Association between lifestyle and emotional aspects of food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic

Comparison of emergency transport for acute alcohol intoxication before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A retrospective observational study

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a broad effect on social, economic, educational, and political systems. We investigated the effect of COVID-19 on emergency transportation due to acute alcohol intoxication in the Kochi Prefecture in Japan, a region with high alcohol consumption. This retrospective observational study was conducted using the data of 62,138 patients from the Kochi-Iryo-Net database, Kochi Prefecture's emergency medical and wide-area disaster information system. Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between emergency transportation and alcohol intoxication. This analysis compared the monthly number of transportations during 2019 (as reference) with that throughout 2020 and 2021. Approximately 1.5 % of all emergency transportation cases were related to acute alcohol intoxication. The number of emergency transportation cases due to acute alcohol intoxication declined by 0.5 % in 2020 and 0.7 % in 2021 compared with that in 2019. Moreover, compared with that in 2019, the number of cases of emergency transportation due to acute alcohol intoxication significantly decreased in 2020 (incidence rate ratio: 0.78; 95 % confidence interval: 0.67-0.91) and 2021 (incidence rate ratio: 0.73; 95 % confidence interval: 0.63-0.86). Lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected the number of emergency transports due to acute alcohol intoxication in 2020 and 2021 (during the COVID-19 pandemic) compared to that in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Relationship between Lifestyle Determinants and Perceived Mental and Physical Health in Italian Nursery and Primary School Teachers after the COVID-19 Lockdown

The COVID-19 lockdown and the consequent distance school learning made epochal changes in children's lifestyles; however, little is known about the lockdown effects on school teacher habits. The aim of this observational study is to examine differences in the lifestyle of nursery (NS) and primary (PS) school teachers after one of the COVID-19 lockdowns and investigate the relationship between perceived physical/mental health and demographics, weight status and lifestyle determinants, such as adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) and physical activity level (PAL). A total sample of 265 participants (49.22 ± 6.95 years) filled out an online information questionnaire and standardized questionnaires to collect data on the Physical Component Summary (PCS), Mental Component Summary (MCS), PAL and MD-adherence. A t-test or ANOVA analysis was used to assess differences between quantitative variables: Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis tests for qualitative variables. Spearman's correlations and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to identify categorical factors associated with classes of PCS and MCS. Teachers showed sufficient/high PAL, with a significantly higher level in the PS group (p < 0.05). This last showed a higher PCS score (p < 0.05). No differences between groups were found for MD-adherence, which was moderate/fair in both groups, and MCS, which was sufficient/good. Logistic regression showed that the only positive predictor of a high PCS was being physically active (OR 2.10, 95%CI 1.05-4.2, p < 0.05), while MCS was positively associated with normal weight status (OR 0.48, 95%CI 0.33-0.78, p = 0.020). This study highlights that PS teachers are more active than the NS group and perceive a higher physical health level. Mere predictors of physical and mental well-being are PA practice and being normal weight, respectively. This suggests that interventions to improve perceived health in this work category should be focused on the promotion of physical activity practice and on the maintenance of an optimal weight status.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, and mental well-being-A longitudinal study of nursing students at Wroclaw Medical University in Poland

Introduction

From the moment the first cases of coronavirus disease were detected in December 2019 until the announcement and duration of the pandemic, it was a negative experience for people around the world in various spheres of life. In connection with it, there have been many changes in our daily lives related to lifestyle, physical activity, or the mental sphere. The aim of the following paper is to determine the correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and alcohol drinking, smoking, physical exercise, and lifestyle among nursing students in Poland.

Methods

The study was conducted among nursing students at Wroclaw Medical University before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey consisted of completing the same anonymous online questionnaires five times by the same research group. The majority of respondents were women in the age between 18 and 30 years old and the significance level of data analysis was set at p < 0.05.

Results and discussion

In October 2020, we recorded a large number of respondents experiencing anxiety/fear or being more stressed. Between the measurements, the highest average level of alcohol addiction (p < 0.001) was in October 2021 (8.71). Moreover, the percentage of respondents who felt as before increased (p = 0.021). As the pandemic continued, there was a systematic decline in the physical activity level (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic had a serious impact on the daily lives of the students.

The Role of Selected Psychological Factors in Healthy-Sustainable Food Consumption Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent precautions and dispositions adopted have triggered substantial changes in daily health-related behaviors, including food consumption habits. The psychological impact of the pandemic has been considered one of the factors affecting this transition and requiring consideration when targeting healthy-sustainable behavior preservation. The present study describes the results of a survey conducted on a convenience sample of Italian residents (n = 2272) during the first phases of pandemic. The aim was to explore the daily nutritional choices and behaviors and their transformations that occurred along with the associations with psychological factors (i.e., subjective well-being, and depression, anxiety and stress symptoms). An indicator for healthy-sustainable transition (HST index) was constructed and revealed diffused transformation in dietary habits, with a large segment of the sample adopting healthier and more sustainable dietary behaviors and others showing reduced healthy-sustainable food choices. Informative relationships with the psychological variables were then found from the correlational and regression analyses. Lower levels of anxiety, depression and stress symptomatology and higher perceived subjective well-being were significantly associated with healthier-sustainable food consumption behaviors. These findings shed light on the crucial areas to be considered in future institutional interventions, ultimately ensuring favorable conditions for both healthy diet behaviors and sustainable food consumption choices.

Changes in physical activity, dietary and sleeping pattern among the general population in COVID-19: A systematic review protocol

Background

COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory disease caused by a new coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2. Home confinement and movement restrictions can affect lifestyle changes and may lead to non-communicable diseases (NCD). This systematic review will provide a detailed summary of changing patterns of physical activities, diet and sleep among the general public in COVID-19.

Methods

PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, Science Direct, and Scopus will be, among eight bibliographic databases, applied and search work will take one month (from January 2021 until February 2021). Key search terms will include common characteristics of physical activity, dietary pattern, sleeping pattern, and COVID-19. The reviewers will fully apply the inclusion and exclusion criteria framed by PICOS as well as the screening form and the PRISMA flow for selecting the papers eligible for this review. Moreover, the reviewers will use a self-developed excel table to extract the required information on dietary pattern changes, physical activities and sleep patterns changes, and the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies (RoBANS) for practicing quality assessment. We will include only observational studies and analyze the extracted information qualitatively and the review output will be based on the eligible studies’ outcomes.

Discussion

Changes in physical activity, dietary and sleep patterns are challenging to the public health professionals regarding the risk factors for NCD, and long-term effects might impact the controlling of the NCD. Evidence-based research information is needed regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, and there are a few global data on changes in physical activity, dietary and sleep patterns. Furthermore, innovative public health interventions or implementations are needed to maintain the positive health status of the population in the long run as the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Systematic review registration

This systematic review is based on a protocol registered with PROSPERO CRD42021232667.