seasonal and spatial environmental variability of the system. Full article