The COVID-19 Pandemic and its Repercussions on Family Health-Related Behaviors: An Integrative Review

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic scenario has changed people’s routines and lives. It is therefore necessary to understand how this event has changed health-related behaviors, especially in the family setting. Objective: To identify the repercussions of COVID-19 on family health-related behaviors. Materials and Methods: This is an integrative review study based on the Dhollande method and the Prisma Statement, which used the Lilacs, PubMed, Medline, and Scopus databases, applying the descriptors ‘health-related behaviors,’ ‘family,’ ‘parents,’ and ‘COVID-19’ in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Primary studies in English, Portuguese, and Spanish that addressed the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on family health-related behaviors were included. Duplicate articles, literature reviews, case reports, study protocols, and articles outside the time frame analyzed were excluded. The level of evidence pyramid was also used to assess the quality and impact of the selected studies. Results: A total of 17 articles were included, which revealed a reduction in physical activity, a higher intake of foods rich in fat and sugar, and an increase in sedentary time associated with increased screen time among parents and children. Vaccine hesitancy among parents and difficulty in accessing healthcare services were also evident. Conclusion: The promotion of measures conducted by primary healthcare professionals to encourage healthy habits and the adoption of preventive practices in family healthcare are necessary to better understand the effects of this event and thus be able to mitigate them.