Physical Distancing Measures and Walking Activity in Middle-aged and Older Residents in Changsha, China, During the COVID-19 Epidemic Period: Longitudinal Observational Study

Adherence to 24-Hour Movement Guidelines Among Chinese Older Adults: Prevalence, Correlates, and Associations With Physical and Mental Health Outcomes

BACKGROUND

It is known that 24-hour movement behaviors, including physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep, are crucial components affecting older adults' health. Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines for older adults were launched in 2020, emphasizing the combined role of these 3 movement behaviors in promoting older adults' health. However, research on the prevalence and correlates of guideline adherence and its associations with health-related outcomes is limited, especially among Chinese older adults.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of meeting 24-hour movement guidelines among Chinese older adults. Furthermore, this study aimed to examine the associations of guideline adherence with older adults' physical and mental health outcomes.

METHODS

Using a stratified cluster random sampling approach, a total of 4562 older adults (mean age 67.68 years, SD 5.03 years; female proportion: 2544/4562, 55.8%) were recruited from the latest provincial health surveillance of Hubei China from July 25 to November 19, 2020. Measures included demographics, movement behaviors (PA, SB, and sleep), BMI, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio (WHR), percentage body fat (PBF), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, physical fitness, depressive symptoms, and loneliness. Generalized linear mixed models were employed to examine the associations between variables using SPSS 28.0 (IBM Corp).

RESULTS

Only 1.8% (83/4562) of participants met all 3 movement guidelines, while 32.1% (1466/4562), 3.4% (155/4562), and 66.4% (3031/4562) met the individual behavioral guidelines for PA, SB, and sleep, respectively. Participants who were older, were female, and lived in municipalities with lower economic levels were less likely to meet all 3 movement guidelines. Adhering to individual or combined movement guidelines was associated with greater physical fitness and lower values of BMI, waist circumference, WHR, PBF, depressive symptoms, and loneliness, with the exception of the relationship of SB+sleep guidelines with loneliness. Furthermore, only meeting SB guidelines or meeting both PA and SB guidelines was associated with lower systolic blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to investigate adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines among Chinese older adults with regard to prevalence, correlates, and associations with physical and mental health outcomes. The findings emphasize the urgent need for promoting healthy movement behaviors among Chinese older adults. Future interventions to improve older adults' physical and mental health should involve enhancing their overall movement behaviors and should consider demographic differences.

Multi-dimensional impact of COVID-19 on active mobility in urban China: a scoping review of empirical knowledge

Active mobility, such as cycling and walking, is assuming a growing significance in the daily lives of urban residents in China due to its positive impact on health and the environment. The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic has elicited significant changes in behaviors, perceptions, and intellectual viewpoints in this domain, potentially altering residents' physical activities in the long-term. This scoping review seeks to delve into the multi-dimensional influence of the epidemic on active mobility in urban China. A thorough investigation of English and Chinese studies up to January 2024 was conducted, drawing from articles in Web of Science and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure. Only empirical studies providing knowledge into this subject were selected in the review, which comprised 20 studies in total. This review indicates that the influence of COVID-19 on active urban mobility in China has exhibited contradictory outcomes in terms of behavior. Besides, the experiences during the epidemic have significantly shaped citizens' attitudes and understanding of active mobility. The repercussions of the epidemic and the ensuing restrictions exacerbate the existing challenges faced by women, particularly those who are married, the older adult, and individuals with low incomes. The results exhibit both resemblances and idiosyncrasies when juxtaposed with prior research conducted in different nations. This analysis also offers valuable insights for improving active mobility across individual, organizational, and socio-political realms. The current state of empirical understanding in this field underscores the need for further research endeavors employing diverse methodological approaches and increased emphasis on the transformations anticipated in the post-epidemic era.

