Purpose of the study
In light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding social restrictions to society, we aimed to examine the extent to which participants in WSTR are impacted by the recent events. Here is a brief summary of selected results. We would also like to thank the WSTR twins for participation and their continued support of the WSTR.
Overview
The first wave of the baseline survey was collected between March 26 2020 and April 5 2020 via an online platform. Individual response rate was 32.8% (3989 out of 12173), and pair-wise response rate (i.e., both twins completed survey) was 21.2% (1044 out of 4917 pairs). A total of 3971 (30.85% men; 69.15% women) individuals had completed the survey. 1040 twin pairs (67.31% MZ; 32.69% DZ) both completed the survey. Participants’ ages range from 19.94 to 92.21 (M = 50.35, SD = 16). Most participants (97.2%) are currently living in the US. Among those living in the US, 63.57% are currently residing in Washington State.
Social interaction
Participants were asked to estimate the number of people with whom they interact on a typical day, before and after the spread of COVID-19. Most participants reported a decrease in the number of social interactions after the spread of COVID-19.
Changes in daily activities
Compared to a month ago (i.e., prior to the spread of COVID-19), participants reported changes in different areas of their daily lives.
Most participants reported some change in the amount of physical exercise and time spent outdoors (e.g., in nature or in parks). Although most participants reported no change in the amount and quality of sleep, some participants reported a decrease in the amount and quality of sleep. More participants reported an increase in screen time for leisure, which is expected as most respondents are living in a city with some social restriction measures.
Compared to prior to the spread of COVID-19, most participants reported no change in the amount of face-to-face interactions with their co-twin, and most reported an increase in the amount of electronic interactions with their co-twins. Some participants reported a decrease in the amount of face-to-face interactions with their family members, and most reported an increase in the amount of electronic interactions with their family members. The majority of participants reported a large decrease in the amount of face-to-face interactions with their friends, with many reporting an increase in the amount of electronic interactions with friends.
