Table 5.

Comparison of adult Egyptians’ BMI and dietary trends before and during the COVID-19 lockdown classified by their personal and demographic characteristics

Variable	BMI		Starch		Meat		Vegetable		Fruit		Milk		Fat		Free foods
	Mean (B-D)	p value	Mean (B-D)	p value	Mean (B-D)	p value	Mean (B-D)	p value	Mean (B-D)	p value	Mean (B-D)	p value	Mean (B-D)	p value	Mean (B-D)	p value
Gender
Male (n = 136)	(28.8–28.9)	0.71	(12.9–12.3)	0.048*	(9.7–9.6)	0.47	(5.2–5.2)	1.00	(4.2–4.1)	0.79	(4.9–4.8)	0.67	(8.3–7.8)	0.09	(1.6–1.3)	0.002*
Female (n = 294)	(28.1–28.4)	0.29	(12.4–12.3)	0.84	(9.8–9.7)	0.12	(5.1–5.3)	0.004*	(4.3–4.4)	0.08	(5.5–5.4)	0.39	(8.6–8.8)	0.23	(1.3–1.2)	0.04*
Age (in years)
< 30 (n = 146)	(26.9–26.7)	0.50	(13.2–12.9)	0.25	(9.9–9.5)	0.08	(4.9–5.3)	0.01*	(4.2–4.4)	0.09	(4.5–4.4)	0.66	(8.8–8.3)	0.049*	(1.5–1.3)	0.002*
30– (n = 259)	(29.9–29.4)	0.04*	(12.3–12.1)	0.45	(9.9–9.8)	0.38	(5.2–5.3)	0.28	(4.2–4.3)	0.72	(5.7–5.6)	0.50	(8.4–8.7)	0.09	(1.4–1.3)	0.17
50 + (n = 25)	(30.2–30.4)	0.68	(11.7–11.6)	0.83	(8.8–8.9)	0.68	(5.5–5.5)	1.00	(4.6–4.4)	0.46	(6.1–5.9)	0.44	(7.8–7.4)	0.52	(1.1–0.8)	0.12
Governorate
Alexandria (n = 222)	(28.9–29.3)	0.21	(12.1–12.2)	0.77	(10.1–9.9)	0.35	(5.2–5.3)	0.32	(4.3–4.2)	0.45	(5.4–5.4)	0.91	(8.3–8.4)	0.86	(1.3–1.2)	0.28
Cairo (n = 62)	(26.8–27.1)	0.84	(12.3–11.8)	0.12	(9.7–9.5)	0.33	(5.3–5.6)	0.03*	(4.1–4.3)	0.17	(5.9–5.9)	0.73	(8.7–8.6)	0.94	(1.2–1.1)	0.12
Others (n = 146)	(28.1–28.2)	0.93	(13.3–12.9)	0.07	(9.5–9.3)	0.26	(4.9–5.1)	0.08	(4.3–4.5)	0.049*	(4.9–4.7)	0.14	(8.6–8.5)	0.54	(1.6–1.3)	0.001*
Marital status
Single (n = 164)	(26.5–26.3)	0.56	(13.1–12.8)	0.21	(9.5–9.2)	0.036*	(4.9–5.2)	0.043*	(3.9–4.1)	0.39	(4.1–4.3)	0.29	(8.3–7.9)	0.19	(1.4–1.2)	0.003*
Ever married (n = 266)	(29.5–29.9)	0.038*	(12.2–12.1)	0.51	(9.9–9.9)	0.67	(5.2–5.4)	0.15	(4.4–4.5)	0.41	(5.9–5.9)	0.81	(8.6–8.7)	0.35	(1.4–1.3)	0.07
Level of education
Secondary and below (n = 15)	(27.7–27.9)	0.76	(13.1–13.7)	0.22	(10.1–9.3)	0.23	(5.3–4.6)	0.15	(4.2–3.7)	0.31	(4.5–4.5)	1.00	(8.3–9.0)	0.25	(1.4–1.6)	0.19
University (n = 236)	(28.7–28.9)	0.45	(12.8–12.7)	0.98	(9.6–9.6)	0.84	(4.9–5.2)	0.016*	(4.2–4.3)	0.20	(5.1–4.9)	0.14	(8.7–8.6)	0.65	(1.5–1.4)	0.09
Postgraduate (n = 179)	(27.9–28.2)	0.42	(12.3–11.7)	0.019*	(10.0–9.8)	0.05	(5.3–5.4)	0.12	(4.3–4.4)	0.44	(5.5–5.6)	0.77	(8.3–8.3)	0.98	(1.3–1.1)	0.001*
Work status
Employed (n = 297)	(28.3–28.5)	0.25	(12.2–12.0)	0.22	(9.9–9.8)	0.13	(5.2–5.4)	0.12	(4.3–4.2)	0.91	(5.4–5.3)	0.40	(8.4–8.3)	0.54	(1.4–1.1)	< 0.001*
Unemployed (n = 133)	(28.5–28.7)	0.62	(13.3–13.1)	0.57	(9.4–9.3)	0.45	(4.9–5.2)	0.032*	(4.2–4.5)	0.009*	(5.2–5.1)	0.69	(8.8–8.9)	0.53	(1.5–1.5)	0.95
Family income
Had sufficient family income and could save (n = 219)	(27.6–27.8)	0.24	(12.3–12.1)	0.35	(9.9–9.8)	0.54	(5.2–5.3)	0.15	(4.3–4.4)	0.15	(5.3–5.2)	0.56	(8.5–8.6)	0.70	(1.4–1.3)	0.13
Had sufficient family income but could not save (n = 188)	(29.0–29.2)	0.68	(12.9–12.7)	0.59	(9.7–9.6)	0.37	(5.1–5.3)	0.06	(4.3–4.3)	1.00	(5.4–5.3)	0.48	(8.6–8.5)	0.72	(1.4–1.2)	0.013*
Had insufficient family income (n = 23)	(30.3–30.6)	0.48	(13.0–12.2)	0.13	(9.3–8.3)	0.024*	(4.8–5.1)	0.51	(3.7–3.9)	0.44	(3.8–3.7)	0.91	(7.4–6.7)	0.23	(1.1–0.6)	0.039*

^*Significant (p < 0.05); BMI, body mass index; B, before lockdown; D, during the lockdown