Leisure time physical activity and exercise performance in active older people in rural areas-Comparison of the first and second COVID-19 related lockdown in Germany

The closure of all sports facilities during the two lockdowns in Germany favoured a reduction of leisure time physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to compare leisure time physical activity during the 1st and 2nd lockdown and to examine exercise performance before and after resumption of exercise. Leisure time physical activity was measured by the Longitudinal Urban Cohort Ageing Study (LUCAS) functional ability index and energy expenditure in the Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire. Participants' exercise performance was extracted from a chip-controlled fitness circuit. Differences were tested for statistical significance using Friedman tests. 35 participants above 60 years were included from the Oldenburg area (20 women, 15 men, mean age and standard deviation 71±6 years). The decline in energy expenditure was higher during the 2nd lockdown (1st lockdown: Median -55.7 kcal.day-1, Q0.25-121.3 kcal.day-1, Q0.75 132.9 kcal.day-1; 2nd lockdown: Median -119.7 kcal.day-1, Q0.25-255.6 kcal.day-1, Q0.75-65.1 kcal.day-1; Friedman test: p<0.001, n = 35, W = 0.262). The time spent in the fitness circuit decreased from lockdown to lockdown as well as the number of participants exercising there. Intense activities were performed during the two lockdowns by only 7 and 3 participants, respectively, and were not resumed by two-thirds of the participants after the 2nd lockdown. During the 1st lockdown, exercise performance on resistance exercise devices increased in most of them, while it decreased by 1 to 7% during the 2nd lockdown. The lockdowns limited leisure time physical activity in older adults. This was more pronounced during the lockdown in winter 2020/2021, when participants engaged less in outdoor activities. Therefore, measures should be taken to maintain physical activity and muscle strength, especially during winter months, with a home-based training, if visiting gyms is not possible.

Physical activity and sleep changes among children with obesity during a period of school closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Daily routines, including in-person school and extracurricular activities, are important for maintaining healthy physical activity and sleep habits in children. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted daily routines as in-person school and activities closed to prevent spread of SARS-CoV-2. We aimed to examine and assess differences in objectively measured physical activity levels and sleep patterns from wearable sensors in children with obesity before, during, and after a period of school and extracurricular activity closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. We compared average step count and sleep patterns (using the Mann Whitney U Test) before and during the pandemic-associated school closures by using data from activity tracker wristbands (Garmin VivoFit 3). Data was collected from 94 children (aged 5-17) with obesity, who were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial testing a community-based lifestyle intervention for a duration of 12-months. During the period that in-person school and extracurricular activities were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, children with obesity experienced objectively-measured decreases in physical activity, and sleep duration. From March 15, 2020 to March 31, 2021, corresponding with local school closures, average daily step count decreased by 1,655 steps. Sleep onset and wake time were delayed by about an hour and 45 minutes, respectively, while sleep duration decreased by over 12 minutes as compared with the pre-closure period. Step counts increased with the resumption of in-person activities. These findings provide objective evidence for parents, clinicians, and public health professionals on the importance of in-person daily activities and routines on health behaviors, particularly for children with pre-existing obesity. We demonstrate the utility of wearable sensors in objectively measuring longitudinal physical activity and sleep behavior patterns in children with obesity and in quantifying changes in their health behaviors due to disruption of structured, daily routines following in-person school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trial Registration

Clinical trial registration: NCT03339440.

Using Clinician-Patient WeChat Group Communication Data to Identify Symptom Burdens in Patients With Uterine Fibroids Under Focused Ultrasound Ablation Surgery Treatment: Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Unlike research project-based health data collection (questionnaires and interviews), social media platforms allow patients to freely discuss their health status and obtain peer support. Previous literature has pointed out that both public and private social platforms can serve as data sources for analysis.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to use natural language processing (NLP) techniques to identify concerns regarding the postoperative quality of life and symptom burdens in patients with uterine fibroids after focused ultrasound ablation surgery.

METHODS

Screenshots taken from clinician-patient WeChat groups were converted into free texts using image text recognition technology and used as the research object of this study. From 408 patients diagnosed with uterine fibroids in Chongqing Haifu Hospital between 2010 and 2020, we searched for symptom burdens in over 900,000 words of WeChat group chats. We first built a corpus of symptoms by manually coding 30% of the WeChat texts and then used regular expressions in Python to crawl symptom information from the remaining texts based on this corpus. We compared the results with a manual review (gold standard) of the same records. Finally, we analyzed the relationship between the population baseline data and conceptual symptoms; quantitative and qualitative results were examined.

