Changes in nutrition and lifestyle habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey and the effects of healthy eating attitudes

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Social isolation required by the pandemic has led to some changes in individuals’ eating and lifestyle habits. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the change in nutrition and lifestyle habits of Turkish people during the COVID-19 outbreak and investigate the effects of individuals’ attitudes to healthy eating on this change. METHOD: At the beginning of the pandemic, individuals over the age of 18 participated in this cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire. Demographic information (age, gender, education level, place of residence and occupation), anthropometric data (reported weight and height); nutritional behavior information (number of meals per day, changes in consumption of various foods, use of nutritional supplements, etc.) and changes in lifestyle habits were requested from the participations. In addition, the Healthy Nutrition Attitude Scale (ASHN) was used to determine the healthy eating attitudes of the participants. RESULTS: A total of 432 volunteers participated in the study. It was revealed that body weight increased in 38.0%of the participants and activity level decreased in 73.1%of them during the initial stage of the pandemic. Nevertheless, 44.7%of participants reported increased sleep time, 77.8%reported increased social media use, and 66.7%reported increased stress and anxiety. It was found that the most commonly used nutritional supplements during this period were vitamin C, vitamin D and multivitamin complex. Women have significantly higher ASHN scores compared to men (p < 0.001). The total ASHN scores of those whose body weight did not change and those who increased their activity level were found to be significantly higher. It was determined that as the age and education level increased, the healthy eating attitude increased. CONCLUSION: In this study, findings regarding the negative effects of the Covid 19 quarantine on the nutrition and lifestyle of the Turkish people are presented. However, those with a positive attitude toward healthy eating were observed to have better weight control and eating habits and stress management during the pandemic. Therefore, it is thought that the dissemination of healthy eating attitudes in society may contribute to the maintenance of physical and mental health in the event of a pandemic.

Assessment of dietary habits and use of nutritional supplements in COVID-19: A cross-sectional study

“…In the study where Galali (2020) [18] evaluated lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 process, 60% of the participants stated that they did not exercise during the pandemic period. In comparison to other studies, the pictures at the time of the lockdown are remarkably similar [5] , [17] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] . The World Health Organization's Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Guide (2020) recommend that adults perform 150-300 minutes of medium intensity or 75-150 minutes of high intensity or a combination of medium and high intensity aerobic physical activities weekly [27] .…”

“…The mean BMI of females (22.90±4.11 kg/m 2 ) is lower than that of males (24.32±4.53 kg/m 2 ). In a study conducted in Turkey during the pandemic process, the gender distribution of the participants and the body mass index averages by gender were similar [17] .…”

“…Ozenoglu et al (2021), it was stated that the number of meals did not change in 56.7% of the participants, and the number of meals in 37% of the participants decreased. [17] . In another study, 53.7% of individuals had 3 main meals before the COVID-19 epidemic, while this rate decreased to 33.7% after the epidemic.…”

“…Studies have shown that the consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and cereal products, which are the basis of the Mediterranean diet, increased during the pandemic process, while the consumption of unhealthy snacks such as bakery products (cakes, cookies, chocolate, candy, and pastry foods) and alcoholic beverages increased [5] , [17] , [20] , [21] , [24] , [25] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] . Opposite to other studies, in another study, it was determined that one-third of the participants did not consume fruit every day [26] , and in another study, the consumption of seafood and meat group foods, junk food, and the habit of eating out decreased [22] .…”

“…According to Macit's study, it was determined that a significant part of the participants (36.1%) started to use nutritional supplements and that vitamins C and D were consumed the most [5] . In other studies, the most commonly used nutritional supplements in the pandemic are vitamin C, multivitamin, B complex vitamins, vitamin D, iron, and zinc [17] , [24] , [28] . Along with these, 10.9 percent of people consume dietary supplements such as brewer's yeast, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics [29] .…”