The Impact of COVID‐19 Stay‐At‐Home Orders on Health Behaviors in Adults

Abstract

Objective Stay‐at‐home orders in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic have forced abrupt changes to daily routines. This study assessed lifestyle changes across different BMI classifications in response to the global pandemic. Methods The online survey targeting adults was distributed in April 2020 and collected information on dietary behaviors, physical activity, and mental health. All questions were presented as “before” and “since” the COVID‐19 pandemic. Results In total, 7,753 participants were included. The sample included 32.2% of individuals with normal weight, 32.1% overweight, and 34.0% had obesity. During the pandemic, overall scores for healthy eating increased (p<0.001), due to less eating out and increased cooking ( p <0.001). Sedentary leisure behaviors increased while time spent in physical activity (absolute time and intensity‐adjusted) declined (p<0.001). Anxiety scores increased 8.78±0.21 during the pandemic and the magnitude of increase was significantly greater in people with obesity (p≤0.01). Weight gain was reported in 27.5% of the total sample compared to 33.4% in participants with obesity. Conclusions The COVID‐19 pandemic produced significant health effects, well beyond the virus itself. Government mandates together with fear of contracting the virus have significantly impacted lifestyle behaviors alongside declines in mental health. These deleterious impacts have disproportionally affected individuals with obesity.

Piece of Cake: Coping with COVID-19

“…Indeed, greater perceived stress or more negative mood was associated with emotional eating and increased consumption of salty or sweet snacks. Poor food choices and increased snack consumption [ 70 ], especially when combined with reduced physical activity [ 11 ], can lead to weight gain, which was reported in a quarter of people sampled during the COVID-19 outbreak [ 13 ]. The indirect impact of COVID-19 includes shifts in food choices, which can be detrimental to overall health.…”

“…Our findings are consistent with numerous studies from Europe [ 7 , 34 , 35 , 36 ] and North America [ 3 , 6 , 64 ] indicating that during the COVID-19 outbreak increased feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress, and a worsened mental state was associated with emotional eating. Indeed, COVID-19 appeared to have a clear relationship to eating behaviors, particularly eating more snack-type foods [ 3 , 11 ]. In this regard, individuals who appraised their situation to be stressful or who experienced greater negative mood were more likely to consume both salty and sweet snacks.…”

“…Accordingly, in addition to coping with the immediate health threat of COVID-19, individuals also coped with abrupt lifestyle adjustments as a result of employment change, often leading to economic hardships, as well as home isolation [ 3 ]. These sudden lifestyle changes frequently manifested as psychosocial stressors with negative consequences for mental health [ 4 , 5 ], including increased reports of depression and anxiety during the first wave of COVID-19 transmission [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Importantly, the combination of lifestyle and psychosocial stressors can be detrimental for body weight management, which can influence metabolic syndrome and overall physical health [ 12 ].…”

“…Nearly one in four adults recruited through social media or paid advertisements reported gaining up to 10 pounds during the first wave of COVID-19 [ 13 ], and weight gain was more prevalent in individuals with obesity [ 11 ]. This is particularly significant as two in three adults in North America are overweight or have obesity [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], thus, a sustained period of weight gain during the pandemic could further aggravate metabolic syndrome [ 6 ].…”

Food Acquisition and Daily Life for U.S. Families with 4- to 8-Year-Old Children during COVID-19: Findings from a Nationally Representative Survey

“…Recently published survey data suggest that the early months of the pandemic brought changes in many energy-balance-related behaviors. In the initial months of the pandemic, there were reported increases in sedentary behavior and less time spent on physical activity for both adults and children [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. This was coupled with increased screen time and sleep for children [ 7 ] and increased levels of stress and anxiety for adults, particularly parents [ 4 , 8 , 10 ].…”