The effectiveness of a 17-week lifestyle intervention on health behaviors among airline pilots during COVID-19

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 17-week, three-component lifestyle intervention for enhancing health behaviors during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods A parallel-group (intervention and control) study was conducted amongst 79 airline pilots over a 17-week period during COVID-19. The intervention group (n = 38) received a personalised sleep, dietary and physical activity programme. The control group (n = 41) received no intervention. Outcome measures for sleep, fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, and subjective health were measured though an online survey pre and post the 17-week period. The changes in outcome measures were used to determine the efficacy of the intervention. Results Significant main effects for time X group were found for International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Walk (p = 0.02) and for all other outcome measures (p ≤ 0.01). The intervention group significantly improved in sleep duration (p ≤ 0.01; d = 1.02), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score (p ≤ 0.01; d = -1.01), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (p ≤ 0.01; d = 1.32), fruit and vegetable intake (p ≤ 0.01; d = 3.11), Short-Form-12v2 physical score (p ≤ 0.01; d = 1.84) and Short-Form-12v2 mental score (p ≤ 0.01; d = 2.69). The control group showed significant negative change for sleep duration (p ≤ 0.01; d = -0.47), PSQI score (p ≤ 0.01; d = 0.28) and Short-Form-12v2 mental score (p ≤ 0.01; d = -0.64). Conclusion Results provide preliminary evidence that a three-component healthy sleep, eating and physical activity intervention elicit improvements in health behaviors and perceived subjective health in pilots and may improve quality of life during an unprecedented global pandemic.