Lifestyle Habits and Mental Health in Light of the Two COVID-19 Pandemic Waves in Sweden, 2020

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2021, Vol.18 (6), p.3313
• Main Authors: Blom, Victoria, Lönn, Amanda, Ekblom, Björn, Kallings, Lena V, Väisänen, Daniel, Hemmingsson, Erik, Andersson, Gunnar, Wallin, Peter, Stenling, Andreas, Ekblom, Örjan, Lindwall, Magnus, Salier Eriksson, Jane, Holmlund, Tobias, Ekblom-Bak, Elin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age groups; Alcohol; Anxiety; Commuting; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Diet; Employment; Environmental & Occupational; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Exercise; Female; Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa och socialmedicin; Habits; Health; Health anxiety; Humans; Life Style; Lifestyles; Male; Medicin/Teknik; Medicine/Technology; Mental depression; Mental Health; Microbiology in the Medical Area; Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området; Pandemics; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Public; Public health; Public Health, Global Health and Social Medicine; SARS-CoV-2; Sitting; Smoking; Sweden; Sweden - epidemiology; Women
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18063313

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a public health emergency of international concern, which may have affected lifestyle habits and mental health. Based on national health profile assessments, this study investigated perceived changes of lifestyle habits in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and associations between perceived lifestyle changes and mental health in Swedish working adults. Among 5599 individuals (50% women, 46.3 years), the majority reported no change (sitting 77%, daily physical activity 71%, exercise 69%, diet 87%, alcohol 90%, and smoking 97%) due to the pandemic. Changes were more pronounced during the first wave (April-June) compared to the second (October-December). Women, individuals