Abstract
BackgroundThe outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has created a number of obstacles to daily functioning, which have led to a need for major changes in lifestyles. The aim of the study was to assess whether and to what extent the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the health behaviours of young adults.Methods506 people aged 18 to 34 ( overline{x} =24.67 years ±4.23 years) who filled in an online survey were qualified for the study. Assessment was made of eating habits (a modified Food Frequency Questionnaire, FFQ), physical activity and sedentary behaviours (International Physical Activity Questionnaire, short form IPAQ-SF), sleep quality (The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), and generalized anxiety (Generalized anxiety Disorder, 7-item, GAD-7 scale).ResultsDuring the pandemic, young adults changed their dietary preferences toward sweets and cereal products, increased alcohol (p < 0.001) and fat (p = 0.005) intake, significantly reduced their physical activity (from 8752.5 metabolic equivalents (MET) min/week vs. 6174.6 MET min/week, p < 0.001), increased the time spent sedentarily (Me = 240 min vs. Me = 360 min, p < 0.001) and had decreased sleep quality (PSQI score Me = 7.00 vs. Me = 9.00).ConclusionsThe Covid-19 pandemic worsened health behaviours and intensified the feeling of generalized anxiety in young adults. Generalized anxiety during obligatory lockdown had the greatest negative impact on sedentary behaviours and sleep quality.
Highlights
The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has created a number of obstacles to daily functioning, which have led to a need for major changes in lifestyles
The study as well as the proposed method of obtaining consent were approved by the Ethics Committee of Rzeszów University
Detailed data on the socio-demographic characteristics of the study group are provided in Table 1 (Table 1)
Summary
The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has created a number of obstacles to daily functioning, which have led to a need for major changes in lifestyles. The outbreak of the SARS coronavirus infection represents a current and very strong environmental factor that has affected the lives of people around the world. This situation creates a number of difficulties in everyday functioning and requires the necessity to introduce changes in lifestyles. Despite these more difficult living conditions, it is especially important to take care of one’s own health during a developing pandemic
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