Estudo Longitudinal das Medidas Preventivas de Distanciamento Social e seu Impacto no Comportamento e Autorregulação Alimentar, Estresse, Ansiedade e Índice de Massa Corporal Comparação entre Brasil e Chile Durante e Após Pandemia da COVID-19

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to global sanitary measures such as distancing and social isolation. However, these actions have raised uncertainty and resistance, impacting mental health. Additionally, concerns have arisen regarding potential negative impacts on people's dietary habits. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of preventive social distancing measures adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic over time and in two different countries (Brazil and Chile) on changes in behavior and dietary self-regulation, stress levels, anxiety, and BMI. To achieve this goal, three complementary studies were conducted. The first study consisted of a systematic literature review exploring initial research on the main consequences of the pandemic on nutritional health. The second study aimed to conduct a confirmatory analysis of the factor structure of the revised Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-18). The results provided evidence of the adequate validity and reliability of the TFEQ-18 in a non-clinical adult population, revealing that levels of anxiety, stress, and dietary self-regulation were related to the dietary patterns an individual might develop. The third study evaluated the effects of social distancing measures adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic over time and in two different countries (Brazil and Chile) on changes in behavior and dietary self-regulation, stress levels, anxiety, and Body Mass Index (BMI). It was found that, although there were differences in dietary behavior among individuals from Brazil and Chile, these discrepancies were not related to preventive social distancing measures. Conversely, a significant impact of these measures on stress levels, anxiety, and BMI was observed. Additionally, the study highlighted that both social isolation and physical distancing similarly affected behavior and dietary self-regulation but with divergent effects on stress and anxiety levels. The results of the three studies showed that the catastrophic consequences anticipated at the beginning of the pandemic were partially fulfilled. Moreover, it was demonstrated that social distancing measures adopted during the pandemic had differentiated impacts in Brazil and Chile.