Factors associated with children's dietary patterns during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: a multinational study across Middle Eastern Arab Nations

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Tarih

2023

Dergi Başlığı

Dergi ISSN

Cilt Başlığı

Yayıncı

Mahidol University - ASEAN Institute for Health Development

Erişim Hakkı

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Özet

This study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Middle Eastern Arab children’s eating habits, body weight, lifestyle, physical activity, sleeping hours, use of smart electronic devices, and mental health. The exploratory study utilized a self-administered questionnaire distributed to parents of children aged 4–12 years. Multinomial logistic regression was used to model the relationship between the predictors and children’s body weight changes during the pandemic. A total of 891 responses were collected from Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Oman. The average weight gain among children during the pandemic was 4.19 ± 3.08 Kg. Sedentary lifestyle significantly increased from 4% (pre-pandemic) to 17.9% (during the pandemic, unadjusted odds ratio [UOR] = 5.2, P < 0.001). Sleeping hours exceeding 9 hours per day rose from 26.2% to 38.2% (UOR = 1.73, P < 0.01), and emotional eating increased from 72% to 91.5% (UOR = 4.18, P < 0.001). Moreover, 84% of parents reported increased use of smart electronic devices by their children (5.48 ± 2.87 hours). A significant proportion of children exhibited elevated levels of nagging (44.2%), stress (33.8%), loneliness (26.9%), and anxiety (22.5%). Factors associated with increased body weight included being female (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.32, P < 0.005), residing in Jordan and Bahrain (AOR = 3.39 and 3.34, respectively, P < 0.001), having a working mother (AOR = 1.38, P = 0.03), having overweight parents (AOR = 1.2 for mothers and 1.68 for fathers, P < 0.05) with high-income (AOR = 1.31, P = 0.04), and being overweight prior to the pandemic (AOR = 13.76, P < 0.001). These findings highlight the negative impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on children's health. Effective mitigation of future lockdown-related health consequences necessitates comprehensive interventions involving collaboration among health authorities, parents, and schools. A multifaceted approach encompassing educational initiatives, promoting physical activity and healthy eating habits, establishing clear screen time guidelines, and offering robust mental health support is imperative. © 2023, Mahidol University - ASEAN Institute for Health Development. All rights reserved.

Açıklama

Anahtar Kelimeler

Children Health, Covıd-19, Eating Habits, Lifestyle, Lockdown, Children, School Closure

Kaynak

Journal of Public Health and Development

WoS Q Değeri

Scopus Q Değeri

N/A

Cilt

21

Sayı

3

Künye