Poor appetite and overeating reported by adults in Australia during the coronavirus-19 disease pandemic: a population-based study

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec id="S1368980020003833_as1"><jats:title>Objective:</jats:title><jats:p>As a result of the coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Australia adopted emergency measures on 22 March 2020. This study reports the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on appetite and overeating in Australian adults during the first month of emergency measures.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec id="S1368980020003833_as2"><jats:title>Design:</jats:title><jats:p>This study reports analysis of data from the population-based, self-completed survey. The main outcome measure was an item from the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 asking: ‘Over the past 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by poor appetite or overeating?’. Data on sociodemographic factors, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown were also collected. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations with poor appetite or overeating.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec id="S1368980020003833_as3"><jats:title>Setting:</jats:title><jats:p>An anonymous online survey available from 3 April to 2 May 2020.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec id="S1368980020003833_as4"><jats:title>Participants:</jats:title><jats:p>A total of 13 829 Australian residents aged 18 years or over.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec id="S1368980020003833_as5"><jats:title>Results:</jats:title><jats:p>The weighted prevalence of being bothered by poor appetite or overeating in the past 2 weeks was 53·6 %, with 11·6 % (95 % CI 10·6, 12·6) of the cohort reporting poor appetite or overeating nearly every day. High levels of anxiety, concern about contracting COVID-19, being in lockdown with children and reporting a severe impact of the lockdown were associated with increased odds of poor appetite or overeating.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec id="S1368980020003833_as6"><jats:title>Conclusions:</jats:title><jats:p>Given the widespread prevalence of being bothered by poor appetite or overeating, universal public health interventions to address emotion-focused or situational eating during periods of lockdown may be appropriate.</jats:p></jats:sec>