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. 2023 Feb 22;20(5):3906.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20053906.

Activities Carried Out during the First COVID-19 Lockdown by Italian Citizens

Sara Paltrinieri  1   2 , Barbara Bressi  1   3 , Elisa Mazzini  4 , Stefania Fugazzaro  1 , Ermanno Rondini  5   6 , Paolo Giorgi Rossi  7 , Stefania Costi  1   8
Affiliations

Activities Carried Out during the First COVID-19 Lockdown by Italian Citizens

Sara Paltrinieri et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has altered how citizens engage in activities. This study describes the new activities citizens engaged in during the first lockdown, factors that helped them cope with the confinement, the supports they used the most, and which supports they would have liked to receive. This cross-sectional study consists of an online survey made of 49 questions that was completed by the citizens of the province of Reggio Emilia (Italy) from 4 May until 15 June 2020. The outcomes of this study were explored by focusing on four of the survey questions. Of the 1826 citizens who responded, 84.2% had started new leisure activities. Males, participants who lived in the plain or foothills, and those who experienced nervousness engaged less in new activities, while those whose employment status changed, whose lifestyle worsened, or whose use of alcohol increased engaged in more activities. The support of family and friends, leisure activities, continuing to work, and an optimistic attitude were perceived to be of help. Grocery delivery and hotlines providing any type of information and mental health support were used frequently; a lack of health and social care services and of support in reconciling work with childcare was perceived. Findings may help institutions and policy makers to better support citizens in any future circumstances requiring prolonged confinement.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; confinement; human activities; leisure activities; occupations; pandemic; quarantine; resilience; work.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentages of participants who carried out new activities, described also as types, during the first lockdown.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentages of participants who reported the kinds of factors (according to the Person, Environment, Occupation model) that helped them to deal with the first lockdown.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Percentages of participants who used support services, described also as types, during the first lockdown.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Percentages of participants who would have liked to use support services, described also as types, which were not available during the first lockdown.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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