RESULTS

A total of 408 patients with uterine fibroids were included in the study; 190,000 words of free text were obtained after data cleaning. The mean age of the patients was 39.94 (SD 6.81) years, and their mean BMI was 22.18 (SD 2.78) kg/m2. The median reporting times of the 7 major symptoms were 21, 26, 57, 2, 18, 30, and 49 days. Logistic regression models identified preoperative menstrual duration (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95% CI 5.86-6.37; P=.009), age of menophania (OR -1.02 , 95% CI 11.96-13.47; P=.03), and the number (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.45-1.83; P=.04) and size of fibroids (OR 0.12, 95% CI 2.43-3.51; P=.04) as significant risk factors for postoperative symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Unstructured free texts from social media platforms extracted by NLP technology can be used for analysis. By extracting the conceptual information about patients' health-related quality of life, we can adopt personalized treatment for patients at different stages of recovery to improve their quality of life. Python-based text mining of free-text data can accurately extract symptom burden and save considerable time compared to manual review, maximizing the utility of the extant information in population-based electronic health records for comparative effectiveness research.

Physical Activity Level Alterations Due to the Lockdowns: A Multi-Center Greek University-Based Study

OBJECTIVE

This cross-sectional study determines the impact of the pandemic lockdowns on physical activity, and evaluates the factors associated with physical activity cessation on students and personnel of eight Greek Higher Education Institutions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 6,380 volunteer participants completed a survey reporting their physical activity levels and perceptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was made available through an online platform.

RESULTS

Both the conduct and intensity of physical activity were significantly reduced from the pre-pandemic era to the second lockdown (P<0.001). Walking was the most frequently selected type of physical activity, in all periods except for the second lockdown. Loss of interest (52.4%) was the main, self-reported factor for cessation of physical activity. Females had a 31% lower probability of ceasing physical activity during lockdowns.

CONCLUSION

The conduct and intensity of physical activity decreased significantly during the pandemic. Female gender, annual checkup attendance, and specific physical activity types during the pre-pandemic era were associated with a reduction in the risk of pausing physical activity during lockdowns. Lockdowns may be implemented in future health crises, hence measures for maintaining the physical activity of the general population, such as online group sessions and support from healthcare professionals, should be prepared.

Associations between changes of smartphone pedometer-assessed step counts and levels of obesity-related breast cancer biomarkers in non-cancer women: A population-based observational study

While a higher level of physical activity (PA) is inversely associated with a higher breast cancer (BC) risk, the health benefits of daily steps on obesity-related BC biomarkers remain unclear. We aimed to understand the associations of changes in step counts with levels of five obesity-related BC biomarkers during a two-year follow-up. In total, 144 non-cancer women (47.96 ± 5.72) were observed on both 2019 and 2021. A structured questionnaire, daily steps and fasting blood samples were collected before (t0, 2019) and after (t1, 2021). Levels of biomarkers (IGF-binding proteins 3, adiponectin, soluble leptin receptor, C-reactive protein, and resistin) were assayed by ELISA. Participants were divided into persistent low steps, decreasing steps, increasing steps, and persistent high steps. Associations of categories on proposed biomarkers were estimated using linear regression models, with persistent low steps as reference. Associations between time-varying step counts with biomarkers were quantified using mixed linear models. Compared with persistent low steps, increasing steps is associated with a reduction in C-reactive protein level (β=-0.74, 95%CI=-1.23--0.26, P-value = 2.98 × 10-3). An inverse association between time-varying step counts with C-reactive protein level was identified, consistent across different obesity types and baseline step level categories. No association with daily step counts was observed for other proteins.

