Validation of scale of changes in lifestyles during the quarantine period in a population of university students from Lima, Peru

Validación de escala de cambios en los estilos de vida durante el periodo de cuarentena en una población de estudiantes universitarios de Lima, Perú

Abstract

Introduction: Due to the presence of Covid-19 in the world, several countries, including Peru, have taken measures, including compulsory social isolation (quarantine). The inability of people to carry out their daily activities has directly affected their lifestyles. A population quite susceptible to these changes are university students. Objectives: To develop a validation scale to know what are the changes in lifestyles during the quarantine period in a population of university students from Lima, Peru. Results: The final scale was made up of 25 items. Bartlett's sphericity test was significant (3514.19, gl = 300, p <0.001) and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin sample size adequacy indicator was adequate (0.845). The four thematic areas were changes with respect to 1) Eating habits; 2) Harmful habits; 3) Physical activity; and 4) Use of communication media. As it was a Likert-type ordinal measurement scale, the results were confirmed through the Factor Analysys program, obtaining a KMO of 0.80 (reliable) and the significant Bartlett sphericity test (5528.8; p <0.001; gl = 300). confirming the existence of 7 components that explain 63% of the variance. Conclusions: This scale gathers the psychometric properties to be considered a useful, valid and reliable instrument to measure these changes in students of health science careers, being necessary to validate it prospectively in other careers and countries.