Health behaviour change among UK adults during the pandemic: findings from the COVID-19 cancer attitudes and behaviours study

Abstract

Background COVID-19 related lockdowns may have affected engagement in health behaviours among the UK adult population. This prospective observational study assessed socio-demographic patterning in attempts to change and maintain a range of health behaviours and changes between two time points during the pandemic. Methods Adults aged 18 years and over (n = 4,978) were recruited using Dynata (an online market research platform) and the HealthWise Wales platform, supplemented through social media advertising. Online surveys were conducted in August/September 2020 when lockdown restrictions eased in the UK following the first major UK lockdown (survey phase 1) and in February/March 2021 during a further national lockdown (survey phase 2). Measures derived from the Cancer Awareness Measure included self-reported attempts to reduce alcohol consumption, increase fruit/vegetable consumption, increase physical activity, lose weight and reduce/stop smoking. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to assess individual health behaviour change attempts over time, adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, employment and education. Results Around half of participants in survey phase 1 reported trying to increase physical activity (n = 2607, 52.4%), increase fruit/vegetables (n = 2445, 49.1%) and lose weight (n = 2413, 48.5%), with 19.0% (n = 948) trying to reduce alcohol consumption among people who drink. Among the 738 participants who smoked, 51.5% (n = 380) were trying to reduce and 27.4% (n = 202) to stop smoking completely. Most behaviour change attempts were more common among women, younger adults and minority ethnic group participants. Efforts to reduce smoking (aOR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.82–1.17) and stop smoking (aOR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.80–1.20) did not differ significantly in phase 2 compared to phase 1. Similarly, changes over time in attempts to improve other health behaviours were not statistically significant: physical activity (aOR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.99–1.16); weight loss (aOR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.90–1.00); fruit/vegetable intake (aOR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.91–1.06) and alcohol use (aOR: 1.32, 95% CI: 0.92–1.91). Conclusion A substantial proportion of participants reported attempts to change health behaviours in the initial survey phase. However, the lack of change observed over time indicated that overall motivation to engage in healthy behaviours was sustained among the UK adult population, from a period shortly after the first lockdown toward the end of the second prolonged lockdown.

Parental Lifestyle Changes and Correlations with Children’s Dietary Changes during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Greece: The COV-EAT Study

“…Brown et al [ 34 ] showed that 79.6% of the study sample tried to lose weight, which was depicted as a “healthy or positive change”. Another UK study with a large sample of 4978 participants showed that nearly half of them (48.5%) tried to lose weight during lockdown [ 35 ].…”

Satisfaction with remote consultations in primary care during COVID-19: a population survey of UK adults

“… 19 Participants were invited to take part in the wider study between August and September 2020 (phase one) and again between February and March 2021 (phase two). 20 Two UK-based population samples were recruited to complete an online questionnaire in both phases. Recruitment for the two samples was carried out via HealthWise Wales (HWW; a register for potential research participants) and social media for the COVID-19 Cancer Attitudes and Behaviours Study (CABS), and Dynata (an online panel provider commissioned by Cancer Research UK [CRUK]) for the COVID-19 Cancer Awareness Measure (COVID-CAM) data.…”

“…Recruitment for the two samples was carried out via HealthWise Wales (HWW; a register for potential research participants) and social media for the COVID-19 Cancer Attitudes and Behaviours Study (CABS), and Dynata (an online panel provider commissioned by Cancer Research UK [CRUK]) for the COVID-19 Cancer Awareness Measure (COVID-CAM) data. 19 , 20 For the CABS sample, potentially under-represented groups were targeted by specific recruitment strategies. 19 For the COVID-CAM sample, quotas were placed on several characteristics to recruit a nationally representative and ethnically diverse sample.…”

“…Data for the present study were collected as part of a UK-based population survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (19). Participants were invited to take part in the wider study in August-September 2020 (phase one) and again in February-March 2021 (phase two) (20). Two UK-based population samples were recruited to complete an online questionnaire in both phases.…”

“…Two UK-based population samples were recruited to complete an online questionnaire in both phases. Recruitment for the two samples was through HealthWise Wales (HWW; a register for potential research participants) and social media for the COVID- (19,20). For the CABS sample, potentially under-represented groups were targeted by specific recruitment strategies (19).…”