The impact of COVID-19 quarantine on dietary habits and physical activity in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments around the world to impose strict hygiene and national lockdown measures, which in turn has changed the dietary and lifestyle habits of the world’s population. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate whether dietary and physical activity behaviors of Saudi Arabia’s adult population changed during the COVID-19 quarantine. Methods An electronic questionnaire which assessed changes in body weight, dietary habits, and physical activity of Saudi Arabia’s adult population (n = 2255) during the COVID-19 quarantine was distributed on social media between June and July 2020. To test the differences between changes in dietary and physical activity behaviors in relation to changes in body weight a Chi-square test was used. Results Over 40 and 45% of participants reported eating and snacking more, respectively, which led to weight gain in around 28%. Most participants reported that they consumed home-cooked (73%) and healthy meals (47%), while only 7% reported that they consumed foods from restaurants. Feelings of boredom and emptiness (44%) and the availability of time for preparing meals (40%) were the main reasons for changing dietary habits. Honey (43%) and vitamin C (50%) were the most consumed immune-boosting food and dietary supplement, respectively. COVID-19 also had a negative impact on physical activity, lowering the practice in 52% subjects, which was associated with significant weight gain (p < 0.001). Conclusion Assessing the changes to the population’s dietary habits and physical activity during the lockdown will help predict the outcome of the population’s future health and wellbeing after the pandemic.

The Association between Obesity and Chronic Conditions: Results from a Large Electronic Health Records System in Saudi Arabia

“…Moreover, the Kingdom has also experienced both complete and partial lockdowns between March and June 2020 to mitigate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Consequently, this inevitably limited physical activity [ 34 ]. These two factors were expected to contribute to the pre-existing obesity endemic in Saudi Arabia.…”

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Consumption Behavior: Based on the Perspective of Accounting Data of Chinese Food Enterprises and Economic Theory

“…COVID-19 is impacting many aspects of people’s food consumption behavior. In terms of snacking, many studies have reported significant changes in snacking frequency and behavior during COVID-19 [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. The nutritional composition of food is closely related to consumers’ food choice motives [ 39 ].…”

Changes in Eating Habits and Physical Activity after COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns in Italy

“…Some studies have shown favorable changes in individuals' eating habits, with an increase in the number of meals prepared and consumed at home [3][4][5]. Favorable effects were accompanied by other negative ones, such as an increase in alcohol consumption [4], increased "comfort food" consumption due to emotional distress [5], and reduced sleep quality [6]. These changes were accompanied by a more sedentary lifestyle due to increased screen time [7], smart working and the resultant abolition of walking or public transport to work [8], and fewer opportunities for practicing physical activity [9].…”

“…These changes were accompanied by a more sedentary lifestyle due to increased screen time [7], smart working and the resultant abolition of walking or public transport to work [8], and fewer opportunities for practicing physical activity [9]. Most studies have evaluated the short-term effects of social distancing and home isolation [5][6][7][8][9]. However, there is a lack of studies assessing the long-term effects of quarantine periods.…”