Effect of lockdown during the novel coronavirus pandemic on diet and lifestyle of Indian children

Abstract

Background: Although the coronavirus pandemic has spared children in terms of severity of disease, it has affected them in other ways by school closure and home confinement. Objectives: To identify dietary and lifestyle changes during and after lockdown and their association with any sociodemographic factors. Method: This was a cross sectional study with an online questionnaire which collected information on meals, vegetable intake, fruit intake, junk food intake and sugary drinks, hours of sleep during the day and night, screen time, time spent on outdoor, indoor, leisure activities and household chores before, during and after lockdown. Results: Our study found a statistically significant increase in number of meals, vegetable and fruit intake, decrease in junk food intake, increase in daytime and night sleep, increase in screen time, decrease in outdoor physical activity and increase in time spent on indoor play, leisure activities and household chores. Change in sleep was more among older children and girls. Post lockdown, boys had an increase in outdoor physical activity and girls had an increase in screen time for educational purposes. Conclusions: The lockdown implemented to contain the pandemic has had a negative effect on the dietary habits and lifestyle of children with a decrease in outdoor physical activity and increase in screen time contributing to an overall increase in sedentary behaviour. There was an increase in time spent on sleep especially in children more than 9 years of age. © 2021, Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health. All Rights Reserved.