Effect of COVID-19 outbreak on the diet, body weight and food security status of students of higher education: a systematic review

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted college students’ lifestyles and placed them at a greater risk of obesity and food insecurity. The purpose of the systematic review was to consolidate evidence for the effect of Covid-19 on students’ dietary quality, dietary habits, body weight, and food security status. A comprehensive literature search was conducted utilizing various databases including Google Scholar, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Embase, and Scopus to identify relevant studies. To be incorporated in this review, studies had to include higher education students, measure the prevalence of food insecurity, and assess the dietary and body weight changes during the Covid-19 pandemic. The studies showed that the diet quality of college students was compromised during the pandemic in many nations due to the decrease in the intake of whole grains, dairy products, legumes, nuts, fruits, and vegetables and the increase in consumption of alcohol, confectionery products, and refined grains. There was an increase in the frequency of cooking, binge eating, breakfast skipping, and unhealthy snacking. These modifications, in return, were associated with body weight changes, with no less than 20 to 30 % of students gaining weight during the pandemic. The pandemic also impacted food security status of students, with over 30% being food insecure worldwide. The Covid-19 outbreak has exacerbated the students’ diet quality and dietary habits and placed them under high risk of weight gain and food insecurity. Higher education institutions and governments should improve students’ access to nutritious foods and incorporate nutrition education interventions in the curricula.

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthy Components of Diet and Factors Associated with Unfavorable Changes among University Students in France

“…Factors associated with those unfavorable changes included: science curricula, not living with parents, having been infected by COVID-19, financial resources, food insecurity, depression, academic stress and eating disorders. A systematic review of studies performed in November 2020 showed that the diet quality of college students was compromised during the pandemic due to the decrease in the intake of healthy food [8]. The principal goal of the lockdown was to reduce the transmission of the virus by limiting social interactions, but a lack of social support can negatively affect student mental health [27].…”

“…Student were particularly impacted by the Nutrients 2022, 14, 3862 2 of 9 crisis and the restrictive measures of the lockdowns [6]. Some students had to face a loss of their main source of income and suffer financial insecurity leading to food insecurity [7,8]. Poorer dietary outcomes were found in university students with food insecurity compared with food-secure students in the few studies performed before the COVID-19 pandemic [9].…”

Financial and Other Life Stressors, Psychological Distress, and Food and Beverage Consumption among Students Attending a Large California State University during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic undeniably disrupted the lives of college students around the globe. The advent of this historic event and its prolonged progression has taken a significant toll on both the psychology and the behavioral health of youth and young adults, manifesting, frequently, as increases in poor dietary and other lifestyle choices [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. These choices include unhealthy behaviors such as excess alcohol consumption [ 4 , 5 , 6 ], frequent binge eating [ 7 , 8 ], and the overconsumption of ultra-processed foods [ 9 ].…”