From backyards to the backcountry: Exploring outdoor recreation coping strategies and experiences during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand

This paper explores the impacts that the New Zealand government's lockdown measures to contain the COVID-19 virus during 2020 had on the activity and experiences of outdoor recreationists in New Zealand. Concepts related to coping strategies such as rationalisation, displacement and substitution, have been used frequently to explain the behavioural changes and processes involved in outdoor recreation when disruptions arise such as crowding and recreational conflict. However, such concepts have rarely been applied to rapid on-set disruptors such as pandemics. This paper adopts coping strategy theory to help document the strategies adopted by outdoor recreationists in response to the national lockdown in 2020. Based on a qualitative analysis of twenty interviews with outdoor recreationists in New Zealand, various coping mechanisms such as temporal, activity, and spatial displacement are identified. These include increased appreciation for outdoor settings, discovery of local activities and microadventures, and increased walking activity across the restricted, reaction and reset periods. Outdoor recreation coping strategies may contribute to increased resilience to disruptive and rapid on-set events and enhance understanding of how recreationists respond and adapt to disruption. This research presents a unique insight of coping strategies adopted in response to the national lockdown that may have implications for participation and management of outdoor recreation in New Zealand in the coming years. This paper also offers a new perspective on the behaviourist tradition in the field of outdoor recreation which may be fruitful for future research examining rapid on-set disruptions and crises.

Regional Difference in the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Domain-Specific Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, Sleeping Time, and Step Count: Web-Based Cross-sectional Nationwide Survey and Accelerometer-Based Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictive environments, such as social distancing and lockdown measures. However, regional differences in the changes in domain-specific PA and SB in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are not clearly understood.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine regional differences in domain-specific PA and SB, as well as sleeping time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

METHODS

A web-based cross-sectional nationwide survey and an accelerometer-based longitudinal observation were conducted. In the web-based survey, we recruited 150 Japanese men and 150 Japanese women for each of the following age groups: 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s (n=1800). A total of 1627 adults provided valid responses to web-based surveillance from June to July 2020. Participants were recruited from urban (Greater Tokyo Area, n=1028), urban-rural (regional core cities, n=459), or rural (regional small and medium cities, n=140) areas. They answered sociodemographic and health-related questions and retrospectively registered the PA data of their average day before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in a web-based PA record system. In the accelerometer-based observation, PA and step count data were obtained using a triaxial accelerometer on people living in urban (n=370) and rural (n=308) areas.

RESULTS

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no significant differences between these 3 regions in the time spent sleeping, staying at home, working or studying, and exercising (P>.05). By contrast, people living in urban areas had a longer duration of SB and transportation and a shorter duration of moderate-to-vigorous PA and lying or napping time compared with people living in rural areas (P>.05). During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant decrease was observed in transportation time in urban (-7.2 min/day, P<.001) and urban-rural (-2.0 min/day, P=.009) areas but not in rural (-0.4 min/day, P=.52) areas. The moderate-to-vigorous PA was decreased in urban (-31.3 min/day, P<.001) and urban-rural (-30.0 min/day, P<.001) areas but not in rural areas (-17.3 min/day, P=.08). A significant increase was observed in time spent sleeping in urban (+22.4 min/day, P<.001) and urban-rural (+24.2 min/day, P<.001) but not in rural areas (+3.9 min/day, P=.74). Lying or napping was increased in urban (+14.9 min/day, P<.001) but not in rural areas (-6.9 min/day, P=.68). PA and step count obtained using an accelerometer significantly decreased in urban (P<.05) but not in rural areas (P>.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on PA and SB was significantly dependent on living area, even in a single country. The effects of PA and SB were greater in the Greater Tokyo Area and regional core cities but were not observed in regional small and medium cities in Japan.

Factors Affecting the Quality of Bowel Preparation Before Colonoscopy in Outpatient: A Prospective Observational Study

Colonoscopy is an effective method for screening colorectal cancer and adenoma, but the adenoma detection rate depends on the quality of bowel preparation. Our study investigates the influencing factors of the quality of bowel preparation before colonoscopy in outpatients and the influence of the number of walking steps on the quality of bowel preparation. We prospectively collected the clinical data of 150 outpatients undergoing colonoscopy in our department in 2019. Ordinal logistic regression shows that the overweight, not drinking, the number of walking steps before colonoscopy, and the time interval between start PEG and colonoscopy (4-6 hours) were independent factors affecting bowel preparation quality. There was a curving relationship between the reciprocal of Ottawa score and the number of walking steps before colonoscopy, and the regression equation is 1/ Ottawa score = -0.198 + 0.062 × ln steps (p = .035), a minimum of 5,270 walking steps before a colonoscopy is required for a high quality of bowel preparation.

