Self-Perception of changes in lifestyle and wellbeing associated with social distancing during COVID-19 pandemic among medical students (the study in Lviv, Ukraine)

Muzyka, I.; Belka, B.; Ostrovska, Y.; Zayachkivska, O.

Social distancing related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARS COV2 is an important precautionary measure, implemented by WHO approximately 1 year ago. At the same time, it is a large-scale stressor that has led to multiple changes in the lifestyle around the world. In this crisis, the well-being and health of medical students who belong to the individuals with a high risk of distress in the population are very important for society. The purpose of this research is to study the impact of COVID- 19-related stay-at-home policy, social isolation, online academic learning, and working on the medical students' lifestyle and well-being focusing on their self-perception of telecommunication technologies, social media, as well as on the psychophysiological state, and eating behavior of medical students of Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University (LNMU). Methods. A prospective, cohort study was carried out on 273 medical students of the LNMU via an anonymous online survey using Google Forms. 273 people of diff erent ethnicities answered the original questionnaire, which includes: 1) general questions (age, gender, ethnicity, family, education, work, and economic status);2) issues related to the use of social media;3) questions about the impact of social distancing on lifestyle;4) the scale of stress perception. Results: The cohort for the study consisted of 166 women and 107 men in the following age groups: From 17 to 24 - 92%, 25-31 - 4%, 35-44 - 2%, and over 45 years - 2%. Ethnic groups included Asian - 47%, Caucasian - 41%, African - 7%, Hispanic - 3%, and multiracial people - 2%. Social exclusion during COVID-19 was found to be caused by a change in the use of social media, more time spent on using them by all respondents. Among these, 88% acknowledge that social media have a great impact and 71% of responders learn basic information about the pandemic via social media. However, 52% doubt the reliability of the information. The feeling of anxiety, panic, which characterized the perception of stress caused by information on social media, was reported by 56% of respondents. Almost all respondents changed their lifestyle, which was characterized by physical inactivity and changed eating behavior. About 60% of respondents reported overeating in the evening and at night (19:00 - 5:00) and almost half of all respondents reported weight gain in the last year. All respondents know about the benefi ts of physical activity to overcome signs of psycho-emotional stress, but only about 10% of respondents exercise regularly. There were no diff erences in the responses from students belonging to the Caucasian group or other ethnicities. Conclusions. The lifestyle of student youth, their eating behavior, and psycho-emotional state are being modifi ed during COVID-19. Social media is an important informative factor in the context of social exclusion and the fi ght against chronic stress. © Iryna Musyka Barbara Belka Julia Ostrovska Oksana Zayachkivska, 2021.