Thirteenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

This study describes how the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown impacted pre-service teachers’ health practices. The participants of interest are EC-6 credential-seeking teacher candidates enrolled at a four-year public university in southeast Texas. One hundred and two students completed a survey. A constant-comparative method was applied to identify and classify critical elements in participant responses. The findings indicated that over half of the participants perceive eating well as a prerequisite for health. During the lockdown, the importance of eating well to stay healthy was magnified. However, the shelter-in-place mandate was not a motivator to increase healthy habits during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic conditions. Responses revealed a slight increase in prioritizing regular exercise and preparing home-cooked meals, but despite these positive adjustments, more participants gained weight during the lockdown. The coping mechanisms that helped the participants during the lockdown varied from meditation, involvement in new hobbies, and online socializing. Understanding teacher candidates’ health practices during the lockdown may help promote teacher and student well-being.