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Background The COVID-19 pandemic has brought drastic changes to the lives of the global population. The restrictions imposed by government agencies impacted the daily lives of citizens, influencing several health behaviors, such as physical activity (PA). Thus, the present study aimed to assess the prevalence of physical inactivity (PI) and its associated factors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A population-based household seroepidemiological survey was conducted in two Brazilian municipalities located in the state of Minas Gerais, in which 1750 volunteers were interviewed between October and December 2020. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a structured questionnaire in an electronic format. The moments considered for the PI analysis were M0 (before the pandemic), M1 (from March to July 2020), and M2 (from October to December 2020). Descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine the factors associated with PI before (M0) and during the pandemic (M1 and M2). Results The prevalence of PI was higher in the first months of the pandemic (M1) (67.3%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 62.4–71.9) than in the months from October to December 2020 (M2) (58.7%; 95% CI: 52.8–64.3); however, at both times (M1 and M2), PI was more prevalent than in the period before the pandemic started (M0) (39.7%; 95% CI: 35.6–43.8). Individuals who were overweight, obese, and had low educational levels were more likely to be physically inactive. At both M1 and M2, individuals who worked at a work from home were less likely to have PI. Conclusions The results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively influenced PA, substantially increasing the prevalence of PI. The determinants associated with PI were education, body mass index, and work from home.

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Objective: Investigate whether the combined consumption of fresh/minimally processed and ultra-processed food is associated with food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Cross-sectional observational study was derived from a survey using a population-based search of a complex sample. Food insecurity was assessed using the validated Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Food consumption was assessed using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire and the NOVA classification for fresh/minimally processed food and ultra-processed food. A scoring system was used to evaluate combined food consumption according to the extent and purpose of processing, considering the weekly consumption of the two groups (according to the NOVA classification). Higher punctuation reflects worse diet quality (higher consumption of ultra-processed foods and lower consumption of fresh/minimally processed foods). A theoretical causality model was constructed using a directed acyclic graph, and multivariate analysis was performed using Poisson regression to test the association between food insecurity and food consumption. Setting: Ouro Preto and Mariana, Brazil, between October and December 2020. Participants: An epidemiological household survey was conducted with 1,753 individuals selected through a stratified and clustered sampling design in three stages. Results: Those with food consumption scores in the fourth quartile had a 60% higher prevalence ratio (PR) for food insecurity (RP: 1.60 and 95%IC: 1.06 - 2.40). Also, the increased consumption of fresh/minimally processed foods and low consumption of ultra-processed foods presented a 45% lower prevalence ratio of food insecurity (RP: 0.55 and 95%IC: 0.40 – 0.80). Conclusion: These results indicate an inverse association between food insecurity and diet quality.