{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T07:43:24Z","timestamp":1775029404868,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,4]],"date-time":"2023-05-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1683158400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Universidade Catolica Portuguesa - Interdisciplinary projects"},{"name":"National Funds from FCT - Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","award":["UIDB\/50016\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/50016\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Throughout the pandemic of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2, university students were considered a vulnerable risk group for mental health impairment and wellbeing deterioration. This study aimed at evaluating the pandemic\u2019s impact on the physical and mental health and wellbeing among students of a Portuguese university. This cross-sectional study included 913 participants and ran from June to October 2020. Data collected included sociodemographics, three mental health self-report questionnaires (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and Brief COPE) and lifestyle practices (eating and sleeping patterns, media, and entertainment habits) during the first months of the pandemic, which included a 72-day full national lockdown. Descriptive and correlational statistical analysis were conducted. Students\u2019 food habits changed during the pandemic, namely on the consumption of snacks and fast food and, overall, less balanced meals became more prevalent. Additionally, almost 70% of the students reported Body Mass Index changes, while 59% went through sleep pattern changes\u2013these were more pronounced in women and younger students. Over half (67%) of the inquirees exhibited an increase in their stress, depression, and generalized anxiety symptoms. Also, the study demonstrates that students\u2019 lifestyles trended negatively during the pandemic and highlights how important regular psychological, health monitoring and emotional support is, amongst this somehow overlooked population throughout the pandemic. Universities should provide support to overcome challenges in future stressful situations. This study might have an impact on how universities and higher education systems approach their students in terms of mental and physical health monitoring and promotion in future situations, non-related with COVID. Moreover, it has a large sample of students well characterized in terms of mental and physical health, which might be of interest for future comparison with other worldwide group of students throughout stressful situations, such as tragic events, wars, pandemics.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0285317","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,4]],"date-time":"2023-05-04T17:55:46Z","timestamp":1683222946000},"page":"e0285317","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental and physical health and overall wellbeing of university students in Portugal"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Barbara Cesar","family":"Machado","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Elisabete","family":"Pinto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Margarida","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Elisa","family":"Veiga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3143-420X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Cristina","family":"S\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5417-8838","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Sahra","family":"Kuhz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Patr\u00edcia Oliveira","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Pimenta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Gomes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5329-0625","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Armando","family":"Almeida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9687-413X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Luis","family":"S\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5040-735X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Marta","family":"Correia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0285317.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112977","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2020.112977","article-title":"Impact of Sars-Cov-2 and its reverberation in global higher education and mental health","volume":"288","author":"F. 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Sequeira","year":"2022","journal-title":"International Journal of Mental Health Nursing"},{"key":"pone.0285317.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114495","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2022.114495","article-title":"Pandemic-related experiences, mental health symptoms, substance use, and relationship conflict among older adolescents and young adults from Manitoba, Canada","volume":"311","author":"S. Salmon","year":"2022","journal-title":"Psychiatry research"},{"key":"pone.0285317.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105658","DOI":"10.1016\/j.childyouth.2020.105658","article-title":"Mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 and perceptions towards the pandemic: findings from a cross sectional study among Bangladeshi students","volume":"119","author":"A. 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Quittkat","year":"2020","journal-title":"Frontiers in psychology"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0285317.ref041","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1192\/j.eurpsy.2020.89","article-title":"Effects of the lockdown on the mental health of the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: Results from the COMET collaborative network.","volume":"63","author":"A. Fiorillo","year":"2020","journal-title":"European Psychiatry"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0285317.ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1007\/s10964-009-9500-2","article-title":"Body dissatisfaction among adolescent boys and girls: the effects of body mass, peer appearance culture and internalization of appearance ideals","volume":"40","author":"M. Lawler","year":"2011","journal-title":"Journal of youth and adolescence"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0285317.ref043","first-page":"579","article-title":"The relationship between the risk of eating disorder and meal patterns in University students. 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