Physical activity and psychological health in the Arabic region during COVID-19: a multi-country comparative study

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the daily lives of people worldwide, with social distancing measures influencing both physical activity and psychological health. In the Arab region, few data exist on the changes in lifestyle and psychological health status during COVID-19. The aim of this study was to assess physical daily life activities and psychological health impacts among the general public in Arab countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A cross-sectional comparative correlational design was used. A convenience sample with online data collection was used to collect data from adults from seven countries. Adults completed a demographic questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale.

The study included 1396 participants. A total of 28.7% of them reported decreased physical activity, 17.2% started exercising at home and 40% reported weight gain. Participants showed moderate stress (mean 19.42 [standard deviation 5.94]) and mild anxiety (mean 14.01 [standard deviation 13.05]), with significant differences between countries (p<0.01). There was a positive correlation between stress and anxiety (r=0.590, p<0.01), while age showed a negative correlation with both stress (r=-0.300, p<0.01) and anxiety (r=-0.229, p<0.01). Anxiety was differentiated with eating behaviour, but neither stress nor anxiety were significantly different with changes in exercise activity. Regression analyses indicated that anxiety and age strongly predicted stress, while stress and age predicted anxiety.

The changes in lifestyle and the factors associated with increased stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic must be considered in future pandemics to develop appropriate care plans for the general public.