The effects of COVID-19 outbreak with control measures to non-communicable disease risk behavior among Thai people during April 2020

Abstract

The objective is to study the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak and the control measures including the Declaration of an Emergency Situation with “social distancing” during March – April 2020 to the risk behavior of developing non-communicable disease among Thai people. The online survey was performed using Google form between 27th April–3rd May 2020. Total 7,711 people from 77 provinces replied the survey. Most people were more stressful (38%) and gained weight (31.7%). According to multivariate analysis, the significant factors resulting weight gained were eating more food (OR = 4), eating more instant noodle (OR = 1.5), eating more desert or candy (OR=1.6), drinking more sugar sweetened beverage (OR=1.5), eating more fruit (OR=1.2), eating self-cooked food (OR=1.3), less waking (OR=1.4), less physical exercise (OR=1.6), and female sex (OR=1.3). In addition, either drinking alcohol or smoking was decrease (78% and 36.9%). Both hypertensive patients and diabetes patients who measured their blood pressure and blood sugar less frequently were 17.3% and 21%. The COVID-19 outbreak and control measures including “social distancing” affect most people (29%) to gain weight rather than lose weight (17%). However, most people consume same or less frequency and amount of food, sweetened drink, alcohol drink, and smoking. The types of food such as fruit, instant noodle, desert or candy, sweetened beverage, and self-cooked food and less physical activity result to increasing weight.