Self-Reported Changes in Sleep, Electronic Device Use, and Health-Application Uptake During the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Jordanian Internet Users

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns have profoundly affected daily routines and lifestyle behaviors globally. Aims: This cross-sectional study is aimed at documenting the changes in sleep patterns, electronic device use, and health-application adoption during the lockdown period (COVID-19) among 2511 Jordanian internet users participating in an online convenience sample. Methods: An online survey was used to gather data on demographics, sleep habits, physical activity, diet, and digital health tool usage. Results: Among the surveyed participants, 39.9% reported increased sleep duration, 13.5% reported decreased sleep duration, and 46.6% reported no change. In multivariable logistic regression, participants aged 18–35 years (aOR = 1.95, 95% CI 1.28–2.99), single status (aOR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.39–2.26), health-related education (aOR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.01–1.88), and non-health or unemployed occupational status (aOR = 1.62 and 1.67, respectively) were independently associated with increased sleep duration. Increased electronic device use was independently associated with single status (aOR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.00–1.92) and higher educational attainment (aOR range 1.60–1.97). Among the 2138 participants who reported increased electronic device use, 70.7% reported online studying, and 67.8% reported leisure/spare time as reasons for the increase. Participants used nutrition, physical activity, and medical applications at 28.6%, 36.9%, and 35.2%, respectively. In adjusted models, female gender was independently associated with use of nutrition (aOR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.34–2.13), physical activity (aOR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.07–1.62), and medical applications (aOR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.14–1.73). Bivariate analyses were exploratory and used Monte Carlo exact tests where cell counts were sparse; individual nominal p-values should not be interpreted as confirmatory. Conclusions: These findings show substantial changes in sleep, electronic device use, and health-application uptake during the COVID-19 lockdown. This suggests that digital health interventions may be worth evaluating for promoting healthy behaviors during periods of restricted mobility. Because of the non-probability sampling strategy, retrospective self-report, and cross-sectional design, the findings should not be interpreted as evidence of causal effects. Further representative and longitudinal studies are warranted.