Social distancing, feeling of sadness and lifestyles of the Brazilian population during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had biopsychosocial impacts on individual and collective health. The aim of the study was to analyze adherence to social distance, the repercussions on mood and changes in the lifestyles of the Brazilian adult population during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a cross-sectional study with adult individuals living in Brazil (n = 45,161) who participated in the virtual health survey ConVid - Behavior Survey, from April 24 to May 24, 2020. Data collection was performed via web, using a self-administered questionnaire. The prevalence and 95% confidence interval of the studied variables were calculated. Of the sample studied, only 1.5% led normal lives, without any social restrictions and 75% stayed at home, of which 15% stayed strictly at home. The frequent feelings of sadness or depression (35.5%), isolation (41.2%) and anxiety (41.3%) were reported by a large part of the studied population. It was found that 17% of participants reported increased consumption of alcoholic beverages and 34% of smokers increased the number of cigarettes. There was an increase in the consumption of unhealthy foods and a reduction in the practice of physical activity in the period studied. It was concluded that there was a high adherence to social distance and an increase in feelings of sadness, depression and anxiety, as well as an increase in the consumption of unhealthy foods, use of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes and a reduction in the practice of physical activity. These changes are worrying and can result in damage to individual and collective health in the medium and long term.