Investigation of obesity, eating behaviors and physical activity levels living in rural and urban areas during the covid-19 pandemic era: a study of Turkish adolescent

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on physical activity behavior among students in Somalia

Background

Due to the worldwide reach of the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities across the globe deemed it essential to enforce exceptional containment measures. Maintaining physical activity (PA) during this time was only feasible through engaging in activities at home. Therefore, this study focused on elucidating the levels of PA and well-being among Somali students in the aftermath of the lockdown measures implemented by governments at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

This study was conducted in Somalia among undergraduate students studying at Somali International University. A total of 1266 students were included in the present study. An online survey was utilized to measure participant PA behavior. The assessment of PA was conducted in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing the Godin Leisure questionnaire. The study showed that 85.8% of the study participants (n = 1086) were between the ages of 17 and 22. More than half of the participants (58.7%, n = 743) were female and had no other employment (57.3%, n = 743).

Results

Jogging was the most frequently reported PA (57.3%, n = 726), and PA level was on average 59.7 minutes per day (SD = 25.9). Also, most of the study participants were in their last year (82.1%). In the regression analysis, age, gender, academic year, and work status were significant predictors of being physically active after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion

Factors affecting PA after the COVID-19 pandemic include age, gender, academic year, and work status. Males, younger individuals, and those who engage in outdoor exercise are more likely to be physically active. Once the COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed, undergraduate students in Somalia were physically active. A high level of PA appears to be advantageous for public health. Universities in Somalia should uphold school policies that promote an active lifestyle among students, aiming to maintain or enhance the existing level of PA.

Effects of combined aerobic exercise and diet on cardiometabolic health in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Lifestyle modifications involving diet and exercise are recommended for patients diagnosed with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The purpose of this review was to systematically evaluate the effects of combined aerobic exercise and diet (AEDT) on various cardiometabolic health-related indicators among individuals with obesity and T2DM.

METHODOLOGY

A comprehensive search of the PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases was conducted for this meta-analysis. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to evaluate eligible studies, and the GRADE tool was used to rate the certainty of evidence. A random-effects model for continuous variables was used, and the results were presented as mean differences or standardised mean differences with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

A total of 16,129 studies were retrieved; 20 studies were included, and data were extracted from 1,192 participants. The findings revealed significant improvements in body mass index, body weight, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, fasting plasma insulin, glycated hemoglobin, leptin, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and adiponectin (p < 0.05) compared to the standard treatment (ST) group. No significant differences were observed between the AEDT and ST groups in fat mass, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The present findings are based on low- to moderate-quality evidence.

CONCLUSIONS

AEDT may be a critical behavior for holistic cardiometabolic health-related benefits as a contemporary anti-obesity medication due to its significant positive impact on patients with obesity and T2DM. Nevertheless, further robust evidence is necessary to determine whether AEDT is an effective intervention for lowering cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors among individuals with obesity and T2DM.

Pediatric overweight and obesity increased in Israel during the COVID-19 period

Reports from many settings suggest that pediatric overweight and obesity increased in 2020 and 2021, presumably due to lifestyle changes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these previous reports have relied on convenience samples or subsets of the population. Here, we present results of a longitudinal study of the entire population of Israel, a nation of approximately 9 million people, with the proportion with underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity at age 7 and at age 14-15, across the years 2017-2021. Our results show that the prevalence of overweight and obesity, which had been steady or improving through 2019, increased relatively quickly in 2020 and 2021. For example, among 7-year-olds, the percentage of children with obesity in 2019 was 6.8% (99% CI: 6.69-7.05), and by 2021, it had increased to 7.7% (99% CI: 7.53-7.93). There were important disparities in overweight and obesity based on SES; for example, the rate ratio for obesity comparing the poorest with the wealthiest 14-15-year-olds in 2019 was 1.63 (99% CI: 1.55-1.72). However, these disparities did not change meaningfully in 2020 and 2021, implying that while obesity did become more prevalent, this increase in prevalence was not differential across socioeconomic status. Like many other nations, Israel too experienced considerable increases in pediatric overweight and obesity in 2020-2021, erasing the improvements of the previous years among younger children.

Sedentary Behavior and Lack of Physical Activity among Children in Indonesia

Sedentary behavior and lack of physical activity among children in Indonesia is an important issue that needs to be addressed. It is estimated that 57% of children in Indonesia have insufficient physical activity. Studies have shown that children who engage in sedentary behaviors are at an increased risk for various negative health outcomes, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and poor mental health, compared to physically active ones. This article aims to provide recommendations to increase physical activity and reduce passive behavior in children in Indonesia. This is a commentary article developed from observing the recent progress of sedentary behavior and lack of physical activity among children in Indonesia and the potential consequences. The level of inactive behavior in children in Indonesia is relatively high. Factors that contribute to sedentary behavior and lack of physical activity among children in Indonesia are the increasing use of electronic devices and screen time, the lack of safe and accessible places to be physically active, the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as cultural and social norms that prioritize academic achievement over physical activity. To address sedentary lifestyles among children, there is a need for a comprehensive approach that addresses both the individual and societal factors contributing to the problem. This might include increasing access to healthy food options, promoting physical activity, and implementing education programs to raise awareness about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity, as well as limiting screen time.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on obesity and it is risk factors: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the severe acute new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Devastating social, economic, and health service utilisation-related activities. Increased burden and lifestyle changes due to confinement.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate and determine the determinants of obesity during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic from 2019 to 2023.

