A Sociodemographic Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19-Related Schools' Closure on the Diet and Physical Activity of Children and Adolescents in Qatar

Overview

Journal J Epidemiol Glob Health

Publisher Springer

Date 2023 May 4

PMID 37140850

Authors

Muna Abed Alah

Sami Abdeen

Nagah Selim

Elias Tayar

Ayman Al-Dahshan

Vahe Kehyayan

Layla AlDahnaim

Iheb Bougmiza

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the impact of the COVID-19-related closure of government schools in Qatar on children and adolescents' dietary habits and physical activities and associated sociodemographic factors.

Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted between June and August 2022 utilizing the national electronic health records system in Qatar to extract a sampling frame of students enrolled in governmental schools, specifically targeting students in 3rd to 9th grades, stratified by sex and developmental stage. A stratified sampling technique was employed to randomly select a proportionate number of students from each stratum, and data were collected through telephone interviews with the parents of selected students.

Results: A total of 1546 interviews were completed by the end of the study. Of the included sample, 845 (54.7%) were between 8 and 11 years of age (middle childhood), while the rest were 12-15 years old (young teens and teenagers). Male to female ratio was almost 1:1. We found a significant decrease in the intake of vegetables, increases in the intake of soft drinks, fried food, fast food, and sweets, and a reduction in physical activity during schools' closure compared to before. Higher parental educational levels, maternal employment, and having a positive family history of obesity and/or overweight in first-degree relatives were significantly associated with adverse lifestyle changes during schools' closure.

Conclusion: The trends of lifestyle changes reported in this study during the periods of COVID-19-related schools' closure were found to be going in a health-compromising direction. These results underscore the importance of implementing targeted interventions to promote healthy lifestyles during such disruptions and emphasize the need to address lifestyle changes beyond emergencies and outbreaks to mitigate potential long-term health consequences, including the increased risk of non-communicable diseases.

Citing Articles

Screen Time Soars and Vision Suffers: How School Closures During the Pandemic Affected Children and Adolescents' Eyesight.

Alah M, Abdeen S, Bougmiza I, Selim N J Prev (2022). 2024; 46(1):5-19.

PMID: 39115785 PMC: 11785634. DOI: 10.1007/s10935-024-00800-3.

From classrooms to controllers: how school closures shaped children's video gaming habits.

Alah M, Abdeen S, Bougmiza I, Selim N Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2024; 59(12):2259-2269.

PMID: 38472654 PMC: 11522056. DOI: 10.1007/s00127-024-02635-z.

COVID-19 lockdowns weigh heavily on youth: an analysis of the impact on BMI for Age Z scores in children and adolescents.

Alah M, Abdeen S, Bougmiza I, Selim N J Public Health (Oxf). 2024; 46(2):209-222.

PMID: 38291903 PMC: 11141597. DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdad287.

References

Luszczki E, Bartosiewicz A, Pezdan-Sliz I, Kuchciak M, Jagielski P, Oleksy L . Children's Eating Habits, Physical Activity, Sleep, and Media Usage before and during COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland. Nutrients. 2021; 13(7). PMC: 8308833. DOI: 10.3390/nu13072447. View

Mitra R, Moore S, Gillespie M, Faulkner G, Vanderloo L, Chulak-Bozzer T . Healthy movement behaviours in children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic: Exploring the role of the neighbourhood environment. Health Place. 2020; 65:102418. PMC: 7455528. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102418. View

Medrano M, Cadenas-Sanchez C, Oses M, Arenaza L, Amasene M, Labayen I . Changes in lifestyle behaviours during the COVID-19 confinement in Spanish children: A longitudinal analysis from the MUGI project. Pediatr Obes. 2020; 16(4):e12731. DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12731. View

Del Giacco S, Firinu D, Bjermer L, Carlsen K . Exercise and asthma: an overview. Eur Clin Respir J. 2015; 2:27984. PMC: 4653278. DOI: 10.3402/ecrj.v2.27984. View

Kharel M, Sakamoto J, Carandang R, Ulambayar S, Shibanuma A, Yarotskaya E . Impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on movement behaviours of children and adolescents: a systematic review. BMJ Glob Health. 2022; 7(1). PMC: 8795918. DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007190. View

