369. Lifestyle habits among pregnant women in denmark during the first covid-19 lockdown compared with a historical period – a hospital-based cross-sectional study

Introduction

The first national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark was declared on March 11, 2020. From this date, numerous national restrictions were imposed. Aims of the study: We aimed to assess the potential influence of this first national lockdown on exercise, alcohol consumption and smoking in early pregnancy. Methods: In a cross-sectional study based on routinely collected patient-reported data, we compared lifestyle habits of women who were pregnant during the first phase of the pandemic (COVID-19 group) (N=685), with women who were pregnant the year before (Historical group) (N=787). Results: We found a significant reduction in the prevalence of any exercise, the adherence to recommended level of exercise, and binge drinking in the COVID-19 group compared with the Historical group. The most common types of exercise changed during the lockdown while the prevalence of reported any weekly alcohol consumption and smoking cessation during pregnancy were similar between groups. Discussion: These findings can be applied in the planning of antenatal counselling in this as well as in future pandemics as they highlight the importance of addressing the challenges, and the opportunities, regarding maintenance of a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy.Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the national restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the lifestyle habits of pregnant women.