Examine how Canadians’ lifestyles have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic

Sixty percent of the nearly 1,600 Canadians who took part in a new McGill University study say their lifestyle habits have stayed the same or improved during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, 40% of participants report adopting less healthy lifestyle habits, including deterioration in eating habits, sleep quality, decreased physical activity and weight gain.

The research is based on the Canadian COVIDiet Study of Canadians aged 18-89. Researchers at McGill’s School of Human Nutrition collected data from across the country during the first wave of infections. Using latent class analysis, a statistical method that helps us group similar individuals based on their characteristics or behaviors, two patterns of lifestyle changes emerged: healthy and less healthy habits.

“The good news is that the majority of participants maintained or even improved their lifestyle habits,” said Stéphanie Chevalier, associate professor at the School of Human Nutrition, who led the team of researchers.

“Interestingly, people who said they were unhappy with their body image, suffered from depression or stress, or identified as a gender minority were more likely to adopt less healthy habits,” added Anne- Julie Tessier, researcher at Harvard University and lead author of this article. study. “Our research can help identify people at higher health risks during a crisis such as a pandemic, and develop strategies to support people facing mental health issues to prevent potential deterioration of health. health in the future.”

‘Lifestyle Behavior Changes and Associated Risk Factors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from the Canadian COVIDiet Online Cohort Study’ by Anne-Julie Tessier, Stéphanie Chevalier et al., was published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance.