PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, EATING HABITS AND SLEEP DURING SOCIAL ISOLATION: FROM YOUNG ADULT TO ELDERLY

ABSTRACT Introduction Social isolation is one of the strategies used to prevent the contagion and transmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19), but it impacts on the daily routines and lifestyle of the population. Objective Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the physical activity, sleep and eating habits of adults and the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method A cross-sectional study with a sample comprising 135 participants, divided by age group. First, the whole group was divided into age groups with a 10-year cut-off. They were then characterized by sex, type of home, eating habits, sleep, and physical activity. For the second analysis, the participants were organized into three groups: young adults (18-40 years), middle-aged adults (41-60 years) and elderly (>60 years). An online questionnaire was sent to all the participants, with 26 questions focusing on eating habits, sleep, protective behaviors against COVID-19, and physical activity. Results The participants were mainly women (85.9%), external community (71.1%), students’ families (17.1%), teachers and staff (11.8%). Of the total participants, 40% were dedicated to home care activities and 21.1% had started working from home. The remainder (38.9%) were engaged in activities such as studying or caring for dependents. The younger age group (18-40 years old) reported spending more time in sedentary activities during the day, and 34.2% did not perform physical activity and ate lower quality food during social isolation (p<0.01). All groups, with the exception of the 30-40 age group (p <0.01) highlighted the importance of having the presence of a teacher responsible for guiding physical activities during isolation. Conclusion We conclude that, social isolation has more negative impact on the habits of the younger group. Cross-sectional study.

摘要
引言：
社交隔离（social isolation）是防控新冠病毒（COVID-19）感染与传播的常用策略之一，但该措施会对民众的日常生活与生活方式造成显著影响。
目的：
本研究旨在分析新冠疫情期间成年人与老年人的身体活动、睡眠及饮食习惯。
方法：
本研究为横断面研究（cross-sectional study），共纳入135名参与者并按年龄分组。首先以10年为间隔划分年龄组，随后从性别、住宅类型、饮食习惯、睡眠状况及身体活动水平对参与者进行特征描述。第二次分析时，将参与者划分为三组：青年成年人（18~40岁）、中年成年人（41~60岁）及老年人（＞60岁）。向所有参与者发放线上问卷，问卷共26题，内容涵盖饮食习惯、睡眠状况、新冠疫情防护行为及身体活动情况。
结果：
参与者以女性为主（85.9%），居住于外部社区者占比71.1%，来自学生家庭者占17.1%，教师及教职工占11.8%。总参与者中，40%从事居家护理相关活动，21.1%已开启居家办公模式，剩余38.9%参与学习或照料受抚养人等活动。青年组（18~40岁）每日久坐时长更长，且34.2%的参与者在社交隔离期间未进行身体活动且饮食质量欠佳（p＜0.01）。除30~40岁年龄组外（p＜0.01），所有组别均认为在隔离期间配备负责指导身体活动的教师十分重要。
结论：
本研究表明，社交隔离对青年群体的生活习惯负面影响更大。本研究为横断面研究。