Covid-19: Lifestyle of Brazilians worsened during pandemic – University research study

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – More screen time and less physical activity: the lifestyle of Brazilians worsened during the pandemic, shows research from the federal universities of Minas Gerais. The study was initiated five months after the beginning of social distancing measures.

Regarding meals, the frequency of eating breakfast, snacks, and lunch has decreased, on the other hand, the frequency of eating evening snacks and other meals besides the traditional ones have increased.

Eating habits also worsened, increasing the consumption of bread, flour, instant meals, and fast food. Fruit and vegetable consumption, on the other hand, fell.

Lifestyle changes included more frequent alcohol consumption, more frequent smoking, and more screen and device use. Before the pandemic, the survey participants reported a daily average of six and a half hours of exposure. During the pandemic, this figure rose to ten hours per day.

On the other hand, there was a reduction in physical activity. The volunteers who answered the questionnaire said they practiced around 120 minutes per week in the pre-pandemic period.

The index fell to 80 minutes per week with the restrictions to avoid the circulation of the new coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation is a weekly practice of 150 to 300 minutes.

For the study, online questionnaires were administered between August and September 2020. The data gathered responses from 1,368 people of both genders, aged 18 and older. Almost 90% are from the Southeast region, and 80% are women. Among the respondents, 97% said they were complying with the social distancing measures.

The second stage of the research involves the analysis of variables of eating behavior, weight gain, and physical exercise practice during the pandemic. According to the researchers, this phase is ongoing and includes the reapplication of the questionnaire after ten months.

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