The Impact of COVID-19 Confinement on Reading Behavior.

Authors :: Alomari MA
Khabour OF
Alzoubi KH
Aburub A
Source :: Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health : CP & EMH [Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health] 2023 Jun 05; Vol. 19, pp. e174501792304260. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jun 05 (Print Publication: 2023).
Publication Year :: 2023
Abstract: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was detrimental to lifestyle and behavior. In this investigation, changes in reading habits during the pandemic were examined. Methods: The study is cross-sectional and survey-based. 1844 individuals completed an online survey about sociodemographic and reading habits during COVID-19. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between the study variables. Results: Most of the participants were active readers (71.5%-83.2%). Fewer (13.8-18.0%) reported a decrease in reading, while about half reported a no change, and 1/3 <superscript>rd</superscript> reported an increase. Changes in reading habits were related to age, education, job type, and income. Conclusion: About half of the participants during the pandemic reported a change in reading habits. Interventions to further enhance reading among people during the pandemic might help ameliorate the negative impacts of the pandemic. Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest, financial or otherwise. (© 2023 Alomari et al.)