Health Behaviors at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-61
Author(s):  
Raven H. Weaver ◽  
Alexandra Jackson ◽  
Jane Lanigan ◽  
Thomas G. Power ◽  
Alana Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Modifiable Factors

Objectives: We examined perceived behavior change since implementation of physical distancing restrictions and identified modifiable (self-rated health, resilience, depressive symptoms, social support and subjective wellbeing) and non-modifiable (demographics) risk/protective factors. Methods: A representative US sample (N = 362) completed an online survey about potential risk/protective factors and health behaviors prior to the pandemic and after implemented/recommended restrictions. We assessed change in perceived health behaviors prior to and following introduction of COVID-19. We conducted hierarchical linear regression to explore and identify risk/protective factors related to physical activity, diet quality, and social isolation. Results: There have been substantial decreases in physical activity and increases in sedentary behavior and social isolation, but no changes in diet quality since COVID-19. We identified modifiable and non-modifiable factors associated with each health behavior. Conclusions: Negative effects indicate the need for universal intervention to promote health behaviors. Inequalities in health behaviors among vulnerable populations may be exacerbated since COVID-19, suggesting need for targeted invention. Social support may be a mechanism to promote health behaviors. We suggest scaling out effective health behavior interventions with the same intensity in which physical distancing recommendations were implemented.

scholarly journals Student health behavior and academic performance

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11107
Author(s):  
Peter R. Reuter ◽  
Bridget L. Forster
Keyword(s):  
Health Behavior ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Hours

Objective To explore the association between health behaviors and habits of university students and academic achievement. Participants Six hundred fourteen undergraduate students at a state university in the United States. Methods Students were invited over a 2-year period to participate in an anonymous online survey that asked questions concerning a wide range of health behaviors and habits; participants were asked to report their current grade point average (GPA). Standard Least Squares Models were used to examine differences in self-reported GPA across the different health behaviors and habits, with individuals as replicates. Results The study found positive associations between breakfast consumption, physical activity, and strength training and self-reported GPA, and negative associations between the hours of sleep per night, hours worked per week, fast food and energy drinks consumption, and use of marijuana, alcohol and electronic vaping products. Conclusions While there is an association for some of the studied health behaviors and habits with self-reported GPA, the effect sizes for these health behaviors were low. The significant effect of vaping on GPA as well as the increased use reported in this study indicates that the topic should be explored further. Furthermore, students should be educated on the potential positive and negative effects of health behavior choices to help them make better choices.

scholarly journals How is the COVID-19 lockdown impacting the mental health of parents of school-age children in the UK? A cross-sectional online survey

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e043397
Author(s):  
Austen El-Osta ◽  
Aos Alaa ◽  
Iman Webber ◽  
Eva Riboli Sasco ◽  
Emmanouil Bagkeris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

ObjectiveInvestigate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on feelings of loneliness and social isolation in parents of school-age children.DesignCross-sectional online survey of parents of primary and secondary school-age children.SettingCommunity setting.Participants1214 parents of school-age children in the UK.MethodsAn online survey explored the impact of lockdown on the mental health of parents with school-age children, and in particular about feelings of social isolation and loneliness. Associations between the UCLA Three-Item Loneliness Scale (UCLATILS), the Direct Measure of Loneliness (DMOL) and the characteristics of the study participants were assessed using ordinal logistic regression models.Main outcome measuresSelf-reported measures of social isolation and loneliness using UCLATILS and DMOL.ResultsHalf of respondents felt they lacked companionship, 45% had feelings of being left out, 58% felt isolated and 46% felt lonely during the first 100 days of lockdown. The factors that were associated with higher levels of loneliness on UCLATILS were female gender, parenting a child with special needs, lack of a dedicated space for distance learning, disruption of sleep patterns and low levels of physical activity during the lockdown. Factors associated with a higher DMOL were female gender, single parenting, parenting a child with special needs, unemployment, low physical activity, lack of a dedicated study space and disruption of sleep patterns during the lockdown.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 lockdown has increased feelings of social isolation and loneliness among parents of school-age children. The sustained adoption of two modifiable health-seeking lifestyle behaviours (increased levels of physical activity and the maintenance of good sleep hygiene practices) wmay help reduce feelings of social isolation and loneliness during lockdown.

scholarly journals Can Health-Promoting Schools Contribute to Better Health Behaviors? Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Dietary Habits among Israeli Adolescents

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1183
Author(s):  
Hila Beck ◽  
Riki Tesler ◽  
Sharon Barak ◽  
Daniel Sender Moran ◽  
Adilson Marques ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Time Behavior ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
The Mean

