Confinement, Comfort and Health: Analysis of the Real Influence of Lockdown on University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Antonio Millán-Jiménez,Rafael Herrera-Limones,Álvaro López-Escamilla,Miguel Torres-García,Emma López-Rubio

doi:10.3390/ijerph18115572

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the population worldwide into lockdown. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of this measure on the health and comfort of university students and the role that the characteristics of the home may have played. It is essential to differentiate between the terms comfort and health both from the medical and architectural perspectives, as there are differences between the two concepts that are, nonetheless, shared by both disciplines. An online survey was fulfilled by 188 medicine and architecture undergraduate students at the University of Seville, Spain. In terms of health, 89% suffered neuropsychiatric disorders (56% anxiety and 49% depression), 38% gained weight and 59% reported alcohol consumption. In relation to comfort, the majority rated their home positively, comfortable in terms of room temperature and noise at night, and they had a good relationship with cohabitants. However, those who did not have a balcony or terrace would have liked to have open spaces They would have also liked to increase the size of their bedroom, where they spent most of their time and where they studied. A built-up environment gave them a sense of being imprisoned, while those who enjoyed open spaces found a sense of peace. The absence of open spaces in the house, the environment and the impossibility of making the most frequently used spaces more flexible may have had negative impacts on the health and comfort of university students during confinement.

Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic led health authorities in the majority of countries around the world to adopt a series of measures to combat and control the spread of the virus
No significant differences were observed in the responses according to gender ure
All participants were healthy at the time of the survey

Summary

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic led health authorities in the majority of countries around the world to adopt a series of measures to combat and control the spread of the virus. People found themselves sharing a space 24 h a day with family members who they would normally only come into contact with for sleeping, eating, and sharing some moments in the evening This new experience has most likely had an impact on both the physical and mental health [3], as well as the comfort, of confined undergraduates [4,5] as a consequence of the severity of the measures, and of a lack of exercise [6] and privacy, changes in study and work environments, changes in eating habits [7], and a lack of natural light in homes without balconies and private gardens. These changes in lifestyles [8] can be detrimental to an individual’s health [9,10]

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Conclusion