Abstract
Objectives: In December 2019, coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, China, and in March 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global pandemic. Therefore, many countries including Saudi Arabia enforced lockdowns and quarantine restrictions to help contain the disease. These restrictions lead to changes in lifestyle, diet, and physical activity habits among the world population. This study aimed to assess the lifestyle changes that are considered risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) among the Saudi population during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire on adults over the age of 18 living in Saudi Arabia from January to February 2021.
Results: We collected a total of 2,069 responses of which 64.7% were between 18 - 35 years old and 68.1% were females. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 83% of participants reported having homemade meals. The consumption of meat, fish and seafood, and fat products decreased and the consumption of snacks and beverages increased significantly during the pandemic. The average hours spent on physical activities as well as screen time increased during the pandemic. Moreover, the participants reported changes in sleeping habits and weight gain (43%) during the lockdown. Poor lifestyle habits were associated with increased CVD symptoms.
Conclusion: Dietary and exercise habits among the Saudi population have changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic which subsequently resulted in an increase in CVD symptoms.