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Comparing eating behaviours, and symptoms of depression and anxiety between Spain and Greece during the COVID‐19 outbreak: Cross‐sectional analysis of two different confinement strategies
This 2020 study examined the eating behaviors, and depressive and anxiety symptoms of people in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared the outcomes with the residents of Greece. These two countries have different confinement strategies and infection severities. The method of data collection was a web-based survey, which was completed by 1002 inhabitants of Spain and 839 residents in Greece. These surveys were administered during and shortly after the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain and Greece. The data showed lower mean scores of restraint and external eating in the Spanish participants, compared with Greek respondents, although there was no difference in emotional eating scores between the two countries. Moderate to severe depressive and anxiety symptoms were reported in 13.6% and 12.3% of respondents in Spain, respectively. Whereas 18.8% of Greek participants showed moderate-severe depressive signs and 13.2% had moderate or severe anxiety symptoms. But regarding anxiety symptoms in general, there was a higher prevalence in Spain compared with Greece. No difference was seen for depressive symptoms. To summarize, the people living in these 2 Mediterranean countries demonstrated high scores of inappropriate eating behaviors and a high frequency of depressive and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak. Compared to Greek participants, the Spanish respondents encountered more severe pandemic and stricter lockdown measures, and were associated with lower restraint and external eating, and increased anxiety symptoms. [NPID: depression, anxiety, COVID-19, pandemic, Spain, Greece, eating behaviors, lockdown]
Year: 2020
