Association between Lifestyle Changes and at-Home Hours during and after the State of Emergency Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan

Abstract

Lifestyle changes during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown have been previously examined, but there is limited understanding about changes after such restrictions were lifted. This study examines changes in lifestyle habits and body weight among the Japanese population with regard to the length of at-home hours both during (April to May) and after (September) the nationwide stay-at-home request compared to those before the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2020). An online survey was conducted in September 2020 involving 10,000 Japanese survey monitors, selected according to population distribution. During the stay-at-home request, 34% participants extended their at-home hours. More respondents in the group with extended at-home hours experienced an increase or decrease in total physical activity, snacking, food intake, alcohol drinking, and body weight than those in the group with nonextended at-home hours. Some of these changes had a trend according to age. The prevalence of most of these changes decreased when at-home hours returned to normal after the stay-at-home request period; however, increased alcohol consumption and increased or decreased body weight persisted. Our findings suggest that close monitoring for further health outcomes and age-appropriate measures to encourage favorable health behaviors is needed.

Association of Lifestyle Changes Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic with Nutrient Intake and Physical Activity Levels during Pregnancy in Japan

“…In our study, only 15.4% of primiparas and 20.3% of multiparas changed their lifestyle due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The proportions were lower than expected based on previous studies [2,6,26]. One possible reason for this is that perhaps the number of patients with COVID-19 was not high during the investigation period in our survey area.…”

Binge drinking in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic: Prevalence, correlates and association with preventive behaviors

“…For example, there is some evidence that the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may have been greater on young and middle-aged Japanese adults compared to their older counterparts ( Ueda et al, 2020 , Yamamoto et al, 2020 ), possibly arising, in part, from disruptions and complications to education, work and social life ( Ueda et al, 2020 , Yamamoto et al, 2020 ). Increased alcohol consumption may have been one response to this, with a study showing that for some Japanese individuals an increase in alcohol use that occurred in the early ‘stay-at home’ phase of the pandemic, persisted across 2020 ─ especially among those that were relatively young ( Nishijima et al, 2021 ). Conversely, because after work drinking with co-workers is common in Japan ( Higuchi et al, 2007 ), the introduction of homeworking/teleworking in conjunction with reductions in the opening hours of bars/restaurants may have resulted in lower rates of BD ─ especially if it impacted on the nomihodai system – that allows fixed price drinking of different beverages over several hours, which has been linked to BD in Japanese college students ( Kawaida et al, 2018a ).…”

Impact of Preventive Measures on Subjective Symptoms and Antigen Sensitization against Japanese Cedar, Cypress Pollen and House Dust Mites in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis: A Retrospective Analysis in the COVID-19 Era

“…Another possibility is that the individuals in these generations tend to be more amenable to social infection-avoidance behaviors such as remote indoor working and restrictions on outdoor activities as well as mask-wearing and hand-washing [20]. In any case, the importance of determining the reason(s) for the age-group differences should be acknowledged, as the possible relationship between lifestyle habits and associated exposure routes might have non-negligible effects on the present outcomes worldwide.…”