Open AccessAnalysis on the Change of College Students' Life Pattern and its Impact during the COVID-19 Outbreak in China
Author(s) -
Yu Ji,
Youpeng Shi,
Jie Zhou,
Xiyue Li,
Ruoyu Qin,
Qinqing Zhu
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
american journal of health behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.591
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1945-7359
pISSN - 1087-3244
DOI - 10.5993/ajhb.46.3.2
Subject(s) - outbreak , covid-19 , weight gain , anthropometry , china , demography , medicine , food intake , physical activity , environmental health , body weight , gerontology , psychology , physical therapy , geography , disease , archaeology , virology , sociology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Objectives: Our objective was to analyze changes in lifestyle patterns of Chinese college students at home during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: According to a structured online questionnaire covering socio- demographic information, anthropometric data, and changes in food intake, physical activity, and sleep during the COVID-19 outbreak, the relationships between the above data before and during the outbreak were analyzed. Results: Among the 781 participants, 38.5% had significantly increased their total food intake and 29.1% had significantly decreased their physical activity. Overall, 44% of participants reported weight gain. The average weight gain was 0.7±2.5 kg. The main causes of weight gain were increased food intake (p < .001), decreased physical activity (p < .01), and an excessive increase or reduction in sleep duration (p < .024). Conclusion: During the COVID-19 outbreak, college students' food intake was found to be increased and physical activity decreased; sleep duration was irregular, and all these factors influenced weight gain.