Changes in Nutritional Habits and Lifestyles during the COVID-19 Lockdown Period in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to be a pandemic in March 2020 due to growing case notification rates worldwide. This study was designed to investigate nutritional habits and lifestyle changes among people living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) during the COVID-19 lockdown. A cross-sectional study of 208 adults aged 18 to 56 years living in the KSA was conducted between March and May 2020. Participants were identified and invited to complete an online survey. Google Docs forms were used by participants to self-report their nutritional habits, lifestyles, and physical activity levels during the lockdown. Of the 208 participants, 88.9% were female. More than half of the participants (58.1%) reported an increase in their food consumption during the lockdown, which included a higher intake of fast food (47.1%), sweets (48.5%), and fruits and vegetables (49%). 30.8% of participants reported an increase in body weight during the lockdown, while 32.2% reported a decrease. Staying at home or working from home was associated with decreased levels of physical activity in 39% of participants. This study provides the first data on changes in nutritional habits and lifestyles during the COVID-19 quarantine. Our findings suggest that people should decrease their intake of foods that are high in fat and sugar and increase their physical activity levels to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Weight change-related factors during the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based cross-sectional study using social cognitive theory

“…As probably expected during a pandemic, physical activity decreased in half of the sampled population, although most participants had a space to walk. The physical activity decrease was not distinct from the literature ( Alqurashi, 2021 ; Sooriyaarachchi et al, 2021 ; Yang et al, 2021 ). In a similar sample in Sri Lanka, a significant decrease in physical activity and increased sitting and screen time were noted, along with one-third of the sample gaining weight ( Sooriyaarachchi et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Second, the sample encompasses mostly females of high educational and socioeconomic status, mainly residing in two areas of Lebanon (Beirut and Keserwan), a pattern that occurred in similar studies affecting the generalizability of the results. Furthermore, only Lebanese individuals were recruited; hence specific cultural issues could be different in people of different nationalities ( Alqurashi, 2021 ; Sooriyaarachchi et al, 2021 ; Yang et al, 2021 ). Third, the survey included self-reported data with inherent recall bias as individuals were asked to recall information after the lockdown had been withdrawn.…”

A scoping review on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and sedentary behavior in Saudi Arabia

“…Studies were conducted in certain regions of Saudi Arabia such as Al-Ahsa [ 45 ], Jeddah [ 33 , 34 , 46 ], Qassim [ 32 ], Riyadh [ 35 , 36 , 47 ], or in multiple regions [ 31 , 40 – 42 ]. Other studies included participants from the entire country, either stated explicitly [ 37 , 38 , 43 , 44 ] or implied [ 24 , 39 , 48 ].…”

“…All studies enrolled both males and females, except Al-Musharaf et al [ 36 ] who enrolled females only. Some studies enrolled only participants of Saudi nationality [ 36 – 38 , 43 , 46 ], while others included Saudi and non-Saudi nationalities residing in the country [ 24 , 40 , 41 , 47 ]. Ten studies did not report the nationality of participants [ 31 – 35 , 39 , 42 , 44 , 45 , 48 ].…”

“…All but one study relied on self-reported physical activity assessed using questionnaires (Table 2 ). These included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire [ 31 , 37 ], the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire [ 36 , 45 ], or some other questionnaires that experts designed and pilot tested [ 24 , 33 , 40 , 43 ], assessed for reliability [ 48 ], or not pilot tested (or unreported as such) [ 32 , 39 , 41 , 46 , 47 ]. The exception was Al Fagih et al study [ 35 ] that enrolled patients with cardiac implantable devices and relied on the accelerometer embedded in those devices for assessing the duration of physical activity for just over a month immediately before and after lockdown.…”