Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nutrition, Sleep, Physical Activity, and Mood Disorders of Polish Children.

The harmful consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on children are its impact on eating habits, physical activity, sleep, and mood disorders. In the future, this may result in a higher prevalence of obesity and diet-related diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's eating behavior and lifestyle. The study was conducted using a proprietary questionnaire on dietary and lifestyle habits before and during the pandemic, and the reasons for changes due to the pandemic. The study involved 294 parents of children in grades 1-8 in elementary schools in two regions of Poland. The survey showed that during the pandemic, the percentage of children eating five regular meals daily, including fruits and vegetables, and engaging in daily physical activity decreased. However, the percentage of children spending more than 4 h a day in front of a screen increased (p < 0.05). The main reasons for changes in eating habits and physical activity were less eating out, lack of motivation, obstruction, and lack of access to sports facilities (p < 0.05). The pandemic had a significant impact on reduced levels of physical activity and increased time spent in front of a screen. In summary, among the reasons for changes in children's dietary and lifestyle habits, factors related to the pandemic itself, i.e., social restrictions, restrictions, closure of schools and other facilities, and fear of coronavirus infection, had the greatest impact.

Local Governments Spending on Promoting Physical Activity during 2015-2020: Financial Data and the Opinion of Residents in Poland.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected local governments involved in sports and recreation in designated areas. The unprecedented scale of the spread of the disease has led to increased research in the area of the disease, considering various correlations. However, little has been written about the impact of the pandemic on local government spending on recreation and sports services in Poland. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the article is to assess the level of local government involvement in the implementation of sports and recreation in Poland compared to other European Union countries, as well as changes in this level in connection with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the opinion of respondents. METHODOLOGY: In the study, the data regarding expenditures of local government units on recreational and sporting services collected in the Statistical Office of the European Union (EURO-STAT) for 2015-2020 were used. The survey portion was conducted among 1600 respondents who provided answers on a 5-item scale that addressed local government involvement in promoting physical activity among residents during COVID-19. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Local government spending on recreational and sporting services in Poland between 2015 and 2019 increased by about 38%, from EUR 1524.7 million in 2015 to EUR 2103.5 million in 2019. This spending in 2019 was about 40% higher than the average for European Union countries. In contrast, in 2020 it amounted to more than EUR 1886 million and was more than 10% lower compared to the previous year (2019)-the pre-pandemic period. Despite the obstacles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and budgetary constraints, cities in Poland took several measures in 2020 to maintain the current pace of development and strived to maintain the status of modern, green, and open, betting on balanced development also in aspects related to sports or culture. It was shown that the opinion of respondents mostly coincided with the existing financial state-in voivodeships where there had been a decrease in spending related to sports and recreation compared to the pre-pandemic period, residents are worse at assessing the activities of local governments related to promoting physical activity.

The Level of COVID-19 Anxiety among Oncology Patients in Poland.

Cancer patients tend to have a high psychological burden. Half of cancer patients suffer from severe affective disorders and anxiety disorders, while one-third struggle with mild forms of these. The COVID-19 pandemic is damaging the mental health of the population due to social restrictions. A growing number of studies note the role of COVID-19 anxiety in the health and quality of life of cancer patients. The purpose of this study is to estimate the level of COVID-19 anxiety among oncology patients and to test the utility of the FCV-19S scale in a population study of cancer patients. The study included 600 respondents (300 oncology patients and 300 control subjects not undergoing oncological treatment). The FCV-19S scale and the GAD-7 scale were used in the study. The results were interpreted according to the following verbal scale: 76-100%, high anxiety; 56-75%, moderate anxiety; 26-55%, low COVID-19 anxiety; <25%, no COVID-19 anxiety. In the analysis of the GAD-7 questionnaire results, the mean score obtained was 8.21 (min. 0; max. 21; SD 5.32). For 81% of respondents in the group of oncology patients, the total score indicated the presence of anxiety symptoms with varying degrees of severity; in the control group, this proportion was 55% of respondents. The FCV-19S scale score as a percentage was 57.4% for oncology patients, indicating a moderate level of fear of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and 30.3% for the control group, indicating a low level of fear of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. One-fifth of oncology patients were afraid of losing their lives due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus; in the control group, this proportion was 13% of respondents. Oncology patients were characterized by a higher prevalence of sleep disturbance than control group respondents, which was associated with greater anxiety. The study, therefore, shows that oncology patients have moderate levels of anxiety associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and non-oncology patients show lower levels of anxiety.