Fear of Coronavirus, Emotional Eating Behaviours, and Physical Activity Levels during the Coronavirus Pandemic in Individuals Over 65 Years of Age

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to dramatic changes in lifestyle across populations. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between fear of Coronavirus, emotional eating behaviour and physical activity levels in individuals aged >65 years, and to determine the differences between individuals who did and did not gain weight during the pandemic. The study included individuals aged>65 years who were not diagnosed with Coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Participants’ demographic information, Fear of Covid-19 Scale scores, Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ) scores, and physical activity levels according to the General Practice Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPPAQ) were recorded with an online questionnaire. The study included a total of 156 participants (72 females, 46.2%; 84 males, 53.8%). The average age was 71.86 ± 7.13 years. The average change in body mass index (BMI) between February 2020 and January 2021 was 0.80 ± 1.32 kg/m 2 . Participants were divided into two according to change in body mass index during the pandemic as weight-gain (WG, n=104) and non-weight-gain (NWG, n=52) groups. The two groups were not different in terms of descriptive characteristics, the Fear of Covid-19 Scale scores, and physical activity levels (p>0.05). The WG group scored statistically higher in EEQ, and the EEQ type-of-food subscale (p=0.027, p=0.029, respectively). Current BMI, overall EEQ score, and EEQ disinhibition and type-of-food subscores were weakly positively correlated with the change in BMI (p˂0.05). EEQ guilt subscores were weakly positively correlated with the age (p˂0.05). The change in BMI during the Covid-19 quarantine was associated with the EEQ overall score and its subscales among elderly adults. Physical activity levels of groups were similar and participants who gained weight were more prone to emotional eating.