The Impact of COVID-19 on Diet and Lifestyle Among Sports Students

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on way of lifestyle-associated behaviour amongst sports college students of Kerala is less explored. The research was conducted on a total of 202 sports students. The data was collected by using Google Forms and questionnaires. Data was gathered, and a comparison of nutritional health profiles before and during the pandemic was done t-test for a single mean. The study revealed that the intake of unhealthy food items such as fast food increased during the COVID-19 pandemic (P<0.01) while the frequency of fruit and vegetable intake, consumption of pulses, egg or meat, consumption of milk and its products, and consumption of a balanced diet had significantly reduced (P<0.01). However, there was no statistically significant change in routine consumption of meals at regular intervals during COVID-19. Participation in moderate-intensity aerobic exercises and leisure-related activities declined significantly (P<0.01), while a significant increase in screen time and stress levels (P<0.01) was observed. The K10 scores showed (61%) mild to severe stress disorders during the pandemic, and only 39% of the respondents could maintain healthy stress conditions. A detailed understanding of these factors can help to develop interventions to mitigate the negative lifestyle behaviours that have manifested during the pandemic.