Using WeChat clinician-patient group communication data to identify symptom burdens in patients with uterine fibroids under focused ultrasound ablation surgery treatment :Qualitative Study (Preprint).. [DOI: 10.2196/preprints.43995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

BACKGROUND

Unlike research project-based health data collections(questionnaires, interviews), social media platforms, which allow patients to freely discuss their health status and obtain peer support.Previous literature has pointed out that both public and private social platforms can serve as data sources for analysing.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to use natural language processing (NLP) techniques to identify concerns regarding the postoperative quality of life and symptom burdens in uterine fibroids after focused ultrasound ablation surgery.

METHODS

Screenshots taken from the clinician-patient WeChat groups were converted into free texts using image text recognition technology and used as the research object of this study, which used regular expressions in Python to search for symptom burdens in over 900,000 words of WeChat group-chats associated with 408 patients in Chongqing Haifu Hospital diagnosed with uterine fibroids between 2010 and 2020. We first built a corpus of symptoms by manually coding 30% of the WeChat texts, and then used regular expressions to crawl symptom information from the remaining texts based on this corpus. We compared the results with a manual review (gold standard) of the same records. Then we analyzed the relationship between the population baseline data and conceptual symptoms, Quantitative and qualitative results were examined.

RESULTS

A total of 190,000 words of uterine fibroids patients' free text were finally obtained after data cleaning. A total of 408 patients were included in the study. The age of the patients was 39.94±6.81 years, and their BMI was 22.18±2.78 (kg/m^2). The median reporting times of the seven major symptoms were 21, 26, 57, 2, 18, 30, and 49 days. Results showed that patients with dysmenorrhea were younger(mean 38.26 (SD 7.05), P=.004) and slimmer (mean 22.37 (SD 3.81), P=.04), with lower fertility and parity (P<.05), and tended to stay longer in the hospital (P<.05). Logistic regression models identified preoperative menstrual duration (OR 1.14, 95% CI 5.86-6.37; P= .009), age of menophania (OR -1.02 ,95%CI 11.96-13.47,P=.03), and the number(OR 2.34,95% CI 1.45-1.83,P=.04) and size of fibroids(OR 0.12,95% CI 2.43-3.51,P=.04) as significant risk factors for postoperative symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Unstructured free texts from social media platforms extracted by NLP technology can be used for analysis, extracting the conceptual information about patients' HRQol,adopt personalized treatment for patients at different stages of recovery to improve the quality of life of patients. Python-based text mining of free-text data can accurately extract symptom burden administered and save considerable time compared to manual review, maximizing the utility of the extant information in population-based electronic health records for comparative effectiveness research.

CLINICALTRIAL

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Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mobility of older adults: A scoping review

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To identify the most frequent determinants of contact limitation on older adults' mobility addressed by the recommendations to mitigate mobility limitation during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify the recommendations characteristics and means of dissemination that might guide coping actions.

BACKGROUND

Measures for physical contact restriction were implemented to prevent COVID-19 spread. These measures directly impacted older people, reducing their mobility, especially outside home environment. Health systems worldwide need to be prepared to implement strategies to mitigate negative effects of reduced mobility in this population.

DESIGN

Scoping review using Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework.

METHOD

Therefore, a scoping review was conducted in LILACS, CINAHL, MEDLINE, WEB OF SCIENCE and SCOPUS databases. Documents and reports with recommendations from government agencies were also consulted. Results were presented in a narrative synthesis based on a conceptual model of mobility proposed by Webber (The Gerontologist, 2010, 50, 443) regarding the most frequently addressed determinants, characteristics of the proposed interventions, and means of dissemination for the older person population.

FINDINGS

Twenty-eight studies were selected for the final sample. According to Webber's model, most articles (n = 14) presented the impacts on mobility from the perspective of physical determinants, relating this aspect to biological losses in the musculoskeletal system, and a minority assessed mobility in vital spaces, encompassing environmental (n = 3) and financial (n = 1) determinants. Also, the most frequent recommendation was that physical activity promotes maintenance of mobility and prevents the occurrence of adverse results, such as falls, fractures and functional decline. As to dissemination, digital technologies were recognised as a strategy to motivate, instruct and monitor exercise practice to increase mobility in older adults.

