Dietary and lifestyle changes among Pakistani adults during COVID-19 pandemic: A nationwide cross-sectional analysis

INTRODUCTION: During the pandemic, sedentary behaviors, anxiety, and boredom caused by confinement at home could affect lifestyle patterns, degrade diet quality, and promote overconsumption. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the impact of lockdowns on lifestyle behaviors among Pakistan’s population and changes in the nutritional and eating patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an online, questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study. The study collected demographic information, dietary habits, and lifestyle patterns. Descriptive and summary statistics were used to describe data, and Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests were used for associations. RESULTS: Most respondents were females (82.1%) aged 18–29 years (98.1%). 90.3% of them were students. 16.0% were overweight pre-pandemic, which increased to 20.0% during the pandemic. The majority ate more during the pandemic (P < 0.001). 47.9% reported a physical activity duration of 0.5–2 h pre-pandemic, and 50.6% reported decreased physical activity during the pandemic, with increased food intake (P = 0.007). Screen time was <4 h for most (48.8%) participants pre-pandemic, and the majority (89.7%) of respondents reported an increased screen time during the pandemic, associated with a higher food intake (47.9%, P = 0.029). CONCLUSION: The pandemic has negatively impacted lifestyles and diets, including a significant decrease in physical activity, increased food intake, and increased screen time.