Water and Beverages Intake Among Workers Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

Prevalence of Obesity and Lifestyle Risk Factors Following Two Years' COVID-19 Related Service Closure at Wellness Center, Primary Health Care

Background

COVID-19 lockdown has affected health behaviors and daily life in unprecedented ways. This study aimed to assess (i) the prevalence of lifestyle behaviors including physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep, and stress levels during the COVID confinement, and (ii) evaluate anthropometric measures, body composition, cardiopulmonary and muscular endurance among regular Wellness Center attendees, following two years' service closure.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was undertaken between 1st June 2022 and 30th January 2023. A structured validated questionnaire was utilized to retrospectively collect data related to the closure period, and quantitative objective measurements were obtained at the time of data collection.

Results

A total of 100 adults with a mean age of 49.6 ± 10.5 years, mostly female (80%) and Qatari (76%) participated in the study. The results revealed high rates of low physical activity (47%), sedentary behavior (62%), poor sleep (58%), and stress levels (61% moderate and 5% high). Results also confirmed high prevalence of obesity (57%) marked by BMI and body circumferences, fat mass (34 ± 10.5 kg)/fat percentage (42.7 ± 7.2%) and muscle mass (20.6 ± 5.4 kg)/muscle percentage (25.4 ± 3.9%) above and below normal levels, respectively. The average cardiopulmonary (mean VO2 MAX was 15.5 ± 11 mL O2kg-1min-1) and muscular endurance (pushups per min 19 ± 8.9, L-sit 46 ± 35 secs, plank 42.7 ± 27.8 secs) were distinctly below normal levels for age and sex.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that physically active adults have experienced adverse lifestyle behaviors during the COVID-19 lockdown. Obesity, unfavorable body composition, low cardiopulmonary and muscular endurance were evident. More emphasis should be put on the development of targeted intervention strategies to promote positive lifestyle behaviors during any potential future crises.

Assessment of water consumption during Ramadan intermittent fasting: Result from Indonesian cross-sectional study

During Ramadan fasting, people are likely to consume water and beverages lower than recommended intake due to the limited time. However, it is necessary to achieve the recommended daily water intake to maintain the hydration status, as well as productivity during fasting. Unfortunately, there is a lack of data on drinking patterns during Ramadan. This study aims to investigate water and beverage intake and drinking patterns to help achieve water requirements during Ramadan among Indonesian adults. This is a cross-sectional study conducted during the Ramadan period from April to May 2021 (Ramadan 1442 Hijri). We used a self-administered questionnaire on drinking habits during Ramadan and utilized a 7-day fluid record (Liq.In 7) to assess water and beverage intake among participants who were managed through online procedure. There were 380 participants from five universities across Indonesia who completed the questionnaire accordingly and then analyzed it. The result shows that total water and beverage intake during Ramadan among participants was below the recommendation [1,670 (1,326–2,034) ml/day]. Among the type of beverages, water is the highest level of consumption [1,262 (983–1,666) ml/day] then followed by sugar-sweetened beverages [200 (91–350) ml/day]. We found a significant difference in water and beverages consumption between time of iftar [474 (375–590) ml/day], nighttime [574 (414–810) ml/day], and suhoor [560 (423–711) ml/day]. From this study, we found that during Ramadan the most common drinking pattern is 2-4-2, but a drinking pattern of 4-2-2 glasses (sequence of four glasses at iftar, two glasses at nighttime, two glasses at suhoor) had a significantly higher chance to adhere with the recommendation of fluid intake compared to other patterns. Therefore, based on this research on water and beverage intake, it is necessary and important to make improvements among Indonesian adults during Ramadan, and the drinking pattern of 4-2-2 glasses may help to achieve the recommended daily water consumption.