Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread globally, forcing countries to apply lockdowns and strict social distancing measures. The aim of this study was to assess eating habits and lifestyle behaviours among residents of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during the lockdown. A cross-sectional study among adult residents of the MENA region was conducted using an online questionnaire designed on Google Forms during April 2020. A total of 2970 participants from eighteen countries participated in the present study. During the pandemic, over 30 % reported weight gain, 6·2 % consumed five or more meals per d compared with 2·2 % before the pandemic (P < 0·001) and 48·8 % did not consume fruits on a daily basis. Moreover, 39·1 % did not engage in physical activity, and over 35 % spent more than 5 h/d on screens. A significant association between the frequency of training during the pandemic and the reported change in weight was found (P < 0·001). A significantly higher percentage of participants reported physical and emotional exhaustion, irritability and tension either all the time or a large part of the time during the pandemic (P < 0·001). Although a high percentage of participants reported sleeping more hours per night during the pandemic, 63 % had sleep disturbances. The study highlights that the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused a variety of lifestyle changes, physical inactivity and psychological problems among adults in the MENA region.

中文翻译：

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中东和北非地区 2019 年冠状病毒大流行期间的饮食习惯和生活方式评估：一项横断面研究


2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 已在全球迅速传播，迫使各国采取封锁和严格的社交距离措施。这项研究的目的是评估中东和北非 (MENA) 地区居民在封锁期间的饮食习惯和生活方式行为。 2020 年 4 月，使用在 Google Forms 上设计的在线调查问卷对中东和北非地区的成年居民进行了一项横断面研究。共有来自 18 个国家的 2970 名参与者参与了本研究。在大流行期间，超过 30% 的人报告体重增加，6·2% 的人每天吃五顿或更多餐，而大流行前为 2·2%（磷< 0·001) 和 48·8 % 每天不吃水果。此外，39·1%的人没有进行体力活动，超过35%的人每天花在屏幕上的时间超过5小时。研究发现，大流行期间的训练频率与报告的体重变化之间存在显着关联（磷< 0·001)。在大流行期间，有更高比例的参与者表示身体和情绪上一直或大部分时间都感到疲惫、烦躁和紧张（磷< 0·001)。尽管很大一部分参与者表示在疫情期间每晚睡眠时间更长，但 63% 的人存在睡眠障碍。该研究强调，新冠肺炎 (COVID-19) 大流行导致的封锁导致中东和北非地区成年人出现了各种生活方式的改变、缺乏身体活动和心理问题。