The lifestyle of Brazilian medical students: What changed and how it protected their emotional wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background and objectiveAdopting healthy lifestyle pillars promotes longer lives free from major chronic diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic imposed behavioural changes and psychological burdens. The aim of this study was to assess changes in medical students' six lifestyle pillars that were imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 548 Brazilian medical students' digitally collected demographic data and lifestyle characteristics from before and during the pandemic. ResultsThe pandemic had a neutral impact on sleep quality and a predominantly negative impact on interpersonal relationships, exercise and eating. Approximately 67.5% students decreased their tobacco and alcohol use. Spirituality was maintained at 66%. Those who reported having emotional wellbeing (27.9%) during the pandemic fulfilled a higher number of pre-pandemic lifestyle pillars (median [IQR]) when compared with those who reported an absence of wellbeing (4 [3-4] pillars, compared with 3 [2-4], P = 0.006). DiscussionThe results reinforce the importance of adhering to as many lifestyle pillars as possible to preserve emotional wellbeing during periods of stress such as those experienced during the pandemic.THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has grown exponentially worldwide since December 2019. 1 Brazil implemented social distancing on 13 March 2020, 2 which caused increasing distress and directly affected individuals' mental health, 3 work structures, lifestyles and interpersonal relationships. 2 The lifestyle medicine pillars are based on healthy eating, routine exercise, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, positive relationships and better sleep. 4 People who adopt healthy lifestyle pillars have a longer life expectancy, free from major chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, when compared with people who do not adopt healthy lifestyle pillars. [5][6][7][8] Spirituality helps individuals to develop a sense of purpose in life and has been shown to equip individuals with highly effective strategies for coping with stress. 9 Considering the pandemic's impact on health behaviours, people will likely change how they deal with each pillar.The aim of this study was to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic changed medical students' six lifestyle pillars and to investigate the effect that their previous lifestyles had on their emotional wellbeing during the social distancing period.The lifestyle of Brazilian medical students: What changed and how it protected their emotional wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic Research

Healthy lifestyle and common mental disorders (CMD) in the context of COVID-19

“…While analyzing the deficiency in the practice of "exercise" in the studied group, a similarity was observed in a study carried out with 548 medical students in Brazil, in which the pandemic had a negative impact on the practice of systematic physical exercise, healthy eating and interpersonal relationships (Kobbaz et al, 2021). In a review of the literature on physical activity and the pandemic, it was evidenced that physical inactivity was exacerbated by the restrictions imposed to control COVID-19 (Knight et al, 2021).…”

Assessment of the quality of life and mental health of healthcare students during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…It is known that regular physical activity is associated with a positive impact on QoL and mental health, reducing stress and depressive symptoms among university health sciences students (3,14) . With the imposition of lockdowns, a significant increase in sedentary behavior and physical inactivity was expected, which was observed in some studies (13,15) . However, the findings are not exclusive to this investigation, as the increase in physical activity in the early months of the pandemic was also observed in other research involving nursing and medical students (16) .…”

“…The prevalence of illicit substance use, alcohol, and tobacco is high among university health sciences students due to the pursuit of pleasure, social interaction needs, academic workload, and relief from anxiety and stress ( 12 ) . There are indications that in the initial phase of the pandemic, there was a decrease in the use of both legal and illegal drugs among these students, considering the influence of measures to contain the virus, such as social distancing and temporary interruption of academic activities ( 13 ) , leading many to return to living with parents and family rather than friends.…”

“…Prior to the pandemic, it was indicated that female students had a higher prevalence of mental disorders compared to male students, with evidence of poorer QoL, particularly in the psychological domain ( 28 ) . With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and its probable impacts, it is believed that female students may still have a higher prevalence of mental disorders and worse QoL, although longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis ( 13 ) . Students with chronic illnesses also have worse QoL, being more vulnerable to the development of severe mental disorders ( 29 ) .…”

Insights Into Mental Health, Lifestyle Patterns, and Academic Attitudes among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

“…A significant number 256(63.1%) had good food quality and 150(36.9%) had the average quality of food. This is vindicated by findings of the study conducted by Kobbaz TM and team, where more than half 55.4% had good quality eating while 44.5% had poor quality [23]. [25].…”