CONCLUSION

The main conditions related to the decline in mobility of older adults during COVID-19 pandemic were physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyle. The practice of physical activity is widespread and needs to be adapted according to individual needs. Finally, digital technologies are essential tools in this period, but other alternatives should also be considered for low-income seniors.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

It is hoped that the gaps identified through this scoping review can help enhance the discussion on the broader assessment of mobility in older adults and the design of interventions when contact restriction is a reality.

Exploring Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Quantitative data show that physical activity (PA) reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, with differential impacts across demographic groups. Qualitative research is limited; thus, this study aimed to understand barriers and facilitators to PA during the pandemic, focusing on groups more likely to have been affected by restrictions, and to map these onto the capability, opportunity, motivation model of behaviour (COM-B). One-to-one interviews were conducted with younger (aged 18–24) and older adults (aged 70+), those with long-term physical or mental health conditions, and parents of young children. Themes were identified using reflexive thematic analysis and were mapped onto COM-B domains. A total of 116 participants contributed (aged 18–93, 61% female, 71% White British). Key themes were the importance of the outdoor environment, impact of COVID-19 restrictions, fear of contracting COVID-19, and level of engagement with home exercise. Caring responsibilities and conflicting priorities were a barrier. PA as a method of socialising, establishing new routines, and the importance of PA for protecting mental health were motivators. Most themes mapped onto the physical opportunity (environmental factors) and reflective motivation (evaluations/plans) COM-B domains. Future interventions should target these domains during pandemics (e.g., adapting PA guidance depending on location and giving education on the health benefits of PA).

Improving Physiological, Physical, and Psychological Health Outcomes: A Narrative Review in US Veterans with COPD

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States (US) providing healthcare to an increasing number of middle-aged and older adults who remain at greater risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared to their civilian counterparts. The VHA has obligated research funds, drafted clinical guidelines, and built programmatic infrastructure to support the diagnosis, treatment, and care management of Veterans with COPD. Despite these efforts, COPD remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Veterans. This paper provides a narrative review of research conducted with US Veteran samples targeting improvement in COPD outcomes. We review key physiological, physical, and psychological health outcomes and intervention research that included US Veteran samples. We conclude with a discussion of directions for future research to continue advancing the treatment of COPD in Veterans and inform advancements in COPD research within and outside the VHA.

Differential impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity involvements and exercise habits in people with and without chronic diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize evidence regarding differential changes in physical activity (PA) involvements and exercise habits in people with and without chronic diseases during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Data Sources

MEDLINE, Embase, SPORTDiscus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database were searched from November 2019 to May 2021.

Study Selection

Two reviewers independently screened cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that investigated changes in PA-related outcomes in people with and without chronic diseases during the pandemic.

Data Extraction

PA-related outcomes and sedentary time were extracted from the included studies. Relevant risk of bias were assessed. Meta-analyses were conducted for each PA-related outcome, if applicable. Quality of evidence of each PA-related outcome was evaluated by Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation.

Data Synthesis

Of 1226 identified citations, 36 articles (28 with and 8 without chronic diseases) with 800,256 participants were included. Moderate evidence from wearable sensors supported a significant reduction in pooled estimates of step count (standardized mean differences [SMD]=−2.79, P<.01). Very limited to limited evidence substantiated significant decreases in self-reported PA-related outcomes and significant increases in sedentary behaviors among people with and without chronic diseases. Specifically, pooled estimates of metabolic equivalent-minute per week (SMD=−0.16, P=.02) and PA duration (SMD=−0.07, P<.01) were significantly decreased, while sedentary time (SMD=0.09, P=.04) showed significant increases in the general population (small to large effects). Very limited evidence suggested no significant PA changes among people in a country without lockdown.

Conclusions

During the pandemic, objective and self-reported assessments showed significant reductions in PA in people with and without chronic diseases globally. This mainly occurred in countries with lockdowns. Although many countries have adopted the “live with the coronavirus” policy, authorities should implement population-based strategies to revert the potential lockdown-related long-term deleterious effects on people's health.

