@article{a1b71b37c384447a9a88d25a1cae76f2,
title = "Staying Physically Active Is Associated with Better Mental Health and Sleep Health Outcomes during the Initial Period of COVID-19 Induced Nation-Wide Lockdown in Jordan",
abstract = "Jordan, a Middle Eastern country, initially responded to an outbreak of COVID-19 cases within its own borders by imposing a 7-week strict lockdown and closure of international and domestic travel. Such measures drastically influenced lifestyle behaviors of the population. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of physical activity, and its association with mental and sleep health outcomes among Jordanians during a period of COVID-19 induced lockdown. Validated questionnaires were administered using a web-based platform to evaluate moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), anxiety and depressive symptoms, sleep health, and sociodemographic characteristics. A modified Poisson regression model with robust error variance was used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Compared to participants who met the guidelines, those who did not had significantly higher prevalence of moderate or severe anxiety symptoms than that of minimal or mild anxiety symptoms and increased depressive symptoms. Insufficient MVPA was associated with higher prevalence of poor sleep quality, short sleep duration (<7 h) and sleep problems. Overall, sufficient MVPA was associated with better mental and sleep health during the COVID-19 induced nation-wide lockdown in Jordan. While further research is necessary, promoting physical activity during the lockdown could potentially improve mental and sleep health outcomes among the population.",
keywords = "COVID-19, Lockdown, Mental health, Physical activity, Sleep health",
author = "Al-Ajlouni, {Yazan A.} and Park, {Su Hyun} and Jude Alawa and Ban Dodin and Ghaith Shamaileh and Nour Makarem and Keyes, {Katherine M.} and Duncan, {Dustin T.}",
note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments: We extend our sincerest thanks to the participants of this study who willingly responded to the survey and took part in this study. We would also wish to thank Erika Ikeda for her assistance in reviewing a draft of this manuscript and providing valuable feedback. Additionally, we thank the translators of this survey, as well as Fatih Haloglu who assisted with the data cleaning for this study. Finally, we thank local research assistants from the University of Jordan for assisting with the online data collection. NM is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (Grant #HL148511). Funding Information: We extend our sincerest thanks to the participants of this study who willingly responded to the survey and took part in this study. We would also wish to thank Erika Ikeda for her assistance in reviewing a draft of this manuscript and providing valuable feedback. Additionally, we thank the translators of this survey, as well as Fatih Haloglu who assisted with the data cleaning for this study. Finally, we thank local research assistants from the University of Jordan for assisting with the online data collection. NM is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (Grant #HL148511). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).",
year = "2022",
month = jan,
day = "1",
doi = "10.3390/ijerph19020776",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "19",
journal = "International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health",
issn = "1661-7827",
publisher = "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)",
number = "2",
}