Evaluating perceived side effects of SARS-CoV2 mRNA vaccines by lifestyle factors and nutritional status: Perspectives from a pilot study

Abstract

Nutritional status, sex, and physical activity have been implicated in severe COVID-19 illness; however, the role of lifestyle factors and nutritional status in determining an individual's response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) vaccines is less well characterized. We evaluated whether self-reported side effects following SARS-CoV2 vaccination differed by body mass index (BMI) and lifestyle factors. We further evaluated whether associations between lifestyle, nutritional status, and self-reported side effects differed by sex or use of hormone-based medications. A survey was administered between May–September 2021 to collect respondents' self-reported demographics, dietary patterns, physical activity, medication and supplement use, history of COVID-19 illness, and SARS-CoV2 vaccine side effects. A total of 82 participants (61.2 % female, 38.8 % male) completed the survey and were included in the final analysis. Females trended toward reporting a greater level of subjective stress (71 %) and engaged in less physical activity (43.2 %) compared to males. While severity of COVID-19 illness and vaccine side effects did not differ by sex and there were no differences in dietary patterns between individuals reporting mild vs. more severe side effects, individuals with a higher BMI trended toward reporting a greater severity of vaccine side effects. Survey participants who engaged in physical activity for more than 30 min per day trended toward reporting a lower severity of side effects compared to those exercising for 30 min a day or less after the first dose (86.7 % vs. 50.0 %), whereas the opposite trend was observed following the second mRNA vaccine dose. In addition, survey participants reporting higher stress levels experienced a greater severity of side effects of the first SARS-CoV2 mRNA vaccine dose compared to those reporting lower stress levels (42.9 % vs. 2.0 %). Further, a greater percentage (75 %) of respondents taking combined oral contraceptives reported experiencing side effects following the first SARS-CoV2 mRNA vaccine dose, whereas participants not using hormone-based contraceptives were more likely to report not experiencing side effects (61.3 %). Together, our findings suggest that self-reported side effects from SARS-CoV2 mRNA vaccines differ by lifestyle characteristics and use of combined oral contraceptives. Further investigation is warranted to determine whether targeting these lifestyle factors is an effective strategy to mitigate vaccine side effects, and whether public health education pertaining to lifestyle and anticipated side effects may reduce the barriers to vaccine acceptance.

Keywords

• SARS-CoV2 vaccines
• COVID-19
• Dietary patterns
• Physical activity
• Stress
• Body mass index