Implications of COVID-19 control measures for diet and physical activity, and lessons for addressing other pandemics facing rapidly urbanising countries.

Implications of COVID-19 control measures for diet and physical activity, and lessons for addressing other pandemics facing rapidly urbanising countries. Glob Health Action. 2020 12 31;13(1):1810415 Authors: Oni T, Micklesfield LK, Wadende P, Obonyo CO, Woodcock J, Mogo ERI, Odunitan-Wayas FA, Assah F, Tatah L, Foley L, Mapa-Tassou C, Bhagtani D, Weimann A, Mba C, Unwin N, Brugulat-Panés A, Hofman KJ, Smith J, Tulloch-Reid M, Erzse A, Shung-King M, Lambert EV, Wareham NJ Abstract At the time of writing, it is unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic will play out in rapidly urbanising regions of the world. In these regions, the realities of large overcrowded informal settlements, a high burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases, as well as malnutrition and precarity of livelihoods, have raised added concerns about the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in these contexts. COVID-19 infection control measures have been shown to have some effects in slowing down the progress of the pandemic, effectively buying time to prepare the healthcare system. However, there has been less of a focus on the indirect impacts of these measures on health behaviours and the consequent health risks, particularly in the most vulnerable. In this current debate piece, focusing on two of the four risk factors that contribute to >80% of the NCD burden, we consider the possible ways that the restrictions put in place to control the pandemic, have t...
Source: Global Health Action - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Tags: Glob Health Action Source Type: research