Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on therapy compliance and lifestyle factors of patients with growth hormone deficiency

Objectives: To recognize and assess treatment compliance in children and adolescents with growth hormone deficiency during the cronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic along with other lifestyle factors that might have been affected by the pandemic, such as diet, physical activity, sleep pattern, and screen time.

Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out between March 2020-2021 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through clinical interview questions.

Results: The total sample size was 130 patients, 54 (41.5%) of whom were males and 76 (58.5%) were females. The mean age of the patients was 12.56±3.44 years. Comparisons of before and during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed significant changes in growth hormone therapy compliance (p=0.007), dietary changes (p=0.002) with an increase in vegetables and fruit consumption, a significant decrease in physical activity time (p<0.001), an increase in sleep time (p<0.001), and screen time (p<0.001).

Conclusion: The COVID-19 crisis had an impact on growth hormone therapy compliance, with a significant impact on other lifestyle factors such as dietary habits, physical activity, sleep time, and leisure screen time.