Introduction: Changes in lifestyles predispose university students to face constant stressful situations and to modify their eating habits and physical activity, with possible alterations in the body mass index. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between body mass index and stress, physical activity and eating habits in medical students. Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive observational study. 306 medical students participated from first to sixth year: 153 with normal weight, 121 with overweight and 32 with obesity, average age 21,95 years. The body mass index was considered and the questionnaires were applied: Global Perception of Stress Scale for University Students (Adapted in Peruvian university students), International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the modified Reyes Food Frequency Questionnaire, using Google software Forms. Results: The proportion of normal weight was 50%, overweight 39,50% and obese 10,50%. According to eating habits, people with body mass index significantly increased their consumption of soft drinks (p = 0,030), meat (p = 0,017) and alcohol (p = 0,005), more frequent breakfast (p = 0,037) and less consumption of legumes (p = 0,049). The levels of distress were lower in the obese (p = 0,055); there was no significant difference in physical activity. Conclusions: The elevation of the body mass index in medical students was associated with inadequate eating habits. Low levels of distress and physical activity were more frequent in obese people, although without significant difference.

COVID-19 is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a virus that represents a serious threat to global health. The objective of the article is to deepen into the structure of the structural and non-structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and their role during the infection of its target cells; also to propose molecules from in silico studies that inhibit proteins of the viral cycle for potential pharmacological treatments. The SARS-CoV-2 genome has ORFs that encode sixteen non-structural proteins (Nsp1-16), four structural proteins (Spike, Envelope, Membrane, and Nucleocapsid), and nine accessory proteins; that fulfill various functions in the entry of the virus and its viral cycle. In silico studies of drugs such as disulfiram and viomycin, and molecules found in plants as Azadirachta indica, the tea plant, and Andrographis paniculata have shown inhibitory effects on the SARS-CoV-2 viral cycle.

In Peru, one of the first interventions to flattened the epidemiologic curve of the pandemic was quarantine that changed eating behavior, physical activity and mental health of the population. Objective: to determine modifications in eating behavior, physical activity and mental health in young adults before and after the quarantine. Methods: cohort study involving 384 adults from 18 to 24 years of age that were subjected to a virtual interview and application of an international questionnaire to evaluate changings in eating behavior, physical activity and mental health contrasted by Chi square. Results: an increase in the distribution of daily foods [breakfast (p<0.001), morning snack (p<0.05), lunch (p<0.001), afternoon snack (p<0.001), dinner (p<0.05)] and an increase in ingestion of fruits (p=0.005) and reduction in the ingestion of fast food (p<0.05) and candies (p=0.03). Physical activity decreases specially in males vs females (28.4% vs. 25.3%) and there was a reduction in the total number of sleep hours, mental health was severely affected. Conclusions: quarantine induced variations in eating behavior, reduction in physical activity and increase in mental health disorders. These modifications put the population at risk for weight gain or obesity and eventually to non-transmissible diseases. En Perú, una de las primeras medidas preventivas para allanar la curva epidemiológica de la pandemia COVID-19 fue la cuarentena, que cambió de forma importante la conducta alimentaria, la actividad física y la salud mental. Objetivo: Determinar las modificaciones de la conducta alimentaria, actividad física y salud mental antes y durante la cuarentena por la pandemia COVID-19 en adultos jóvenes. Material y métodos: Estudio observacional, descriptivo, longitudinal en 384 adultos entre 18 y 24 años, mediante una encuesta virtual que incluyó: Cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos, Cuestionario Internacional de Actividad física y Cuestionario de cambios en la salud mental, analizados mediante ji – cuadrado. Resultados: Durante la cuarentena se encontró un incremento en la distribución de frecuencia de comidas diarias [desayuno (p < 0,001), media mañana (p < 0,05), almuerzo (p< 0,001), merienda (p<0,001), cena (p < 0,05)] y de las preferencias alimentarias, con aumento en el consumo de frutas (p = 0,005) y una disminución de comidas rápidas (p < 0,05) y golosinas (p = 0,03). El nivel de actividad física bajo fue más frecuente (Varones: 28,4%; Mujeres: 25,3%) y hubo una disminución en las horas de sueño, por otro lado, la salud mental se vio severamente afectada durante la cuarentena. Conclusiones: Los resultados indican que la cuarentena ha producido variaciones en la conducta alimentaria, una disminución de la actividad física y un aumento de problemas de salud mental. Estas modificaciones representan un riesgo de sobrepeso u obesidad, incluso, desarrollo de enfermedades no transmisibles.

Introduction: Overweight and obesity are rapidly growing in the world, with a higher risk of chronic diseases. Nutritional strategies are of great interest for weight loss and control, such as the influence of meal frequency and timing. Objective: To determine the relationship between the meal frequency and timing with overweight and obesity in the adult population of Trujillo between 30 and 70 years old. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. A sample of 160 participants, between 30 and 70 years old, is included; the data was collected through a virtual survey. Participants were classified into a normal weight group established by a BMI between 18.5-24.9 and an overweight-obese group established by a BMI greater than or equal to 25. An expert-validated questionnaire was produced to assess the meal frequency and timing. Results: Of the 160 participants, 61.88% were female, 40% were between 30-39 years old. The normal weight group was made up of 60 participants; and overweight-obesity, per 100 participants. In the statistical analysis, a significant difference was evidenced between the level of low-moderate physical activity (p = 0.019), the meal frequency did not present a significant difference (p = 0.477) and within the meal timing, the consumption of subsequent dinner at 8:00 pm showed a significant difference (p = 0.021), as well as the consumption of intermediates after 5:00 pm (p = 0.016), Conclusion: Consuming food during the night in a time after 8:00 pm is significantly associated with the risk of overweight and obesity; while in the meal frequency it does not appear.

Introduction: There are few studies on the factors that cause iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) recurrence in Andean children living in income poverty. Objective: This study aimed to identify risk factors related to health determinants for anemia recurrence in Peruvian Andean children aged 12 to 35 months. Methodology: The mothers of 189 children (63 cases of recurrence of anemia) in the Sánchez Carrión Province in the northern highlands of Peru were evaluated with a 40-question survey of health determinants (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.70). Results: The cases (recurrence) and controls (no recurrence) were comparable according to sex, age, residence altitude, and poverty level. Of 18 factors analyzed by bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression, six risk factors for recurrence were identified: malnutrition OR = 4.89, 95% CI 1.727–13.828; negligent care OR = 3.33, 95% CI 1.229–9.004; poor hygiene habits OR = 5.50, 95% CI 2.165–13.972; overcrowding OR = 3.16, 95% CI 1.125–8.869; inaccessibility of ferrous sulfate OR = 7.18, 95% CI 2.253–22.903; and child rejection of ferrous sulfate OR = 14.65, 95% CI 5.056–42.419. Conclusions: This study identified complex physiological and socioeconomic determinants associated with IDA relapse. Effective IDA reduction strategies require context-specific comprehensive approaches that integrate culturally relevant education, improve living conditions, provide access to palatable iron-rich foods, and increase iron supplementation availability and adherence.