Working from Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Effects on Diet, Sedentary Lifestyle, and Stress

Abstract

Many companies switched to working from home (WFH) after the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aimed to examine the changes in dietary behavior, body weight, sedentary lifestyle, and stress in individuals who practice WFH. A cross-sectional, web-based questionnaire was administered between March and May 2021 and included socio-demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, WFH arrangement, changes in diet, sedentary lifestyle, and stress status. A total of 328 individuals (260 women, 68 men), aged 31.3 ± 8.3 years with a BMI of 24.9 ± 4.6 kg/m2, participated in the study. The questionnaire revealed that the daily working time increased with WFH. The majority of the individuals (59.1%) gained weight. The average daily sedentary time and the Perceived Stress Scale score increased significantly. The daily sedentary time and Non-Healthy Diet Index scores were higher in individuals who gained weight (p < 0.05). A multinominal regression model revealed that increased body weight was less likely in individuals with underweight and normal BMI classifications. Normal BMI, stable work shifts, and no physical activity were positive predictors for gaining weight. These results suggest that WFH may have significant negative effects on physical and mental status of individuals.

Changes in Teleworking and Physical Activity Behaviors in the United States Before and After Emergence of COVID-19

“…A Brazilian study found that individuals who were required to telework, compared with those who remained at their usual worksites, were more likely to be physically active 12 . Conversely, working from home was associated with greater sedentary time among Turkish employees 28 . Studies of Japanese workers found that teleworkers experienced large declines in active commuting—declines which were not offset by commensurate gains in noncommute active transportation 14 .…”

“…12 Conversely, working from home was associated with greater sedentary time among Turkish employees. 28 Studies of Japanese workers found that teleworkers experienced large declines in active commuting-declines which were not offset by commensurate gains in noncommute active transportation. 14 They also performed less PA during work time, relative to those who remained in the office, with the share of worktime spent teleworking inversely correlated to PA participation.…”

Impact of Shifting From Office Work to Telework on Workers’ Physical Health

“…When workers shift from workplace work to telework, health issues may arise. Several previous studies indicated that telework leads to decreased physical activity, [8][9][10][11][12][13] increased screen time, 9,14 unhealthy eating habits, such as snacking, and increased alcohol consumption. 9,[13][14][15] These lifestyle changes of workers may result in their weight gain or a deterioration in their mental health, such as isolation, loneliness, and work-family conflict.…”

“…Several previous studies indicated that telework leads to decreased physical activity, [8][9][10][11][12][13] increased screen time, 9,14 unhealthy eating habits, such as snacking, and increased alcohol consumption. 9,[13][14][15] These lifestyle changes of workers may result in their weight gain or a deterioration in their mental health, such as isolation, loneliness, and work-family conflict. 14,[16][17][18][19][20] However, most previous studies on this point have been cross-sectional studies [8][9][10][12][13][14][15][16][17]19,20 using self-administered questionnaires, [8][9][10][12][13][14][15][16][17][19][20][21] and there have been few studies using objectively measured data with a longitudinal study design, although such studies are crucial to clarify the details of the health effects of telework.…”

“…9,[13][14][15] These lifestyle changes of workers may result in their weight gain or a deterioration in their mental health, such as isolation, loneliness, and work-family conflict. 14,[16][17][18][19][20] However, most previous studies on this point have been cross-sectional studies [8][9][10][12][13][14][15][16][17]19,20 using self-administered questionnaires, [8][9][10][12][13][14][15][16][17][19][20][21] and there have been few studies using objectively measured data with a longitudinal study design, although such studies are crucial to clarify the details of the health effects of telework. Therefore, in this study, we longitudinally analyzed the changes in physical health before and after the introduction of telework among Japanese workers.…”