Impact of COVID-19 on eating habits, physical activity and sleep in Brazilian healthcare professionals.

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Brazilian healthcare professionals could have been experiencing impacts on their routine, behavior and mental health. OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in the daily life and sleeping habits of healthcare professionals in Brazil. METHODS: We conducted an observational and cross-sectional study from May to July 2020. A Google Forms questionnaire was made available to Brazilian healthcare professionals on the WhatsApp mobile application and through the website of the Brazilian Hospital Services Company. RESULTS: The sample (n=710) was mostly composed of women (80.8%), aged between 30 and 40 years old (46.6%), predominantly physicians (41.8%) and residing mostly in the state of Paraíba (66.9%), Brazil. Approximately two-thirds of the total sample had some sleep-related complaints, 25.8% due to difficulty initiating sleep, 29.6% due to difficulty staying asleep and 32.5% due to early morning waking. From the population studied, 28.7% (n=204) reported the use of insomnia medication, and 60.3% (n=123) of these were self-medicating. Some participants reported a change in diet (n=557; 78.5%), especially related to the increase in carbohydrate intake (n=174; 24.5%), and 27% (n=192) of the individuals reported an increase of the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Of the total, 561 (81.8%) reported a change in the practice of physical activity. CONCLUSION: In this study, Brazilian healthcare professionals showed aspects of quality of life that were more affected during the COVID-19 pandemic than the prevalence seen in surveys of international studies for the general population.

Impact of COVID-19 on eating habits, physical activity and sleep in Brazilian healthcare professionals / Impacto da COVID-19 nos hábitos alimentares, atividade física e sono em profissionais de saúde brasileiros

ABSTRACT Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Brazilian healthcare professionals could have been experiencing impacts on their routine, behavior and mental health. Objective: To investigate changes in the daily life and sleeping habits of healthcare professionals in Brazil. Methods: We conducted an observational and cross-sectional study from May to July 2020. A Google Forms questionnaire was made available to Brazilian healthcare professionals on the WhatsApp mobile application and through the website of the Brazilian Hospital Services Company. Results: The sample (n=710) was mostly composed of women (80.8%), aged between 30 and 40 years old (46.6%), predominantly physicians (41.8%) and residing mostly in the state of Paraíba (66.9%), Brazil. Approximately two-thirds of the total sample had some sleep-related complaints, 25.8% due to difficulty initiating sleep, 29.6% due to difficulty staying asleep and 32.5% due to early morning waking. From the population studied, 28.7% (n=204) reported the use of insomnia medication, and 60.3% (n=123) of these were self-medicating. Some participants reported a change in diet (n=557; 78.5%), especially related to the increase in carbohydrate intake (n=174; 24.5%), and 27% (n=192) of the individuals reported an increase of the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Of the total, 561 (81.8%) reported a change in the practice of physical activity. Conclusion: In this study, Brazilian healthcare professionals showed aspects of quality of life that were more affected during the COVID-19 pandemic than the prevalence seen in surveys of international studies for the general population.

RESUMO Antecedentes: Durante a pandemia de COVID-19, os profissionais de saúde brasileiros podem estar sofrendo impactos em sua rotina, comportamento e saúde mental. Objetivo: Investigar mudanças na vida diária e nos hábitos de sono de profissionais de saúde no Brasil. Métodos: Estudo observacional e transversal, que ocorreu de maio a julho de 2020. Um questionário da Google (Google forms) foi disponibilizado aos profissionais de saúde brasileiros no aplicativo móvel WhatsApp e no site da Empresa Brasileira de Serviços Hospitalares. Resultados: A amostra (n=710) foi composta em sua maioria por mulheres (80,8%), com idade entre 30 e 40 anos (46,6%), predominantemente composta de médicos (41,8%) e residentes, em sua maioria no estado da Paraíba (66,9%). Aproximadamente dois terços do total da amostra tinham algumas queixas relacionadas ao sono: 25,8% sobre a dificuldade de iniciar o sono, 29,6% sobre a dificuldade de mantê-lo e 32,5% sobre despertar precoce pela manhã. Da amostra, 28,7% (n=204) referiram fazer uso de medicamentos para insônia e 60,3% (n=123) desses realizaram automedicação. Alguns participantes relataram mudança na dieta alimentar (n=557; 78,5%), principalmente relacionada ao aumento da ingestão de carboidratos (n=174; 24,5%). Observou-se também que 27% (n=192) dos indivíduos relataram aumento no consumo de bebidas alcoólicas. Do total, 561 (81,8%) relataram mudança na prática de atividade física. Conclusão: Nesta pesquisa, os profissionais de saúde brasileiros apresentaram aspectos da qualidade de vida que foram mais afetados durante a pandemia de COVID-19 do que as prevalências obtidas em pesquisas de estudos internacionais para a população em geral.