Background

To determine the effect of quarantine on eating habits and weight change, as well as the primary changes in weight and eating habits among King Saud University students.

Aim

This study aims to identify the effects of quarantine on eating behaviours and weight changes. Also, it determines the main changes in eating behaviours and weight among KSU students in Riyadh from March 23 to June 21, 2020.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study of a random sample of KSU students. Saudi male and female (non-pregnant females) bachelor’s degree students at KSU in the Riyadh region, who had not tested positive for COVID-19, satisfied the selection criteria. The total number of responses to the questionnaire was 1053; after the elimination of 320 responses that met the exclusion criteria, 733 students were included in the study.

Results

The current study results confirmed as 52.4% of students ate more of snacks. Among students’ most consumed food items during the quarantine were starches, coffee, dairy, and poultry. Contrastingly, the least consumed food items were energy drinks, fish, and soft drinks. Further, 53.7% of the students gained weight, which was associated with anxiety, boredom, and consumption of red meat and eggs. However, weight loss among students was associated with concerns regarding weight gain, changes in food quantity, changes in appetite, and the consumption of vegetables.

Conclusion

Although lockdowns are an important safety measure to protect public health, the findings of this study show that quarantine affects eating and Emotional Eating (EE) behavior such as consuming more starch, dairy, and poultry among students at KSU. Furthermore, this study can help the Saudi authorities develop guidelines to direct Saudi food markets to increase advertising and promote healthy foods during situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.

中文翻译：

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隔离对利雅得沙特国王大学学生饮食行为和体重变化的影响

背景

确定隔离对饮食习惯和体重变化的影响，以及沙特国王大学学生体重和饮食习惯的主要变化。

目的

本研究旨在确定隔离对饮食行为和体重变化的影响。此外，它还确定了 2020 年 3 月 23 日至 6 月 21 日期间利雅得 KSU 学生饮食行为和体重的主要变化。

方法

这是对 KSU 学生随机样本的横断面研究。利雅得地区 KSU 的沙特男性和女性（未怀孕女性）学士学位学生，未检测出 COVID-19 呈阳性，符合选择标准。问卷的总回复数为 1053；剔除符合排除标准的 320 个回答后，733 名学生被纳入研究。

结果

目前的研究结果证实，52.4% 的学生吃更多的零食。学生在隔离期间消费最多的食品是淀粉、咖啡、乳制品和家禽。相比之下，消费最少的食品是能量饮料、鱼和软饮料。此外，53.7% 的学生体重增加，这与焦虑、无聊以及食用红肉和鸡蛋有关。然而，学生的体重减轻与对体重增加、食物量变化、食欲变化和蔬菜消费的担忧有关。

结论

尽管封锁是保护公众健康的一项重要安全措施，但这项研究的结果表明，隔离会影响 KSU 学生的饮食和情绪饮食 (EE) 行为，例如食用更多淀粉、乳制品和家禽。此外，这项研究可以帮助沙特当局制定指导方针，指导沙特食品市场在 COVID-19 大流行等情况下增加广告和推广健康食品。