scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on Eating Habits, Sleeping Behaviour, and Physical Activity Status of Final Year Medical Students in Ankara-Turkey

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Tülay A. Bosi Bağcı ◽  
Ayşegül Kanadıkırık ◽  
Emel Somyürek ◽  
Gülce Gerçek ◽  
Hamza Berdan Tanrıkulu ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: The massive increase in COVID-19 cases led to the implementation of nationwide lockdown in Turkey. While enforced lockdown is an effective strategy to abate the transmission of the virus, it causes significant lifestyle changes in every part of the community. This study aims to assess the changes in eating habits, sleeping behaviour, and physical activity status of final year medical students (interns) whose education was suspended during the pandemic. Design: In this cross-sectional epidemiological study, an online questionnaire was created. Interns were asked questions regarding sociodemographic status, eating habits, sleeping behaviour and physical activity status before and during COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in dietary habits and sleep quality were evaluated under the guidance of Turkish Nutrition Guide, Determination of Nutritional Status Report, Turkey National Nutrition and Health Survey and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Setting: Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine-Ankara/Turkey. Participants: Among 536 students, a total of 340 students (63.4%) answered the questionnaire. Results: After the beginning of lockdown, an increase in body mass index (BMI) was observed in both female(p=0.002) and male students(p=0.013). Students having healthy dietary habits increased by 18.8% and unhealthy dietary habits decreased by 3.2% during lockdown(p<0.001). Overall, 63.2% of students reported a decrease in physical activity, and 33.6% reported a reduction in sleep quality whereas 38.6% reported an improvement in sleep quality. There was no significant difference in sleep quality between genders(p=0.075). Conclusions: This study indicated that medical school suspension and enforced lockdown led to significant changes in interns’ eating behaviour, physical activity, and sleeping habits.

Author(s):  
Nisreen M. Abdulsalam ◽  
Najla A. Khateeb ◽  
Sarah S. Aljerbi ◽  
Waad M. Alqumayzi ◽  
Shaima S. Balubaid ◽  
...  

The World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic in March 2020. Global efforts have been made to prevent the disease from spreading through political decisions and personal behaviors, all of which rely on public awareness. The aim of our study was to examine the effect of dietary habits on weight and physical activity (PA) during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was distributed using social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp) and email communication. A total of 472 adults (age range, 18–59 years), over half of the study population (68.0%) being females, 55.5% being between 19 and 29 years old, 15.0%—between 30 and 39 years old, and 11.2%—older than 50 years old, participated in the study. Our results indicated that the overall body weight was slightly increased among the 50+ age group (47.2%, p > 0.05), but it highly increased among the 30–39-years-old age group (32.4%, p > 0.05) as compared to before the pandemic lockdown period. Therefore, our results show that a significant difference (p < 0.05) was found for all the assessments: weight status, physical activity patterns, hours spent on screen time, homemade meals, and changes in dietary habits before and during the full COVID-19 curfew period. This study demonstrated that changes in eating habits were commonly reported among the participants who represented the full COVID-19 curfew period and that changes in eating habits and decreased physical activity led to weight gain.


Author(s):  
Sibel Karakaya ◽  
Merve Eda Eker ◽  
Sedef Nehir El ◽  
Beste Özsezen

This study aimed to investigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on eating habits, and lifestyles including sleeping and smoking habits, and physical activity of the Turkish population aged >15 years using a web-survey. The survey was conducted from the 5th of August to the 4th of October 2020 by using an online platform and disseminated through institutional and private social networks (Facebook and WhatsApp) and institutional mailing lists. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information, anthropometric data, changes in dietary habits, and changes in lifestyle habits. The total number of participants was 1020 in the study and 71.1% of them are female, and 80% of the participants were in the 20-59 age range. More than half of the participants (67.42%) declared that their eating habits and lifestyles changed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of the participants (63%) declared that there is no special food that can improve their immunity against the Covid-19. Contrary to them, most of those who added certain foods to their diets or increased the consumption of certain foods to improve the immunity (39.8%), declared that they got that information from social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp. In particular smoking habits did not change and sleep hours increased during the Covid-19 period. Concerning physical activity, no significant difference was found between the percentage of people before and during the Covid-19 period.


Nutrients ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 331
Author(s):  
Bogna Gryszczyńska ◽  
Magdalena Budzyń ◽  
Joanna Grupińska ◽  
Magdalena Paulina Kasprzak ◽  
Agnieszka Gryszczyńska

