Investigation on the Weight of Chinese Children and Adolescents Quarantined During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: During the novel coronavirus pandemic, great changes have taken place in the life style of children and adolescents, and their body weight was affected.

Objectives: To investigated changes in the weight of Chinese children and adolescents quarantined，and its influencing factors.

Methods: We collected the demographic statistics, anthropometric data, diet, exercise, sleep and other related information during home isolation. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of weight gain.

Results: A total of 1096 questionnaires were collected, 1062 valid questionnaires were further selected. Among these cases, 804 cases (75.7%) gained weight, including 386 boys (48.0%) and 418 girls (52.0%). Univariate analysis showed that the daily exercise time of children was less than 60 minutes, the parents did not exercise during the pandemic, the appetite increased, the intake of animal food, snacks and sugary drinks increased, and the children who slept longer increased their weight gain. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors for weight gain were increased appetite(OR=2.022, P=0.038), less than 30 minutes of daily exercise time (OR=3.243, P=0.008), and increased sleep time (OR=3.421, P=0.026). The above three factors were the most obvious. In addition, increased intake of fruits (OR=1.362, P=0.032), and increased intake of legumes or soy products (OR=1.164, P=0.048) were also the risk factors.

Conclusion: This investigation indicated that increased appetite, increased food intake, increased sleep time and limited exercise were the main reasons of weight gain among Chinese children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Note:
Funding Information: This work was supported by the Science Technology and Innovation Committee of Shenzhen (2021N062-JCYJ20210324115408023).

Conflict of Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Informed Consent/ethics Statement: The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Shenzhen Children's Hospital and it was in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008. All the participants or their responsible guardians gave their written consent after being informed about the nature of the study.

Keywords: COVID-19, isolation, weight gain, children and adolescents, risk factors