Relação entre uso de suplementos alimentares, estilo de vida e manifestações de sintomas relacionados à COVID-19

Abstract

The disease caused by coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has been causing several losses worldwide. The restrictions caused changes in health-related lifestyle habits. Food, sleep, physical activity, mental health, among other factors, may have changed due to the current pandemic situation. Thus, it is important to analyze the relationship between COVID-19 and changes in lifestyle resulting from the pandemic. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the use of dietary supplements and variables related to the disease during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of Brazilian subjects recruited online using the snowball method. Participants filled out an online questionnaire created on Google Forms and sent via social media. Sociodemographic, occupational and anthropometric data were collected. In addition, participants answered the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ – short version), the COVID-19 Fear Scale (FCV-19S) and the Changes in Lifestyle-Related Behavior. Data analysis was divided into two parts. The first part consisted of a descriptive analysis (simple), initially carried out with the data obtained, and in the second part (article) was performed an analysis composed of several statistical tests. The sample consisted of 461 participants aged between 18 and 58 years, living in the Southeast region of Brazil. In the first analysis, it was found that the majority of participants who used dietary supplements before or during the COVID-19 pandemic were male. The most used supplements were: whey protein, creatine and vitamins before and during the pandemic. An increase of 17.1% in the consumption of food supplements was observed during the pandemic, highlighting an increase in the consumption of vitamins. An increase in supplement consumption by women has been observed during the pandemic. Most participants who had COVID-19 had mild symptoms. Among the participants who reported consuming a food supplement before the pandemic, a higher percentage of asymptomatic cases and a lower percentage of severe cases were observed. In the second analysis, the results indicated lower COVID-19 fear scores in participants who used dietary supplements before the pandemic, along with a higher level of physical activity (METS) before and during the pandemic. The translation and adaptation of the Changes in Lifestyle-related Behavior questionnaire showed satisfactory psychometric properties. In conclusion, during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in the number of individuals consuming dietary supplements was observed. A greater increase was observed in the consumption of vitamins, mainly among women. Regarding the manifestation of COVID-19, most had mild symptoms of the disease, regardless of the use of supplements. However, the percentage of asymptomatic and severe cases, in relation to the consumption of food supplement, suggests protection against the disease. Additionally, the group that used the supplement before the pandemic was related to the male gender, lower frequency of obesity, higher energy expenditure with moderate and intense activities, and lower perception of fear of COVID-19.