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- The interplay between body mass index, motivation for food consumption, and noncommunicable diseases in the European population: A cross-sectional studyPublication . Marija Ljubičić; Marijana Matek Sarić; Tamara Sorić; Ana Sarić; Ivo Klarin; Boris Dželalija; Alan Medić; Ivo Dilber; Ivana Rumbak; Jasmina Ranilović; Maria Papageorgiou; Viktória Szűcs; Elena Vittadini; Dace Klava; Lucia Frez Muñoz; Małgorzata Korzeniowska; Monica Tarcea; Ilija Djekić; Maša Černelič Bizjak; Guiné, Raquel; Leonardo RoeverIntroduction Consuming unhealthy foods in emotional states can increase body mass index (BMI), contribute to becoming overweight, and lead to the development of chronic diseases. This study aims to investigate the associations between BMI, emotional motivation for food consumption, and health outcomes. Materials and methods “The Motivations for Food Choices” (EATMOT) questionnaire was used to assess the emotional components of food consumption in 9,036 individuals from 12 European countries. The multivariate analysis included linear and logistic regression to examine associations between variables. Results Regression models confirmed associations between BMI, emotional motivation for food consumption (β = 0.13; p < 0.001), obesity (β = 0.35; p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension (β = 0.04; p < 0.001 for both). Using food as a coping mechanism for stress contributed to an increase in BMI [OR = 1.31 (95% CI 1.14–1.51); p < 0.001]. Emotional consolation was associated with a higher likelihood of an increased BMI [OR = 1.22 (95% CI 1.03–1.44); p = 0.020] and obesity [OR = 1.47 (95% CI 1.06–2.06); p = 0.022]. Participants with obesity had a greater likelihood of developing noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases [OR = 2.18 (95% CI 1.45–3.28); p < 0.001], diabetes mellitus [OR = 2.02 (95% CI 1.31–3.12); p = 0.001], hypercholesterolemia [OR = 1.62 (95% CI 1.13–2.32); p = 0.009], hypertension [OR = 1.85 (95% CI 1.36–2.52); p < 0.001], and gastric disorders [OR = 1.81 (95% CI 1.16–2.85); p = 0.010]. Conclusion These results underscore the need for targeted public health interventions that address emotional eating behaviors and promote healthier coping strategies to mitigate the risk of obesity and related health complications.
- Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of The Eating Motivations Scale (EATMOT)Publication . Emre Bayraktaroğlu; Fatmanur Özyürek Arpa; Merve Pehlivan; Guiné, RaquelThis study aims to adapt “The Eating Motivations Scale (EATMOT)” scale into Turkish and conduct a validity and reliability study of the scale for the Turkish population. Approval was received from the developer of the EATMOT scale to conduct this study. The scale was first translated into Turkish from English by five experts in their fields and one professional trans - lator fluent in both languages. The scale was then administered to 940 participants whose native language was Turkish and whose ages ranged from 18 to 65. Translation, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were applied to evaluate the scale’s validity. In evaluating its reliability, inter-item correlations, the first 27%-last 27% discrimination, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient were assessed in total-item correlations. Factor analysis showed that item scores were higher than 0.70. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the scale was calculated as 0.82, indicating that the scale is reliable. Cron - bach’s alpha internal consistency coefficients of the subgroups in the scale were found to be varying in the range of 0.6–0.9. It was concluded that the Turkish version of the EATMOT questionnaire is a reliable and valid tool that can be used in field studies to examine the motivations that affect people’s food choices and eating behaviors.
- Healthy motivations for food consumption in 16 countriesPublication . Guiné, Raquel; Joana Gonçalves; Florença, Sofia de Guiné e; Ferreira, Manuela; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Elena Bartkiene; Djekić, Ilija; Tarcea,Monica; Rumbak, Ivana; Sarić, Marijana Matek; Černelič-Bizjak, Maša; Isoldi, Kathy; EL-Kenawy, Ayman; Ferreira, Vanessa; Klava, Dace; Korzeniowska, Małgorzata; Vittadini, Elena; Leal, Marcela; Papageorgiou, Maria; Anjos, OféliaThere are many factors that can influence people’s attitudes towards healthy eating, including personal nature, sociodemographic influences, and lifestyle. This work investigated to what extent the motivations for healthy food consumption are shaped in individuals from different countries. A questionnaire survey was carried out on a sample of 11,919 participants from 16 countries. The results indicated that the strongest motivations for healthy food consumption were related to the perception of consuming healthy food, eating foods rich in vitamins and minerals, allied to food safety and hygiene concerns. Significant differences were found in healthy motivations between countries. Additionally, the sociodemographic variables that had a higher influence on health motivation levels were country, age, and gender. Concerning the anthropometric and lifestyle variables influencing healthy motivation for food consumption, the discriminating variables were: believing in having a healthy diet, physical exercise, and chronic diseases. In conclusion, the work showed important differences in the motivations for a healthy diet in different countries, but other variables also play a role in the motivation for the consumption of foods for health and well-being.
