More than social isolation and lack of Public Policies: impacts of COVID-19 on the income, health, eating and physical activity of Brazilian women who underwent a bariatric surgery

We qualitatively evaluated the perceptions and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding overall health, lifestyle and well-being of Brazilian women who underwent a bariatric surgery. We conducted individual, semi-structured interviews with thirty women, and data were analyzed identifying significance units collected through the interviews. The COVID-19 pandemic affected participants’ income and mental health, and both of these in turn affected their diet. The adult participants experienced an increase in domestic work due to increased family time at home and as a result had decreased opportunities for exercise and leisure activities. The majority of the participants were unable to maintain their physical activities routine during the social isolation, because of the difficulty to exercise indoor or being afraid to exercise outdoors in unsafe neighborhoods. Finally, the confinement impaired their possibility to continue their medical care, that for some, it aggravated their preoccupation. Public health policies should consider, build, and have the possibility of applying contingency plans in times of crisis that aim to alleviate the pressure caused by a threat to the population's health. Our study highlights aspects that could be addressed in public policies to this population.