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Meili S, Brabec M, Rühli F, Buehrer TW, Gültekin N, Stanga Z, Bender N, Staub K, Reber E. Body mass index in young men in Switzerland after the national shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a cross-sectional monitoring study at the population level since 2010. Eur J Public Health 2022; 32:955-961. [PMID: 35993882 PMCID: PMC9452117 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckac111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Owing to the coronavirus disease pandemic, the Swiss goverment imposed a shutdown twice in 2020, which may have changed diet and physical activity. Regarding the question of weight change during the pandemic, little information based on measured weight data is available. We aimed to investigate whether the body mass indices (BMIs) of young Swiss men after the two shutdowns in spring and fall 2020 differed from those of young men examined before the shutdowns. METHODS We analysed young Swiss men's BMIs taken during mandatory recruitment for the Swiss Armed Forces at the cross-sectional (not individual longitudinal) monitoring level and across weeks of conscription between January 2010 and July 2021 (n = 373 016). These data allow for continuous health monitoring of young men at almost the population level (coverage, >90%). For statistical modelling, we used the generalized additive model (GAM) framework. RESULTS We showed that the BMIs of the conscripts examined in the 15 weeks after the two shutdowns in spring and autumn 2020 were not or only slightly different from their baseline values. Sensitivity analyses revealed that this conclusion also holds if the BMI distribution or prevalence of excess weight is assessed. The GAM further showed the significant effects of individual and area-based measures of socioeconomic position and age on BMI. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that lifestyle changes during the pandemic in young men might have been too modest to be reflected in body weight. However, longitudinal data and/or data on women, children, or the elderly may lead to different conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Meili
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marek Brabec
- Institute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Frank Rühli
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Nejla Gültekin
- Swiss Armed Forces, Medical Services, Ittigen, Switzerland
- Centre of Competence for Military and Disaster Medicine, Swiss Armed Forces, Ittigen, Switzerland
| | - Zeno Stanga
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Centre of Competence for Military and Disaster Medicine, Swiss Armed Forces, Ittigen, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Bender
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss School of Public Health SSPH+, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kaspar Staub
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss School of Public Health SSPH+, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Emilie Reber
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Centre of Competence for Military and Disaster Medicine, Swiss Armed Forces, Ittigen, Switzerland
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