(P12-015-23) Effect of Confinement Due to COVID-19 Pandemic in Stress, Sleep Quality, Eating Habits, BMI and Use of Online Platforms of Mexican University Students: A Longitudinal Study

Objectives: To evaluate the changes in Stress, Eating Habits, Body Mass Index (BMI), and Sleep Quality and duration, and how these are associated with the degree of confinement and the use of internet platforms in University Students from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Methods: A sample of 77 students were interviewed a month prior to the start of the COVID-19 outbreak and one year later about the Level of Confinement, Lifestyle Factors, use of internet and online platforms, Sleep Quality, Eating Habits, Body Weight and Stress levels.

Results: Diet quality and BMI showed no significant differences after one year of home confinement. Instead, students presented greater problems with Sleep Quality, especially in women, and higher levels of Stress in both men and women. Most students reported that the use of internet and electronic devices during the confinement was mainly during the evening (33.8%) and night (44.2%). Moreover, as expected, 76% of the participants increased their internet use to work and study considerably. Furthermore, the degree of home confinement was significantly and inversely correlated with sleep duration, and positively correlated with the use of internet and electronic devices, particularly online educational platforms. Meanwhile, the time spent on internet and electronic devices negatively correlated with Sleep, Diet quality and Perceived Stress.

Conclusions: Mental disorders such as stress and anxiety negatively impacted basic biological rhythms such as the sleep-wake cycle in the young population during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be very important to establish measures to identify both physiological and emotional sequalae’s, after the current health crisis in work, academic and social life.

Funding Sources: This work did not receive funding.