A Systematic Review of the Impact of the First Year of COVID-19 on Obesity Risk Factors: A Pandemic Fueling a Pandemic?

Obesity is increasingly prevalent worldwide. Associated risk factors, including depression, socioeconomic stress, poor diet, and lack of physical activity, have all been impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This systematic review aims to explore the indirect effects of the first year of COVID-19 on obesity and its risk factors. A literature search of PubMed and EMBASE was performed from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020 to identify relevant studies pertaining to the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (PROSPERO; CRD42020219433). All English-language studies on weight change and key obesity risk factors (psychosocial and socioeconomic health) during the COVID-19 pandemic were considered for inclusion. Of 805 full-text articles that were reviewed, 87 were included for analysis. The included studies observed increased food and alcohol consumption, increased sedentary time, worsening depressive symptoms, and increased financial stress. Overall, these results suggest that COVID-19 has exacerbated the current risk factors for obesity and is likely to worsen obesity rates in the near future. Future studies, and policy makers, will need to carefully consider their interdependency to develop effective interventions able to mitigate the obesity pandemic.

Covid-19 and the impact on the physical activity level of elderly people: A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Social isolation and lifestyle changes provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic have negatively affected the level of physical activity of the elderly people.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the available evidence related to the level of physical activity (PA) of elderly people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

This is a systematic review, registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021241116), which included cross-sectional and cohort studies. Embase, Pubmed, Cochrane, Web of Science and Scopus databases were used to search for the studies. Finally, the New Castle-Ottawa Quality Assessment scale was used to measure the quality of the studies.

RESULTS

25 studies were found, being 14 cross-sectional and 11 cohort studies. The studies showed that the elderly population was highly affected in relation to the level of physical activity and lifestyle during restrictions, quarantine and lockdowns caused by the COVID-19. There was a significant reduction in physical activity levels, leading to declines in physical fitness and increased sedentary lifestyle, factors directly related to the increase in frailty in this population.

CONCLUSION

The level of physical activity in the elderly population decreased during the quarantine period of COVID-19 worldwide. Strategies to maintain physical condition must be encouraged with physical exercises that meets the needs of the elderly in the current pandemic scenario, in order to maintain and improve the health of this population.

Changes in Physical Activity Patterns Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

With the outbreak of the Corona Virus Disease 19 (Covid-19) in late 2019, governments increasingly imposed containment strategies, including social distancing as well as restricted population movement, potentially having negative impacts on mental and physical health. A growing number of studies have examined the impact of the pandemic on different facets of physical activity (PA); an overview combining these (mixed) results, however, is missing. Thus, the objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate whether and to which extent PA changed from before to during the Covid-19 pandemic, taking age, gender, and measurement method into account. The literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Results of the main characteristics were descriptively synthesized and analyzed in a meta-analysis quantifying effects of the pandemic on PA divided by age groups, with additional subgroup analyses of the characteristics age, gender, and measurement method being narratively synthesized. Overall, 57 studies with a total sample size of 119,094 participants (N between 10 and 60,560 subjects) from 14 countries worldwide with participants aged between four and 93 years were included. Thirty-two studies revealed a significant decline in PA, whereas only five studies found a significant increase in PA during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fourteen studies revealed mixed results. PA decreased in all age groups, independent of gender. Most self-reported and all device-based measurement methods showed a reduction in PA. However, effects were not found to be significant in all age groups. Nevertheless, the declining trend should be noted and governments should strive to enable PA within periods of pandemic restrictions, or promote alternatives such as digital training to avoid negative health consequences within the population.

The COVID-19 Conundrum: Keeping safe while becoming inactive. A rapid review of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and exercise in adults by gender and age

Background

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has severely impacted lifestyles worldwide. Responses to COVID-19 have intentionally restricted the factors that encourage regular and frequent PA; opportunity, capability and motivation. However, the effects of these restrictions are likely to have differed by gender and age and different intensities of PA. This rapid review builds on previous evidence by synthesising the global impact of COVID-19 on adult PA through specific intensities and types of PA and evaluating this by gender and age.