METHODS

Observational studies published between December 2019 and January 2023 were thoroughly searched using a PRISMA flow chart. PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, HINARI, Scopus, and Embase databases were used. Two reviewers independently identified and critically evaluated the relevant literature. Studies that reported weight gain or involved BMI measurements of 25 kg/m2 or BMI z-scores for children during the COVID-19 lockdown were selected for inclusion. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used as a quality assessment instrument in nonrandomised studies to evaluate study quality. All the contributing determinants of weight increase were identified, gathered, and synthesised.

RESULTS

This systematic review identified 40 studies with a total population of 5,681,813 from 22 countries, of which 74.6% were male. The sample size from included articles ranged from 37 to 5,315,435. Of the 40 selected articles, 24 focused on adults, five on adolescents, three on children, and eight on children and adolescents. Physical inactivity, sedentary behaviour, bad eating habits, behavioural lifestyle, excessive stress, depression, anxiety, behavioural risk factors, sex, and ethnic minorities were associated with obesity during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

CONCLUSION

During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyle, and poor eating patterns were the most common risk factors for obesity. Additionally, unhealthy eating habits, excessive behavioural stress, depression, anxiety, low mood, age, gender, and ethnic minorities have been identified as risk factors for obesity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Is early or late biological maturation trigger obesity? A machine learning modeling research in Turkey boys and girls

Biological maturation status can affect individual differences, sex, height, body fat, and body weight in adolescents and thus may be associated with obesity. The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationship between biological maturation and obesity. Overall, 1,328 adolescents (792 boys and 536 girls) aged 12.00 ± 0.94-12.21 ± 0.99 years, respectively (measured for body mass, body stature, sitting stature). Body weights were deter-mined with Tanita body analysis system and adolescent obesity status was calculated according to the WHO classification. Biological maturation was determined according to the somatic maturation method. Our results showed that boys mature 3.077-fold later than girls. Obesity was an increasing effect on early maturation. It was determined that being obese, overweight and healthy-weight increased the risk of early maturation 9.80, 6.99 and 1.81-fold, respectively. The equation of the model predicting maturation is: Logit (P) = 1/(1 + exp. (- (-31.386 + sex-boy * (1.124) + [chronological age = 10] * (-7.031) + [chronological age = 11] * (-4.338) + [chronological age = 12] * (-1.677) + age * (-2.075) + weight * 0.093 + height * (-0.141) + obesity * (-2.282) + overweight * (-1.944) + healthy weight * (-0.592)))). Logistic regression model predicted maturity with 80.7% [95% CI: 77.2-84.1%] accuracy. In addition, the model had a high sensitivity value (81.7% [76.2-86.6%]), which indicates that the model can successfully distinguish adolescents with early maturation. In conclusion, sex and obesity are independent predictors of maturity, and the risk of early maturation is increased, especially in the case of obesity and in girls.

Exploring obesity, physical activity, and digital game addiction levels among adolescents: A study on machine learning-based prediction of digital game addiction

Primary study aim was defining prevalence of obesity, physical activity levels, digital game addiction level in adolescents, to investigate gender differences, relationships between outcomes. Second aim was predicting game addiction based on anthropometric measurements, physical activity levels. Cross-sectional study design was implemented. Participants aged 9-14 living in Kirikkale were part of the study. The sample of the study consists of 405 adolescents, 231 girls (57%) and 174 boys (43%). Self-reported data were collected by questionnaire method from a random sample of 405 adolescent participants. To determine the physical activity levels of children, the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). Digital Game addiction was evaluated with the digital game addiction (DGA) scale. Additionally, body mass index (BMI) status was calculated by measuring the height and body mass of the participants. Data analysis were performed using Python 3.9 software and SPSS 28.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, United States) package program. According to our findings, it was determined that digital game addiction has a negative relationship with physical activity level. It was determined that physical activity level had a negative relationship with BMI. In addition, increased physical activity level was found to reduce obesity and DGA. Game addiction levels of girl participants were significantly higher than boy participants, and game addiction was higher in those with obesity. With the prediction model obtained, it was determined that age, being girls, BMI and total physical activity (TPA) scores were predictors of game addiction. The results revealed that the increase in age and BMI increased the risk of DGA, and we found that women had a 2.59 times greater risk of DGA compared to men. More importantly, the findings of this study showed that physical activity was an important factor reducing DGA 1.51-fold. Our prediction model Logit (P) = 1/(1 + exp(-(-3.384 + Age*0.124 + Gender-boys*(-0.953) + BMI*0.145 + TPA*(-0.410)))). Regular physical activity should be encouraged, digital gaming hours can be limited to maintain ideal weight. Furthermore, adolescents should be encouraged to engage in physical activity to reduce digital game addiction level. As a contribution to the field, the findings of this study presented important results that may help in the prevention of adolescent game addiction.