Impact of COVID-19 Curfew on Eating Habits, Eating Frequency, and Weight According to Food Security Status in Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Study

Main Article Content

Walaa Mumena

Keywords

COVID-19 curfew, Food insecurity, Eating habit, Food intake, Weight change

Abstract

Background/Aim: Nutritional and lifestyle changes resulting from the implementation of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) curfew could have detrimental effects on individuals’ nutritional health. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 curfew on eating habits, food intake, and weight according to food security status in Saudi Arabia.


Material and Methods: This retrospective study included 879 participants who were recruited via an online questionnaire. Data on demographics, food security status (via the Food Insecurity Experience Scale), and changes in eating habits, food intake, and weight before and during the curfew were collected.


Results: Changes in eating habits (mealtime and daily number of meals) during the curfew were more common among severely food-insecure participants. Having more time to cook was the reason for changes in eating habits in food-secure and mild food-insecure participants, while anxiety caused changes in eating habits in all food-insecure groups. Food unavailability was frequntly reported among severely food-insecure participants. Food insecurity did not affect food intake during the curfew. However, intakes of fruits, savory snacks, and sweets and candies were higher among food-secure participants (p=0.000 for all). Weight increased significantly during the curfew in the food-secure and mildly food-insecure groups (0.98 kg, p=0.004, and 0.56 kg, p=0.014, respectively).


Conclusions: Intake of food between meals increased among food-secure participants during the COVID-19 curfew. Health organizations should emphasize via social media the importance of avoiding overconsumption of foods, promoting positive eating habits, and increasing physical activity during the curfew to maintain health and prevent weight gain.

