Prevalence of associated factors on depression during COVID 19 in students in a minority serving institution: A cross sectional study

Associations between mental health and lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic in a general Japanese population: NIPPON DATA2010

BACKGROUND

Deterioration in lifestyle associated with poor mental health could be an important concern during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, few studies have investigated the association between mental health status and lifestyle changes during the pandemic in nationwide Japanese general population.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted using the data among 1,546 participants of the follow-up study of NIPPON DATA2010 in 2021. Recent mental status, as assessed using the Kessler 6 (K6) scale, and lifestyle changes compared to before the pandemic were determined using self-reported questionnaires. Some lifestyle changes such as decreased physical activity were defined as undesirable, whereas others such as decreased alcohol drinking were defined as desirable. The participants were divided into three groups based on the K6 scores: the K6<5, 5≤K6<9, and K6≥9 groups. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the K6 groups for each lifestyle change compared with that in the K6<5 group were estimated after adjusting for possible confounders.

RESULTS

The ORs of the K6≥9 group for all undesirable lifestyle changes were significantly high, especially increased alcohol drinking (OR 4.64; 95% CI, 2.71-7.93), and decreased physical activity (OR 4.63; 95% CI, 3.29-6.52). Among the desirable changes, the OR of the 5≤K6<9 group was significantly high for increased eating home cooking.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor mental health showed a significant association with undesirable lifestyle changes, especially increased alcohol drinking and decreased physical activity, in a nationwide general Japanese population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Impact of COVID-19 Health and Safety Measures on the Self-Reported Exercise Behaviors and Mental Health of College Students

The public-health restrictions (e.g., remote learning, restricted access to facilities and dining halls) put in place by colleges to reduce the spread of COVID-19 resulted in forced isolation and modifications to health-related behaviors. The restrictions and uncertainty associated with COVID-19 may have exacerbated the challenges of meeting exercise recommendations and mental-health concerns. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of restrictions on students' exercise habits and their levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. Five-hundred and forty students completed a 29-question survey on individual demographics, living arrangements, exercise, sleep, diet, and mental health. Significant changes in weekly days of exercise and intensity were reported. Increases in anxiety, stress, and depression were reported. The two most frequently reported changes in exercise behavior were an increase in minutes of aerobic training (5%) and a combination of reduced minutes of aerobic and resistance training (3.9%), which could be reflective of an individual's ability and/or desire to maintain exercise behavior during the restrictions. Alternatively, for those students who reduced their exercise habits, aerobic training (11%) was the mode that suffered the most. Demographic factors such as ethnicity, regional residence, and gender were found to have significant effects on stress, anxiety, and depression. Amidst pandemics and future health emergencies, colleges should prioritize establishing opportunities for students to exercise, helping them meet physical activity recommendations and combat mental-health issues.