ArticleCureus2022
Impact of Virtual Education Versus Traditional Learning Modalities on the Body Mass Index of Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Western Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Article in Cureus, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.
- Physician Preparedness for Managing Juvenile Obesity in the MENA Region: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Perceptions, Knowledge, Practices, and Barriers.Pediatric cardiology · 2025Article
- Reduced Physical Activity and Increased Weight Status in Children and Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- The effect of lockdowns and distant learning on the health-related behaviours of school students in the United Arab Emirates.BMC primary care · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe emergence of the coronavirus disease has forced governments worldwide to implement non-pharmaceutical interventions that imposed strict confinement policies on their populations, including children and adolescents. Subsequently, the education system has shifted from traditional to online classroom settings, introducing physical and lifestyle changes in students. This study aimed to determine the impact of virtual education in comparison with that of traditional education on body weight among school-age students in western Saudi Arabia.
methodsThis cross-sectional study was carried out between March 2020 and May 2021 and assessed pediatric patients at the Pediatric Endocrine Clinic at King Abdulaziz Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A clinical interview was performed to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity levels, and electronic device usage. Body mass index (BMI) was determined using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention standards.
resultsIn total, 518 participants (262 female and 256 male students) aged six to 18 years were assessed. The BMI significantly increased from a mean of 19.24, before the pandemic, to 20.08, after the commencement of the virtual study modality (p<0.001) that involved the increased use of electronic devices. Moreover, the proportion of physical inactivity significantly increased during weekdays (39%) and weekends (37.5%).
conclusionDue to the many obesogenic factors influenced by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the findings indicate the need for further research and interventions to avoid the incidence of overweight and obesity among students. Many obesogenic factors are influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, which affect the student's physical activity and lifestyle by increasing the risk of overweight and obesity. Therefore Further research and interventions are needed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.