Biology of Sport (Aug 2020)

Effects of home confinement on mental health and lifestyle behaviours during the COVID-19 outbreak: Insight from the ECLB-COVID19 multicenter study

  • Achraf Ammar,
  • Khaled Trabelsi,
  • Michael Brach,
  • Hamdi Chtourou,
  • Omar Boukhris,
  • Liwa Masmoudi,
  • Bassem Bouaziz,
  • Ellen Bentlage,
  • Daniella How,
  • Mona Ahmed,
  • Patrick Mueller,
  • Notger Mueller,
  • Omar Hammouda,
  • Laisa Paineiras-Domingos,
  • Annemarie Braakman-jansen,
  • Christian Wrede,
  • Sophia Bastoni,
  • Carlos Pernambuco,
  • Leonardo Mataruna,
  • Morteza Taheri,
  • Khadijeh Irandoust,
  • Aïmen Khacharem,
  • Nicola Bragazzi,
  • Jana Strahler,
  • Jad Adrian,
  • Albina Andreeva,
  • Jordan Glenn,
  • Nicholas Bott,
  • Faiez Gargouri,
  • Lotfi Chaari,
  • Hadj Batatia,
  • Samira khoshnami,
  • Evangelia Samara,
  • Vasiliki Zisi,
  • Parasanth Sankar,
  • Waseem Ahmed,
  • Gamal Ali,
  • Osama Abdelkarim,
  • Mohamed Jarraya,
  • Kais Abed,
  • Wassim Moalla,
  • Mohamed Romdhani,
  • Asma Aloui,
  • Nizar Souissi,
  • Lisette GemertPijnen,
  • Bryan Riemann,
  • Laurel Riemann,
  • Jan Delhey,
  • Jonathan Gómez-Raja,
  • Monique Epstein,
  • Robbert Sanderman,
  • Sebastian Schulz,
  • Achim Jerg,
  • Ramzi Al-Horani,
  • Taysir Mansi,
  • Mohamed Jmail,
  • Fernando Barbosa,
  • Fernando Ferreira-Santos,
  • Boštjan Šimunič,
  • Rado Pišot,
  • Saša Pišot,
  • Andrea Gaggioli,
  • Piotr Zmijewski,
  • Stephen Bailey,
  • Jürgen Steinacker,
  • Karim Chamari,
  • Tarak Driss,
  • Anita Hoekelmann

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2020.96857
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 38, no. 1
pp. 9 – 21

Abstract

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Although recognised as effective measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, social distancing and self-isolation have been suggested to generate a burden throughout the population. To provide scientific data to help identify risk factors for the psychosocial strain during the COVID-19 outbreak, an international cross-disciplinary online survey was circulated in April 2020. This report outlines the mental, emotional and behavioural consequences of COVID-19 home confinement. The ECLB-COVID19 electronic survey was designed by a steering group of multidisciplinary scientists, following a structured review of the literature. The survey was uploaded and shared on the Google online survey platform and was promoted by thirty-five research organizations from Europe, North Africa, Western Asia and the Americas. Questions were presented in a differential format with questions related to responses “before” and “during” the confinement period. 1047 replies (54% women) from Western Asia (36%), North Africa (40%), Europe (21%) and other continents (3%) were analysed. The COVID-19 home confinement evoked a negative effect on mental wellbeing and emotional status (P < 0.001; 0.43 ≤ d ≤ 0.65) with a greater proportion of individuals experiencing psychosocial and emotional disorders (+10% to +16.5%). These psychosocial tolls were associated with unhealthy lifestyle behaviours with a greater proportion of individuals experiencing (i) physical (+15.2%) and social (+71.2%) inactivity, (ii) poor sleep quality (+12.8%), (iii) unhealthy diet behaviours (+10%), and (iv) unemployment (6%). Conversely, participants demonstrated a greater use (+15%) of technology during the confinement period. These findings elucidate the risk of psychosocial strain during the COVID-19 home confinement period and provide a clear remit for the urgent implementation of technology-based intervention to foster an Active and Healthy Confinement Lifestyle AHCL).

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