Presenting a model of a healthy lifestyle in the post-COVID-19 era: A qualitative study

The pandemic disease of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused extensive changes in people's lifestyles with its widespread spread. The current research was conducted with the aim of designing a healthy lifestyle model in the post-COVID-19 era.

The current research is a qualitative study of the grounded theory type, which was performed by the theoretical sampling method in 2022. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The researcher reached theoretical saturation by the end of the 15^th interview. Data analysis was performed using the coding obtained from interviews with experts, using MAXQDA software 2020.

A total of 189 initial codes were extracted by the researcher, and after removing those repetitive concepts, 154 final concepts were obtained. The result of the axial coding stage was the identification of 36 main categories, which were placed in the six main categories of the paradigmatic model in the selective coding stage. The results of the research led to the presentation of a healthy lifestyle model in the post-COVID-19 era. According to the paradigm model, a healthy lifestyle in the post-COVID-19 era includes five causal factors, 10 contextual factors, seven interventional factors, 10 strategic factors, and finally five outcomes of social health, mental health, physical health, life expectancy, and movement toward development.

To achieve a healthy lifestyle, appropriate behaviors based on this model must be promoted at the community level by health policymakers. Additionally, it is important to give special attention to public health and the prevalence of infectious diseases for the practical implementation of this model.