Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Diet in Menopausal Women: Comparison Between COVID19 “first wave” and “second wave” of pandemic in Italy

The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly affected young population all over the world. The present study explores the effects of COVID-19 on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and diet in a population of 435 menopausal women during the first phase of the pandemic (so-called the “first wave”) and during the second spread of infections, after the summer release (so-called “second wave”). Women reported an increase in perceived stress and emotional distress which led to an increase in amount of food (42%), an increase in the consumption of snacks and junk food (48%) and to a switch to an unhealthy diet (46%) and weight gain in 51% of subjects. Most women stopped any physical