- Carbon footprint calculator for the Portuguese textile and clothing industry: development, application and validationPublication . C. Duarte; Ferreira, José; Lopes Brás, Isabel Paula; Ferreira Silva, Maria Elisabete
- Preliminary Study and Pre-Validation in Portugal of New Farmers’ Mindfulness and Life Satisfaction Scale (FMLSS)Publication . Morais, Artur; de Pinho Ferreira Guiné, Raquel; Costa, Cristina Amaro da; Magalhães, CátiaBackground/Objective: Besides the common risks associated with agriculture, recently, there has been growing concern about the impact of agriculture on farmers’ mental health, due to high stress levels, depression, anxiety, and increasing rates of suicide, especially complex considering that many of these farmers are older people. The potential of the practice of mindfulness to minimize mental health problems and improve people’s sense of well-being has been studied in recent decades, although there is a dearth of literature related to farmer populations. This study aimed to correlate the presence of mindfulness traits with general life quality and well-being and assess the levels of mindfulness and life satisfaction among family farmers, as well as to evaluate which characteristics might be associated with them. Method: The sample was composed of 30 farmers from the region of Viseu—Portugal, who were randomly selected for a survey consisting of an adaptation of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), with some new items specific to the context of agriculture. A proposed Farmers’ Mindfulness and Life Satisfaction Scale (FMLSS) was validated through factor analysis and internal reliability analysis. Result: The results showed a relatively high average score for the 10 items of the mindfulness scale (4.23 ± 0.56) and the global sum of scores for the 5 items of the life satisfaction scale (26.67 ± 4.76). Factor analysis revealed six factors, globally explaining 77% of the variance, with values of alpha varying from 0.640 to 0.874. The FMLSS was validated with 19 items of the 20 initially considered (α = 0.672). Cluster analysis revealed two typologies of participants, “Pleased” and “Accommodated” family farmers. These two clusters had global values for the FMLSS of 5.19 ± 0.51 and 4.37 ± 0.59, with the higher value obtained for the “Pleased” family farmers, who were mostly of male gender and worked more hours per week and whose agricultural activities had higher significance for their family income. Conclusions: Overall, we observed a relatively high level of mindfulness and satisfaction with life among family farmers. This suggests the importance of future research on mental health among family farmers.
- Sustainable Heat Production for Fossil Fuel Replacement—Life Cycle Assessment for Plant Biomass Renewable Energy SourcesPublication . Lopes Brás, Isabel Paula; Fabriccino, Massimiliano; Ferreira, José; Ferreira Silva, Maria Elisabete; Mignano, VincenzoThis study aims to assess the environmental impact of using wood-based biomass as a high-efficiency fuel alternative to fossil fuels for heat production. To achieve this, the life cycle of biomass transformation, utilization, and disposal was analyzed using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology with SimaPro 9.5.0.2 PhD software. The system boundaries included extraction, processing, transportation, combustion, and waste management, following a cradle-to-gate approach. A comparative analysis was conducted between natural gas, the most widely used conventional heating fuel, and two biomass-based fuels: wood pellets and wood chips. The results indicate that biomass utilization reduces greenhouse gas emissions (−19%) and fossil resource depletion (−16%) while providing environmental benefits across all assessed impact categories analyzed, except for land use (+96%). Biomass is also to be preferred for forest waste management, ease of supply, and energy independence. However, critical life cycle phases, such as raw material processing and transportation, were found to contribute significantly to human health and ecosystem well-being. To mitigate these effects, optimizing combustion efficiency, improving supply chain logistics, and promoting sustainable forestry practices are recommended. These findings highlight the potential of biomass as a viable renewable energy source and provide insights into strategies for minimizing its environmental footprint.
