Changes in the pattern of eating habit and physical activity during the pandemic of COVID-19 in Malaysia: data from COMET-G international multi-country study
Journal Title: Journal of Public Health and Development - Year 2023, Vol 21, Issue 1
Abstract
Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic had led to lifestyle changes among Malaysians. These changes were due to people being confined to work and study at home and stress due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Our study aimed to observe changes in the patterns of eating habits and physical activity during the pandemic of COVID-19 in Malaysia and look for the associations with sociodemographic factors, people living together, living conditions and mental health status. This study was an online cross-sectional survey among 963 participants who completed self-administrated questionnaires on socio-demography, Likert scales on eating habits and physical activity and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for mental health status. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlations and independent t tests. Marital status has a significant association with the frequency and intensity of physical workouts during this pandemic and lockdown, changes in eating amount, and changes in body weight (p<0.001). Employment had a significant association with all components of eating habits and physical activities except the level of physical activity affected by the pandemic (p<0.001). Those with normal mental health status found exercise to be helpful in preventing anxiety, practicing healthy eating, and having more changes in body weight, compared to those who were depressed (p<0.001). There was a significant difference in how the vulnerable group practiced healthy eating compared to the non-vulnerable group (p<0.001). The vulnerable group had significant changes in eating amount and body weight (p<0.001).In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought changes in eating habits and body weight whichwere also influenced by sociodemographic factors and mental health status.
Authors and Affiliations
Salmi Razali, Nurul Azreen Hashim, Saw Jo Anne, Nor Jannah Nasution Raduan, Dina Tukhvatullina, Daria Smirnova, Konstantinos N. Fountoulakis
Keywords
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- EP ID EP719828
- DOI 10.55131/jphd/2023/210112
- Views 47
- Downloads 0
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