Cortez-Ribeiro, Anna CarolinaFerro-Lebres, VeraArroyo-Izaga, MartaTorheim, Liv ElinAlmeida-de-Souza, Juliana2023-05-262023-05-262022Cortez-Ribeiro, Anna Carolina; Ferro-Lebres, Vera; Arroyo-Izaga, Marta; Torheim, Liv Elin; Almeida-de-Souza, Juliana (2022). Lifestyle changes among university students in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic: the finescop study. In 15º Congresso da SPCNA: Alimentação Humana. Porto0873-4364http://hdl.handle.net/10198/28372Previous studies showed that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown caused changes in lifestyle habits. However, there is limited information regarding the effects after the lockdown. This study aimed to assess self-reported lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic among students at the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB)), Portugal. This research is part of the Food Insecurity among European University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic (FINESCOP) study. METHODS: Students answered an online questionnaire on sociodemographic variables and lifestyle changes, including eating habits. This study was conducted between April 4 and May 16, 2022. The sample size was estimated using the Epidat 3.0 program, considering the total number of students enrolled during the 2020/21 academic year. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 377 students, 55.7% female, with a mean age of 23.1 ± 3.8 years. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (p=0.002), meat and/or eggs (p<0.001), and processed meat (p=0.012) decreased. In the rest of the food groups, no significant differences were recorded. Participants reported an increase in the time spent in front of the screen for work/study (p<0.001), alcohol consumption (p=0.009), and smoking habits (p<0.001). Worsening sleep and poor physical and psychological health were also observed (p<0.001). Our findings revealed changes in lifestyle behaviors in students from the IPB during the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective strategies are needed to promote healthy lifestyles in this population.porCOVID-19Eating habitsLifestyleUniversity studentsFINESCOP studyResearch Subject Categories::TECHNOLOGY::Chemical engineering::Food technologyconference object