İzmir Kâtip Çelebi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi
Abstract
Objective: The workload and working hours of healthcare professionals have increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate how COVID-19 outbreak restrictions affect dietary habits among healthcare professionals. Material and Method: The study population was 239 adults aged between 18-65 years. An online survey including questions about demographic variables, health information, lifestyle behaviors, and dietary habits were sent via an online platform. Self-reported weight, and height before and during the pandemic were also collected. Results: The percentage of those who skip the main meals during the lockdown (48.1%) has increased compared to before the lockdown (43.9%). The most skipped main meal and snack were breakfast and mid-morning, respectively. Among the study population, 48.1% reported that they increased their vegetable-fruit consumption, 38.1% reported increased water intake and 45.6% reported consuming more home-cooked food. The most preferred snacks were fruits-vegetables (62.3%), and nuts (55.6%). Approximately half of the participants (46.0%) reported an increased appetite and 50.6% of the participants stated an increase in body weight during COVID-19. The weight gain of the 51-64 age group (3.73±4.13 kg) was statistically significantly higher than the 18-50 age group (0.43±4.51 kg) (p=0.014). The rate of those who reported doing at least 150 minutes of exercise per week before COVID-19 (43.9%) decreased during the pandemic (30.5%). Conclusion: Body weight, appetite, some dietary habits, and physical activities were generally adversely affected among healthcare workers during the pandemic. Older groups are most prone to weight gain during the lockdown.This research was funded by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) 2209-A Projects Funding Program, grant number: 1919B01200108
