A Pennington Biomedical Research Center survey in April shows similar behaviors worldwide during stay at home orders. Co-Head Researcher Dr. Emily Flannagan says they evaluated behavioral changes such as diet, physical activity, mental health, and sleep. Flannagan says respondents with increased anxiety noted a shift in sleep patterns.
“They had worsened sleep throughout the night as well. And we actually saw that people reported they were waking up in the middle of the night, whether it was to take their temperatures, to check the news, to check their COVID numbers locally,” says Flannagan.
Flannagan says the survey indicated 25-percent of respondents indicated weight gain despite a similar increase of home-cooked meals.
“People were cooking more at home. Overall, we actually saw increases in eating behaviors, even though people reported that they gained weight, that was mostly we think due to an increase in snacking behaviors,” says Flannagan.
The survey also showed a decrease in physical activity and an increase in sedentary lifestyles.
Flannagan says as the pandemic continues healthcare providers should monitor their patient’s behavioral changes either in person or virtually.
“With these increases in anxiety and declines in mental health it’s going to be very important for healthcare providers to continue to check in with their patients, potentially increase mental health screenings as time goes on,” says Flannagan.
More than 12,000 participated in the study from more than 50 countries. The majority were from the US, with half from Louisiana.
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