There is mixed evidence on increasing rates of psychiatric disorders and symptoms during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020. We evaluated pandemic-related psychopathology and psychiatry diagnoses and their determinants in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Health (ELSA-Brasil) São Paulo Research Center.

Between pre-pandemic ELSA-Brasil assessments in 2008–2010 (wave-1), 2012–2014 (wave-2), 2016–2018 (wave-3) and three pandemic assessments in 2020 (COVID-19 waves in May–July, July–September, and October–December), rates of common psychiatric symptoms, and depressive, anxiety, and common mental disorders (CMDs) were compared using the Clinical Interview Scheduled-Revised (CIS-R) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Multivariable generalized linear models, adjusted by age, gender, educational level, and ethnicity identified variables associated with an elevated risk for mental disorders.

In 2117 participants (mean age 62.3 years, 58.2% females), rates of CMDs and depressive disorders did not significantly change over time, oscillating from 23.5% to 21.1%, and 3.3% to 2.8%, respectively; whereas rate of anxiety disorders significantly decreased (2008–2010: 13.8%; 2016–2018: 9.8%; 2020: 8%). There was a decrease along three wave-COVID assessments for depression [β = −0.37, 99.5% confidence interval (CI) −0.50 to −0.23], anxiety (β = −0.37, 99.5% CI −0.48 to −0.26), and stress (β = −0.48, 99.5% CI −0.64 to −0.33) symptoms (all ps < 0.001). Younger age, female sex, lower educational level, non-white ethnicity, and previous psychiatric disorders were associated with increased odds for psychiatric disorders, whereas self-evaluated good health and good quality of relationships with decreased risk.

No consistent evidence of pandemic-related worsening psychopathology in our cohort was found. Indeed, psychiatric symptoms slightly decreased along 2020. Risk factors representing socioeconomic disadvantages were associated with increased odds of psychiatric disorders.

To evaluate the effect of fibre intake on the evolution of maternal BMI from pregnancy to postpartum and to identify dietary patterns associated with fibre intake.

Cohort study. Food intake was obtained using an FFQ. Focused principal component analysis was used focusing on the variables: postpartum weight retention and total dietary fibre intake. Poisson regression models with robust variance were built in order to measure the effect of fibre intake during the postpartum period on obesity risk.

Primary care clinics in southern Brazil.

Pregnant women (n 370) were followed until the 5th month postpartum.

The highest contribution to fibre intake came from the consumption of beans. Consumption of bread and rice indicated a common Brazilian food pattern along with beans. Participants retained a median of 4·4 (interquartile range 0·6, 7·9) kg of weight gained during pregnancy. Obesity risk, defined as an unfavourable evolution of BMI during pregnancy and postpartum, was present in 189 (55·1 %) women. Individual food items did not have an important effect on weight retention. In Poisson regression adjusting for maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI and total gestational weight gain, inadequate postpartum fibre intake increased obesity risk by 24 % (relative risk = 1·24; 95 % CI 1·05, 1·47).

Important maternal weight retention occurred in these women. Adequate fibre intake may reduce obesity risk in the period following childbirth.

Increase in fibre intake during pregnancy may reduce weight gain, glucose intolerance, dyslipidaemia, pre-eclampsia and constipation. Few studies have evaluated adequacy of fibre intake during pregnancy.

To assess, through an FFQ, the dietary fibre intake of pregnant women receiving prenatal care from general public practices and compare it with current guidelines.

Cross-sectional analyses of a pregnancy cohort study (ECCAGE – Study of Food Intake and Eating Behaviour in Pregnancy) conducted in eighteen general practices in southern Brazil, from June 2006 to April 2007.

Five hundred and seventy-eight pregnant women with mean (sd) age of 24·9 (6·5) years and mean gestational age of 24·5 (5·8) weeks.

The mean energy intake was 11 615 kJ/d (2776 kcal/d). The mean total fibre intake (30·2 g/d) was slightly above the recommended value of 28g/d (P < 0·001), yet 50 % (95 % CI 46, 54) of the women failed to meet the recommendation. Whole-grain fibre constituted only 1 % of total fibre intake in the cereal group. In adjusted Poisson regression analyses, not meeting the recommendation for fibre intake was associated with alcohol intake (prevalence ratio 1·29; 95 % CI 1·11, 1·50) and absence of nutritional guidance (prevalence ratio 1·22; 95 % CI 1·05, 1·42) during pregnancy.

About half of the pregnant women failed to meet the recommended fibre intake, especially those not reporting nutritional guidance during pregnancy. For most women, whole-grain cereal intake was absent or trivial. Taken together, our data indicate the need, at least in this setting, for greater nutritional education in prenatal care.