Diet and physical activity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown (March–May 2020): results from the French NutriNet-Santé cohort study

Abstract

Background Since December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been spreading steadily, resulting in overwhelmed health-care systems and numerous deaths worldwide. To counter these outcomes, many countries, including France, put in place strict lockdown measures, requiring the temporary closure of all but essential places and causing an unprecedented disruption of daily life. Objectives Our objective was to explore potential changes in dietary intake, physical activity, body weight, and food supply during the COVID-19 lockdown and how these differed according to individual characteristics. Methods The analyses included 37,252 adults from the French web-based NutriNet-Santé cohort who completed lockdown-specific questionnaires in April–May 2020. Nutrition-related changes and their sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health-status correlates were investigated using multivariable logistic regression models. Clusters of participants were defined using an ascending hierarchical classification of change profiles derived from multiple correspondence analyses. Results During the lockdown, trends of unfavorable changes were observed: decreased physical activity (reported by 53% of the participants), increased sedentary time (reported by 63%), increased snacking, decreased consumption of fresh food (especially fruit and fish), and increased consumption of sweets, cookies, and cakes. Yet, the opposite trends were also observed: increased home cooking (reported by 40%) and increased physical activity (reported by 19%). Additionally, 35% of the participants gained weight (mean weight gain in these individuals, 1.8 kg ± SD 1.3 kg) and 23% lost weight (2 kg ± SD 1.4 kg weight loss). All of these trends displayed associations with various individual characteristics. Conclusions These results suggest that nutrition-related changes occurred during the lockdown in both unfavorable and favorable directions. The observed unfavorable changes should be considered in the event of a future lockdown, and should also be monitored to prevent an increase in the nutrition-related burden of disease, should these diet/physical activity changes be maintained in the long run. Understanding the favorable changes may help extend them on a broader scale. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03335644.

Composition and Nutritional Quality of the Diet in Spanish Households during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Appetizer purchases nearly doubled between January (12.8 g/person/day) and April 2020 (22.1 g/person/day), in contrast to the same period of 2019, when they remained constant (January 12.2 g and April 13.8 g/person/day). An increase in the consumption of appetizers was also observed in other Spanish studies carried out during the lockdown [ 19 ], as well as in other countries such as Poland [ 31 ], Italy [ 12 ] or France [ 32 ], although other studies found no change or even decreases [ 33 ]. This increment in the purchase of appetizers is probably due to the desire to continue with some socialization habits that people did outdoors before the pandemic [ 28 ].…”

“…To our knowledge, few studies have assessed changes in energy values during the pandemic. In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, a reduction in energy values was found with respect to estimates from 2017 to 2019 [ 32 ]. More studies would be needed to assess whether there are some common patterns associated with lockdowns, or, on the contrary, whether changes are country- or even region-specific.…”

Public knowledge, beliefs, psychological responses, and behavioural changes during the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Middle East

“…However, trends toward unfavourable dietary behaviours during the lockdown, such as increased caloric intake, reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables, and weight gain study was reported. 42 , 43 In contrary to our findings, a study in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported a shift towards unhealthy dietary patterns among participants during the pandemic. 44 In addition to physical exhaustion, emotional exhaustion, irritability, tension and sleeping disturbances have been reported.…”

Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Lifestyles of Health Sciences University Students in Spain: A Longitudinal Study

“…Some studies reported changes in university students' lifestyles that occurred during home confinement caused by the pandemic [5][6][7][8] but, to our knowledge, no studies have analyzed the lifestyles of these students both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because the return to normal daily living may take some time, understanding the influence that the pandemic exerted on the lifestyles of university students, in particular those enrolled in health sciences programs, may inform strategies to promote their well-being.…”