Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences (RIMHS), College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
Health Promotion Department, Supreme Council for Family Affairs, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Feb 18;18(4):1964. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18041964.
: Lockdown measures were implemented in many countries to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, such restrictions could precipitate unintended negative consequences on lifestyle behaviors. The main objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and determinants of unhealthy behavior changes during the COVID-19 lockdown among residents of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). : A cross-sectional web-based survey of adults residing in the UAE was carried out during lockdown (n = 2060). Using a multi-component questionnaire, the collected data included questions regarding the following lifestyle changes: Increased dietary intake, increased weight, decreased physical activity, decreased sleep, and increased smoking. An unhealthy lifestyle change score was calculated based on the number of unhealthy lifestyle changes each participant reported. In addition, sociodemographic and living conditions information was collected. Descriptive statistics as well as simple and multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the prevalence and determinants of the unhealthy lifestyle changes considered in this study. : Among the unhealthy lifestyle changes examined, increased food intake was the most common (31.8%), followed by decreased physical activity (30%), increased weight (29.4%), decreased sleep (20.8%), and increased smoking (21%). In addition to identifying the correlates of each of the aforementioned lifestyle changes, the results of the multiple regression linear analyses revealed the following correlates for the overall unhealthy lifestyle change score: females (β = 0.32, CI: 0.22; 0.42), living in an apartment (β = 0.12, CI: 0.003; 0.23) and being overweight/obese (β = 0.24, CI: 0.15; 0.32) had higher scores, while older adults (>40 years) had lower scores (β = -0.23, CI: -0.34; -0.12). : The COVID-19 lockdown has resulted in a high prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and practices among UAE residents. The findings of this study provided the evidence base for officials to design interventions targeting high-risk groups and aiming to improve healthy lifestyle factors among residents during the pandemic.
封锁措施在许多国家实施,以限制 COVID-19 大流行的传播。然而,这些限制可能会对生活方式行为产生意想不到的负面影响。本研究的主要目的是调查 COVID-19 封锁期间阿拉伯联合酋长国(阿联酋)居民中不健康行为变化的流行情况和决定因素。
在封锁期间,对居住在阿联酋的成年人进行了横断面网络调查(n = 2060)。使用多组分问卷,收集的数据包括以下生活方式变化的问题:饮食摄入增加、体重增加、体力活动减少、睡眠减少和吸烟增加。根据每个参与者报告的不健康生活方式变化数量计算了不健康生活方式变化评分。此外,还收集了社会人口统计学和生活条件信息。使用描述性统计以及简单和多元线性回归分析来检查本研究中考虑的不健康生活方式变化的流行情况和决定因素。
在所检查的不健康生活方式变化中,饮食摄入增加最为常见(31.8%),其次是体力活动减少(30%)、体重增加(29.4%)、睡眠减少(20.8%)和吸烟增加(21%)。除了确定上述每种生活方式变化的相关性外,多元回归线性分析的结果还揭示了整体不健康生活方式变化评分的以下相关性:女性(β=0.32,CI:0.22;0.42)、居住在公寓(β=0.12,CI:0.003;0.23)和超重/肥胖(β=0.24,CI:0.15;0.32)得分较高,而年龄较大的成年人(>40 岁)得分较低(β=-0.23,CI:-0.34;-0.12)。
COVID-19 封锁导致阿联酋居民中不健康的生活方式行为和习惯的高流行率。本研究的结果为官员提供了证据基础,以便针对高风险人群设计干预措施,旨在在大流行期间改善居民的健康生活方式因素。