Associations between mental health and lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic in a general Japanese population: NIPPON DATA2010.

Naoki AONO; Aya HIGASHIYAMA; Harumitsu SUZUKI; Akira FUJIYOSHI; Makiko ABE; Atsushi SATOH; Hisatomi ARIMA; Nobuo NISHI; Aya KADOTA; Takayoshi OHKUBO; Tomonori OKAMURA; Nagako OKUDA; Akira OKAYAMA; Katsuyuki MIURA

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Associations between mental health and lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic in a general Japanese population: NIPPON DATA2010.

Author: Naoki AONO ¹ ; Aya HIGASHIYAMA ¹ ; Harumitsu SUZUKI ¹ ; Akira FUJIYOSHI ¹ ; Makiko ABE ² ; Atsushi SATOH ³ ; Hisatomi ARIMA ² ; Nobuo NISHI ⁴ ; Aya KADOTA ⁵ ; Takayoshi OHKUBO ⁶ ; Tomonori OKAMURA ⁷ ; Nagako OKUDA ⁸ ; Akira OKAYAMA ⁹ ; Katsuyuki MIURA ⁵
Author Information

1. Department of Hygiene, Wakayama Medical University.
2. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University.
3. The Laboratory of Epidemiology and Prevention, Kobe Pharmaceutical University.
4. Graduate School of Public Health, St. Luke's International University.
5. NCD Epidemiology Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science.
6. Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Teikyo University School of Medicine.
7. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Keio University School of Medicine.
8. Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University.
9. The Research Institute of Strategy for Prevention.
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: Alcohol; COVID-19; Japan; Kessler 6; Lifestyle changes; NCDs; Nation; Pandemic; Physical activity; Psychological distress
MeSH: Humans; COVID-19/epidemiology*; Japan/epidemiology*; Male; Female; Mental Health/statistics & numerical data*; Middle Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Life Style; Adult; Aged; Exercise; Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology*; SARS-CoV-2; Pandemics; East Asian People
From:Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 2025;30():28-28
CountryJapan
Language:English
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Deterioration in lifestyle associated with poor mental health could be an important concern during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, few studies have investigated the association between mental health status and lifestyle changes during the pandemic in nationwide Japanese general population.
METHODS:This cross-sectional study was conducted using the data among 1,546 participants of the follow-up study of NIPPON DATA2010 in 2021. Recent mental status, as assessed using the Kessler 6 (K6) scale, and lifestyle changes compared to before the pandemic were determined using self-reported questionnaires. Some lifestyle changes such as decreased physical activity were defined as undesirable, whereas others such as decreased alcohol drinking were defined as desirable. The participants were divided into three groups based on the K6 scores: the K6<5, 5≤K6<9, and K6≥9 groups. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the K6 groups for each lifestyle change compared with that in the K6<5 group were estimated after adjusting for possible confounders.
RESULTS:The ORs of the K6≥9 group for all undesirable lifestyle changes were significantly high, especially increased alcohol drinking (OR 4.64; 95% CI, 2.71-7.93), and decreased physical activity (OR 4.63; 95% CI, 3.29-6.52). Among the desirable changes, the OR of the 5≤K6<9 group was significantly high for increased eating home cooking.
CONCLUSIONS:Poor mental health showed a significant association with undesirable lifestyle changes, especially increased alcohol drinking and decreased physical activity, in a nationwide general Japanese population during the COVID-19 pandemic.