Eating behaviour and lifestyle changes among elderly during Covid-19 pandemic Rani Akanksha, Verma Lalita, Jaiswal Nidhi Department of Food & Nutrition, Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi, Delhi Online Published on 22 September, 2022. Abstract This web-based cross-sectional survey aimed to explore the changes in eating behaviour and lifestyle pattern among elderly residing in Delhi during the Covid-19 pandemic. 113 elderly persons(46 males and 67 females), age varying from 61yrs. to 75yrs., were purposely selected in this study. The data was collected using Google Form and the participants were asked to fill in the online Google Form whose link was shared via email and WhatsApp. Telephonic interviews were conducted for those who did not have android mobile phones. The findings of the study revealed that 44.44 per cent elderly were consuming healthier meals in joint families. 23.01 percent of participants were often skipping meals. 66.37percent of participants reported neutral mood, 61.06per cent of participants reported that emotions influence their eating pattern. Participants meals were based on their health status (66.37%), likes and dislikes (56.64%), hunger (53.1%), and family (44.25%). A significant relationship was observed between gender and skipping meals (p<0.05) in which the frequency of skipping meals was higher in males (61.53%). Only 35.4per cent of the participants was physically active in which most of them were going for a walk (69.91%) while 37.17per cent of participants were engaged in extracurricular activities. Thus, this study shows an impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the psychological and emotional responses in the Eating Behaviour and Lifestyle Changes Among Elderly … elderly thereby affecting their eating behaviour including changes in meal patterns and physical activity level that directly or indirectly pose a risk to public health. Top Keywords Coronavirus, Covid-19, Eating behaviour, Elderly, Older adults, Physical activity. Top |