Table 1. Comparison of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of university health sciences students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2020 (N=355).
| Variable | Before the pandemic n = 93 (%) | During the pandemic n = 262 (%) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Courses | |||
| Pharmacy | 32.3 | 35.5 | 0.161 II |
| Nutrition | 21.5 | 30.5 | |
| Medicine | 29.0 | 22.5 | |
| Physical Education | 17.2 | 11.5 | |
| Marital status | |||
| Single | 95.7 | 92.4 | 0.009I |
| Married | 2.2 | 7.6 | |
| Other1 | 2.2 | 0.0 | |
| Biological sex | |||
| Female | 66.7 | 77.9 | 0.045II |
| Male | 33.3 | 22.1 | |
| Sexual orientation | |||
| Heterosexual | 82.8 | 81.3 | 0.243 II |
| Homosexual | 9.7 | 6.1 | |
| Other2 | 7.5 | 12.6 | |
| Paid work | |||
| No | 85.0 | 85.9 | 0.962 II |
| Yes | 15.1 | 14.1 | |
| Housing | |||
| Alone | 8.6 | 11.5 | 0.085 II |
| Parents/Relatives | 25.8 | 36.3 | |
| Other3 | 65.6 | 52.3 | |
| Religion | |||
| Catholic | 48.4 | 49.6 | 0.976 II |
| Evangelical | 11.8 | 11.8 | |
| Other4 | 39.8 | 38.6 | |
| Alcohol consumption | |||
| No | 31.2 | 33.6 | 0.768 II |
| Yes | 68.8 | 66.4 | |
| Excessive alcohol consumption | |||
| No | 38.2 | 48.6 | 0.168 II |
| Yes5 | 61.8 | 51.5 | |
| Cigarette/tobacco product use | |||
| No | 86.0 | 93.1 | 0.061 II |
| Yes | 14.0 | 6.9 | |
| Illicit drug use | |||
| No | 55.9 | 92.0 | 0.000II |
| Yes | 44.1 | 8.0 | |
| Drug use initiated after university | |||
| No | 75.3 | 57.1 | 0.161 II |
| Yes | 24.7 | 42.9 | |
| Intensification of drug use after university | |||
| No | 83.3 | 42.9 | 0.000II |
| Yes | 16.7 | 57.1 | |
| Physical exercise practice6 | |||
| No | 43.0 | 24.1 | 0.001II |
| Yes | 57.0 | 76.0 | |
| Self-rated health | |||
| Very Good | 17.2 | 17.2 | 0.751I |
| Good | 47.3 | 52.7 | |
| Average | 32.3 | 26.7 | |
| Poor | 3.2 | 3.4 | |
| Chronic illnesses | |||
| No | 89.3 | 66.4 | 0.000II |
| Yes | 10.8 | 33.6 | |
| Family history of depression | |||
| No | 53.8 | 81.7 | 0.000II |
| Yes | 46.2 | 18.3 | |
| Family history of anxiety | |||
| No | 52.7 | 54.2 | 0.897 II |
| Yes | 47.3 | 45.8 | |
| Age | |||
| Mean (SD) | 23.8 (3.5) | 24.1 (4.8) | 0.821III |
| BMI (Body Mass Index)7 | |||
| Mean (SD) | 22.5 (3.7) | 23.3 (3.8) | 0.059III |
I Fisher's Exact Test; II Chi-Square Test; III Mann-Whitney Test; 1 Divorced, in a domestic partnership, other; 2 Bisexual, asexual; 3 Shared housing, boarding house, dormitory, spouse; 4 No religious affiliation, spiritualist, Eastern Buddhism, Jewish, Afro-Brazilian, other; 5 Total doses consumed on a single occasion (five doses for men and four for women, in a single occasion); 6 Engaging in physical activity refers to participating in physical exercise or any physical activity, such as sports (e.g., soccer, tennis, running, swimming, etc.); 7 BMI: Body Mass Index.