Abstract
BackgroundPublic health measures such as physical distancing and work-from-home initiatives have been implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19. These measures may also be associated with unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, which could be particularly problematic for those already at highest risk for losing years of healthy life due to chronic disease (i.e., 30–59-year-olds). The purpose of this paper is two-fold: (1) to provide an overview of Ontario adults’ health behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and dietary intake), mental health, and well-being during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic (April–July 2020); and (2) to explore the difference between physical activity and various health behaviors (i.e., well-being, mental health, and dietary intake).MethodsAs a part of a larger, longitudinal study, participants completed an online survey that included demographic information, the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, Starting the Conversation, the Mental Health Inventory, and the Personal Wellbeing Index-Adult. Data analyses involved computing measures of central tendency and dispersion for demographic characteristics and tools followed by descriptive statistics. Separate independent t-tests were conducted to investigate the difference between physical activity status and well-being, mental health, and dietary intake.ResultsA total of 2157 Ontarians completed an online survey. Descriptive statistics indicated that respondents met physical activity and sedentary behavior guidelines, reported double the amount of recommended recreational screen time, practiced moderately healthy dietary behaviors, experienced mental health problems, and scored below “normal” in some well-being domains.ConclusionAs the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is currently unknown, its associated restrictions and society changes may influence adults’ behaviors in both the short- and longer-term. As such, our findings might provide immediate insight into the development of timely and evidence-informed health promotion and disease prevention strategies for Canadians, which could support adults’ health behaviors, mental health, and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and other, future pandemics.
Highlights
COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020
Researchers of studies conducted during the same timeframe as the current study have found that the pandemic has influenced Canadians’ physical activity both positively [10] and negatively [2, 10, 11] while their screen time [12] and sedentary behavior have increased [11]
The current paper is a part of the Health Outcomes for adults during and following the COVID-19 PandEmic (HOPE) longitudinal study, which aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the lifestyle-related health behaviors and overall wellbeing of Ontario adults during and following the pandemic
Summary
COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. Changes to everyday activities and routines (e.g., physical distancing, intense personal hygiene practices, working from home) have been necessitated by public health mandates, and these changes have impacted leisure and work practices for many citizens [2] These changes might be associated with wide-spread impacts on adults’ health. The current paper is intended to compliment and fill in current gaps in understanding the health behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and dietary intake), mental health, and wellbeing of adults during the early months of the COVID19 pandemic. Public health measures such as physical distancing and work-from-home initiatives have been implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19. The purpose of this paper is two-fold: (1) to provide an overview of Ontario adults’ health behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and dietary intake), mental health, and well-being during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic (April–July 2020); and (2) to explore the difference between physical activity and various health behaviors (i.e., well-being, mental health, and dietary intake)
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