The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, including social isolation, movement restrictions and work instability have altered many people’s nutritional behaviors and daily lifestyle. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on selected eating habits, physical activity and daily lifestyle changes of Polish adults (n = 145). The self-designed and anonymous questionnaire was available online from the 1 May 2021 to the 15 May 2021. In general, 60% of respondents declared that the COVID-19 pandemic did not affect their dietary habits, whereas 26% of surveyed individuals answered in the affirmative. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on changing dietary habits was differentiated by age (Pearson’s χ2 = 12.604; p = 0.0134). The number of meals consumed by respondents per day differed across gender groups (Pearson’s χ2 = 9.653; df = 4; p = 0.0466). An increase in body weight during the COVID-19 pandemic was reported by 43% of women and 7.6% of surveyed men. Additionally, hybrid working women declared most often an increase in body mass independent of age, education level and living place. Moreover, the majority of respondents who reported the effect of the pandemic on changing dietary habits also declared more frequent sweets consumption. The study revealed that respondents who stated more frequent sweets consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely associated with an increase in body mass (OR = 6.75, 95% CI, 6.75–91.25). No increase in the consumption of vitamin D, C and Mg supplements and pickled products was found.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar G. Enriquez-Martinez ◽  
Marcia C. T. Martins ◽  
Taisa S. S. Pereira ◽  
Sandaly O. S. Pacheco ◽  
Fabio J. Pacheco ◽  
...  

This study aimed to evaluate changes in dietary and lifestyle habits during the period of confinement due to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ibero-American countries. A cross-sectional investigation was conducted with 6,325 participants of both genders (68% women), over 18 years of age and from five countries: Brazil (N = 2,171), Argentina (N = 1,111), Peru (N = 1,174), Mexico (N = 686), and Spain (N = 1,183). Data were collected during the year 2020, between April 01 and June 30 in Spain and between July 13 and September 26, in the other countries studied using a self-administered online survey designed for the assessment of sociodemographic, employment, physical activity, health status, and dietary habits changes. Most participants (61.6%), mainly those from Spain, remained constant, without improving or worsening their pattern of food consumption. Among those who changed, a pattern of better eating choices prevailed (22.7%) in comparison with those who changed toward less healthy choices (15.7%). Argentina and Brazil showed the highest proportion of changes toward a healthier pattern of food consumption. Peruvians and Mexicans were less likely to make healthy changes in food consumption (OR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.4–0.6 and OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.4–0.8, respectively), when compared to Argentinians. Most respondents did not change their pattern of meal consumption, but those who did reduced their consumption of main meals and increased intake of small meals and snacks. Although most participants affirmed to be doing physical activity at home, about one-half reported perception of weight gain. Individuals with alterations in sleep pattern (either by increasing or decreasing sleep time) were more likely to change their diets to a healthier pattern. In contrast, individuals with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and those who reported feeling anxious were more likely to perform changes to a less healthy eating pattern (OR: 1.72; 95% CI: 1.2–2.3 and OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.1–1.4, respectively). In conclusion, although most participants remained constant in their eating habits, lifestyle changes and anxiety feelings were reported. Among those who changed patterns of food consumption, healthier choices prevailed, with differences between countries. However, there were alterations in the distribution of meals, with higher consumption of snacks and small meals. These results can be used to guide policies to prevent deleterious consequences that may affect the incidence of chronic diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 2015-18
Author(s):  
Asif Mumtaz Sukhera ◽  
Rukhsana Roshan ◽  
Sadia Sajjad ◽  
Sarah Tanvir ◽  
Syed Fawad Mashhadi

Objective: To compare the nutritional status of doctors and non-doctors in relation to their eating habits and physical activity Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital/Military Hospital Rawalpindi, from Sep 2018 to Mar 2019. Methodology: Anthropometric measurements like weight for age, height for age, weight according to height along with BMI were used as indicators of nutritional status. Data collection tool was built upon food frequency questionnaire and comprised of sociodemographic variables followed by major portions related to general health of respondents, nutritional assessment, dietary patterns and physical activity. Results: Out of 200 respondents, 100 were physicians working in services hospitals of Army while rest hundred were serving officers non-doctors of similar social status. Mean age of the participants was 35.00 ± 7.57 years. There was no significant difference between self-perceived health status of both groups (p>0.05). Dietary habits of physicians were significantly healthy as compared to their counterparts (p=0.01) while physical activity patterns were better amongst non-doctors (p=0.001). Physicians had unhealthy dietary habits, but intake was bit less and cautious as compared to their counterpart group. Conclusion: Doctors have better dietary patterns, but worse physical activity practices as compared to individuals with similar social strata. Risk factors and nutritional indicators were not different for both groups.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3314
Author(s):  
Leila Cheikh Ismail ◽  
Tareq M. Osaili ◽  
Maysm N. Mohamad ◽  
Amina Al Marzouqi ◽  
Amjad H. Jarrar ◽  
...  

The coronavirus disease is still spreading in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with subsequent lockdowns and social distancing measures being enforced by the government. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the lockdown on eating habits and lifestyle behaviors among residents of the UAE. A cross-sectional study among adults in the UAE was conducted using an online questionnaire between April and May 2020. A total of 1012 subjects participated in the study. During the pandemic, 31% reported weight gain and 72.2% had less than eight cups of water per day. Furthermore, the dietary habits of the participants were distanced from the Mediterranean diet principles and closer to “unhealthy” dietary patterns. Moreover, 38.5% did not engage in physical activity and 36.2% spent over five hours per day on screens for entertainment. A significantly higher percentage of participants reported physical exhaustion, emotional exhaustion, irritability, and tension “all the time” during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic (p < 0.001). Sleep disturbances were prevalent among 60.8% of the participants during the pandemic. Although lockdowns are an important safety measure to protect public health, results indicate that they might cause a variety of lifestyle changes, physical inactivity, and psychological problems among adults in the UAE.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Cheikh Ismail ◽  
Mona Hashim ◽  
Maysm N. Mohamad ◽  
Hussein Hassan ◽  
Abir Ajab ◽  
...  

