The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical (In)Activity Behavior in 10 Arab Countries.

Insufficient physical activity is considered a strong risk factor associated with non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on physical (in)activity behavior in 10 Arab countries before and during the lockdown. A cross-sectional study using a validated online survey was launched originally in 38 different countries. The Eastern Mediterranean regional data related to the 10 Arabic countries that participated in the survey were selected for analysis in this study. A total of 12,433 participants were included in this analysis. The mean age of the participants was 30.3 (SD, 11.7) years. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between physical activity levels and the participants\u27 sociodemographic characteristics, watching TV, screen time, and computer usage. Physical activity levels decreased significantly during the lockdown. Participants\u27 country of origin, gender, and education were associated with physical activity before and during the lockdown (p \u3c 0.050). Older age, watching TV, and using computers had a negative effect on physical activity before and during the lockdown (p \u3c 0.050). Strategies to improve physical activity and minimize sedentary behavior should be implemented, as well as to reduce unhealthy levels of inactive time, especially during times of crisis. Further research on the influence of a lack of physical activity on overall health status, as well as on the COVID-19 disease effect is recommended

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

The 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. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on a convenience sample of 12,447 households\u27 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. Findings showed that, during the COVID-19 period, the dietary diversity, declined by 1.9% among females compared to males (0.4%) (p \u3c 0.001) and by 1.5% among overweight participants (p \u3c 0.001) compared to their counterparts. To conclude, gender-sensitive strategies and policies to address weight gain and dietary diversity during emergent shocks and pandemics are urgently needed in the region

Impact Of Covid-19 Lockdown On Smoking (Waterpipe And Cigarette) And Participants\u27 Bmi Across Various Sociodemographic Groups In Arab Countries In The Mediterranean Region

INTRODUCTION Tobacco smokers are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19. Lockdown was a chosen strategy to deal with the spread of infectious diseases; nonetheless, it influenced people\u27s eating and smoking behaviors. The main objective of this study is to determine the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on smoking (waterpipe and cigarette) behavior and its associations with sociodemographic characteristics and body mass index. METHODS The data were derived from a large-scale retrospective cross-sectional study using a validated online international survey from 38 countries (n=37207) conducted between 17 April and 25 June 2020. The Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO-EMR countries) data related to 10 Arabic countries that participated in this survey have been selected for analysis in this study. A total of 12433 participants were included in the analysis of this study, reporting their smoking behavior and their BMI before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between smoking practices and the participant\u27s country of origin, sociodemographic characteristics, and BMI (kg/m2). RESULTS Overall, the prevalence rate of smoking decreased significantly during the lockdown from 29.8% to 23.5% (p\u3c0.05). The percentage of females who smoke was higher than males among the studied population. The highest smoking prevalence was found in Lebanon (33.2%), and the lowest was in Oman (7.9%). In Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, the data showed a significant difference in the education level of smokers before and during the lockdown (p\u3c0.05). Smokers in Lebanon had lower education levels than those in other countries, where the majority of smokers had a Bachelor\u27s degree. The findings show that the BMI rates in Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, and Saudi Arabia significantly increased during the lockdown (p\u3c0.05). The highest percentages of obesity among smokers before the lockdown were in Oman (33.3%), followed by Bahrain (28.4%) and Qatar (26.4%), whereas, during the lockdown, the percentage of obese smokers was highest in Bahrain (32.1%) followed by Qatar (31.3%) and Oman (25%). According to the logistic regression model, the odds ratio of smoking increased during the pandemic, whereas the odds ratio of TV watching decreased. This finding was statistically significant by age, gender, education level, country of residence, and work status. CONCLUSIONS Although the overall rates of smoking among the studied countries decreased during the lockdown period, we cannot attribute this change in smoking behavior to the lockdown. Smoking cessation services need to anticipate that unexpected disruptions, such as pandemic lockdowns, may be associated with changes in daily tobacco consumption. Public health authorities should promote the adoption of healthy lifestyles to reduce the long-term negative effects of the lockdown

An Evaluation of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Perceived Social Distancing Policies in Relation to Planning, Selecting, and Preparing Healthy Meals : An Observational Study in 38 Countries Worldwide

