CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Changes in nutrition of children/adolescents and their parents during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Greece: The COV-EAT study
 
More details
Hide details
1
Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
 
2
Laboratory of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Physical Education and Sport Science - Dietetics. University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece
 
3
Department of Gastroenterology, General University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, Greece
 
 
Publication date: 2022-05-27
 
 
Public Health Toxicol 2022;2(Supplement Supplement 1):A125
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the eating behaviour of children and adolescents during the first lockdown implemented in Greece due to COVID-19 and to explore possible correlations with corresponding changes in the eating behaviour of their parents. A quantitative cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire. The research sample consisted of 397 parents with children aged 2-18 years, who were recruited from 63 municipalities in Greece. It was observed that during the lockdown period, children/adolescents and parents reduced their fast-food consumption (the percent of parents reporting that “Never” consume fast-food increased by 45.1% and of children/adolescents by 34%). Furthermore, 85.1% of the parents reported increase in their snack consumption and 60% in their sweets consumption. An increase in consumption of sweets by children/adolescents was also observed (2.3% daily, 8.8% weekly). In addition, children/adolescents and parents increased their breakfast consumption by 5.1% and 10.6%, respectively. The increase observed in parental breakfast consumption was associated with increase in their children’s/adolescents’ breakfast consumption (46.9%), while the decrease in parental breakfast consumption was associated with decrease in their children’s/adolescents’ breakfast consumption (60%) (p=0.01). In conclusion, negative changes were found in the eating behavior of children/adolescents and their parents during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Greece. Considering that lockdowns may be applied again to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings of the present study indicate that the promotion of healthy nutrition should be included in the agenda of public health measures to be taken.
 
REFERENCES (5)
1.
Androutsos O, Perperidi M, Georgiou C, Chouliaras G. Lifestyle Changes and Determinants of Children's and Adolescents' Body Weight Increase during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Greece: The COV-EAT Study. Nutrients. 2021;13(3):930. doi:10.3390/nu13030930
 
2.
Bertrand L, Shaw KA, Ko J, Deprez D, Chilibeck PD, Zello GA. The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on university students' dietary intake, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2021;46(3):265-272. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2020-0990
 
3.
Galali Y. The impact of COVID-19 confinement on the eating habits and lifestyle changes: A cross sectional study. Food Sci Nutr. 2021;9(4):2105-2113. doi:10.1002/fsn3.2179
 
4.
Ng K, Cooper J, McHale F, Clifford J, Woods C. Barriers and facilitators to changes in adolescent physical activity during COVID-19. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2020;6(1):e000919. doi:10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000919
 
5.
Ruiz-Roso MB, de Carvalho Padilha P, Mantilla-Escalante DC, et al. Covid-19 Confinement and Changes of Adolescent's Dietary Trends in Italy, Spain, Chile, Colombia and Brazil. Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1807. doi:10.3390/nu12061807
 
ISSN:2732-8929
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top