The importance of a healthy lifestyle to prevent mental health problems during crisis situations: evidence from Corona Immunitas Ticino

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2024年4月23日

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Giovanna Pedroni,
Anne-Linda Camerini,
Emiliano Albanese,
Rebecca Amati,
Antonio Amendola,
Anna Maria Annoni,
Granit Baqaj,
Kleona Bezani,
Peter Buttaroni,
Anne-Linda Camerini,
Anna Paola Caminada,
Elia Cattani,
Alessandro Ceschi,
Laurie Corna,
Cristina Corti Fragoso,
Luca Crivelli,
Diana Sofia Da Costa Santos,
Giorgio Dal Bo’,
Gladys Delai Venturelli,
Daniela Dordoni,
Marta Fadda,
Luca Faillace,
Ilaria Falvo,
Paolo Ferrari,
Maddalena Fiordelli,
Carolina Foglia,
Giovanni Franscella,
Sara Gamberoni,
Roberta Gandolfi,
Rosita Ghidossi,
Daniele Giottonini,
Paola Guglielmetti,
Sandra Jovic,
Franco Keller,
Sara Levati,
Isabella Martinelli,
Federico Mele,
Rosalba Morese,
Anna Papis,
Giovanni Piumatti,
Greta Rizzi,
Serena Sabatini,
Federica Sallusto,
Tatiana Terrot,
Mauro Tonolla

摘要

Aim

The increasing frequency of epidemic, climate, and political crisis situations, compounded by modern life stress, is associated with a rise in mental health problems. Unhealthy lifestyle, including unhealthy eating habits, insufficient sleep, and scarce physical activity, may further contribute to mental health problems, especially in young populations. The aim of the present longitudinal study is to examine the impact of eating habits, sleep, and physical activity on mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic as a crisis situation.

Subject and methods

We analyzed longitudinal self-report data collected at baseline (T1), 4 (T2), 8 (T3), and 12 months from 1029 participants aged 5 to 21 during the COVID-19 pandemic within the Corona Immunitas Ticino project.

Results

Repeated-measures ANOVA showed a significant decrease in mental health problems from T1 to T3, with a slight increase at T4. Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that a decrease in unhealthy eating habits together with an increase in physical activity from T1 to T4 were negatively correlated with mental health problems at T4. On the other hand, an increase in sleep time over the same study period was positively associated with mental health problems at T4. Among covariates, women and adolescents experienced more mental health problems.

Conclusion

The findings support previous research that highlights the role of a healthy lifestyle, including healthy eating and physical activity, in reducing mental health problems during difficult life circumstances exacerbated by crisis situations. Age- and gender-sensitive targeted interventions promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors are thus essential.