Long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on lifestyle and body weight: results of representative cross-sectional surveys in adults in Germany

Autor: Hans Hauner, Carmen P. S. Blanken, Christina Holzapfel
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: BMC Public Health, Vol 24, Iss 1, Pp 1-14 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18680-x
Popis: Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected people’s daily lives and health. Few studies have looked into the persistence of these changes. In the current study, we investigated to what extent changes in lifestyle and body weight were sustained after two years of restrictions. Methods We performed two representative online surveys among adults living in Germany. The first survey (S1) was performed in April 2021; the second survey (S2) in June 2022. The questionnaire focused on changes in physical activity, dietary habits, body weight, and mental stress levels. The data were weighted to optimally represent the general population of Germany. Using Chi-square tests, results were compared between the two surveys, and – per survey – between subgroups based on sociodemographic factors and mental stress levels. Furthermore, binomial logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with weight gain. Results A total of 1,001 (S1) and 1,005 (S2) adults completed the survey, of which 50.4% were men and 49.6% were women in both surveys. Mean body mass index (BMI) at the time of the survey was 27.4 ± 6.0 kg/m2 (S1) and 27.1 ± 5.5 kg/m2 (S2). Reduced physical activity was reported by 52% of the participants in S1 and by 40% in S2 (p
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals