Changes in Physical Activity Levels and Eating Behaviours during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Sociodemographic Analysis in University Students

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools and universities to shift their activities online, influencing the adoption of health-related behaviours such as physical activity and healthy dietary habits. The present study investigates the changes in adherence to a healthy diet and regular physical activity in university students in Italy before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and understands the role of sociodemographic variables in creating the changes above. We conducted a repeated cross-sectional survey performing the same sampling strategy at the first data collection (T0) and second data collection (T1) with a combination of convenience and snowball sampling approaches. The sample is composed of a total of 2001 students, 60.2% women and 39.8% men, with an average age of 22.7 (±5.5 SD). At T1, 39.9% of the students reported regular physical activity. During the pandemic, however, many, especially male students, abandoned or reduced physical activity practice (T1 40%), with an increase in social media use (T0 52.1%; T1 90%). A direct association between very low frequency of physical activity and increased sedentary time (r = 0.2, p = 0.001) and between change in dietary style and increased Body Mass Index (BMI) value (r = 0.3, p = 0.002) was found. The multivariate analysis for the total sample showed that some sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, parents’ level of education, area of study, household type, and perception of one’s body influence eating behaviours and physical activity. Our findings suggest that universities should invest in the protection and promotion of the health of their students with specific awareness programmes, and further research should repeat the survey in the post-lockdown period to investigate the long-term effects on health-related behaviours.

Psychometric properties and measurement invariance across gender of the Italian version of the tempest self-regulation questionnaire for eating adapted for young adults

“…As reported by several studies, self-control over eating can be particularly weak at times of increased psychological tension and distress, including collective distress, as may have occurred during the current pandemic, where social constraints have also often reinforced sedentary lifestyles in young adults, fostering unregulated and compensatory eating behaviors ( Diotaiuti et al, 2021b ; Cavicchiolo et al, 2022 ; Ferrara et al, 2022 ; Galli et al, 2022 ), and even addictive practices ( Petruccelli et al, 2014 ; Avena et al, 2021 ; Lim, 2021 ; Diotaiuti et al, 2022 ).…”

Autonomic Function Recovery in Post-Covid-19 Young Adults After Immunization: An Observational Follow up Case-control Study

“…(44), in which PA was significantly reduced in young adults during the pandemic. Studies have also found that young adults did not return to pre-pandemic PA levels, which was characterized by a combination of increased sedentary activity and a lower frequency of PA bouts (45). By the time of the follow-up assessment, both CT and PCOV increased moderate PA levels to satisfy CDC PA standards where CT presented with a median of 33.72 min/day (236.04 min/wk) of moderate PA and PCOV increased to a median of 27.86 min/day (195.02 min/wk) of moderate PA.…”

Analysis of the motivational processes involved in university physical activity

“…According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2022 chronic diseases will account for 71% of the total number of deaths per year, with the percentage increasing in recent years in countries with fewer economic resources. Evidence suggests that chronic diseases are one of the greatest challenges facing health systems worldwide and they are strongly associated with several modifiable risk factors, notably physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyles and poor lifestyle habits ( Anderson and Durstine, 2019 ; Ferrara et al, 2022 ).…”