Schools with health-promoting school (HPS) frameworks are actively committed to enhancing healthy lifestyles. This study explored the contribution of school participation in HPS on students’ health behaviors, namely, physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, and dieting. Data from the 2018/2019 Health Behavior in School-aged Children study on Israeli adolescents aged 11–17 years were used. Schools were selected from a sample of HPSs and non-HPSs. Between-group differences and predictions of health behavior were analyzed. No between-group differences were observed in mean number of days/week with at least 60 min of PA (HPS: 3.84 ± 2.19 days/week, 95% confidence interval of the mean = 3.02–3.34; non-HPS: 3.93 ± 2.17 days/week, 95% confidence interval of the mean = 3.13–3.38). Most children engaged in screen time behavior for >2 h/day (HPS: 60.83%; non-HPS: 63.91%). The odds of being on a diet were higher among more active children (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20), higher socio-economic status (OR = 1.23), and female (OR = 2.29). HPS did not predict any health behavior. These findings suggest that HPSs did not contribute to health behaviors more than non-HPSs. Therefore, health-promoting activities in HPSs need to be improved in order to justify their recognition as members of the HPS network and to fulfill their mission.

scholarly journals Utilizing Participatory Research to Engage Underserved Populations to Improve Health-Related Outcomes in Delaware

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 2353
Author(s):  
Shannon M. Robson ◽  
Samantha M. Rex ◽  
Katie Greenawalt ◽  
P. Michael Peterson ◽  
Elizabeth Orsega-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Participatory Research ◽  
Cooperative Extension ◽  
Underserved Populations ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Outreach Program ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Improve Health

Cooperative Extension is a community outreach program. Despite its large reach, there is a need for the evaluation of changes in health-related outcomes for individuals engaged with Cooperative Extension. A team-based challenge was developed using community-engaged participatory research integrated with Cooperative Extension to encourage healthy eating and physical activity behaviors through Cooperative Extension programming. Thus, the primary purpose of this secondary analysis was to (1) evaluate changes in anthropometric outcomes and (2) evaluate changes in health behavior outcomes. Associations of anthropometric changes and health behavior changes with engagement in the three-month team-based challenge were explored. Anthropometrics were measured using standard procedures, and intake of fruits and vegetables and physical activity were self-reported. Of the 145 participants in the community-engaged participatory research portion of the study, 52.4% (n = 76) had complete anthropometrics before and after the team-based challenge and were included in this study. At 3 months, there was a significant reduction in body mass index (−0.3 kg/m2, p = 0.024) and no significant change in waist circumference (p = 0.781). Fruit and vegetable intake significantly increased (+0.44 servings/day, p = 0.018). Physical activity did not significantly change based on (1) the number of days 30 or more minutes of physical activity was conducted (p = 0.765) and (2) Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire scores (p = 0.612). Changes in anthropometrics and health behaviors were not associated with engagement in the team-based challenge. Using community-engaged participatory research with community outreach programs, such as Cooperative Extension, can improve health-related outcomes in underserved populations. However, despite a participatory approach, changes in anthropometrics and health behaviors were not associated with engagement in the developed team-based challenge.

scholarly journals 660 Chronotype Associations with Insomnia, Depressive Symptoms, and Changes in Sleep and Health Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A258-A258
Author(s):  
Megan Petrov ◽  
Matthew Buman ◽  
Dana Epstein ◽  
Shawn Youngstedt ◽  
Nicole Hoffmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Time In Bed ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Introduction Evening chronotype (i.e., night owl preference) is associated with worse insomnia and depressive symptoms, and poorer health behaviors. The aim of this study was to examine the association between chronotype and these symptoms and health behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic quarantine. Methods An online survey, distributed internationally via social media from 5/21/2020–7/1/2020, asked adults to report sociodemographic/economic information, changes in sleep (midpoint, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, time-in-bed), and health behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sedentary screen time, and outdoor light exposure patterns) from prior to during the pandemic, chronotype preference (definitely morning [DM], rather more morning [RM], rather more evening [RE], or definitely evening [DE]), and complete the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D-10). Multinomial logistic regression and ANCOVA models, adjusting for age and sex, examined associations of chronotype with COVID-19 pandemic related impacts on sleep, depressive symptoms, and health behaviors. Results A subsample of 579 participants (M age: 39y, range: 18–80; 73.6% female), currently under quarantine and neither pregnant nor performing shift work, represented each chronotype evenly (~25%). Participants delayed their sleep midpoint by 72.0min (SD=111.5) during the pandemic. DE chronotypes had a greater delay than morning types (M±SD DE: 91.0±9.0 vs. RM: 55.9±9.2 & DM: 66.1±9.3; p=0.046) with no significant change in other sleep patterns relative to other chronotypes. However, DE and RE chronotypes had greater odds of reporting that their new sleep/wake schedule was still not consistent with their “body clock” preference relative to morning types (Χ2[15]=54.8, p<0.001), reported greater ISI (F[3,503]=5.3, p=.001) and CES-D-10 scores (F[3,492]=7.9, p<.001), and had greater odds for increased or consistently moderate-to-high sedentary screen time (Χ2[12]=22.7, p=0.03) and decreased physical activity (Χ2[12]=22.5, p=0.03) than DM chronotype. There was no significant difference in change in outdoor light exposure by chronotype (Χ2[12]=12.1, p=0.43). Conclusion In an international online sample of adults under COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, evening chronotypes, despite taking the opportunity to delay sleep to match biological clock preference, reported their sleep/wake schedules were still inconsistent with personal preference, and reported greater insomnia and depressive symptoms, and odds of engaging in poorer health behaviors than morning chronotypes. Support (if any):

