Changes in physical activity levels, eating habits and psychological well-being during the Italian COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: Impact of socio-demographic factors on the Florentine academic population

Abstract

The confinement and lockdown imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have produced restrictions in the lifestyle of Italian citizens with variations in their psychological well-being. The aim of the study was to identify changes and relationship with socio-demographic parameters. An online survey was administered to 1383 subjects (1007 females and 307 males) working in the University of Florence, Italy. Three validated questionnaires were used for the survey: the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Med Diet Score and the Psychological General Well-Being Index-A. All the subjects were asked to complete the questionnaires twice, in order to attain a picture of the habits before and a later time point during confinement. Our results show that work-related physical activity was decreased, along with an increase in sedentary behaviour (from 07:22±03:20 to 08:49±03:41 h:min; p<0.001, ES = 0.38), whereas recreational physical activity was increased (vigorous exercise varied from 568.5 ± 838.6 to 833.7 ± 1263.0 METs; p<0.002, ES = 0.25). Eating habits changed according to the place where meals were eaten, with an increased habit for breakfast and snacks and a slight increase in alcohol consumption. Psychological well-being decreased (Index from 21.4±3.9 to 18.0±5.3; p<0.001, ES = 0.723), especially in terms of vitality and positive thinking. The socio-demographic variables affecting these variations were mostly represented by age, gender and working conditions: young age and self-employment conditions can be considered factors for the changes in daily habits induced by confinement that may affect psychological well-being.

Impact of Working from Home on Cardiovascular Health: An Emerging Issue with the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic have also reported some changes in eating behaviors. Several surveys reported an increase in snack consumption [17][18][19][20][21] and weight gain [18,19] during lockdown. A large Japanese study including the data of 5929 participants, 27.8% of whom were working from home, reported that those who started working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic increased their intake of vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and snacks and the consumption of self-made meals [20].…”

“…This leads to challenges in balancing personal life and leisure activities with work, and often to multitasking. Deterioration in psychological well-being has been reported in some studies conducted during the COVID-19 lockdown [19,25,26], and working from home was found to be a predictor of depressive episodes or increased depressive symptoms [26]. A study that evaluated data from an online survey conducted during the pandemic found family conflict and social isolation to be associated with working-from-home stress [27].…”

“…Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19), emerged in late 2019 and has rapidly evolved into a worldwide pandemic [1]. The COVID-19 pandemic had a wide impact on daily life.…”

Changes in Dietary Patterns and Clinical Health Outcomes in Different Countries during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

“…Anxiety, fear, stress, or moments of boredom have encouraged over 40% of people in Italy to eat foods high in refined processed sugars and oils, leading to weight gain and possible side effects related to COVID-19 infection and disease severity [ 102 ]. However, these variations in the weekly frequency of food consumption did not alter the adherence score to the Mediterranean diet, which remained at medium-high values [ 103 ]. In this sense, Italians have been trained to transform their green spaces into food gardens, especially taking into account the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables.…”

An Italian Case Study for Assessing Nutrient Intake through Nutrition-Related Mobile Apps

“…It is a matter of fact that food consumption surveys are conducted to take a picture of the population’s food and beverage intake over a given time period and do not capture any changes in food habits that may occur in a short-term period due, for example, to a sudden adverse event, such as economic shocks or the current pandemic crisis. This is the reason why a large set of surveys on changes during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been carried out all over the world [ 16 , 17 , 18 ] and in Italy [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”