Objectives: To examine changes in planning, selecting, and preparing healthy foods in relation to personal factors (time, money, stress) and social distancing policies during the COVID-19 crisis. Methods: Using cross-sectional online surveys collected in 38 countries worldwide in April-June 2020 (N = 37,207, Mage 36.7 SD 14.8, 77% women), we compared changes in food literacy behaviors to changes in personal factors and social distancing policies, using hierarchical multiple regression analyses controlling for sociodemographic variables. Results: Increases in planning (4.7 SD 1.3, 4.9 SD 1.3), selecting (3.6 SD 1.7, 3.7 SD 1.7), and preparing (4.6 SD 1.2, 4.7 SD 1.3) healthy foods were found for women and men, and positively related to perceived time availability and stay-at-home policies. Psychological distress was a barrier for women, and an enabler for men. Financial stress was a barrier and enabler depending on various sociodemographic variables (all p <0.01). Conclusion: Stay-at-home policies and feelings of having more time during COVID-19 seem to have improved food literacy. Stress and other social distancing policies relate to food literacy in more complex ways, highlighting the necessity of a health equity lens.Peer reviewe

Food and health teachers’ experience of online teaching of a practical school subject during the initial Corona lockdown

When the Norwegian authorities closed all schools with immediate effect on March 12th 2020 due to Coronavirus, teachers had to find new strategies for educating their pupils online. Food and health are a compulsory subject in Norwegian primary and lower secondary schools, where the main focus is on practical cooking lessons. We hypothesised that practical subjects like food and health would be difficult to perform online. Therefore, we aimed to investigate how food and health teachers carried out their teaching and evaluated the pupils in this challenging situation. A short online survey was developed. An invitation to respond was sent by email to all primary and lower secondary schools containing a link to the survey. The survey included questions about the teachers’ digital tools, how they communicated with the pupils, and how pupils documented their work. A total of 817 food and health teachers responded, and 710 of them completed the full survey. After excluding teachers who had only answered the demographic questions, we ended up with 751 participants. Most teachers taught food and health in 5th-7th grade (44%) and 8th-10th grade (51%). Only 5 % were teaching at 1st-4th grade. 86% of the respondents were women. The most widely used teaching tool used for online teaching was videos found on the internet, closely followed by digital learning platforms. Regarding documentation of the pupils’ work, photos and log were most frequently used. Written communication in digital platforms and video conference was the most preferred tools for keeping contact with the pupils. Although most of the teachers stated that they had changed a lot on both their planned teaching and teaching practice, the majority did not find the teaching, follow-up nor assessment of the pupils too challenging, and most of them were satisfied with their teaching.publishedVersionPaid open acces

Urbanism in the Northern Levant during the 4th Millennium BCE

The development of urbanism in the Near East during the 4thmillennium BCE has been an important debate for decades and with recent scientific findings, a revival of this intellectual discussion has come about. Many archaeologists suggested that urban societies first emerged in southern Mesopotamia, and then expanded to the north and northwest. With recent excavations in northern Mesopotamia, significant evidence has come to light with the finding of monumental architecture and city walls dated to the beginning of the 4th millennium BCE, well before southern Mesopotamian urban expansion. These discoveries reflect important administrative systems and stratified sociopolitical structures within these sites and have made archaeologists reevaluate the traditional theories regarding the origin of complex societies. However, the northern Levant has been neglected discussions of urban origins in the Near East. In this regard, this thesis offers a contribution to the understanding of changes that took place during this time in northern Levant and aims to deepen the knowledge of the presence of the Late Chalcolithic pottery types. Thus, answering open questions about commerce, trade, city development, and pottery production by local populations. The investigation synthesizes published evidences from both excavations and regional surveys, evaluates the appearance of Late Chalcolithic sites on satellite imagery, and reports on new evidence of Late Chalcolithic settlement at the site of Tell Qarqur in the Orontes River Valley of western Syria. This framework may help us to understand if urbanism in the Levant mirrors southern and northern Mesopotamian counterparts and ultimately, contribute to the understanding of this formative period across the entire Near East

Call for emergency action to restore dietary diversity and protect global food systems in times of COVID-19 and beyond: Results from a cross-sectional study in 38 countries