Abstract 04: Racial Disparities in Cardiovascular Health Behaviors are Partially Explained by Socioeconomic, Psychosocial and Environmental Factors: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Circulation ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 135 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kara M Whitaker ◽  
David R Jacobs ◽  
Kiarri N Kershaw ◽  
John N Booth ◽  
David C Goff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Socioeconomic Factors ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Race Difference ◽  
Explanatory Role

Introduction: There are known racial differences in cardiovascular health behaviors, including smoking, physical activity, and diet quality. A better understanding of factors that explain these differences may suggest novel intervention targets for reducing disparities in cardiovascular disease. Objective: To examine whether socioeconomic, psychosocial and environmental factors mediate racial differences in health behaviors. Methods: We studied 3,028 Black or White CARDIA participants who were enrolled at age 18-30 years in 1985-86 and completed the 30 year follow-up visit in 2015-2016. Health behaviors included smoking (current, former ≤ 12 months, never smoker/quit >12 months), physical activity (inactive, active but not meeting guidelines, meeting guidelines), and a surrogate for healthy eating using fast food and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (frequency per week ≥ 2, some but < 2, none). Each behavior was assigned a value of 0 for poor, 1 for intermediate or 2 for ideal and summed to calculate an overall health behavior score for each participant (range 0-6). The race difference (β) in health behavior score was estimated using linear regression. Formal mediation analyses computed the proportion of the total effect of race on health behavior score explained by socioeconomic, psychosocial, and environmental factors (see Table footnote). Results: Blacks had a lower health behavior score than Whites in crude analyses (mean difference: -1.04, p<0.001). After adjustment for sex, age and field center, socioeconomic factors mediated 50.5% of the association between race and the health behavior score, psychosocial factors 26.8% and environmental factors 9.0% (p<0.05 for all). Joint associations mediated 58.1% of the race-health behavior score association. Conclusions: Observed racial differences in the health behavior score are predominately mediated by socioeconomic factors, which appear to play a stronger explanatory role than psychosocial and environmental factors.

scholarly journals Associations among Physical Activity, Diet, and Obesity Measures Change during Adolescence

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne H. Maier ◽  
Ronald Barry
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Composition ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Blood Institute ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Juvenile Obesity ◽  
Positive Correlations

Background. Obesity in youth is highly prevalent. Physical activity and diet are influential in obesity development. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding links between activity and diet quality and their combined influence on obesity during adolescence.Objectives. We used five years of data from 2379 adolescent girls in the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study to evaluate the association between physical activity and diet quality during adolescence and to assess both as correlates of obesity.Design. Diet, activity, and body composition measures were evaluated pairwise for correlation. A canonical correlation analysis was used to evaluate relationships within and between variable groups. All statistics were examined for trends over time.Results. We found positive correlations between physical activity and diet quality that became stronger with age. Additionally we discovered an age-related decrease in association between obesity correlates and body composition.Conclusion. These results suggest that while health behaviors, like diet and activity, become more closely linked during growth, obesity becomes less influenced by health behaviors and other factors. This should motivate focus on juvenile obesity prevention capitalizing on the pliable framework for establishing healthy diet and physical activity patterns while impact on body composition is greatest.

Social movement involvement and healthy diet and activity behaviors among US adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 490-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A Emley ◽  
Dara R Musher-Eizenman
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Social Movement ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
Unhealthy Lifestyle ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
College Population ◽  
Intrinsic Motivators

Summary Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, namely poor diet and inadequate physical activity, significantly contribute to poor health and obesity risk, which in turn impact chronic illness outcomes. A possible approach to improving these health behaviors and subsequent outcomes is to capitalize on the theorized link between social movement involvement and overlapping health behaviors. Social movement involvement may be a viable stealth intervention for health, utilizing intrinsic motivators to improve health without an explicit focus on changing health behavior. Thus, the current study explored the links between social movement involvement and diet and physical activity. Two samples from a college population (N = 196) and the general population (N = 195) participated in an online survey, which included measures of social movement involvement, social movement-related health behaviors and dietary intake and physical activity. After controlling for known covariates, social movement-related health behaviors mediated the relationship between level of social movement involvement and fruit and vegetable consumption, whole grain intake and average daily physical activity in both samples. These findings suggest that health behaviors associated with social movement involvement may be an important mechanism in promoting health among social movement members and that the model holds across adult populations. This research adds to existing literature on stealth interventions as a viable means of improving important behavioral health components linked with obesity and chronic disease and supports social movement involvement as a potential form of stealth intervention.

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