Personality Traits and Changes in Health Behaviors and Depressive Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Analysis from Pre-pandemic to Onset and End of the Initial Emergency Conditions in Finland

The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures targeting the transmission of the virus impacted everyday life in 2020. This study investigated pre- to in-pandemic changes in health behaviors and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of personality traits in these changes in Finland. Data from a larger population-based cohort study of 51–59-year-old Finnish women were used (<i<n</i< = 358). Self-reported questionnaires gathered information about depressive symptoms, eating behavior, physical activity, and alcohol consumption before the pandemic time, at the onset, and at the end of the COVID-19 emergency conditions. Information about personality traits (extraversion and neuroticism) and sociodemographic factors was available from the pre-pandemic baseline. Women reported more depressive symptoms and unhealthier eating habits at the end of the emergency conditions compared to the pre-pandemic time. An increase in depressive symptoms was associated with changing to unhealthier eating habits. Higher extraversion was associated with a perceived decrease in alcohol consumption and with changing to healthier eating habits. Women with higher neuroticism reported changing to either healthier or unhealthier eating habits. In general, some women reported healthier lifestyle changes while other women reported the opposite. Personality traits help to understand these individual differences in adaptation to the pandemic situation..

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2021

Erschienen:

2021

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:18

Enthalten in:

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - 18(2021), 7732, p 7732

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Tiia Kekäläinen [VerfasserIn]
Enni-Maria Hietavala [VerfasserIn]
Matti Hakamäki [VerfasserIn]
Sarianna Sipilä [VerfasserIn]
Eija K. Laakkonen [VerfasserIn]
Katja Kokko [VerfasserIn]

Links:

doi.org [kostenfrei]
doaj.org [kostenfrei]
www.mdpi.com [kostenfrei]
Journal toc [kostenfrei]
Journal toc [kostenfrei]

Themen:

Alcohol
COVID-19
Eating
Exercise
Lifestyle
Medicine
Mental health
R

doi:

10.3390/ijerph18157732

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

DOAJ004989376