Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Dietary Habits and Lifestyle of Food Science Students and Professionals from Spain

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 13; no. 5; p. 1494
• Main Authors: Celorio-Sardà, Ricard, Comas-Basté, Oriol, Latorre-Moratalla, M Luz, Zerón-Rugerio, María Fernanda, Urpi-Sarda, Mireia, Illán-Villanueva, Montserrat, Farran-Codina, Andreu, Izquierdo-Pulido, Maria, Vidal-Carou, María Del Carmen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28.04.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Alcoholic beverages; Behavior; Communicable Disease Control; coronavirus; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; dietary habits; Disease transmission; e-survey; Eating behavior; Exercise; Feeding Behavior; Female; Food; Food processing; Food science; Food Technology; Habits; Health Personnel; Humans; Immune system; Legumes; Life Style; lifestyle; Lifestyles; lockdown; Male; Middle Aged; Nutrition research; Nutritional Sciences; Pandemics; Population; Professionals; Questionnaires; SARS-CoV-2; Sciences education; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Shelter in place; Sociodemographics; Spain - epidemiology; Students; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities; Vegetables; Vegetarianism; Viruses; Working hours; Young Adult; Spain; COVID-19; e-survey; food sciences; college students; lockdown; coronavirus; dietary habits; lifestyle
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu13051494

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, forcing countries around the world to confine their population to halt the rapid spread of the virus. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in dietary habits and lifestyle during the COVID-19 lockdown a specific population with academic and professional knowledge in food sciences from Spain. An online questionnaire, based on 41 items, including sociodemographic data, dietary habits, food-related behaviors, and lifestyle were distributed using academic and institutional mailing lists and social media. Results showed a higher intake of fruit and vegetables, legumes, eggs, fish, and yogurt together with a decrease in consumption of alcoholic beverages between before and during the lockdown period. Nevertheless, an increase in consumption of some fruitive foods and an increase in self-reported weight were also observed, although in lower percentages than in other populations. A worse sleep quality and an increase in working hours and sitting time were also reported. Overall, trends towards healthier dietary habits were observed within the study sample during COVID-19 confinement period.