Fernanda Carrasco-Marín, Alberto Dávalos, J Alfredo Martínez, Richar Cárcamo-Regla, Xhoajda Taci, Anthony Pauletto, Giulia Bernabè, Luisa F Villalba-Montero, Jhon E Rodriguez-Meza, María-Carmen Lopez de Las Hazas, Katherine Paternina-Sierra, María Belén Ruíz-Roso, Letícia de Oliveira Cardoso, Thais Rangel Bousquet Carrilho, Miquel Martorell, Wilza Arantes Ferreira Peres, Diofanor Acevedo-Correa, Natalia Ulloa, Paola Brun, Diana C Matilla-Escalante, Patricia de Carvalho Padilha
Journal: Nutrients 2020;12(8):2289
PMID: 32751721
As a result of global lockdowns due to Covid-19, activity and diets may have changed amongst many individuals especially with consumption of ultra-processed foods and physical activity. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine how diet and activity may have been impacted amongst adolescents from several countries in Europe and Latin America during the Covid-19 pandemic. The results showed that amongst the 726 adolescents studied physical inactivity increased from 73% to 79.5% and that Latin America was the hardest hit with an increased inactivity from 40.9% before to 93% during the pandemic and it was observed that living in Latin America was associated with habitually eating ultra-processed foods. It was concluded that Covid-19 lockdown worsened physical activity levels especially in Latin America and that ultra-processed food consumption was increased. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to understand the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle during periods of social isolation.
AIM
to describe physical activity and ultra-processed foods consumption, their changes and sociodemographic predictors among adolescents from countries in Europe (Italy and Spain) and Latin America (Brazil, Chile, and Colombia) during the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic period.
METHODS
Cross-sectional study via web survey. International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and weekly ultra-processed food consumption data were used. To compare the frequencies of physical activity status with sociodemographic variables, a multinomial logistic and a multiple logistic regression for habitual ultra-processed foods was performed. In final models, < 0.05 was considered significant.
RESULTS
Sample of 726 adolescents, mostly females (59.6%) aged 16-19 years old (54.3%). Adolescents from Latin America presented odds ratio (OR) 2.98 (CI 95% 1.80-4.94) of being inactive and those whose mothers had higher level of education were less active during lockdown [OR 0.40 (CI 95% 0.20-0.84)]. The habitual ultra-processed consumption was also high during this period in all countries, and more prevalent in Latin America.
CONCLUSION
A higher prevalence of inactivity was observed in this population, but reductions of physical activity and habitual ultra-processed consumption during the pandemic were more pronounced in Latin America. Our findings reinforce the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle, i.e., exercise and diet, during periods of social isolation.
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