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. 2021 Mar 23;18(6):3313.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18063313.

Lifestyle Habits and Mental Health in Light of the Two COVID-19 Pandemic Waves in Sweden, 2020

Victoria Blom  1 , Amanda Lönn  1   2 , Björn Ekblom  1 , Lena V Kallings  1 , Daniel Väisänen  1 , Erik Hemmingsson  1 , Gunnar Andersson  3 , Peter Wallin  3 , Andreas Stenling  4   5 , Örjan Ekblom  1 , Magnus Lindwall  1   6 , Jane Salier Eriksson  1 , Tobias Holmlund  1   7 , Elin Ekblom-Bak  1
Affiliations

Lifestyle Habits and Mental Health in Light of the Two COVID-19 Pandemic Waves in Sweden, 2020

Victoria Blom et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a public health emergency of international concern, which may have affected lifestyle habits and mental health. Based on national health profile assessments, this study investigated perceived changes of lifestyle habits in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and associations between perceived lifestyle changes and mental health in Swedish working adults. Among 5599 individuals (50% women, 46.3 years), the majority reported no change (sitting 77%, daily physical activity 71%, exercise 69%, diet 87%, alcohol 90%, and smoking 97%) due to the pandemic. Changes were more pronounced during the first wave (April-June) compared to the second (October-December). Women, individuals <60 years, those with a university degree, white-collar workers, and those with unhealthy lifestyle habits at baseline had higher odds of changing lifestyle habits compared to their counterparts. Negative changes in lifestyle habits and more time in a mentally passive state sitting at home were associated with higher odds of mental ill-health (including health anxiety regarding one's own and relatives' health, generalized anxiety and depression symptoms, and concerns regarding employment and economy). The results emphasize the need to support healthy lifestyle habits to strengthen the resilience in vulnerable groups of individuals to future viral pandemics and prevent health inequalities in society.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Sweden; alcohol; depression; diet; health anxiety; mental health; physical activity; sitting; smoking.

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Conflict of interest statement

Gunnar Andersson (responsible for research and method) and Peter Wallin (CEO and responsible for research and method) are employed at HPI Health Profile Institute.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Self-reported change in lifestyle habits comparing wave 1 (April to June) and wave 2 (September to December).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forrest plot with odds ratio (95% CI) for clustering of mental ill-health variables in relation to change in lifestyle habits. All analyses adjusted for sex, age group, educational level, occupational group, wave of COVID-19, and baseline values for each lifestyle habit.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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