An investigation of the effects of COVID-19 fear on the nutrition habits and emotional appetites of healthcare professionals.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in daily routines and lifestyles, potentially affecting eating behavior and psychological well-being.ObjectivesThis study aims to determine the level of fear caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in healthcare professionals and to investigate the effect of fear of coronavirus on individuals' eating habits.Methods108 male and 388 female healthcare professionals working in any healthcare facility in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic filled out an online survey that included socio-demographic characteristics, nutrition and food purchasing habits, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EAQ).ResultsWe found that fear of COVID-19 is higher in female healthcare professionals than in males. Higher COVID-19 fear predicted a greater risk of positive emotional appetite (OR:2.2; 95%CI:1.4-3.2). In addition, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale total score positively correlated with negative EAQ scores in females (p < 0.05). Fear of COVID-19 Scale scores of healthcare professionals who reported that they experienced a decrease in appetite levels and meal frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic were higher than those who declared that their appetite level and meal frequency did not change (p < 0.05). Finally, we found that the odds of positive emotional eating were 2.3 times higher in overweight and obese people compared to underweight and normal weight people.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the significant impact of COVID-19-related fear on the emotional eating behaviors and overall dietary habits of healthcare professionals, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to address psychological and nutritional challenges in this vulnerable population during and after pandemics.