article · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
An international cross-sectional survey evaluated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on lifestyle behaviours and perceived health among adults living with non-communicable diseases compared to those without. Drawing on 3,079 complete responses collected across 65 countries over four months, the findings show notable shifts in well-being and daily habits. Adults with non-communicable diseases were significantly more likely to report a deterioration in physical health compared to pre-pandemic baselines. In addition, an increase in body weight was significantly associated with having a non-communicable disease. By contrast, reported declines in mental health among this population were not statistically significant. Participants with non-communicable diseases also demonstrated lower rates of tobacco smoking during the pandemic than participants without such conditions, indicating varied behavioural changes during global public health emergencies.
Non-communicable diseases place immense strain on healthcare systems, particularly during wider global health crises. Understanding how major disruptions alter daily habits, body weight, and physical well-being helps healthcare providers and public health authorities anticipate vulnerability. These insights underline the necessity of prioritising targeted support and protective lifestyle interventions for vulnerable populations whenever standard health and social support structures become constrained.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway or commercialisation opportunity for this survey research.
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The huge burden and vulnerability imposed by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how healthy lifestyle behaviors and the well-being of people living with NCDs need to be prioritized. The aim of our study is to better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthy lifestyle behaviors and perceived mental and physical health among adults living with NCDs, as compared to people without NCDs. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a global online survey through Qualtrics. Over four months, 3550 participants from 65 countries worldwide responded to the survey. The study included 3079 surveys with no missing data (complete survey responses) that were used for analysis. People with NCDs were more likely to report statistically significant worsening physical health (p = 0.001) and statistically insignificant worsening mental health (p = 0.354) when compared to pre-pandemic levels. They reported lower rates of smoking during the pandemic than those without NCDs, and a statistically significant (p < 0.001) relationship was found between weight gain and NCDs. Therefore, the perceived physical and mental health, including changes in body weight and tobacco consumption, of people with NCDs were significantly impacted during the pandemic. In conclusion, this study indicates that the pandemic had a significant impact on perceived physical and mental health, changes in body weight, and tobacco consumption among people with NCDs.
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DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19138023
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