Changes in lifestyle behaviours during the COVID-19 confinement in Spanish children: A longitudinal analysis from the MUGI project.

Background: Home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic could have affected lifestyle behaviours of children, however evidence about it is emerging and yet scarce.

Objectives: To examine the effects of the COVID-19 confinement on lifestyle behaviours in Spanish children, and to assess the influence of social vulnerabilities on changes in lifestyle behaviours.

Methods: Physical activity (PA), screen time, sleep time, adherence to the Mediterranean diet (KIDMED) and sociodemographic information were longitudinally assessed before (N = 291, 12.1 ± 2.4 years, 47.8% girls) and during the COVID-19 confinement (N = 113, 12.0 ± 2.6 years, 48.7% girls) by online questionnaires.

Results: During the COVID-19 confinement, PA (-91 ± 55 min/d, P < .001) and screen time (±2.6 h/d, P < .001) worsened, whereas the KIDMED score improved (0.5 ± 2.2 points, P < .02). The decrease of PA was higher in children with mother of non-Spanish origin (-1.8 ± 0.2 vs -1.5 ± 0.1 h/d, P < .04) or with non-university studies (-1.7 ± 0.1 vs -1.3 ± 0.1 h/d, P < .005) in comparison to their counterparts.

Conclusion: This study evidence the negative impact of the COVID-19 confinement on PA levels and sedentary behaviours of Spanish children. These findings should be taken into account to design and implement public health strategies for preserving children´s health during and after the pandemic, particularly, in children with social vulnerabilities.