- A Revisit of Plant Food Waste Along Food Supply Chains: Impacts and Perspectives.Publication . Gonçalves, Joana; Anjos, Ofélia; Guiné, RaquelMore than one billion tons of the food produced in the world ends up being wasted every year, accounting for about one-third of the food produced globally. For this reason, the problem of food waste management has been the focus of the different actors intervening in the food supply chains, who recognize that food waste has not only environmental but also economic and social impacts. This review focuses on foods of plant origin wasted at different stages of their life, namely primary production, transformation/processing, transportation, sales, catering and the domestic level. It addresses the subject from multiple angles, considering the environmental, economic and social perspectives. The review was based on a search carried out within scientific databases, for example, ScienceDirect, Scopus and the Web of Science. The results highlighted that in the generation and management of food waste from plant origin, there is a clear difference between developed and developing countries, with these last showing higher losses in production, principally the transportation and storage of the foods. Contrarily, in developed countries, excess food produced and not consumed is the strongest contributor to food waste. Valorization of agricultural waste and industrial residues for application into animal feed or agricultural fertilizers, or through the recovery of valuable compounds for industrial purposes, are some of the ways to deal with food waste while generating additional economic value and reducing environmental impact. However, there is still a need to modify processes and behaviors to reduce food waste and improve the sustainability of supply chains. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct research to identify and report food waste so that stakeholders can contribute positively to solving this problem.
- Targeted-Amplicon NGS for Blastocystis sp. in Shepherd Dogs of Portugal Discriminates Co-Colonization with Multiple Zoonotic SubtypesPublication . Sara Gomes-Gonçalves; Maria João Feiteiro; Guilherme Moreira; Rita Cruz; Fernando Esteves; Helena Vala; João R. Mesquita; Cruz, Rita; Esteves, Fernando; Vala Correia, Helena Maria
- Competitive Adsorption of Metal Ions by Lignocellulosic Materials: A Review of Applications, Mechanisms and Influencing FactorsPublication . Weber Macena, Morgana; Helena Pereira; Gonçalves Oliveira Valente da Cruz-Lopes, Luísa Paula; Lucas Grosche; Esteves, BrunoThe rapid expansion of industrial and agricultural activities in recent years has significantly contributed to water pollution leading to a decline in water quality and the need for effective treatment and reuse strategies. Metal contamination in water bodies poses severe environmental and health risks, making the development of cost-effective and sustainable remediation methods essential. Among the various treatment approaches, biosorption using biological adsorbents has emerged as a promising alternative due to its low cost and high efficiency. However, while the adsorption mechanisms of single metals are well understood, the competitive interactions between multiple metal ions during the sorption process remain less explored. In this review, we analyze the competitive biosorption of metals in multi-metallic wastewater systems. Key factors influencing metal removal, such as pH, contact time, biosorbent dosage, and initial metal concentration, are discussed, along with the intrinsic properties of biosorbents and metal ions that affect sorption efficiency. Additionally, we highlight recent studies on agroforestry byproducts as effective biosorbents for metal removal, showcasing their potential for sustainable water treatment. Heavy metals pose significant risks even at low concentrations, necessitating robust regulations and advanced treatment technologies; biomass byproducts, as cost-effective biosorbents, can be optimized through pre-treatment, activation, pH and temperature control, and particle size reduction, while effectively manage
- Comparison of milk consumption habits across two European countries: Pilot study in Portugal and FrancePublication . Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Florença, Sofia de Guiné e; Bréjon, M.; Gonçalves, João Carlos; Ferreira, Manuela; Barroca, Maria João; Fragata, AnabelaHumans have been consuming milk obtained from domesticated animals since ancient times. Milk is a very complete food with important nutrients that can sup- port life. However, the patterns of consumption of milk have been shifting. On one hand, due to the increase in the number of people with intolerances (to lactose, for example), and on the other hand, due to some trend to avoid foods from animal origin owing to speci fi c convic- tion (like animal welfare, for example). In this context, this study focused on the milk consumption patterns in two di ff erent European Countries and the evaluation of pos- sible di ff erences. The object of study was milk obtained from animal sources, namely, cows, and no other derived fermented dairy products were included. For the develop- ment of the study, a questionnaire survey was applied to a sample of 542 participants from both countries using the Internet. The results showed that a high percentage of participants in both countries consume milk regularly, and the usual amount varies between 125 and 250 mL per day. For those who do not consume milk, the most relevant reason pointed out in both countries was because they do not feel the need to consume it. While in France, a high percentage also do not consume because they do not like milk, and in Portugal, a high percentage do not consume milk due to lactose intolerance. The most con- sumed is semi-skimmed milk, and preferences are towards consuming plain milk or consuming it with chocolate. Signi fi cant di ff erences were found in the consumption of white brands, which are preferred in France, while in Portugal, consumers prefer commercial brands, as well as the preferred package, tetra packs for the Portuguese, while the French prefer plastic bottles. In conclusion, although the results showed some similar trends among the participants from both countries, some di ff erences were also identi fi ed that can be used to better plan public policies in both countries.