Changes in body mass index among students from different countries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The official declaration by the WHO of a global pandemic of COVID-19 in 2020 led to various restrictive measures around the world in order to prevent the rapid spread of the virus. In many countries, it was decided to close educational institutions (schools, lyceums, colleges, universities) and switch to distance learning, which contributed to the deviation from the established lifestyle of students, including eating habits and, consequently, to a possible change in their weights. It has been proven that a complete, balanced diet and systematic exercise can strengthen the human body in the fight against adverse factors, including infectious ones. However, a sedentary lifestyle, anxiety, stress caused by social isolation lead to lifestyle changes, in particular to overeating.The article presents information about the characteristics of nutrition, the level of physical activity, anxiety and stress, taking into account the cultural, ethnic and gender characteristics of student youth from different countries in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.