Lifestyle risk behaviours among adolescents: a two-year longitudinal study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Lauren Anne Gardner; Jennifer Debenham; Nicola Clare Newton; Cath Chapman; Fiona Wylie; Bridie Osman; Maree Teesson; Katrina Elizabeth Champion

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060309

Lifestyle risk behaviours among adolescents: a two-year longitudinal study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Lauren Anne Gardner, Jennifer Debenham, Nicola Clare Newton, Cath Chapman, Fiona Wylie, Bridie Osman, Maree Teesson, Katrina Elizabeth Champion

School of Psychological Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

49 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Objective To examine changes in the prevalence of six key chronic disease risk factors (the “Big 6”), from before (2019) to during (2021) the COVID-19 pandemic, among a large and geographically diverse sample of adolescents, and whether differences over time are associated with lockdown status and gender.

Design Prospective cohort study.

Setting Three Australian states (New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia) spanning over 3000 km.

Participants 983 adolescents (baseline Mage=12.6, SD=0.5, 54.8% girl) drawn from the control group of the Health4Life Study.

Primary outcomes The prevalence of physical inactivity, poor diet (insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, high sugar-sweetened beverage intake, high discretionary food intake), poor sleep, excessive recreational screen time, alcohol use and tobacco use.

Results The prevalence of excessive recreational screen time (prevalence ratios (PR)=1.06, 95% CI=1.03 to 1.11), insufficient fruit intake (PR=1.50, 95% CI=1.26 to 1.79), and alcohol (PR=4.34, 95% CI=2.82 to 6.67) and tobacco use (PR=4.05 95% CI=1.86 to 8.84) increased over the 2-year period, with alcohol use increasing more among girls (PR=2.34, 95% CI=1.19 to 4.62). The prevalence of insufficient sleep declined across the full sample (PR=0.74, 95% CI=0.68 to 0.81); however, increased among girls (PR=1.24, 95% CI=1.10 to 1.41). The prevalence of high sugar-sweetened beverage (PR=0.61, 95% CI=0.64 to 0.83) and discretionary food consumption (PR=0.73, 95% CI=0.64 to 0.83) reduced among those subjected to stay-at-home orders, compared with those not in lockdown.

Conclusion Lifestyle risk behaviours, particularly excessive recreational screen time, poor diet, physical inactivity and poor sleep, are prevalent among adolescents. Young people must be supported to find ways to improve or maintain their health, regardless of the course of the pandemic. Targeted approaches to support groups that may be disproportionately impacted, such as adolescent girls, are needed.

Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12619000431123)

Original language	English
Article number	e060309
Pages (from-to)	1-8
Number of pages	8
Journal	BMJ Open
Volume	12
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060309
Publication status	Published - Jun 2022

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2022. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

COVID-19
epidemiology
public health

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10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060309Licence: CC BY-NC

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 768 KBLicence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

@article{a04dd2dbad0d456bbb8344d8b1612425,

title = "Lifestyle risk behaviours among adolescents: a two-year longitudinal study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic",

abstract = "Objective To examine changes in the prevalence of six key chronic disease risk factors (the “Big 6”), from before (2019) to during (2021) the COVID-19 pandemic, among a large and geographically diverse sample of adolescents, and whether differences over time are associated with lockdown status and gender. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Three Australian states (New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia) spanning over 3000 km. Participants 983 adolescents (baseline Mage=12.6, SD=0.5, 54.8\% girl) drawn from the control group of the Health4Life Study. Primary outcomes The prevalence of physical inactivity, poor diet (insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, high sugar-sweetened beverage intake, high discretionary food intake), poor sleep, excessive recreational screen time, alcohol use and tobacco use. Results The prevalence of excessive recreational screen time (prevalence ratios (PR)=1.06, 95\% CI=1.03 to 1.11), insufficient fruit intake (PR=1.50, 95\% CI=1.26 to 1.79), and alcohol (PR=4.34, 95\% CI=2.82 to 6.67) and tobacco use (PR=4.05 95\% CI=1.86 to 8.84) increased over the 2-year period, with alcohol use increasing more among girls (PR=2.34, 95\% CI=1.19 to 4.62). The prevalence of insufficient sleep declined across the full sample (PR=0.74, 95\% CI=0.68 to 0.81); however, increased among girls (PR=1.24, 95\% CI=1.10 to 1.41). The prevalence of high sugar-sweetened beverage (PR=0.61, 95\% CI=0.64 to 0.83) and discretionary food consumption (PR=0.73, 95\% CI=0.64 to 0.83) reduced among those subjected to stay-at-home orders, compared with those not in lockdown. Conclusion Lifestyle risk behaviours, particularly excessive recreational screen time, poor diet, physical inactivity and poor sleep, are prevalent among adolescents. Young people must be supported to find ways to improve or maintain their health, regardless of the course of the pandemic. Targeted approaches to support groups that may be disproportionately impacted, such as adolescent girls, are needed. Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12619000431123)",

keywords = "COVID-19, epidemiology, public health",

author = "Gardner, \{Lauren Anne\} and Jennifer Debenham and Newton, \{Nicola Clare\} and Cath Chapman and Fiona Wylie and Bridie Osman and Maree Teesson and Champion, \{Katrina Elizabeth\}",

note = "Copyright the Author(s) 2022. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.",

year = "2022",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060309",

language = "English",

volume = "12",

pages = "1--8",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Lifestyle risk behaviours among adolescents

