Navigating the challenges: exploring the association between COVID-19 lockdowns and eating behavior in university students: a systematic review and investigation of factors impacting ed levels
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Atul Kumar Sharma
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Sachin B. Rathod
Abstract
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the mental and physical well-being of individuals globally, with university students being particularly susceptible to mental health issues. Factors such as the transition to adulthood, economic hardships, and academic responsibilities, compounded by pandemic-related disruptions like lockdowns and remote learning, have elevated stress levels and altered daily routines. The pandemic has given rise to post-traumatic stress symptoms in certain individuals, including university students which may contribute to the emergence of emotional eating or adopting unhealthy eating patterns as a coping mechanism, leading to excessive consumption or unhealthy dietary choices. This review aims to investigate the influence of COVID-19 restrictions on eating disorders among university students and identifying the contributing factors.
Content
Out of 59 identified articles, 10 met the inclusion criteria, involving 23,542 participants (70.2 % women, 29.35 % men, 0.42 % gender fluid/undisclosed). The lockdown led to increased prevalence and severity of eating disorders among university students, particularly in women.
Summary
The review highlights a notable increase in eating disorders among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health issues, reduced physical activity, and economic stress were significant contributors to this trend, with women being disproportionately affected.
Outlook
To mitigate the impact of future pandemics or similar disruptions, universities should implement early screening, provide mental health counseling, virtual support groups, nutritional guidance, and opportunities for physical activity. Encouraging students to seek professional help is crucial for managing mental health and eating habits in such scenarios.
Acknowledgments
The work is done and written by the author, AI had been used to edit the final version. We would like to acknowledge chatGTP to help us to edit the final version of the manuscript.
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Research ethics: Not applicable.
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Informed consent: Not applicable.
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Author contributions: Yes.
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Competing interests: No.
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Research funding: Nil.
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Data availability: Yes.
References
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© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
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- Navigating the challenges: exploring the association between COVID-19 lockdowns and eating behavior in university students: a systematic review and investigation of factors impacting ed levels
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review Articles
- Navigating the challenges: exploring the association between COVID-19 lockdowns and eating behavior in university students: a systematic review and investigation of factors impacting ed levels
- The undervalued league of insulin resistance testing: uncovering their importance
- Original Articles
- The spectrum of clinical, hormonal findings in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia in Isfahan province; a 20-year review
- Association of angiotensin converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism with diabetic retinopathy in middle-aged Indians with type 2 diabetes mellitus
- The evaluation of melatonin and EGF interaction on breast cancer metastasis
- Potential therapeutic properties of broccoli extract and soy isoflavones on improvement endometriosis and involved oxidative parameters