Abstract 5594 | PDF Downloads 1404

References

1. World Health Organization. WHO timeline - COVID-19. 2020. https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/27-04-2020-who-timeline---covid-19. Accessed April 27, 2020.
2. Muscogiuri G, Barrea L, Savastano S, Colao A. Nutritional recommendations for CoVID-19 quarantine [published online April 14, 2020]. Eur J Clin Nutr doi:10.1038/s41430-020-0635-2.
3. Moynihan AB, van Tilburg WAP, Igou ER, Wisman A, Donnelly AE, Mulcaire JB. Eaten up by boredom: consuming food to escape awareness of the bored self. Front Psychol 2015;6:369.
4. Yılmaz C, Gökmen V. Neuroactive compounds in foods: Occurrence, mechanism and potential health effects. Food Res Int 2020;128:108744.
5. Wurtman RJ, Wurtman JJ. Brain serotonin, carbohydrate-craving, obesity and depression. Adv Exp Med Biol 1996;398:35-41.
6. Kendall A, Olson CM, Frongillo EA Jr. Relationship of hunger and food insecurity to food availability and consumption. J Am Diet Assoc 1996;96(10):1019-1024.
7. McDonald CM, McLean J, Kroeun H, Talukder A, Lynd LD, Green TJ. Correlates of household food insecurity and low dietary diversity in rural Cambodia. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2015;24(4):720-730.
8. Wu C, Chen X, Cai Y, et al. Risk factors associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome and death in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia in Wuhan, China [published online March 13, 2020]. JAMA Intern Med doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.0994.
9. Jones AD. Food insecurity and mental health status: a global analysis of 149 countries. Am J Prev Med 2017;53(2):264-273.
10. Pan L, Sherry B, Njai R, Blanck H. Food insecurity is associated with obesity among US adults in 12 states. J Acad Nutr Diet 2012;112(9):1403-1409.
11. García OP, Long KZ, Rosado JL. Impact of micronutrient deficiencies on obesity. Nutr Rev 2009;67(10):559-572.
12. Thurnham DI. Micronutrients and immune function: some recent developments. J Clin Pathol 1997;50(11):887-91.
13. World Health Organization. Nutrition advice for adults during the COVID-19 outbreak. 2020. http://www.emro.who.int/nutrition/nutrition-infocus/nutrition-advice-for-adults-during-the-covid-19-outbreak.html. Accessed April 27, 2020.
14. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Applying the FIES. 2020. http://www.fao.org/in-action/voices-of-the-hungry/using-fies/en/. Accessed April 27, 2020.
15. Naja F, Hwalla N, Fossian T, Zebian D, Nasreddine L. Validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale in rural Lebanon. Public Health Nutr 2015;18(2):251-258.
16. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rural transformation-key for sustainable development in the near east and North Africa. Overview of food security and nutrition 2018. Cairo; 2019. http://www.fao.org/3/ca3817en/ca3817en.pdf. Accessed April 27, 2020.
17. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The food insecurity experience scale. 2020. http://www.fao.org/in-action/voices-of-the-hungry/fies/en/. Accessed April 27, 2020.
18. Al-Dkheel MH. Dietary guidelines for Saudis: the healthy food palm. Riyadh; 2012. https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Ministry/MediaCenter/Publications/Documents/final english الكتاب العلمي إنجليزي.pdf. Accessed April 27, 2020.
19. World Health Organization. Global health observatory (GHO) data: mean body mass index (BMI). 2020. https://www.who.int/gho/ncd/risk_factors/bmi_text/en/. Accessed April 29, 2020.
20. World Bank. Food security and COVID-19. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-and-covid-19. Accessed April 26, 2020.
21. Saudi Arabia Ministry of Finance. Initiatives to mitigate the financial and economic impact on the private sector in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19). https://www.mof.gov.sa/Initiatives/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed April 26, 2020.
22. Government of Canada. Canada’s COVID-19 economic response plan. 2020. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html. Accessed April 26, 2020.
23. Government of the United Kingdom. Claim income tax reliefs. 2020. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/income-tax-reliefs. Accessed April 27, 2020.
24. Saudi Arabia Ministry of Commerce. Supply regulation rules. 2020. https://mci.gov.sa/ar/guides/MerchantGuide/Pages/SupplyingRules.aspx. Accessed April 26, 2020.
25. Saudi Arabia Ministry of Commerce. Commercial notification. 2020. https://apps.apple.com/sa/app/تقديم-بلاغ-مخالفة-تجارية/id542190070. Accessed April 26, 2020.
26. Communications and Information Technology Commission. Parcel transport service and list of delivery companies via electronic platforms. 2020. https://www.citc.gov.sa/ar/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed April 27, 2020.
27. Saudi Press Agency. Mawada association participates in providing 5,000 food baskets to families affected by the corona pandemic in the Makkah region. 2020; https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=ar&newsid=2076058. Accessed April 27, 2020.
28. Human Resources and Social Development of Saudi Arabia. Human Resources and Social Development launches our “Our Food is One” initiative to support families affected by the “corona” crisis. 2020. https://mlsd.gov.sa/ar/news/الموارد-البشرية-والتنمية-الاجتماعية-تطلق-مبادرة-غذاؤنا-واحد-لدعم-الأسر-المتضررة-من-أزمة-كورونا. Accessed April 27, 2020.
29. City Hall of Makkah. Honoring Makkah. 2020. https://bmakkah.ecloud.sa/login. Accessed April 27, 2020.
30. Andreyeva T, Long MW, Brownell KD. The impact of food prices on consumption: A systematic review of research on the price elasticity of demand for food. Am J Public Health 2010;100(2):216-222.
31. Moradi-Lakeh M, El Bcheraoui C, Afshin A, et al. Diet in Saudi Arabia: findings from a nationally representative survey. Public Health Nutr 2017;20(6):1075-1081.
32. Chance Z, Gorlin M, Dhar R. Why choosing healthy foods is hard, and how to help: presenting the 4Ps framework for behavior change. Customer Needs and Solutions 2014;1:253-262.
33. Gibbs BB, Kinzel LS, Gabriel KP, Chang YF, Kuller LH. Short- and long-term eating habit modification predicts weight change in overweight, postmenopausal women: results from the WOMAN Study. J Acad Nutr Diet 2012;112(9):1347‐1355.e2.
34. Franz MJ, VanWormer JJ, Crain AL, et al. {A figure is presented}Weight-loss outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of weight-loss clinical trials with a minimum 1-year follow-up. J Am Diet Assoc 2007;107(10):1755-1767.
35. Murimi MW, Nguyen B, Moyeda-Carabaza AF, Lee HJ, Park OH. Factors that contribute to effective online nutrition education interventions: a systematic review. Nutr Rev 2019;77(10):663-690.

Most read articles by the same author(s)