Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on diet and physical activity and the possible influence factors among Saudi in Riyadh.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic has been spreading throughout the world, having a significant impact on people's lifestyles and health through social isolation and home confinement. The purpose of this study is to look into the impact of COVID-19 on diet and physical activity, as well as the possible influence factors, among ≥ 13-year-olds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In the present study data were collected from 2,649 participants an online survey. The Google online questionnaire was available from April 23 to May 6, 2020. During the COVID-19 lockdown, the survey asked respondents about their demographic characteristics (gender, age, education, economic income, and occupation), anthropometric data, physical activity, and diet habits.

RESULTS

The study included 2,649 respondents, with 23.3% being male and 76.7% female. The majority of them were in good health and ranged in age from 21 to 29 years. 31% of those polled were overweight, and 14.3% were obese. The majority of respondents have a bachelor's degree, diploma, or the equivalent, and a monthly family income of ≤ 25.000 SR. Those who were following a healthy diet (32.3%) were unable to maintain it during confinement, with males being affected more than females (42.7%, 29.3%, respectively, = 0.004), and those most impacted were aged 21-29 years (38.0%, = 0.046). Furthermore, 59.5% of males significantly failed to continue exercising during confinement compared to females who exercised consistently ( = 0.01). In terms of age, females aged less than 40 increased their exercise rate by about 23.4%, while males aged 40 and up decreased their exercise rate by 25.7% ( = 0.000). Moreover, 40.5% of the subjects' weight increased, according to the findings. However, there was no significant effect on body mass index, despite the fact that 51% of participants were overweight or obese.

CONCLUSION

The data showed that the COVID-19 lockdown had a negative impact on maintaining a healthy diet ( = 0.023*) and physical activity ( = 0.000).