Prevalence of stress and associated changes in the personal habits of frontline healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has dramatically tested health services all
over the world. Since being hit by the first wave of the epidemic in the spring of 2020 and the
second wave in the autumn of the same year, Italy has been one of the countries most affected. For frontline healthcare workers (FHWs) the two waves posed different problems. In the first phase of the outbreak, the sudden overload of work, the lack of protective equipment, fear of infection, insufficient knowledge of safety procedures, and uncertainty about treatment criteria were among the major problems.
Materials and methods: With this broad perspective in mind, to grasp the complexity of the
problem, we performed, as also suggested by Greenhalgh and colleagues (16), a narrative
review.
Result: Most of the participants (31.1%) were non-smokers and nondrinkers. About 22 (24.4%)
of the doctors modify their life style and 60 (66.7%) used home remedies as preventive methods against this viral infection. Despite decreased financials, a majority of healthcare workers 65 (72.2%) did not feel harassed and took pride in their work.
Conclusion: In our study longitudinal study of weight changes, eating patterns, physical activity, and psychological factors among a specified group of FHWs. The findings contribute to the current body of growing evidence to best understand how pandemic-induced life style
disruptions shape health behaviors and weight change among FHWs.