T2 - a two-year longitudinal study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

AU - Gardner, Lauren Anne

AU - Debenham, Jennifer

AU - Newton, Nicola Clare

AU - Chapman, Cath

AU - Wylie, Fiona

AU - Osman, Bridie

AU - Teesson, Maree

AU - Champion, Katrina Elizabeth

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2022. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2022/6

Y1 - 2022/6

N2 - Objective To examine changes in the prevalence of six key chronic disease risk factors (the “Big 6”), from before (2019) to during (2021) the COVID-19 pandemic, among a large and geographically diverse sample of adolescents, and whether differences over time are associated with lockdown status and gender. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Three Australian states (New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia) spanning over 3000 km. Participants 983 adolescents (baseline Mage=12.6, SD=0.5, 54.8% girl) drawn from the control group of the Health4Life Study. Primary outcomes The prevalence of physical inactivity, poor diet (insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, high sugar-sweetened beverage intake, high discretionary food intake), poor sleep, excessive recreational screen time, alcohol use and tobacco use. Results The prevalence of excessive recreational screen time (prevalence ratios (PR)=1.06, 95% CI=1.03 to 1.11), insufficient fruit intake (PR=1.50, 95% CI=1.26 to 1.79), and alcohol (PR=4.34, 95% CI=2.82 to 6.67) and tobacco use (PR=4.05 95% CI=1.86 to 8.84) increased over the 2-year period, with alcohol use increasing more among girls (PR=2.34, 95% CI=1.19 to 4.62). The prevalence of insufficient sleep declined across the full sample (PR=0.74, 95% CI=0.68 to 0.81); however, increased among girls (PR=1.24, 95% CI=1.10 to 1.41). The prevalence of high sugar-sweetened beverage (PR=0.61, 95% CI=0.64 to 0.83) and discretionary food consumption (PR=0.73, 95% CI=0.64 to 0.83) reduced among those subjected to stay-at-home orders, compared with those not in lockdown. Conclusion Lifestyle risk behaviours, particularly excessive recreational screen time, poor diet, physical inactivity and poor sleep, are prevalent among adolescents. Young people must be supported to find ways to improve or maintain their health, regardless of the course of the pandemic. Targeted approaches to support groups that may be disproportionately impacted, such as adolescent girls, are needed. Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12619000431123)

AB - Objective To examine changes in the prevalence of six key chronic disease risk factors (the “Big 6”), from before (2019) to during (2021) the COVID-19 pandemic, among a large and geographically diverse sample of adolescents, and whether differences over time are associated with lockdown status and gender. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Three Australian states (New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia) spanning over 3000 km. Participants 983 adolescents (baseline Mage=12.6, SD=0.5, 54.8% girl) drawn from the control group of the Health4Life Study. Primary outcomes The prevalence of physical inactivity, poor diet (insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, high sugar-sweetened beverage intake, high discretionary food intake), poor sleep, excessive recreational screen time, alcohol use and tobacco use. Results The prevalence of excessive recreational screen time (prevalence ratios (PR)=1.06, 95% CI=1.03 to 1.11), insufficient fruit intake (PR=1.50, 95% CI=1.26 to 1.79), and alcohol (PR=4.34, 95% CI=2.82 to 6.67) and tobacco use (PR=4.05 95% CI=1.86 to 8.84) increased over the 2-year period, with alcohol use increasing more among girls (PR=2.34, 95% CI=1.19 to 4.62). The prevalence of insufficient sleep declined across the full sample (PR=0.74, 95% CI=0.68 to 0.81); however, increased among girls (PR=1.24, 95% CI=1.10 to 1.41). The prevalence of high sugar-sweetened beverage (PR=0.61, 95% CI=0.64 to 0.83) and discretionary food consumption (PR=0.73, 95% CI=0.64 to 0.83) reduced among those subjected to stay-at-home orders, compared with those not in lockdown. Conclusion Lifestyle risk behaviours, particularly excessive recreational screen time, poor diet, physical inactivity and poor sleep, are prevalent among adolescents. Young people must be supported to find ways to improve or maintain their health, regardless of the course of the pandemic. Targeted approaches to support groups that may be disproportionately impacted, such as adolescent girls, are needed. Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12619000431123)

KW - COVID-19

KW - epidemiology

KW - public health

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85131270660

U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060309

DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060309

M3 - Article

C2 - 35649588

SN - 2044-6055

VL - 12

SP - 1

EP - 8

JO - BMJ Open

JF - BMJ Open

IS - 6

M1 - e060309

ER -

Lifestyle risk behaviours among adolescents: a two-year longitudinal study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

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