USING ONLINE TECHNOLOGY TO INCREASE QATAR'S COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

Abstract

In Qatar, 63.3% of the adult population (18 - 64 years) do not participate in recreational physical activities. Surveillance data show that 9.3% of people in Qatar die annually due to physical inactivity and 36.8% do not meet current global physical activity recommendations. Regular walking is an easy, accessible, and inexpensive form of physical activity which improves and maintains the general health of an individual. This study has a double fold aim: evaluates the impact of the online messaging intervention on the Qatar's population physical activity levels and the impact of mobile applications use on the Qatar's population involvement in the walking program. The study population is a representative sample of Qatar community. A total of 299 eligible adults (18-64 years), active members of different SIH communities participated in the study. Randomized control trial (RCT) study with 5 months walking program, 8 weeks online messaging intervention, awareness and educational messages about physical activity guidelines, 156 adults in the experiment group and 143 adults in the control group. Step counts measured by pedometers and mobile applications linked to a web-database. Physical activity levels categorized based on daily steps achievements. The findings confirms that walking programs in Qatar are efficient for adults with low physical activity levels and implemented during cool weather months. Online messaging during COVID-19 pandemic do not influence step-counts amongst study group. Adult population in Qatar prefers mobile applications use. Pedometer users are more active than apps users. COVID-19 restrictions in Qatar negatively impact adults' physical activity levels.