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Poor appetite and overeating reported by adults in Australia during the coronavirus-19 disease pandemic: a population-based study
This 2020 study reported the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on appetite and overeating in Australian adults during the first month of emergency measures (began 22 March 2020). An anonymous self-reported survey was released collecting data on sociodemographic characteristics, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and the effect of COVID-19 and the lockdown. The main outcome measure was an item from the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 asking: ‘Over the past 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by poor appetite or overeating?’. Of the 13,829 adult Australian residents (aged 18+), 53.6% felt bothered by poor appetite or overeating in the past 2 weeks, and 11.6% reported poor appetite or overeating nearly every day. The risk factors for poor appetite or overeating were high levels of anxiety, concern about contracting COVID-19, being in lockdown with children and reporting a severe impact of the lockdown. Given the widespread prevalence of being bothered by poor appetite or overeating, universal public health interventions addressing emotion-focused or situational eating during periods of lockdown may be appropriate. [NPIDs: COVID, coronavirus, pandemic, appetite, overeating, Australia, March 2020, anxiety, depression, anxiety, lockdown, emotional eating, COVID-19]
Year: 2021
