Open AccessChanges in physical activity during COVID‐19 pandemic among Saudi Arabians: Results from a cross‐sectional study
Author(s) -
Kobeissi Hassan,
Attia Abdelrahman M.,
Elgazzar Tasnim Atef,
Shah Jaffer,
Bajaber Abubakr,
Almustanyir Sami,
Alsaeed Ruaa,
Khalifa Razan Omer,
Azzam Ahmed Y.,
Hafida Samar,
Ghozy Sherief,
Islam Sheikh Mohammed Shariful
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
health science reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.462
H-Index - 7
ISSN - 2398-8835
DOI - 10.1002/hsr2.822
Subject(s) - pandemic , interquartile range , covid-19 , cross sectional study , medicine , psychological intervention , physical activity , demography , young adult , gerontology , environmental health , physical therapy , disease , nursing , pathology , sociology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Background and Aims The COVID‐19 pandemic and the resultant change in sedentary behaviors have had immense health, economic, and social implications globally. As governments worldwide imposed lockdowns and curfews, the amount of time spent indoors greatly increased. This lead to a dramatic change in physical activity (PA) levels and profound consequences on daily routines. Our study aimed to investigate patterns of PA during the COVID‐19 pandemic among adults residing in Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross‐sectional survey‐based study aimed to investigate patterns of PA during the COVID‐19 pandemic among adults residing in Saudi Arabia. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire was utilized to measure participants' PA levels between April 2021 and May 2021. Participants were then classified into three groups according to their PA level, and their PA levels and sedentary behaviors were analyzed. Results We surveyed 463 participants, 315 (68%) of which were female and 134 (32%) of which were male with a median age of 23 (interquartile range, 21–35) years. Moderate‐to‐high PA was reported by 257 (55.7%) of the participants. There was a significant decrease in PA during the COVID‐19 pandemic and resultant lockdowns among the participants ( p = 0.04), with higher rates of sedentary behavior among males than females ( p = 0.14). Conclusions The decline in PA is a profound challenge of the COVID‐19 pandemic that needs to be addressed by health practitioners and policymakers. Our study highlights the decline in PA levels seen during the COVID‐19 pandemic and the importance of promotional programs and interventions to increase PA among the Saudi Arabian population without compromising the essential health restrictions and social distancing.