Comparing the BMI and Some Physical Parameters Before and One Year After the COVID-19 Pandemic among High School Students in Rafsanjan City, Iran

Background: Obesity has many side effects and deadly risks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, school closures have been affecting the lifestyle of students worldwide. This study aims to assess changes in the BMI and some physical parameters among students before and one year after the COVID-19 pandemic in Rafsanjan City, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, the sample included 793 high school students (422 males and 371 females) within the age range of 11 to 19. The sampling method was multistage clustering. Accordingly, we compared pre-pandemic data on the BMI and the circumference of the waist, hip, neck, and wrist with the data collected one year after the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Our findings demonstrated that the BMI and the circumference of the waist, hip, and wrist were significantly higher in males one year after the outbreak of the disease. However, except for the neck circumference, a comparison of other variables before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in females showed no significant difference. Moreover, the results showed that the average BMI of all participants, regardless of their gender, increased significantly from 20.55 to 22.00 kg/m2. Conclusion: The data obtained from this survey would serve as an important evidence necessitating future planning for controlling overweight and obesity in order to reduce the probability of chronic diseases incidence in future. . Additionally, it is recommended that more comprehensive studies and extracurricular physical activity programs be designed to counteract the negative effects of sedentary behavior.