Changes in dietary habits during Covid-19 lockdown in Egypt: the Egyptian COVIDiet study

Khaled Abdelkawy; Fawzy Elbarbry; Soha M El-Masry; Amr Y Zakaria; Celia Rodríguez-Pérez; Noha M El-Khodary

doi:10.1186/s12889-023-15777-7

Changes in dietary habits during Covid-19 lockdown in Egypt: the Egyptian COVIDiet study

BMC Public Health. 2023 May 25;23(1):956. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15777-7.

Authors

Khaled Abdelkawy¹, Fawzy Elbarbry², Soha M El-Masry³, Amr Y Zakaria⁴, Celia Rodríguez-Pérez^{5

6

7}, Noha M El-Khodary⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr el-Sheikh, Egypt.
² Pacific University School of Pharmacy, Oregon, USA.
³ Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Damanhour University, Damanhour, Egypt.
⁴ Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Horus University, New Damietta, Egypt.
⁵ Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Granada, Campus Universitario de Cartuja, Granada, 18017, Spain.
⁶ Biomedical Research Centre, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INYTA) 'José Mataix', University of Granada, Avenida del Conocimiento s/n, Granada, 18071, Spain.
⁷ Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, 18012, Spain.
⁸ Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr el-Sheikh, Egypt. noha_mahmoud@pharm.kfs.edu.eg.

Abstract

Purpose: COVID-19 lockdown changed social habits and lifestyle, including dietary habits, of people worldwide. However, limited information is available about these changes in Egypt. This cross-sectional study investigates the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on dietary habits among the Egyptian populations.

Methods: An online questionnaire, based on sociodemographic data and dietary adherence in accordance with the validated PREDIMED MedDiet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), was used all over the Egyptian governorates. The dietary changes were statistically evaluated for significance in relation to age, gender, body mass index (BMI), education level and governorates.

Results: A total of 1010 participants (76% aged below 36 years, 77% female, 22% obese, and 62% university-level education) answered the questionnaire. Respondents ≤ 20 years had a significant increase in weight and consumption of carbonated beverages, commercial pastries, fried and fast food. Egyptians > 50 years old had a significant decrease in physical activity. Underweight people (less than 3% of participants) increased their fast food intake with a prominent rise in weight. However, obese people increased cooking frequency and increased eating times with a decrease in physical activity. Male participants reported increased intake of carbonated beverages and fast food, while female participants increased the intake of homemade pastries with a significant decrease in physical activity. Approximately 50% of participants with postgraduate education reported decreased intake of fast food and carbonated beverages as well as decreased body weight. Residents of Cairo showed a significant increase in vegetable intake, and fried food intake with a decrease in seafood consumption. Participants from the Delta region had a significant increase in pastries intake.

Conclusion: The findings of this study explored the need for increasing awareness about healthy lifestyle in future lockdown periods.

Keywords: COVID-19; Diet; Egypt; Lockdown; Mediterranean diet; Physical activity.

MeSH terms

Aged
COVID-19* / epidemiology
COVID-19* / prevention & control
Communicable Disease Control
Cross-Sectional Studies
Egypt / epidemiology
Fast Foods
Feeding Behavior
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Obesity / epidemiology