Table 1.
Predictor variables and their operationalization
| Category | Variable | Indicators | Operational definition | Type | Levels (codes) | Dummy-coded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Changes in health behavior | Changes in active behaviors | Moderate PA time lost | Time lost per day for moderate physical activities such as walking | Continuous variable | None (1); 1–30 min (2); 30–59 min (3); 1–3 h (4); 4–6 h (5); > 6 h (6) | – |
| Vigorous PA time lost | Time lost per day for vigorous physical activities such as jogging and weight lifting | Continuous variable | None (1); 1–30 min (2); 30–59 min (3); 1–3 h (4); 4–6 h (5); > 6 h (6) | – | ||
| Sedentary time added | Time added per day in sedentary behaviors such as sitting idle and watching TV | Continuous variable | None (1); 1–30 min (2); 30–59 min (3); 1–3 h (4); 4–6 h (5); > 6 h (6) | – | ||
| Exercising | Whether or not the individual was exercising despite the lockdown | Categorical | Yes; no | Yes | ||
| Changes in other behaviors | Smoking frequency | Whether the individual’s smoking frequency had increased because of social isolation | Categorical variable | SF-unchanged; SF-non-smoker; SF-increased; SF-decreased | Yes | |
| Alcohol intake | Whether the individual was drinking more alcohol or alcoholic beverages because of social isolation | Categorical variable | AI-unchanged; AI-not applicable; AI-increased; AI-decreased | Yes | ||
| Eating frequency | Whether the individual’s eating frequency had change owing to social isolation | Categorical variable | EF-increased; EF-decreased; EF-no change | Yes | ||
| Substance use | Whether the individual was depending on substances (e.g. marijuana, alcohol, garlic, etc.) during social isolation | Categorical variable | Yes; no | Yes | ||
| Sexual activity | Whether the individual’s frequency of sexual activity or romance had increased or decreased during social isolation | Categorical variable | SA-increased; SA-decreased; SA-no change | Yes | ||
| Domestic violence increase | Whether the individual experienced domestic violence or faced a higher risk of it due to social isolation | Categorical variable | Yes; no | Yes | ||
| Covariates | CDS | – | Whether the individual has at least one chronic disease | Categorical variable | None; ≥ 1 | Yes |
| Gender | – | Sex of the individual | Categorical variable | Male; female | Yes | |
| Education | – | The highest educational level of the individual | Continuous | – | – | |
| Age | – | How old the individual was at the time he/she was completing the survey | Continuous | – | – | |
| Income | – | The individual’s gross monthly income | Continuous | – | – |
– not applicable, CDS chronic disease status