Changes in habits among mothers during the period of social isolation due to COVID-19 in the municipality of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Objective: To assess the prevalence and determinants of lifestyle habit changes in women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study analyzed data from the 2019 Rio Grande Birth Cohort, a population-based longitudinal study in Rio Grande, Brazil. We used data from the Perinatal Baseline Study (2019), before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the cohort’s first follow-up (May–July 2020). We used standardized questionnaires to gather data on maternal sociodemographic characteristics, prenatal care, childbirth, care at birth and changes in habits during the COVID-19 pandemic, including sleep, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and diet. We used multinomial logistic regression, to calculate relative risk ratios (RR). Results: In total (n=1,030), 52.5% maintained the same amount of sleep hours, 72.4% did not consume alcoholic beverages, 87.1% were non-smokers, 51.9% reported a decrease in physical activity, and 58.1% reported an increase in food intake. Older mothers, especially those older than 34, had lower risk of sleeping more hours (RR=0.53; 95% confidence interval – 95%CI 0.31–0.89), increasing their physical activity (RR 0.24; 95%CI 0.09–0.62), and were less likely to increase (RR=0.22; 95%CI 0.05–0.99) or decrease (RR=0.14; 95%CI 0.03–0.60) their alcohol consumption. Conclusion: Social isolation during the pandemic led to changes in maternal habits, especially in physical activity and food intake. Older maternal age emerged as a key predictor, underscoring the need for targeted public health support for mothers during crises.