Workers’ healthy eating practices during the COVID-19 pandemic and their relationship with physical activity and quality of life

TL;DR

This study explores how workers' eating habits, physical activity, and quality of life changed during the pandemic, finding that older age and more exercise were linked to healthier diets.

Contribution

The study identifies correlations between age, physical activity, and healthy eating practices among workers during the pandemic.

Findings

Older age and higher physical activity levels were associated with better healthy eating practices.

Remote work was common, with 73.2% of workers working from home at least one day a week.

Social relationships had the lowest average score in quality of life related to healthy eating practices.

Abstract

The lifestyle of the population has undergone significant changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which could have influenced alterations in dietary habits and overall well-being among workers. This study aimed to evaluate healthy eating practices and their relationship with the workers’ quality of life and physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional investigation involving workers in the city of Curitiba, southern Brazil. The study was conducted through the application of an online questionnaire. The data were evaluated using non-parametric tests and fitting a logistic regression model. A total of 123 workers participated in the study, most of them male (53.2%), aged between 31 and 40 years (42.2%), with a predominance of workers with postgraduate degrees (62.6%, n = 77), and the majority of workers (68.2%, n = 84) were performing their professional activities remotely for at least one day during the week, and 73.2% (n = 90). It was observed that 52.8% had excellent healthy eating practices, and the older their age and the greater the practice of physical activity (time and frequency), the better the workers’ healthy eating practices. When assessing quality of life, the lowest average score for healthy eating practices was in the domain of social relationships. A direct relationship of older age, social relationships, and the practice of physical activity with the best individuals’ healthy eating practices was detected. Considering that remote work continues to be adopted post-pandemic, evaluating the dietary practices, physical activity, and quality of life of workers is necessary to understand this new labour phenomenon.

Figures