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. 2021 Mar;38(1):9-21.
doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2020.96857. Epub 2020 Aug 3.

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

Achraf Ammar  1   2 , Khaled Trabelsi  3   4 , Michael Brach  5 , Hamdi Chtourou  3   6 , Omar Boukhris  3   6 , Liwa Masmoudi  3 , Bassem Bouaziz  7 , Ellen Bentlage  5 , Daniella How  5 , Mona Ahmed  5 , Patrick Mueller  8   9 , Notger Mueller  8   9 , Omar Hammouda  2   3 , Laisa Liane Paineiras-Domingos  10   11 , Annemarie Braakman-Jansen  12 , Christian Wrede  12 , Sophia Bastoni  12   13 , Carlos Soares Pernambuco  14 , Leonardo Mataruna  15 , Morteza Taheri  16 , Khadijeh Irandoust  16 , Aïmen Khacharem  17 , Nicola L Bragazzi  18   19 , Jana Strahler  20 , Jad Adrian  21 , Albina Andreeva  22 , Jordan M Glenn  23 , Nicholas T Bott  24 , Faiez Gargouri  7 , Lotfi Chaari  2   5 , Hadj Batatia  25 , Samira C Khoshnami  26 , Evangelia Samara  27 , Vasiliki Zisi  28 , Parasanth Sankar  29 , Waseem N Ahmed  30 , Gamal Mohamed Ali  31 , Osama Abdelkarim  31   32 , Mohamed Jarraya  3 , Kais El Abed  3 , Wassim Moalla  3 , Mohamed Romdhani  6 , Asma Aloui  6 , Nizar Souissi  6 , Pijnen Lisette Van Gemert  12 , Bryan L Riemann  33 , Laurel Riemann  34 , Jan Delhey  35 , Jonathan Gómez-Raja  36 , Monique Epstein  37 , Robbert Sanderman  38 , Sebastian Schulz  39 , Achim Jerg  39 , Ramzi Al-Horani  40 , Taysir Mansi  41 , Mohamed Jmail  42 , Fernando Barbosa  43 , Fernando Ferreira-Santos  44 , Boštjan Šimunič  45 , Rado Pišot  45 , Saša Pišot  45 , Andrea Gaggioli  46 , Piotr Zmijewski  47 , Stephen J Bailey  48 , Jürgen Steinacker  39 , Karim Chamari #  49 , Tarak Driss #  50 , Anita Hoekelmann #  1
Affiliations

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

Achraf Ammar et al. Biol Sport. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

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).

Keywords: Behaviours; Depression; Mental wellbeing; Pandemic; Public health; Satisfaction.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare no competing interest.

Figures

FIG 1
FIG 1
Response to the psychological support key question and total score of the mental wellbeing, mood and feelings, and short life satisfaction questionnaires before and during home confinement.
FIG 2
FIG 2
Total score of the social participation, physical activity, diet and sleep behaviours questionnaires before and during home confinement.
FIG 3
FIG 3
Responses to the Short Technology-use Lockdowns Questionnaire before and during home confinement. Values were computed and reported as mean ± SEM (standard error of the mean). *Significantly different from before confinement at p < 0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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