JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong.
Centre for Health Education and Health Promotion, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong.
PLoS One. 2023 Apr 20;18(4):e0284283. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284283. eCollection 2023.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in changes in lifestyle habits and experiences of mental health outcomes, some of which were possibly related to weight gain, leading to an increase in the prevalence of obesity, which is associated with the development of several severe diseases. Concerns regarding weight gain and its impact on health outcomes are prevalent worldwide, with obesity being one of the highest causes of mortality in current society.
A self-reported questionnaire collected data from participants aged 18 years of age and above from 26 countries and regions worldwide. Post-hoc multiple logistic regression analyses have been done to evaluate the association between demographic and socioeconomic factors, and the perspectives that were identified to be associated with weight gain.
Participants belonging to a younger age group; with a higher level of education; living in an urban area; living with family members; employed full-time; and had obesity were found to be more vulnerable to weight gain. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, participants who were quarantined; exercised less prior to the pandemic; consumed unhealthy foods; and reported negative thoughts such as helplessness and the perceived risk of COVID-19, were more likely to experience weight gain; while negative thoughts such as having no means of control over the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic will have great personal effect were associated with females, students, and people living in the rural area.
Weight gain risk during the pandemic was significantly associated with certain socio-demographic and COVID-19 related factors. To improve public health outcomes, future research should conduct a longitudinal evaluation on the effects of COVID-19 experiences upon health choices. Streamlined mental support should also be provided to the vulnerable groups which were prone to negative thoughts that were associated with weight gain.
2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行导致生活方式习惯发生变化，心理健康状况也受到影响，其中一些可能与体重增加有关，导致肥胖患病率上升，而肥胖与多种严重疾病的发生有关。全世界都对体重增加及其对健康结果的影响表示担忧，肥胖是当前社会导致死亡的最高原因之一。
自报式问卷从全球 26 个国家和地区收集了年龄在 18 岁及以上的参与者的数据。进行了事后多项逻辑回归分析，以评估人口统计学和社会经济因素与被认为与体重增加相关的观点之间的关联。
属于年轻年龄段；受教育程度较高；居住在城市地区；与家人同住；全职工作；患有肥胖症的参与者更容易体重增加。在调整社会人口统计学因素后，被隔离的参与者；大流行前运动较少；食用不健康的食物；并报告了无助和对 COVID-19 风险的感知等负面想法，更有可能体重增加；而对 COVID-19 大流行没有控制手段和 COVID-19 大流行后果的个人影响的负面想法，则与女性、学生和居住在农村地区的人有关。
大流行期间体重增加的风险与某些社会人口统计学和 COVID-19 相关因素显著相关。为了改善公共卫生结果，未来的研究应就 COVID-19 经历对健康选择的影响进行纵向评估。还应向容易产生与体重增加相关的负面想法的弱势群体提供简化的精神支持。
