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Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research

Date Submitted: Jun 7, 2020
Date Accepted: Aug 2, 2020
Date Submitted to PubMed: Aug 7, 2020

The final, peer-reviewed published version of this preprint can be found here:

Impact of the COVID-19 Epidemic on Lifestyle Behaviors and Their Association With Subjective Well-Being Among the General Population in Mainland China: Cross-Sectional Study

Hu Z, Lin X, Chiwanda Kaminga A, Xu H

Impact of the COVID-19 Epidemic on Lifestyle Behaviors and Their Association With Subjective Well-Being Among the General Population in Mainland China: Cross-Sectional Study

J Med Internet Res 2020;22(8):e21176

DOI: 10.2196/21176

PMID: 32759103

PMCID: 7458584

Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.

The impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic on lifestyle behaviors and their association with subjective wellbeing among the general population in the Mainland China

  • Zhao Hu; 
  • Xuhui Lin; 
  • Atipatsa Chiwanda Kaminga; 
  • Huilan Xu

ABSTRACT

Background:

The world is experiencing an extraordinary, life-altering challenge due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is unclear whether the lifestyle will change under the situations of COVID-19 epidemic.

Objective:

To explore perceived lifestyle changes, after the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, and their association with subjective wellbeing (SWB) among the general population in the Mainland China.

Methods:

An online survey was conducted through a media platform in May 2020. Lifestyle behaviors including leisure-time physical exercise, leisure-time screen time and dietary intake were self-reported. SWB was measured using the General Wellbeing Schedule (GWS). Other covariates including socio-demographic factors, self-rate physical health, perceived social support and loneliness were also assessed by a structured questionnaire. Multivariate ordinal regression method was used to analyze the association between SWB and lifestyle behaviors as well as perceived lifestyle changes.

Results:

A total of 1,033 participants aged between 18 and 60 were included in this study. The mean GWS score was 71.712.5 points. In many cases, more than half of participants reported no perceived lifestyle changes. About 70% of the respondents reported spending more time on screen, whereas about 30% reported an increased frequency of vegetable and fruits intake after the outbreak of COVID-19. Physical inactivity (odds ratio(OR) =1.16,95% confidence interval(CI):1.02-1.48), infrequent vegetable intake (OR=1.45,95%CI: 1.10-1.90), infrequent fruits intake (OR=1.31,95%CI: 1.01-1.70) and often skipping breakfast (OR=1.43, 95%CI: 1.08-1.91) were associated with lower SWB after adjusting for socio-demographic factors, self-rate physical health, perceived social support and loneliness. Moreover, participants who perceived a decrease in the frequency of vegetable, fruits and breakfast intake were more likely to report lower SWB.

Conclusions:

The COVID-19 pandemic may have positive or negative impact on some aspects of lifestyle behaviors. Both unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and negative lifestyle changes were associated with lower SWB. Therefore, these findings provide scientific information for the lifestyle guidelines in the management of COVID-19 as well as for the public mental health interventions. Clinical Trial: Not applicable


 Citation

Please cite as:

Hu Z, Lin X, Chiwanda Kaminga A, Xu H

Impact of the COVID-19 Epidemic on Lifestyle Behaviors and Their Association With Subjective Well-Being Among the General Population in Mainland China: Cross-Sectional Study

J Med Internet Res 2020;22(8):e21176

DOI: 10.2196/21176

PMID: 32759103

PMCID: 7458584

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