Abstract
The way that COVID-19 has been handled since its inception in 2019 has had a significant impact on lifestyle-related behaviors, such as physical activities, diet, and sleep patterns. This study measures lifestyle-related behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown using a 22-item questionnaire. The responses were collected from March 2021 to September 2021. A total of four hundred and sixty-seven Jordanian participants were engaged in assessing the changes caused by the pandemic and their effect on BMI. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were tested for 71 participants. Cronbach’s alpha values for the questionnaire exceeded 0.7, demonstrating good reliability and internal consistency. The effect of each question regarding physical activity and dietary habits over the BMI difference was studied using ANOVA. The study shows that more than half of the participants reported snacking more between meals and increased their sitting and screen time, while 74% felt more stressed and anxious. BMI difference among the individuals throughout the lockdown was significantly associated with these variables. In contrast, 62% of the participants showed more awareness about their health by increasing the intake of immunity-boosting foods, and 56% of the participants showed an increase in the consumption of nutrition supplements. Females and married individuals tended to be healthier. Therefore, their BMI showed stability compared to others based on their gender and marital status. Exercise, sleep, and avoiding ‘junk’ food, which contributes to weight gain and COVID-19 vulnerability, are strongly recommended.
Highlights
This study examined changes in Jordanian diet and lifestyle habits during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as possible associations with changes in body mass index using an online questionnaire
It is considered an accurate estimate for reliability because the values of 0.7 or 0.8 are considered an acceptable high value [31–33]
body mass index (BMI) difference mean for those who have increased these habits than those who have decreased them. These results suggest that a decrease in bad dietary habits is related to decreased BMI difference
Summary
Throughout history, humanity has experienced several pandemics and diseases that affected lives and caused massive infections and deaths, such as the Cyprian Plague in. 250 AD, Leprosy in the 11th century, and the Black Death in 1350. Respiration-related pandemics include the Russian and Spanish Flu in 1889 and 1918, respectively, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, ending with COVID-19 in 2019 until the present [1,2]. As a result of these pandemics, human health, lifestyles, and social lives were profoundly affected. Economies both local and global were affected [1].
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