COVID-19 Pandemic: effects of social distancing on the eating behavior of students in the state of Ceará

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v10i11.19185

Keywords:

Feeding behavior; Eating habits; SARS-CoV-2; Students.

Abstract

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 affected, on a global scale, the routine of many students. For this group, often affected by mental disorders, social distancing had a greater impact on mental health. The need for social isolation made it impossible to maintain classroom classes, modifying social and eating habits. In this scenario, stress, psychological suffering and irregular sleep act as modifying agents of eating behavior, leading to the adoption of behaviors that are harmful to health, as a compensatory mechanism. However, research aimed at this audience is still scarce, therefore, this study aims to assess the eating behavior of students from federal public education institutions located in the interior of the state of Ceará. Methodology: Research participants answered a self-administered online questionnaire containing questions regarding the consumption of vegetables, fruits, milk and yogurts in the period before and during the pandemic. Results: The findings revealed an increase in the frequency and consumption of vegetables, fruits, milk and yogurts during the period of social distancing. Conclusion: In this study, we can identify an improvement in the students' eating habits, characterized by an increase in the frequency and consumption of vegetables and fruits, in the form of raw or cooked salads, as well as the consumption of milk and yogurt. This change in dietary patterns may result from the greater availability of time for preparing meals, returning to the family environment and the use of food as an essential tool for strengthening health and the immune system.

Author Biographies

Leonel Francisco de Oliveira Freire, Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte

Nutritionist graduated from the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Ceará. Postgraduate degree in Family Health from the University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusofonia. Master's student in the Graduate Program in Health and Society at the State University of Rio Grande do Norte (PPGSS - UERN).

Maria Aparecida Cursino, Universidade Estadual de Campinas

Pharmacist and Researcher at the Wolfson Center for Personalized Medicine/UK. Master in Medical Sciences, in the area of infectious diseases at FMUSP. Doctoral student in Medical Sciences, in the area of clinical research at UNICAMP.

Danielle Christina Lino Leal, Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte

Graduated in Dentistry from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN (2009). Specialist in Periodontics by Coesp/PB (2011) and in Implantology by ABO/RN (2015). Master's student at the Graduate Program in Health and Society at the State University of Rio Grande do Norte (PPGSS - UERN).

Adriana de Freitas Morais, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Ceará

Nutritionist graduated from the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Ceará (IFCE).

Matheus da Silva Regis, Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte

Graduated in dentistry from the State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN). Master's student in the Graduate Program in Health and Society at the State University of Rio Grande do Norte (PPGSS - UERN).

Isabela Pinheiro Cavalcante Lima, Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte

PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). Professor of the Dentistry Course at the State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN). Professor of the Graduate Program in Health and Society at the State University of Rio Grande do Norte (PPGSS/UERN).

Rayza Maria Silva Leal, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e da Saúde de Minas Gerais

Nutritionist graduated from the Faculty of Human Sciences and Health of Minas Gerais.

Marielen Ghedin da Silva, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense

Nutritionist graduated from the University of Extremo Sul Catarinense.

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Published

22/08/2021

How to Cite

FREIRE, L. F. de O. .; CURSINO, M. A. .; LEAL, D. C. L. .; MORAIS, A. de F. .; REGIS, M. da S. .; LIMA, I. P. C. .; LEAL, R. M. S. .; SILVA, M. G. da . COVID-19 Pandemic: effects of social distancing on the eating behavior of students in the state of Ceará. Research, Society and Development, [S. l.], v. 10, n. 11, p. e47101119185, 2021. DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v10i11.19185. Disponível em: https://rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/19185. Acesso em: 2 apr. 2025.

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 11

Section

Health Sciences

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Copyright (c) 2021 Leonel Francisco de Oliveira Freire; Maria Aparecida Cursino; Danielle Christina Lino Leal; Adriana de Freitas Morais; Matheus da Silva Regis; Isabela Pinheiro Cavalcante Lima; Rayza Maria Silva Leal; Marielen Ghedin da Silva

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