Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on various health conditions. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on body weight and body mass index (BMI) in Saudi Arabia. We used electronic health records obtained from a healthcare system representing five hospitals in three different regions in the Kingdom to examine the change in weight utilizing a longitudinal design. The study included all adults who had visited outpatient clinics in two different time points, pre-2020 (years 2018 and 2019 prior to COVID-19) and post-2020 (the year 2021). Weight and BMI changes in percentages were described. Also, bivariate chi-square test, paired t-test, and multivariable multinomial logistic regression model were used for the analyses. A total of 165,279 individuals were included in the study. On average, a significant weight gain of 0.33 kg (95% CI: 0.29–0.36) was observed in our study. Approximately 10% of the population had shifted to either overweight or obese BMI classes during the study period, as 4.8% of those with normal BMI pre-2020 had shifted to overweight or obese classes at post-2020, and 5.1% of those who were overweight had shifted to obese class. Also, 23.1% of the population had gained 5% or more of their pre-2020 weight, while 17% had lost 5% or more. Young individuals were over three times more likely to gain 5% or more than older individuals (OR: 3.34; 95% CI: 3.12–3.56). Females had 24% higher odds to gain 5% or more of their pre-2020 weight than males (OR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.21–1.27). Diabetics were 27% more likely to lose 5% or more than non-diabetics (OR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.23–1.31). Our findings provide insights into the impact of COVID-19 on weight and population health. Further investment in interventions for weight management is warranted during similar circumstances such as lockdowns due to infection waves or new variants. Future studies are also needed to explore the modifications that have occurred during the pandemic in the weight-related lifestyle factors such as dietary choices and physical activity levels.
Highlights
The prevalence of obesity has been increasing in most countries over the past five decades [1], rendering this a global phenomenon and a major public health concern
This is a longitudinal study based on retrospective data obtained from the patient’s medical records at the National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA), Saudi Arabia
A total of 165,279 subjects were included in the study; of which, 43.2% aged 26–45, 61.3% were females, 68.8% were married, 57.2% resided in the Central region, 33% were diabetics, 26% were hypertensive, 34.3% had dyslipidemia, 1.7% had a history of stroke, and 5.3% had a previous COVID-19 infection (Table 1)
Summary
The prevalence of obesity has been increasing in most countries over the past five decades [1], rendering this a global phenomenon and a major public health concern. The recent World Health Survey in Saudi Arabia (KSAWHS) indicated that the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 2019 was 38 and 20%, respectively, in the Kingdom [3]. Around 261 million cases were reported; of which, there were approximately 5.2 million deaths [5]. In Saudi Arabia, approximately 550,000 cases and 8,800 deaths were documented [6]. Many countries worldwide have enforced lockdowns and strict measures to reduce the spread of the virus, and they may reinforce these measures again due to new variants [7], while the world is anxiously awaiting updates on the Omicron variant [8]. Saudi Arabia had imposed both partial curfews and full 24h lockdowns between March 23-June 21, 2020, which included the holy month of Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr [9]. The measures applied to reduce the infection transmissibility include social and travel restrictions and even complete lockdowns involving a full closure of recreation centers and gyms [10]
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