Children’s Health Habits and COVID-19 Lockdown in Catalonia: Implications for Obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases

Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic imposed changes in children’s daily routine that could lead to changes in behavior patterns. Using a survey targeted at children under 17 years of age, we described dietary (adherence to Mediterranean diet, AMD) and sleeping habits (disorders of initiating and m...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrients 2021-05, Vol.13 (5), p.1657
Main Authors: Ventura, Paula Sol, Ortigoza, Ana F., Castillo, Yanira, Bosch, Zelmira, Casals, Sara, Girbau, Cristina, Siurana, Jose M., Arce, Amalia, Torres, Marisa, Herrero, Francisco J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
adolescents
Analysis
Children
Children & youth
Childrens health
Communicable diseases
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Diet
Disease transmission
Electronic equipment
Exercise
Food
Gender
Habits
Health care
Health risks
Mediterranean diet
Obesity
Obesity in children
Pediatrics
Physical activity
Physical fitness
Public health
Questionnaires
Risk analysis
Risk factors
Sex differences
Shelter in place
Sleep
sleep disorder
Sleep disorders
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic imposed changes in children’s daily routine that could lead to changes in behavior patterns. Using a survey targeted at children under 17 years of age, we described dietary (adherence to Mediterranean diet, AMD) and sleeping habits (disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep) after the implementation of lockdown, and examined the probability of the inadequate frequency of physical activity (PA) and use of TV and electronic devices (TV-ED) before and after lockdown through generalized estimating equation models, accounting for age and gender differences. From 3464 children included, 53.2% showed optimal AMD; 79.2% referred to delayed bedtime; and 16.3% were suspected of sleeping disorders after the implementation of lockdown. Delay in bedtime was more frequent among children older than 6 years, and inadequate sleeping hours among those younger than 11 years. There were no gender differences in AMD or sleeping habits. The odds of inadequate frequency of PA and TV-ED use were greater after lockdown, with a greater risk for TV-ED use. Boys were at greater risk of inadequate PA frequency and TV-ED use. Odds ratio of inadequate PA was greater at older ages. Lockdown could influence changes in children’s habits that could lead to risk factors for non-communicable diseases during adulthood if such behaviors are sustained over time.
ISSN:2072-6643
2072-6643
DOI:10.3390/nu13051657