A third of people surveyed in Britain say they have enjoyed the coronavirus lockdown period.
The UK's largest survey of adults' well-being and mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic found that those aged 30-59, those with higher incomes and those living with others have enjoyed the period the most, according to the University College London (UCL) Covid-19 social study.
More than 70,000 people have been questioned weekly over the past 14 weeks as part of the project.
It also shows that 46 per cent of people overall have not been enjoying it.
According to the research, 17 per cent of people have not been enjoying lockdown "at all", and only 4 per cent have been enjoying it "very much".
Lead author Dr Daisy Fancourt, from UCL's Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, said lower-income households have struggled with lockdown more than others.
"Our study shows that the majority of people are either not enjoying the lockdown or have mixed feelings about it," she said.
"This is especially true amongst groups with a lower household income, who may be living in accommodation which is overcrowded or lacking in outside space, and those living alone, who may be feeling more isolated than those living with others.
"Of the third of people who report enjoying lockdown, a large number have higher household incomes and live with others or children, suggesting these people may have been less affected by the economic and social restrictions."
Researchers say the findings suggest that those enjoying the lockdown may have been less affected by the economic and social restrictions.
A third of those questioned said they would not miss lockdown.
The study also looked at behavioural changes, and found that four in 10 UK adults said they had gained weight.
Cheryl Lloyd, education programme head at the Nuffield Foundation, said: "Given that low earners have been most at risk of the negative social and economic consequences of the pandemic it is unsurprising that they have been less likely to enjoy lockdown than those on higher incomes.
"It is essential the policy response takes steps to reduce inequalities and minimise the longer-term scarring effects of the pandemic on low earners."
The survey also found that young people were found to be more likely to change their eating and diet behaviours than older adults.
_______________
Coronavirus around the world
-
A couple wearing face mask ride on a bus during rush hour in Beijing. China reported 12 new cases of Covid-19 on June 24, including seven domestic cases in Beijing. AFP -
The medical team of the Brazilian Armed Forces arrives at the Cruzeirinho village, near Palmeiras do Javari, Amazonas state, northern Brazil,, to assist indigenous population amid the Covid-19 pandemic. AFP -
A man undergoes a swab test at a drive-through Covid-19 testing facility at the Melbourne Showgrounds in Melbourne, Australia. EPA -
Didier Raoult, French medicine professor and director of the IHU Infectious Diseases of Marseille, wears a face mask as he attends a hearing by the National Assembly's coronavirus inquiry commission in Paris concerning the use of hydroxichloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus. AFP -
People wearing face masks gather at an outdoor area during a mass testing for the coronavirus at the Xinjiekou urban forest park testing site in Beijing. AFP -
A man wearing a face mask has his body temperature checked as he arrives to vote at a polling station in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. AFP -
A passenger wearing a face mask sits on bus called "Car Rapide", amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Dakar, Senegal. Reuters -
A lab at Methodist Dallas Medical Centre prepares viral transport media for samples before collecting samples for coronavirus in Dallas, Texas. Reuters -
Joaquim Correia of College Barber Shop dresses a customer's hair as the provincial phase 2 of reopening from the coronavirus restrictions begins in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Reuters -
A vendor reacts as a healthcare worker in protective gear collects a swab sample to be tested for the coronavirus at a traditional market in Jakarta, Indonesia. Reuters