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the fragility of the global food system, sending shockwaves across countries\u27 societies and economy. This has presented formidable challenges to sustaining a healthy and resilient lifestyle. The objective of this study is to examine the food consumption patterns and assess diet diversity indicators, primarily focusing on the food consumption score (FCS), among households in 38 countries both before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 37 207 participants (mean age: 36.70 ± 14.79, with 77 % women) was conducted in 38 countries through an online survey administered between April and June 2020. The study utilized a pre-tested food frequency questionnaire to explore food consumption patterns both before and during the COVID-19 periods. Additionally, the study computed Food Consumption Score (FCS) as a proxy indicator for assessing the dietary diversity of households. Findings: This quantification of global, regional and national dietary diversity across 38 countries showed an increment in the consumption of all food groups but a drop in the intake of vegetables and in the dietary diversity. The household\u27s food consumption scores indicating dietary diversity varied across regions. It decreased in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, including Lebanon (p \u3c 0.001) and increased in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries including Bahrain (p = 0.003), Egypt (p \u3c 0.001) and United Arab Emirates (p = 0.013). A decline in the household\u27s dietary diversity was observed in Australia (p \u3c 0.001), in South Africa including Uganda (p \u3c 0.001), in Europe including Belgium (p \u3c 0.001), Denmark (p = 0.002), Finland (p \u3c 0.001) and Netherland (p = 0.027) and in South America including Ecuador (p \u3c 0.001), Brazil (p \u3c 0.001), Mexico (p \u3c 0.0001) and Peru (p \u3c 0.001). Middle and older ages [OR = 1.2; 95 % CI = [1.125–1.426] [OR = 2.5; 95 % CI = [1.951–3.064], being a woman [OR = 1.2; 95 % CI = [1.117–1.367], having a high education (p \u3c 0.001), and showing amelioration in food-related behaviors [OR = 1.4; 95 % CI = [1.292–1.709] were all linked to having a higher dietary diversity. Conclusion: The minor to moderate changes in food consumption patterns observed across the 38 countries within relatively short time frames could become lasting, leading to a significant and prolonged reduction in dietary diversity, as demonstrated by our findings

The Gorgan Plain of northeast Iran: a diachronic analysis of settlement and land use patterns relating to urban, rural and mobile populations on a Sasanian frontier

The Gorgan Plain of northeast Iran was one of the northern frontiers of the Sasanian Empire (c. AD 225-640), and was marked by considerable investment in water management and defensive features such as canals, fortifications and the nearly 200 km long-wall known as the Gorgan Wall. However, in comparison we know very little about settlement and land use associated with urban, rural, and mobile pastoral communities in this period. What impact did Sasanian investment in this landscape have on settlement patterns, networks of movement, and subsistence economies of the communities inhabiting the plain, and how do these developments fit within the long-term settlement history of the region? This thesis reconstructs Late Iron Age through Islamic settlement and land use patterns utilising data obtained from historical (CORONA) satellite imagery, integrated with the available settlement data draw from field surveys conducted by the Gorgan Wall project, other published surveys, and historical and ethnographic information. At the local and regional scale, the observed trends are discussed in terms of changes in site type and location, subsistence strategies and agricultural investment. These trends are then compared to landscape developments associated with the later territorial empires in other regions of the Near East

Detection, monitoring and management of small water bodies:: A case study of Shahjadpur Thana, Sirajgonj district, Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a low-lying flood prone deltaic plain. Excavations are needed to create raised land for safe flood-free homesteads and water bodies for irrigation, and these result in the creation of doba, pukur, dighi and jola. All of these types of small water bodies are almost equally distributed all over the country, except for the heel, which is a natural, saucer shaped depression. For every eight people there is approximately an acre of small water bodies, which range in size from 25-400 sq.m. (doba), 150-1000 sq.m. (pukur), >750 sq.m. (dighi), >2000 sq.m. (jola) and >1000 sq.m. (heel). These small water bodies are commonly used for drinking, bathing and washing, fisheries and aquaculture, duck raising, irrigation, cattle feeding and washing. Despite the importance of small water bodies to the local economy there is no up to date inventory. For this purpose, in my research I have employed integrated participatory remote sensing, GIS and socio-cultural approaches. Although these have not been used before in Bangladesh, 1 argue that they are ideal for effective resource management and sustainable development planning. This research investigated the historical development of the present spatial distribution and use patterns of SWB using Remote Sensing and GIS. This was at a regional scale in four mouzas of Shahjadpur Thana. The data sources were topographical maps, aerial photographs, satellite images, agricultural census data, in-depth questionnaire, focus group meetings and interviewing key informants. An integrated RS-GIS and social sciences methodology was employed to produce maps of change and overlays of the socio-cultural factors involved. Results show that the doba, pukur and dighi, when these are not obstructed by surrounding vegetation, can be detected easily in high resolution panchromatic CORONA satellite photography, IRS-ID Panchromatic image and aerial photography. Comparatively large pukurs, dighis and all jo las and heels are detected in all other optical sensors and the SIR-C radar imagery. Multi-temporal images are helpful for identifying the different types of small water bodies as well separating those from other seasonal large water bodies and flooded areas. It is hoped that the proposed computer assisted participatory management system, including some locally specific guidelines, may be applicable for the planning of other thanas (total 490) in Bangladesh. The proposed management system will facilitate the integration of local planning with the national level planning process, which has not been possible hitherto