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The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Lifestyle Behaviors among School Children in Morocco
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Latifa Adarmouch1 , 2 , 3
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Majda Sebbani1 , 2 , 3
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Hicham El Mouaddib1
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Mohamed Amine1 , 2 , 3
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Authors Info & Affiliations
Abstract
Introduction
Usually, active children were the first to be affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to describe and assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle behaviors of schoolchildren in Marrakech, Morocco.
Methods
Parents of children from three private voluntary primary schools were asked to complete an online questionnaire. Diet, physical activity, and sleep information were collected from May 11 to June 04, 2020. Changes in lifestyle before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were assessed and analyzed.
Results
There were 124 participants. There were 54% males, the average age was 9.77 ± 1.96 years, and the average BMI was 20.46 ± 6.32 kg. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the following behavioral trends were reported: an increase in the consumption of sugary drinks (53.2%), an increase in the consumption of sweets and chips (50%) (Control no variation of 27.4% and a decrease of 22.5%), increased sedentary time (TV/mobile: 52.4%; video games: 54%), decreased quality of sleep (51.6%) and increased physical game activity (54%).
Conclusion
When encouraging pandemic measures to address COVID-19, it is crucial to consider the invisible effects of these restrictions on the health of childern and to plan for parallel actions to maintain healthy lifestyles and prevent possible impacts on the level of overweight in this vulnerable population.
