Changes in Eating Habits and Sedentary Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Adolescents With Chronic Conditions

Bruna Caruso Mazzolani; Fabiana Infante Smaira; Camilla Astley; Amanda Yuri Iraha; Ana Jessica Pinto; Isabela Gouveia Marques; Milla Cordeiro Amarante; Nathalia Saffioti Rezende; Sofia Mendes Sieczkowska; Tathiane Christine Franco; Luana Cristina do Amaral Miranda; Lívia Lindoso; Alberto Carame Helito; Jane Oba; Ligia Bruni Queiroz; Rosa Maria R Pereira; Hamilton Roschel; Clovis Artur Silva; Bruno Gualano

doi:10.3389/fped.2021.714120

Changes in Eating Habits and Sedentary Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Adolescents With Chronic Conditions

Front Pediatr. 2021 Dec 13:9:714120. doi: 10.3389/fped.2021.714120. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Bruna Caruso Mazzolani^{1

2}, Fabiana Infante Smaira^{1

2}, Camilla Astley^{1

2}, Amanda Yuri Iraha^{1

2}, Ana Jessica Pinto^{1

2}, Isabela Gouveia Marques^{1

2}, Milla Cordeiro Amarante^{1

2}, Nathalia Saffioti Rezende^{1

2}, Sofia Mendes Sieczkowska^{1

2}, Tathiane Christine Franco^{1

2}, Luana Cristina do Amaral Miranda³, Lívia Lindoso³, Alberto Carame Helito³, Jane Oba³, Ligia Bruni Queiroz³, Rosa Maria R Pereira⁴, Hamilton Roschel^{1

2}, Clovis Artur Silva^{3

4}, Bruno Gualano^{1

2

5}

Affiliations

¹ Applied Physiology and Nutrition Research Group, Rheumatology Division, School of Physical Education and Sport, Faculdade de Medicina (FMUSP), Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
² Laboratory of Assessment and Conditioning in Rheumatology, Disciplina de Reumatologia, Faculdade de Medicina (FMUSP), Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
³ Instituto da Criança e do Adolescente, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina (HCFMUSP), Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁴ Rheumatology Division, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina (HCFMUSP), Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁵ Food Research Center, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Abstract

Introduction: Among healthy adolescents, school closures and home confinement were shown to increase unhealthier eating habits and sedentary behavior. It remains unknown to which extent the pandemic has impacted the lifestyle of adolescents with chronic conditions. Thus, the aim of this study is to report on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on eating habits and sedentary behavior among adolescents with multiple chronic conditions (n = 347) from a tertiary, referral hospital vs. healthy peers. Methods: This observational study was conducted in São Paulo (Brazil) between July and October 2020, period in which a set of social distancing measures to contain the pandemic. Results: The main findings of this study were that adolescents with chronic conditions and health peers showed important changes in eating habits (e.g., more often cooking and eating in front of television than before quarantine). Also, 86.8% of adolescents with chronic conditions and 91.6% of healthy adolescents reported increasing screen time during pandemic. No major differences were observed between patients and controls. Conclusions: Adolescents with chronic conditions and healthy peers exposed to pandemic showed substantial changes in lifestyle, stressing the need for specific care to mitigate poor eating habits and excessive sedentary behavior for patients and healthy adolescents.

Keywords: lifestyle; pediatric; physical activity; social distancing; youth.