Sex disparities in food consumption patterns, dietary diversity and determinants of self-reported body weight changes before and amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 10 Arab countries

• DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1029219
• Publication Date: 2022-10-31T08:47:02Z
• Authors: Reema Tayyem; Mohammed O. Ibrahim; Hussein Mortada; Majid AlKhalaf; Khlood Bookari; Haleama Al Sabbah; Radwan Qasrawi; Iman Kamel; Somaia Dashti; Sabika Allehdan; Hiba Bawadi; Mostafa Waly; Haya Abuhijleh; Fadwa Hammouh; Narmeen Al-Awwad; Nahla Al-Bayyari; Leila Cheikh Ismail; Diala Abu Al-Halawa; Manal Othman; ; Maha Hoteit
• Keywords: Male; Adult; COVID-19 Pandemic; dietary diversity; COVID-19 pandemic; Body Mass İndex; body mass index; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; sex; overweight; Humans; Pandemics; COVID-19; Arab countries; Middle Aged; Overweight; Arabs; Cross-Sectional Studies; Arab Countries; Sex; Female; Public Health; Self Report; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Dietary Diversity

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic along with its confinement period boosted lifestyle modifications and impacted women and men differently which exacerbated existing gender inequalities. The main objective of this paper is to assess the gender-based differentials in food consumption patterns, dietary diversity and the determinants favoring weight change before and amid the COVID-19 pandemic among Arab men and women from 10 Arab countries.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted based on a convenience sample of 12,447 households' family members (mean age: 33.2 ± 12.9; 50.1% females) and information from participants aged 18 years and above was collected about periods before and during the pandemic.ResultsFindings showed that, during the COVID-19 period, the dietary diversity, declined by 1.9% among females compared to males (0.4%) (p < 0.001) and by 1.5% among overweight participants (p < 0.001) compared to their counterparts.ConclusionsTo conclude, gender-sensitive strategies and policies to address weight gain and dietary diversity during emergent shocks and pandemics are urgently needed in the region.