Skip to main content
Top
Published in: European Journal of Nutrition 5/2021

01-08-2021 | Nutrition | Original Contribution

Altered nutrition behavior during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in young adults

Authors: Bruno C. Huber, Julius Steffen, Jenny Schlichtiger, Stefan Brunner

Published in: European Journal of Nutrition | Issue 5/2021

Login to get access

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic and the implemented lockdown strongly impact on everyone’s daily life. Stressful situations are known to alter eating habits and increase the risk for obesity. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effect of the lockdown measures on nutrition behavior among young adults.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 1964 voluntary participants from Bavarian universities. All participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire, semi-quantitatively evaluating the amount and type of food before and during pandemic lockdown. Study subjects were inquired to give information about acquisition and food procurement. The primary outcome was the change in food amount, secondary outcomes included alterations of food composition and procurement.

Results

Our study cohort (mean age 23.3 ± 4.0 years, 28.5% male) had a mean body mass index of 22.1 ± 4.5 kg/m2. The overall food amount increased in 31.2% of participants (n = 610) during lockdown and decreased in 16.8% (n = 328). A multinominal regression model revealed that an increased food intake was less likely in male participants (OR, 0.7 [CI 0.6–0.9]) and more likely with increasing BMI (OR, 1.4 [CI 1.3–2.0]), increased sports activity (OR, 1.3 [CI 1.2–1.8]), augmented mental stress (OR 1.4 [1.1–1.7]), and an alteration of alcohol consumption (reduced alcohol amount, OR, 1.4 [CI 1.1–1.7], increased alcohol, OR, 1.9 [CI 1.4–2.5]). Increase in food intake was mainly triggered by consumption of bread (increased in 46.8%, n = 284) and confectionary (increased in 64.4%, n = 389).

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown significantly affected eating habits in young adults. Further investigation to evaluate long-term effects on weight change and comorbidities are warranted.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
go back to reference Li Q, Guan X, Wu P, Wang X, Zhou L, Tong Y, Ren R, Leung KSM, Lau EHY, Wong JY, Xing X, Xiang N, Wu Y, Li C, Chen Q, Li D, Liu T, Zhao J, Liu M, Tu W, Chen C, Jin L, Yang R, Wang Q, Zhou S, Wang R, Liu H, Luo Y, Liu Y, Shao G, Li H, Tao Z, Yang Y, Deng Z, Liu B, Ma Z, Zhang Y, Shi G, Lam TTY, Wu JT, Gao GF, Cowling BJ, Yang B, Leung GM, Feng Z (2020) Early transmission dynamics in Wuhan, China, of novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia. N Engl J Med 382(13):1199–1207. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2001316CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Li Q, Guan X, Wu P, Wang X, Zhou L, Tong Y, Ren R, Leung KSM, Lau EHY, Wong JY, Xing X, Xiang N, Wu Y, Li C, Chen Q, Li D, Liu T, Zhao J, Liu M, Tu W, Chen C, Jin L, Yang R, Wang Q, Zhou S, Wang R, Liu H, Luo Y, Liu Y, Shao G, Li H, Tao Z, Yang Y, Deng Z, Liu B, Ma Z, Zhang Y, Shi G, Lam TTY, Wu JT, Gao GF, Cowling BJ, Yang B, Leung GM, Feng Z (2020) Early transmission dynamics in Wuhan, China, of novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia. N Engl J Med 382(13):1199–1207. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1056/​NEJMoa2001316CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
5.
go back to reference Piepoli MF, Hoes AW, Agewall S, Albus C, Brotons C, Catapano AL, Cooney MT, Corra U, Cosyns B, Deaton C, Graham I, Hall MS, Hobbs FDR, Lochen ML, Lollgen H, Marques-Vidal P, Perk J, Prescott E, Redon J, Richter DJ, Sattar N, Smulders Y, Tiberi M, van der Worp HB, van Dis I, Verschuren WMM, Binno S, Group ESCSD (2016) 2016 European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice: the sixth joint task force of the European Society of Cardiology and other societies on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice (constituted by representatives of 10 societies and by invited experts) developed with the special contribution of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation (EACPR). Eur Heart J 37(29):2315–2381. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehw106CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Piepoli MF, Hoes AW, Agewall S, Albus C, Brotons C, Catapano AL, Cooney MT, Corra U, Cosyns B, Deaton C, Graham I, Hall MS, Hobbs FDR, Lochen ML, Lollgen H, Marques-Vidal P, Perk J, Prescott E, Redon J, Richter DJ, Sattar N, Smulders Y, Tiberi M, van der Worp HB, van Dis I, Verschuren WMM, Binno S, Group ESCSD (2016) 2016 European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice: the sixth joint task force of the European Society of Cardiology and other societies on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice (constituted by representatives of 10 societies and by invited experts) developed with the special contribution of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation (EACPR). Eur Heart J 37(29):2315–2381. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1093/​eurheartj/​ehw106CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
7.
go back to reference Pietrobelli A, Pecoraro L, Ferruzzi A, Heo M, Faith M, Zoller T, Antoniazzi F, Piacentini G, Fearnbach SN, Heymsfield SB (2020) Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on lifestyle behaviors in children with obesity living in Verona, Italy: a longitudinal study. Obesity (Silver Spring). https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22861CrossRef Pietrobelli A, Pecoraro L, Ferruzzi A, Heo M, Faith M, Zoller T, Antoniazzi F, Piacentini G, Fearnbach SN, Heymsfield SB (2020) Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on lifestyle behaviors in children with obesity living in Verona, Italy: a longitudinal study. Obesity (Silver Spring). https://​doi.​org/​10.​1002/​oby.​22861CrossRef
24.
go back to reference Dehghan M, Mente A, Zhang X, Swaminathan S, Li W, Mohan V, Iqbal R, Kumar R, Wentzel-Viljoen E, Rosengren A, Amma LI, Avezum A, Chifamba J, Diaz R, Khatib R, Lear S, Lopez-Jaramillo P, Liu X, Gupta R, Mohammadifard N, Gao N, Oguz A, Ramli AS, Seron P, Sun Y, Szuba A, Tsolekile L, Wielgosz A, Yusuf R, Hussein Yusufali A, Teo KK, Rangarajan S, Dagenais G, Bangdiwala SI, Islam S, Anand SS, Yusuf S, Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology Study i (2017) Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study. Lancet 390(10107):2050–2062. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32252-3CrossRefPubMed Dehghan M, Mente A, Zhang X, Swaminathan S, Li W, Mohan V, Iqbal R, Kumar R, Wentzel-Viljoen E, Rosengren A, Amma LI, Avezum A, Chifamba J, Diaz R, Khatib R, Lear S, Lopez-Jaramillo P, Liu X, Gupta R, Mohammadifard N, Gao N, Oguz A, Ramli AS, Seron P, Sun Y, Szuba A, Tsolekile L, Wielgosz A, Yusuf R, Hussein Yusufali A, Teo KK, Rangarajan S, Dagenais G, Bangdiwala SI, Islam S, Anand SS, Yusuf S, Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology Study i (2017) Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study. Lancet 390(10107):2050–2062. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/​S0140-6736(17)32252-3CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Altered nutrition behavior during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in young adults
Authors
Bruno C. Huber
Julius Steffen
Jenny Schlichtiger
Stefan Brunner
Publication date
01-08-2021
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
European Journal of Nutrition / Issue 5/2021
Print ISSN: 1436-6207
Electronic ISSN: 1436-6215
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-020-02435-6

Other articles of this Issue 5/2021

European Journal of Nutrition 5/2021 Go to the issue