Health behaviors and subsequent mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal analysis of adults in the UK.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Public health mitigation policies aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 led to an increase in mental health problems (MHPs). This study examines the association between multiple pre-pandemic health behaviors and MHPs prior to, and during, the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We analyzed a representative population sample of 11,256 adults (aged 20-65 years) from Understanding Society-The UK Household Longitudinal Study. Baseline data from participants interviewed in 2017/2019 (wave 9) were linked to web surveys conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify mutually exclusive health behavior (physical activity, alcohol consumption, eating habits and smoking tobacco) clusters by gender, and examined the sociodemographic correla

SUBMITTER: Russell Jonsson K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9877513 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature