Lifestyle Habits during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Quarantine in a Colombian Population Sample

Abstract

Introduction: The worldwide quarantine led to several changes in the habits of the population. This research aimed to identify the effect of quarantine on the habits of a sample Colombian population. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted on 1,928 participants through a Google survey form between weeks 9 and 10 of the quarantine in Colombia. Questions related to the following topics were included: physical exercise, nutritional status, stress, anxiety, fear, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and sleeping habits. Results: Data were collected from men and women from 128 Colombian cities belonging to all socio-economic strata. Most of the participants took virtual classes (53.8%) or teleworking (39.7%), 51.6% reported did not do or did <150 min of weekly activity; 27.0% were overweight or obese, 37.5% ate healthier, 56.1% used more social networks, and 72.6% reported depression, anxiety, and stress. The predominant familial pathological condition reported was arterial hypertension (53.2%). Conclusion: Although several participants sought to remain physically active through exercise at home, it is important to continuously generate recommendations to improve their adherence; further, more aggressive campaigns need to be performed using social media to share information about the importance of nutrition, rest, and mental health. It is crucial to reduce the effects of quarantine that may lead to chronic non-communicable diseases in future. © 2022, Universidad del Rosario. All rights reserved.