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

• Main Authors: Achraf Ammar (Author), Khaled Trabelsi (Author), Michael Brach (Author), Hamdi Chtourou (Author), Omar Boukhris (Author), Liwa Masmoudi (Author), Bassem Bouaziz (Author), Ellen Bentlage (Author), Daniella How (Author), Mona Ahmed (Author), Patrick Mueller (Author), Notger Mueller (Author), Omar Hammouda (Author), Laisa Paineiras-Domingos (Author), Annemarie Braakman-jansen (Author), Christian Wrede (Author), Sophia Bastoni (Author), Carlos Pernambuco (Author), Leonardo Mataruna (Author), Morteza Taheri (Author), Khadijeh Irandoust (Author), Aïmen Khacharem (Author), Nicola Bragazzi (Author), Jana Strahler (Author), Jad Adrian (Author), Albina Andreeva (Author), Jordan Glenn (Author), Nicholas Bott (Author), Faiez Gargouri (Author), Lotfi Chaari (Author), Hadj Batatia (Author), Samira khoshnami (Author), Evangelia Samara (Author), Vasiliki Zisi (Author), Parasanth Sankar (Author), Waseem Ahmed (Author), Gamal Ali (Author), Osama Abdelkarim (Author), Mohamed Jarraya (Author), Kais Abed (Author), Wassim Moalla (Author), Mohamed Romdhani (Author), Asma Aloui (Author), Nizar Souissi (Author), Lisette GemertPijnen (Author), Bryan Riemann (Author), Laurel Riemann (Author), Jan Delhey (Author), Jonathan Gómez-Raja (Author), Monique Epstein (Author), Robbert Sanderman (Author), Sebastian Schulz (Author), Achim Jerg (Author), Ramzi Al-Horani (Author), Taysir Mansi (Author), Mohamed Jmail (Author), Fernando Barbosa (Author), Fernando Ferreira-Santos (Author), Boštjan Šimunič (Author), Rado Pišot (Author), Saša Pišot (Author), Andrea Gaggioli (Author), Piotr Zmijewski (Author), Stephen Bailey (Author), Jürgen Steinacker (Author), Karim Chamari (Author), Tarak Driss (Author), Anita Hoekelmann (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Termedia Publishing House, 2020-08-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 0860-021X; 2083-1862; 10.5114/biolsport.2020.96857
• Keywords: public health; pandemic; mental wellbeing; depression; satisfaction; behaviours; Sports medicine; RC1200-1245; Biology (General); QH301-705.5
• Source: Biology of Sport, Vol 38, Iss 1, Pp 9-21 (2020)

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).