Evaluating the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on First-Year Medical Student Nutrition

Background: Medical school students in high-stress environments have been shown to make poor personal health decisions ranging from less healthy selections of food to lower rates of exercise. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic adding a major social and health challenge, it is important to examine the effect this new stressor has on the health habits of medical school students.

Methods: All first-year students at Albany Medical College completed a self-recorded three-day log of food intake and exercise modality and duration. Reported data included calories, carbohydrates, protein, lipids, sodium, calcium, and other micronutrients. The data was divided between pre-pandemic (2018-19) and mid-pandemic (2020-21) entries. T-tests and ANOVA tests were used to compare for significance.

Results: Students consumed significantly fewer calories during the pandemic compared to before. This reduction was primarily driven by the female cohort of students. Specifically, this reduction in calories appears to be driven by a decrease in carbohydrate consumption, rather than lipids or protein, which did not change. Additionally, there were significant decreases in sodium, calcium, and vitamin D intake. The mid-pandemic time span (2020-21) appears to be correlated with decreased caloric intake, as well as other important nutrients such as vitamin D and calcium.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated a decrease in calories, carbohydrates, sodium, and alcohol consumption when comparing pre- and mid-pandemic dietary habits of first-year medical students. It also indicated less than the recommended amount of calcium and Vitamin D consumption. Such changes may indicate restrictive eating habits in times of stress.