TY - JOUR
T1 - Lifestyle and Dietary Patterns during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Bahrain
T2 - A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study
AU - Ahmed, Jamil
AU - AlSaleh, Aseel
AU - Almarabheh, Amer J.
AU - Ismail, Leila Cheikh
AU - Almuqahwi, Aysha A.M.
AU - AlOmer, Hussa W.A.
AU - AlAlhareth, Ibrahim M.
AU - Albader, Sabiha J.M.
AU - Alhajeri, Saad S.
AU - Al Dhaheri, Ayesha S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/6
Y1 - 2023/6
N2 - Lifestyle factors such as dietary habits, perceived weight, sleep, and physical activity worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this study, we aimed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on these lifestyle factors in Bahrain. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1005 adult Bahrainis. Data were collected online using a structured and validated questionnaire for the assessment of eating habits, physical activity, and lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were snowballed through those who agreed to answer the online questionnaire. There was a higher consumption of fast food, and a higher dependence on takeaways during the COVID-19 pandemic. About 63.5% of the participants consumed >4 meals per day, compared to 36.5% before the COVID-19. About 30% reported consumption of sugar sweetened beverages from two to three times a day. Weight loss was predominantly observed in persons exercising 1–3 times a week. The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was also high, with about 19% reporting drinking sweet beverages once every day, 10.6% from two to three times a day, and 40.4% from one to four times a week. A higher proportion of the participants reported poor sleep quality during the pandemic (31.2%) compared to before (12.2%), and 39.7% of the participants reported feeling lazy. Screen time use also doubled during the pandemic, with participants spending more than five hours per day on screens for entertainment, which went from 22.4% before to 51.9% during the pandemic. The lifestyle and dietary habits changed drastically for our study participants during the pandemic. The increased reliance on processed fast food instead of healthier options is a challenge to be tackled in any future pandemic situation. Future research needs to focus on strategies to promote healthier lifestyle modifications during situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
AB - Lifestyle factors such as dietary habits, perceived weight, sleep, and physical activity worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this study, we aimed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on these lifestyle factors in Bahrain. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1005 adult Bahrainis. Data were collected online using a structured and validated questionnaire for the assessment of eating habits, physical activity, and lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were snowballed through those who agreed to answer the online questionnaire. There was a higher consumption of fast food, and a higher dependence on takeaways during the COVID-19 pandemic. About 63.5% of the participants consumed >4 meals per day, compared to 36.5% before the COVID-19. About 30% reported consumption of sugar sweetened beverages from two to three times a day. Weight loss was predominantly observed in persons exercising 1–3 times a week. The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was also high, with about 19% reporting drinking sweet beverages once every day, 10.6% from two to three times a day, and 40.4% from one to four times a week. A higher proportion of the participants reported poor sleep quality during the pandemic (31.2%) compared to before (12.2%), and 39.7% of the participants reported feeling lazy. Screen time use also doubled during the pandemic, with participants spending more than five hours per day on screens for entertainment, which went from 22.4% before to 51.9% during the pandemic. The lifestyle and dietary habits changed drastically for our study participants during the pandemic. The increased reliance on processed fast food instead of healthier options is a challenge to be tackled in any future pandemic situation. Future research needs to focus on strategies to promote healthier lifestyle modifications during situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
KW - COVID-19 pandemic
KW - dietary patterns
KW - lifestyle
KW - physical activity
KW - sleep patterns
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85161321219&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85161321219&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/nu15112543
DO - 10.3390/nu15112543
M3 - Article
C2 - 37299508
AN - SCOPUS:85161321219
SN - 2072-6643
VL - 15
JO - Nutrients
JF - Nutrients
IS - 11
M1 - 2543
ER -