Changes of Exercise, Screen Time, Fast Food Consumption, Alcohol, and Cigarette Smoking during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Adults in the United States

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on multiple lifestyle changes among adults in the United States (USA). Methods: We conducted a survey, the Health, Ethnicity, and Pandemic (HEAP) Study, in October 2020 among USA adults. Participants were selected from the United States using 48 sampling strata, including age, race, ethnicity, education, and gender, and were asked to report five lifestyle behaviors (i.e., exercise time, screen time, fast-food meal consumption, alcohol drinking, and cigarette smoking) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The associations of sociodemographic factors with each lifestyle change were estimated using weighted multivariable logistic regression models. Results: All 2709 HEAP participants were included in this study. Compared to pre-pandemic, the time spent on exercise decreased (32.06 vs. 38.65 min/day; p < 0.001) and screen time increased (6.79 vs. 5.06 h/day; p < 0.001) during the pandemic. The percentage of individuals who reported consuming fast-food meals ≥3 times/week decreased from 37.7% before the pandemic to 33.3% during the pandemic. The percentage of heavy drinkers (≥5 times/week) increased from 20.9% before the pandemic to 25.7% during the pandemic. Among smokers, heavy smoking (≥11 cigarettes/day) increased from 5.8% before the pandemic to 7.9% during the pandemic. We also identified subgroups who were more vulnerable to adverse influences from the pandemic, including racial/ethnic minority groups and young adults. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic had negative impacts on multiple lifestyle behaviors among Americans. Mitigating such negative impacts of COVID-19 requires effective interventions, particularly for some vulnerable subgroups.

Restaurant dining during the COVID-19 pandemic among adults with low-income in the United States

“…Dube et al documented substantial reductions in restaurant dining in several countries (including Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, and the United Kingdom) due to various lockdown policies ( Dube, Nhamo, & Chikodzi, 2021 ). In the U.S., a study that examined fast-food consumption more broadly found that the percentage of adults who reported eating fast-food at least three times per week decreased from 37.7% to 33.3% during the beginning of COVID-19 ( Chen et al, 2021 ). It is noteworthy that while there were reductions in fast-food consumption relative to prior to the pandemic, overall rates were still high with over half of participants reporting fast-food consumption in the past week.…”

“…Additionally, while indoor dining in restaurants became restricted, other options such as drive-thru, takeout, and delivery from restaurants remained with some restaurants pivoting to more limited menus with the more popular and high-performing options. Some research has found reductions in frequent fast-food consumption (defined as 3 or more times per week) ( Chen et al, 2021 ). However, little is known about socioeconomically disadvantaged adults, particularly from racial/ethnic minority groups.…”

Alcohol Consumption and Smoking During Covid-19 Pandemic: Association with Sociodemographic, Behavioral, and Mental Health Characteristics

“…Other studies conducted amid the Covid-19 pandemic associated sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics with changes in alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking. In the United States, adults between 18 and 44 years old presented a higher prevalence of increase in alcohol consumption, and those with a higher income had a lower prevalence of cigarette smoking compared to less wealthy individuals [ 43 ]. In France, being between 18 and 34 years old was associated with increased alcohol and cigarette consumption [ 10 ], while in Brazil, individuals with lower educational levels had a higher increase in the frequency of cigarette smoking [ 32 ].…”

Comparison of Physical Fitness Profiles Obtained before and during COVID-19 Pandemic in Two Independent Large Samples of Children and Adolescents: DAFIS Project

“…The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the subsequent preventive actions to reduce the number of contagions (social distancing, lockdown, quarantines, lockout, etc.) modified the habits of the population [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ] and caused different physical, psychological, and social effects [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. In the childhood and youth population, which already exhibited physical activity values below the general recommendations ahead of the pandemic [ 26 , 27 ], these events and policies further reduced physical activity levels and increased sedentary behaviour [ 28 ].…”

“…Moreover, some extracurricular physical and sports practices were called off or limited during the first pandemic year, reducing even further the opportunities for physical exercise in children and adolescents [ 30 ]. In addition, dietary habits changed during this time, with generally increased intake and particularly higher consumption of ultra-processed products [ 14 , 19 , 31 ].…”