Effects of COVID-19 home confinement on eating behavior: A review.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease is a global pandemic that has led to radical changes in lifestyle habits, including dietary habits. Therefore, the objective of the present review is to evaluate the effect of quarantine on dietary habits when enforcing a lockdown. Some databases were used, including Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and PubMed. Ten studies conducted between March and May 2020 were included. There is an increase in the number of meals and snacks during home confinement as well as unhealthy food such as fast food, sweets and chocolate, sugaradded drinks, and processed meat, while fruit and vegetable consumption was reduced. Very few studies reported that participants had increased fruit and vegetable intake. In conclusion, collateral effects of this pandemic include an environment that is not favorable to healthy dietary habits, which could have a lasting impact on health. The long-term health effects are unknown and worth investigating. Significance for public health The study has both immediate and far-reaching significance. On the background of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the study the effect of quarantine on dietary habits during enforced lockdowns. The results showed that most participants reported that they tended to eat more during the home confinement of coronavirus pandemic and that the number of main meals and unhealthy snacks had increased significantly. The results of the present study can be used as a basis for developing protocols and national guidelines for dietary behavior under lockdown conditions as well as can serve as a contribution to policy planning for future pandemic crises in terms of dietary behaviors. Policy makers must pay attention to the obesity epidemic during amid pandemics.