Abstract
The coronavirus disease is still spreading in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with subsequent lockdowns and social distancing measures being enforced by the government. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the lockdown on eating habits and lifestyle behaviors among residents of the UAE. A cross-sectional study among adults in the UAE was conducted using an online questionnaire between April and May 2020. A total of 1012 subjects participated in the study. During the pandemic, 31% reported weight gain and 72.2% had less than eight cups of water per day. Furthermore, the dietary habits of the participants were distanced from the Mediterranean diet principles and closer to “unhealthy” dietary patterns. Moreover, 38.5% did not engage in physical activity and 36.2% spent over five hours per day on screens for entertainment. A significantly higher percentage of participants reported physical exhaustion, emotional exhaustion, irritability, and tension “all the time” during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic (p < 0.001). Sleep disturbances were prevalent among 60.8% of the participants during the pandemic. Although lockdowns are an important safety measure to protect public health, results indicate that they might cause a variety of lifestyle changes, physical inactivity, and psychological problems among adults in the UAE.
Highlights
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has added various challenges and changes to human life worldwide, causing an unprecedented impact on human health, lifestyle, and social life, and has affected the local and international economy [1]
This study aimed to investigate the effect of quarantine on eating habits, physical activity, stress and sleep behaviors among adult United Arab Emirates (UAE) residents using a formulated online survey
Local coverage spreads over all regions in the UAE: 33.9% of participants live in the capital Abu Dhabi, 32.5% in Dubai, and 33.6% in Sharjah and northern Emirates
Summary
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has added various challenges and changes to human life worldwide, causing an unprecedented impact on human health, lifestyle, and social life, and has affected the local and international economy [1]. On 28 September 2020, over 32.7 million confirmed cases of novel coronavirus and around 991,000 deaths worldwide were reported by the WHO [3]. In response to the rapid spread of the disease governments all around the world had to implement strict measures such as complete or partial lockdowns, isolation, quarantine and social distancing [4,5]. Parallel with measures taken by most countries worldwide, complete and partial lockdowns were implemented, non-essential public places were closed, telework and distance learning was initiated, delivery services like delivering drugs to chronically ill patients were provided and sanitizing cities during night as part of the National Disinfection Program was implemented [6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