Munasinghe S, Sperandei S, Freebairn L, Conroy E, Jani H, Marjanovic S . The Impact of Physical Distancing Policies During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health and Well-Being Among Australian Adolescents. J Adolesc Health. 2020; 67(5):653-661. PMC: 7577185. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.08.008. View

Chambonniere C, Lambert C, Fearnbach N, Tardieu M, Fillon A, Genin P . Effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on physical activity and sedentary behaviors in French children and adolescents: New results from the ONAPS national survey. Eur J Integr Med. 2021; 43:101308. PMC: 7871771. DOI: 10.1016/j.eujim.2021.101308. View

Pietrobelli A, Pecoraro L, Ferruzzi A, Heo M, Faith M, Zoller T . Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Lifestyle Behaviors in Children with Obesity Living in Verona, Italy: A Longitudinal Study. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2020; 28(8):1382-1385. PMC: 7267384. DOI: 10.1002/oby.22861. View

Dunton G, DO B, Wang S . Early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and sedentary behavior in children living in the U.S. BMC Public Health. 2020; 20(1):1351. PMC: 7472405. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-09429-3. View

10.

Moore S, Faulkner G, Rhodes R, Brussoni M, Chulak-Bozzer T, Ferguson L . Impact of the COVID-19 virus outbreak on movement and play behaviours of Canadian children and youth: a national survey. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2020; 17(1):85. PMC: 7336091. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-020-00987-8. View

11.

Moynihan A, van Tilburg W, Igou E, Wisman A, Donnelly A, Mulcaire J . Eaten up by boredom: consuming food to escape awareness of the bored self. Front Psychol. 2015; 6:369. PMC: 4381486. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00369. View

12.

Alah M, Abdeen S, Kehyayan V, Bougmiza I . Impact of staying at home measures during COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle of Qatar's population: Perceived changes in diet, physical activity, and body weight. Prev Med Rep. 2021; 24:101545. PMC: 8413097. DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101545. View

13.

Datar A, Nicosia N, Shier V . Maternal work and children's diet, activity, and obesity. Soc Sci Med. 2014; 107:196-204. PMC: 4001859. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.12.022. View

14.

Michels N, Sioen I, Braet C, Eiben G, Hebestreit A, Huybrechts I . Stress, emotional eating behaviour and dietary patterns in children. Appetite. 2012; 59(3):762-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2012.08.010. View

15.

Philippe K, Chabanet C, Issanchou S, Monnery-Patris S . Child eating behaviors, parental feeding practices and food shopping motivations during the COVID-19 lockdown in France: (How) did they change?. Appetite. 2021; 161:105132. PMC: 7825985. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105132. View

16.

Abid R, Ammar A, Maaloul R, Souissi N, Hammouda O . Effect of COVID-19-Related Home Confinement on Sleep Quality, Screen Time and Physical Activity in Tunisian Boys and Girls: A Survey. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(6). PMC: 8002304. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18063065. View

17.

Kolota A, Glabska D . COVID-19 Pandemic and Remote Education Contributes to Improved Nutritional Behaviors and Increased Screen Time in a Polish Population-Based Sample of Primary School Adolescents: Diet and Activity of Youth during COVID-19 (DAY-19) Study. Nutrients. 2021; 13(5). PMC: 8151489. DOI: 10.3390/nu13051596. View

18.

Moser A, Chen S, Jilcott S, Nayga R . Associations between maternal employment and time spent in nutrition-related behaviours among German children and mothers. Public Health Nutr. 2011; 15(7):1256-61. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980011003375. View

19.

Ludvigsson J . Systematic review of COVID-19 in children shows milder cases and a better prognosis than adults. Acta Paediatr. 2020; 109(6):1088-1095. PMC: 7228328. DOI: 10.1111/apa.15270. View

20.

Eyler A, Schmidt L, Kepper M, Mazzucca S, Gilbert A, Beck A . Parent Perceptions of Changes in Child Physical Activity During COVID-19 Stay-At-Home Orders. Front Public Health. 2021; 9:637151. PMC: 8215440. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.637151. View