Body Mass Index of People in Quarantine During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hormozgan, Iran and its Related Factors

With the declaration of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, quarantine method was applied almost in all countries to prevent the spread of the disease and reduce its transmission rate. This study aims to assess the body mass index (BMI) of people in quarantine during the pandemic in Hormozgan, Iran.

This cross-sectional study was conducted at a 3-month period in Hormozgan province of Iran. Samples were 352 people over 15 years old who participated in an online survey.

The mean age of participants was 34.74±8.99 years, and 72.7% were female. The increase in mean BMI following the outbreak of COVID-19 compared to the pre-pandemic period was statistically significant for people aged 30 years and older compared to younger people (P=0.001). A significant increase of about 0.45 in BMI was also reported for people whose physical activity had changed following the outbreak (P=0.005). 

Reduced physical activities during quarantine along with overeating and subsequent increase in BMI can be a warning for the increase of obesity in the future.