Proof-of-Principle Study: Changes in BMI and Dietary Intake of Mothers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with increases in economic, psychological, and biological stress. We conducted secondary analysis to characterize weight gain and changes in liking and intake of overconsumed nutrients (i.e., added sugar, saturated fat) in mothers of young children living in Philadelphia who were tested both before and during the pandemic. Methods: Fifteen women (8 single heads of households, 7 partnered), whose youngest child was 2 to 6 y, were participants in research studies at Monell that were interrupted by the COVID-19 lockdown. Each woman was measured and weighed, and 1-d dietary recalls and food liking scores were collected, on two separate occasions- months before (T1) the pandemic and then after lockdown orders were lifted (T2). The inter-test interval was 11 (± 1) months and T2 occurred in month 7(± 1) of the pandemic. Gains (T2 - T1) of >1 BMI unit were considered significant for women of child-bearing age. Results: By the 7th month of the pandemic, a greater percentage of single women (63%) gained >1 BMI units than those partnered (14%; p=0.08). Prior to the pandemic, the diets of single women contained more energy from saturated fats (15% vs. 5%, p=0.03) and added sugars (15% vs. 5%, p