Did Adults Experience Changes in Body Weight During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Abstract

Objective: In pandemic periods, due to changes in individual food preferences and dietary habits, it is stated that healthy, adequate, and balanced nutrition should be among the risk management strategies for pandemics. Therefore, this research aims to reveal the dietary habits and body weight changes of healthy individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 419 healthy adults aged from 18 to 65 years who live in Kayseri. The data collection was obtained through Google Forms via the online survey social network (WhatsApp). Results: The mean age of the participants was 32.91±12.80 years, and their body mass index (BMI) was 25.80±4.78 kg/m2. During the pandemic period, the body weight of 55.1% of the participants changed, 71.4% of them increased and 28.6% decreased. When compared according to BMI groups, the increase in body weight among obese individuals (8.25±5.54 kg/m2) was found to be statistically significantly higher than that of individuals with normal body weight (4.39±1.78 kg/m2) (p<0.001). Conclusion: As a result of this study, a significant increase in body weight among obese individuals during the pandemic period has been identified. Therefore, it is believed that implementing necessary regulations to prevent obesity in pre-pandemic periods by healthcare professionals would be beneficial.

Keywords

• Nutrition
• COVID-19
• obesity
• nutritional habits

Yetişkinlerin COVID-19 Pandemi Döneminde Beden Ağırlığında Değişim Oldu mu?

Abstract

Amaç: Pandemi dönemlerinde bireysel besin tercihleri ve beslenme alışkanlıklarında oluşan değişimler nedeniyle sağlıklı, yeterli ve dengeli beslenmenin pandemi risk yönetim stratejileri arasında yer alması gerektiği belirtilmektedir. Bu nedenle bu araştırmada; COVID-19 pandemi sürecinde sağlıklı bireylerin beslenme alışkanlıkları ve vücut ağırlığında meydana gelen değişimlerin ortaya konması amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu kesitsel araştırma Kayseri ilinde yaşayan, yaşları 18-65 yaş arasında 419 sağlıklı yetişkin ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veri toplama, çevrimiçi anket sosyal paylaşım ağı (Whatsapp) üzerinden Google Forms aracılığı ile elde edilmiştir. Bulgular: Katılımcıların yaş ortalaması 32,91 ±12,80 yıl olup, çoğu 18-35 yaş grubu (%62,8) arasındadır. Katılımcıların %59,9’u erkek, %40,1’i kadın, ortalama beden kütle indeksi (BKİ) 25,80±4,78 kg/m2 olup, %43,4’ü normal vücut ağırlığında, %34,6’sı hafif şişmandır. Pandemi sürecinde katılımcıların %55,1’inde vücut ağırlığı değişiklikleri meydana gelmiştir. Bunların %71,4’ ünün vücut ağırlığı artmış, %28,6’sı azalmıştır. Gruplar BKİ sınıflandırılmasına göre karşılaştırıldığında; obezlerin vücut ağırlığında görülen artışın (8,25±5,54 kg/m2), normal vücut ağırlığında olanlardan (4,39±1,78 kg/m2) istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde daha yüksek olduğu saptanmıştır (p<0,001). Sonuç: Bu çalışma sonucunda pandemi sürecinde obez bireylerin vücut ağırlığındaki anlamlı artış olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bu nedenle sağlık profesyonelleri tarafından pandemi öncesi dönemlerde obezitenin önlenmesi için gerekli düzenlemelerin yapılmasının yararlı olacağı düşünülmüştür.

Keywords

• Beslenme
• COVID-19
• obezite
• beslenme alışkanlıkları

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