National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Diet, nutrition and physical activity in 2020. A follow up study during COVID-19

This report presents the findings from a study which aimed to describe, and assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on, the diet and physical activity of people in the UK in 2020. This was a follow-up of National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (NDNS RP) participants; self-reported diet and physical activity data collected between August and October 2020 for around 1,000 adults and children was compared with their diet and activity data obtained at the time of their original NDNS RP interview.

Data on food security, financial security and changes in dietary and health-related behaviours since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK in February 2020 were also collected in this study (but not previously in the NDNS RP) through a web questionnaire with the aim of helping to understand the context for any changes in diet and activity. Participants were also asked to complete 4 online dietary recalls over a 2 to 3 week period to assess their current diet. This was compared with their reported diet when originally assessed in the NDNS RP (on average 2 years 7 months earlier).

Adults were also asked to complete a Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire (RPAQ), again to compare with their reported physical activity when originally assessed in the NDNS RP.