Background: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions had to swiftly adapt and transition to remote teaching in order to maintain academic activities. However, these changes presented a number of challenges for professors, which could have negative effects on their health.
Objective: To analyze the association between changes in dietary and sleep habits, physical activity level, and sedentary behavior with the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among Brazilian higher education professors during the pandemic period.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional and retrospective study conducted using an online form. Generalized linear models, adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index, were used to verify the difference between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. Logistic regression models were used to predict the odds ratio (OR) for the development of NCDs according to physical activity time, sedentary behavior time, dietary and sleep patterns.
Results: A total of 936 professors residing across Brazil participated in the survey. The duration of sedentary behavior increased, sleep duration slightly decreased, and meal times shifted to earlier during the pandemic. A total of 22.9%of the participants reported the diagnosis of some NCDs during this period. Physical activity practice was associated with a lower risk of diseases during the pandemic, regardless of the intensity performed. On the other hand, late eating habits and excessive food consumption during the pandemic were associated with a higher risk.
Conclusion: The results provide data that can help in the development of public policies that promote health actions to minimize the consequences associated with the pandemic period.
Keywords: Physical activity; chrononutrition; coronavirus; feeding behavior; sedentary behavior; university professor.