ArticleBMC public health2022
Health behaviours the month prior to COVID-19 infection and the development of self-reported long COVID and specific long COVID symptoms: a longitudinal analysis of 1581 UK adults.
Article in BMC public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sleep disturbance increases the risk of severity and acquisition of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of medical research · 2023Pooled it
- Influence of lifestyle factors on susceptibility, disease course and recovery from post COVID-19 syndrome: a scoping review.BMJ public health · 2026Article
- Understanding Long COVID Among Young People in Victoria, Australia: Prevalence, Impact, and Associated Factors.Public health challenges · 2025Article
- Scoping review of the emerging definition of long COVID: implications for future research and clinical practice.Revista de salud publica (Bogota, Colombia) · 2025Article
- Excess of infection with SARS-CoV-2 during the first versus second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic among patients with long COVID.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Dual use of combustible and heated tobacco products associates persistent symptoms with a history of COVID-19: a JASTIS 2023 cross‑sectional study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Bidirectional relationship between sleep problems and long COVID: a longitudinal analysis of data from the COVIDENCE UK study.BMJ open respiratory research · 2025Observational
- The Impact of Physical Activity on Long COVID Symptoms Among College Students: A Retrospective Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Sleep and long COVID: preexisting sleep issues and the risk of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large general population using 3 different model definitions.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2025Article
- Residual cardiopulmonary manifestations following COVID-19: a Tanzanian ambispective study.BMJ public health · 2025Article
- Prospects for the Protective Mechanisms and Compounds of Bufei Huoxue Capsule against COVID-19 Convalescence: Evaluation of Integrating UHPLC-HRMS Analysis and Network Pharmacology Strategy.Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening · 2025Article
- Sleep and long COVID: Preexisting sleep issues and the risk of PASC in a large general population using 3 different model definitions.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2024Article
- Looking at the Data on Smoking and Post-COVID-19 Syndrome-A Literature Review.Journal of personalized medicine · 2024Review
- Associations between physical activity, long COVID symptom intensity, and perceived health among individuals with long COVID.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- A Complex Interplay: Navigating the Crossroads of Tobacco Use, Cardiovascular Disease, and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A WHF Policy Brief.Global heart · 2024Review
- Patients' Post-/Long-COVID Symptoms, Vaccination and Functional Status-Findings from a State-Wide Online Screening Study.Vaccines · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDemographic and infection-related characteristics have been identified as risk factors for long COVID, but research on the influence of health behaviours (e.g., exercise, smoking) immediately preceding the index infection is lacking. The aim of this study was to examine whether specific health behaviours in the month preceding infection with COVID-19 act as upstream risk factors for long COVID as well as well as three specific long COVID symptoms.
methodsOne thousand five hundred eighty-one UK adults from the UCL COVID-19 Social Study and who had previously been infected with COVID-19 were analysed. Health behaviours in the month before infection were weekly exercise frequency, days of fresh air per week, sleep quality, smoking, consuming more than the number of recommended alcoholic drinks per week (> 14), and the number of mental health care behaviours (e.g., online mental health programme). Logistic regressions controlling for covariates (e.g., COVID-19 infection severity, socio-demographics, and pre-existing health conditions) examined the impact of health behaviours on long COVID and three long COVID symptoms (difficulty with mobility, cognition, and self-care).
resultsIn the month before infection with COVID-19, poor quality sleep increased the odds of long COVID (odds ratio [OR]: 3.53; (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.01 to 6.21), as did average quality sleep (OR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.44 to 4.12). Having smoked (OR: 8.39; 95% CI: 1.86 to 37.91) increased and meeting recommended weekly physical activity guidelines (3h hours) (OR: 0.05; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.39) reduced the likelihood of difficulty with self-care (e.g., washing all over or dressing) amongst those with long COVID.
conclusionsResults point to the importance of sleep quality for long COVID, potentially helping to explain previously demonstrated links between stress and long COVID. Results also suggest that exercise and smoking may be modifiable risk factors for preventing the development of difficulty with self-care.
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