Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Dietary Habits and Lifestyle of Food Science Students and Professionals from Spain.

Ricard Celorio-Sardà,María Del Carmen Vidal-Carou,Maria Izquierdo-Pulido,M Luz Latorre-Moratalla,Montserrat Illán-Villanueva,Andreu Farran-Codina,María Fernanda Zerón-Rugerio,Oriol Comas-Basté,Mireia Urpi-Sarda

doi:10.3390/nu13051494

Ricard Celorio-Sardà, María Del Carmen Vidal-Carou + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051494

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Abstract

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, forcing countries around the world to confine their population to halt the rapid spread of the virus. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in dietary habits and lifestyle during the COVID-19 lockdown a specific population with academic and professional knowledge in food sciences from Spain. An online questionnaire, based on 41 items, including sociodemographic data, dietary habits, food-related behaviors, and lifestyle were distributed using academic and institutional mailing lists and social media. Results showed a higher intake of fruit and vegetables, legumes, eggs, fish, and yogurt together with a decrease in consumption of alcoholic beverages between before and during the lockdown period. Nevertheless, an increase in consumption of some fruitive foods and an increase in self-reported weight were also observed, although in lower percentages than in other populations. A worse sleep quality and an increase in working hours and sitting time were also reported. Overall, trends towards healthier dietary habits were observed within the study sample during COVID-19 confinement period.

Highlights

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an acute respiratory syndrome that emerged from Wuhan, China, in late 2019 [1]
March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic due to the widespread of newly reported cases and the rapidly increasing death toll [2], forcing countries around the world to confine their population to halt the spread of the virus
It was observed that those who increased their physical activity during lockdown increased the intake of healthy foods, such as fruit (p < 0.01), raw and cooked vegetables (p < 0.01), and plant-based milk alternatives (p < 0.01) while decreased the frequency of consumption of white bread (p = 0.02), white rice, and pasta (p < 0.01), and industrial pastries (p = 0.02). These findings suggest that improvements in dietary habits are often accompanied by healthier lifestyles, as in our study, and in physical activity

Summary

Introduction

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an acute respiratory syndrome that emerged from Wuhan, China, in late 2019 [1]. In Spain, the state of alarm was applied in mid-March to stop the uncontrolled transmission of the virus, an instruction that would force the total home confinement of the Spanish population, except for people working in essential activities (i.e., health professionals, security forces, emergency brigades, and food industry) [5]. Most Spanish homes saw their income reduced due to temporary labor force adjustment plans while many others, including the whole academic community, had to promptly switch to teleworking. This led to many changes in lifestyle habits, especially those concerning food consumption and physical activity [7]

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