Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health-promoting lifestyle behaviors: A cross-sectional study

Objective: To explore health-improving behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic and to reveal the impact of the risk perception of COVID-19 on these behaviors. Methods: We recruited a total of 510 participants for this cross-sectional study. The data were collected online using a questionnaire booklet covering a form inquiring about the participants’ demographic, physical, and mental characteristics, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale, and the COVID-19 Perceived Risk Scale. Results: The mean age of the participants was (28.7±10.1) years, and 76.1% were females. Of the participants, 31.8% were overweight and obese. While 35.1% experienced negative alterations in their dietary patterns, 23.9% reported positive changes to their diet during the pandemic. Besides, 47.8% reported their sleep to be negatively affected during the pandemic. While the rate of those with extended screen time was 72.5%, it was 44.3% for the participants engaging in regular exercise. More than one-third of the participants (35.9%) had high and severe anxiety. We also found increased risk perception of COVID-19 among females, obese, those with disturbed eating and sleep quality, healthcare workers, and those with severe anxiety. Conclusions: Overall, the pandemic has appeared to have brought both positive and negative impacts on maintaining and improving eating, sleep, physical activity, and mental health.