Healing the suffering of the lonely heart

O’Keefe, James H.; O’Keefe, Evan L; Baklanov, Dmitri; Lavie, Carl J.

doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2020-317041

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Large European and North American prospective studies have shown that constant healthy behaviours enhance quality of life and longevity. [5][6][7][8]10 Strategies to improve these habits during the COVID-19 pandemic were well addressed by Smirmaul et al 11 and O´Keefe et al 12 In the present study, the number of lifestyle pillars that medical students had adopted prior to the pandemic was higher in those reporting better emotional wellbeing during the pandemic, which may indicate that these lifestyle pillars allowed the students to better cope with this stressful situation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 48%

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

et al. 2021

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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

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