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. 2020 Aug 28;17(17):6287.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17176287.

Determinants of the Lifestyle Changes during COVID-19 Pandemic in the Residents of Northern Italy

Raffaella Cancello  1 , Davide Soranna  2 , Gaia Zambra  2 , Antonella Zambon  2   3 , Cecilia Invitti  4
Affiliations

Determinants of the Lifestyle Changes during COVID-19 Pandemic in the Residents of Northern Italy

Raffaella Cancello et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: The confinement recommended during COVID-19 pandemic could affect behavior and health.

Methods: We conducted a self-reported survey in northern Italy to observe the lockdown effects on lifestyle changes and to assess their determinants. Prevalence Odds Ratio and Prevalence Risk Ratio were determined.

Results: 490 adults (84% female) completed the survey: 13% and 43% reported improved and unchanged sleep quality, respectively, while 43% had insomnia symptoms. Among the 272 active subjects in pre-lockdown, 14% continued habitual exercising, 18% increased it and 68% reduced it; 27% of sedentary subjects started physical exercise; 34% reported an improvement in diet quality; 42% increased food intake and 13% decreased it; and 38% of the smokers increased cigarette consumption. Age and the pre-lockdown habit of regular physical exercising were the mainly determinants of lifestyle changes whereas BMI, gender, and the presence of chronic diseases did not. Living with other people increased the likelihood of increasing the food intake (p = 0.002).

Conclusions: More than a third of people were able to positively reorganize their lives during the forced home confinement. It is worth to disseminate information to preserve a healthy lifestyle even when confined at home.

Keywords: COVID-19; diet; food habits; health; lifestyle; lockdown; physical activity; sleep; smoking; survey.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Frequencies of perceived quality of sleep (A) and of changes in sleep duration and feeling of restful sleep (B).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Frequencies of the reported changes in physical activity (A); physical activity changes in subjects who were active before lockdown (Active Subjects Before Lockdown (ASBL), black columns) and in subjects who were inactive before lockdown (Inactive Subjects Before Lockdown (ISB), grey columns) (B).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Frequencies of the more frequently chosen foods (A) and beverages (B) during lockdown. Changes in food intake (C) and weight (D) during lockdown.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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