This study aimed to examine the impact of quarantine on eating habits and lifestyle behaviors among the Lebanese adult population. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire designed on Google Forms between 3 June and 28 June 2020. The survey questions were adapted from the Short Food Frequency Questionnaire, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form, and the second version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. A total of 2,507 adults completed the questionnaire. During the lockdown, 32.8% claimed weight gain, 44.7% did not eat fruits daily, 35.3% did not eat vegetables on daily basis, and 72.9% reported drinking less than eight cups of water per day. Moreover, there was a significant increase in the number of meals consumed per day, consumption of homemade meals, sedentary time, stress, and sleeping disturbances during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic (all p &lt; 0.001). However, there was a significant decrease in physical activity engagement, sleep quality, and energy level during the lockdown compared to before the pandemic (all p &lt; 0.001). The study highlights that the COVID-19 lockdown was associated with unfavorable changes in dietary habits and lifestyle behaviors in Lebanon. Sleep and mental health were also negatively impacted by the pandemic.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 4256
Author(s):  
Sophia Eugenia Martínez-Vázquez ◽  
Marena Ceballos-Rasgado ◽  
Rafael Posada-Velázquez ◽  
Claudia Hunot-Alexander ◽  
Edna Judith Nava-González ◽  
...  

Perceived changes in diet quality, emotional eating, physical activity, and lifestyle were evaluated in a group of Mexican adults before and during COVID-19 confinement. In this study, 8289 adults answered an online questionnaire between April and May 2020. Data about sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported weight and height, diet quality, emotional eating, physical activity, and lifestyle changes were collected. Before and after confinement, differences by sociodemographic characteristics were assessed with Wilcoxon, Anova, and linear regression analyses. Most participants were women (80%) between 18 and 38 years old (70%), with a low degree of marginalisation (82.8%) and a high educational level (84.2%); 53.1% had a normal weight and 31.4% were overweight. Half (46.8%) of the participants perceived a change in the quality of their diet. The Diet Quality Index (DQI) was higher during confinement (it improved by 3 points) in all groups, regardless of education level, marginalisation level, or place of residence (p < 0.001). Lifestyle changes were present among some of the participants, 6.1% stopped smoking, 12.1% stopped consuming alcohol, 53.3% sleep later, 9% became more sedentary, and increased their screen (43%) as well as sitting and lying down time (81.6%). Mexicans with Internet access staying at home during COVID-19 confinement perceived positive changes in the quality of their diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption, but negative changes in the level of physical activity and sleep quality. These results emphasise the relevance of encouraging healthy lifestyle behaviours during and after times of crisis to prevent the risk of complications due to infectious and chronic diseases.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Di Renzo ◽  
Paola Gualtieri ◽  
Francesca Pivari ◽  
Laura Soldati ◽  
Alda Attinà ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: On December 12, 2019 a new coronavirus (SARS-Cov2) emerged in Wuhan, China, sparking a pandemic of acute respiratory syndrome in humans (COVID-19). At 24th of April 2020, the number of COVID-19 deaths in the world, according to the COVID-Case Tracker by Johns Hopkins University, was 195,313 and the number of Covid-19 confirmed cases was 2,783,512. The COVID-19 pandemic represents a massive impact on human health, causing sudden lifestyle changes, through social distancing and isolation at home, with social and economic consequences. Optimizing public health during this pandemic requires not only knowledge from the medical and biological sciences, but also of all human sciences related to lifestyle, social and behavioural studies, including dietary habits and lifestyle. Methods: Our study aimed to investigate the immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating habits and lifestyle changes among Italian population aged ≥12 years. The study instrument comprised a structured questionnaire packet that inquired demographic information (age, gender, place of residence, current employment); anthropometrics data (reported weight and height); dietary habits information (Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, daily intake of certain foods, food frequency, number of meals/day); lifestyle habits information (grocery shopping, smoke habit, sleep quality and physical activity). The survey was conducted from 5th to 24th of April 2020. Results: the perception of weight gain was observed in 48.6% of the population; 3.3% of smokers decided to quit smoking; a slight increased physical activity has been reported, especially for bodyweight training, in 38.3% of respondents; the population group aged 18-30 years resulted to have a higher adherence to the Mediterranean Diet when compared to the youngers and the olders (p=0.000; p=0.000); 15% of respondents turned to farmers or organic purchasing groups for fruit and vegetables, especially in North and Center Italy, where BMI values were lower. Conclusions: In the present study, we provided for the first time data on the Italian population lifestyle, eating habits and adherence to the Mediterranean Diet pattern during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, our data need to be confirmed and investigated in future larger population studies.


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