Een cohortvergelijking van eetgedrag, leefstijl en sociaal-emotionele gezondheid bij jongeren vóór en tijdens de coronacrisis

The corona crisis can be considered a ‘natural experiment’, in which the social context has changed dramatically. It is largely unknown how adolescents respond to this, and which behaviors change. We have compared a cohort of ninth graders (N = 177, M(age) = 15.00) from secondary schools before the corona crisis (Spring 2019) with a demographically comparable group of ninth graders (N = 188, M(age) = 14.95) during the first lockdown (Spring 2020). We compared the domains food intake, lifestyle, and social-emotional health between both cohorts, and we examined the associations within and between the domains for both cohorts. Sweet snack intake from home, alcohol use, and loneliness were higher in the corona cohort compared to before the corona crisis (non-significant after correction). The intake of fruit from home, of sugar-sweetened beverages and unhealthy snacks from outside the home, and of moderate and vigorous physical activity occurred less frequently during the lockdown. Relationship satisfaction with parents, happiness, and stress from school were lower compared to before the lockdown. Smoking, stress at home, and relationship satisfaction with their best friend were equal in both cohorts. The pattern of associations within and between domains differed. More research is needed to delineate how resilient youth are on the long-term, and which youth need support to bounce back.