Methods

A rapid systematic search of seven electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Academic Search Complete, APA PsycInfo, and APA PsycArticles) was performed from December 2019 to January 2021. Studies investigating adult change in PA, exercise or sedentary behaviour due to COVID-19 were included.

Results

From an initial database search identifying 3,863 articles, 66 remained for synthesis after applying eligibility criteria. Results demonstrate decreases among all intensities and types of PA—walking (6 out of 7 papers), moderate-only (5 out of 6 papers), vigorous-only (5 out of 6 papers) and MVPA (4 out of 5 papers); as well as overall PA (14–72% participants reported a decrease). Reflecting that COVID-19 responses were designed to have universal effects, they also achieved whole-society decreases in PA behaviour, accented in older age groups.

Conclusion

There is a universal need to address the low levels of PA post-COVID-19. The consequences of decreased PA across all intensities has powerful, potentially recoverable, impacts. Universal declines have implications for public health officials and PA advocates for post-COVID-19 initiatives to promote PA.

"Wearables on vogue": a scoping review on wearables on physical activity and sedentary behavior during COVID-19 pandemic

Background

Wearables are intriguing way to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior in populations with and without chronic diseases. However, the contemporary evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of wearables on physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to be explored.

Aim

The present review aims to provide the readers with a broader knowledge of the impact of wearables on physical health during the pandemic.

Methods

Five electronic databases (Web of Science, Scopus, Ovid Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Embase) were searched. The eligibility criteria of the studies to be included were based on PICOT criteria: population (adults, children and elderly), intervention (wearable, smartphones), comparison (any behavioral intervention), outcome (physical activity or sedentary behavior levels) and time frame (between December 1st, 2019 and November 19th, 2021). The present scoping review was framed as per the guidelines of the Arksey and O’Malley framework.

Results

Of 469 citations initially screened, 17 articles were deemed eligible for inclusion and potential scoping was done. Smartphone-based applications with inbuilt accelerometers were commonly used, while a few studies employed smart bands, smartwatches for physical health monitoring. Most of the studies observed the increased use of wearables in healthy adults followed by elderly, children and pregnant women. Considerable reduction (almost—50%) in physical activity during the pandemic: daily step count (− 2812 steps/min), standing (− 32.7%) and walking (− 52.2%) time was found.

Conclusion

Wearables appears to be impending means of improving physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11332-021-00885-x.

Nationwide changes in physical activity, nutrient intake, and obesity in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic era

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to examine changes in obesity rates and obesity-related factors during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to a previous period.

METHODS

An ecological time-series study was designed using the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (KNHANES) database from 2014 to 2020. The expected values of obesity rate, physical activity rate, and nutrient intake for 2020 were estimated. The differences between the predicted and actual values for 2020 were also examined. In addition, a multiple logistic regression model was used to examine the changes in obesity and physical activity rates in 2020 compared to 2019.

RESULTS

The actual obesity rates in 2020 were higher, and the walking and aerobic physical activity rates were lower than the predicted values for the same year. However, the actual resistance training rates in 2020 were higher and the total energy intake was lower than the predicted values for 2020. In the multiple logistic regression model, the odds ratios for obesity, aerobic physical activity, and walking among men in 2020 were 1.29 (95% CI: 1.08 to 1.55), 0.86 (0.74 to 1.01), and 0.84 (0.73 to 0.97), respectively, compared to those in 2019. However, there were no significant differences between the values for women in 2020 and 2019.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that the male obesity rate in Korea has significantly increased during the COVID-19 epidemic, mainly due to a decrease in physical activity.

Older Adults' Resilience Against Impact of Lifestyle Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background

Older adults were expected to experience a decline in physical activities and an increase in social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We investigated the changes in living conditions of 508 older adults (79.70 years ± 0.88) before (from July to December 2019) and during (in August 2020) the pandemic. We compared the mean score for the same individual instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), frequency of going out, exercise, and social interaction at two-time points. We also examined the influence of living arrangement (living alone or not) on the frequency of exercise and social interaction.

Results

The frequency of going out decreased during the pandemic (in 2020); however, there was no significant change in IADL. The frequency of exercise and social interaction increased irrespective of the living arrangement. The frequency of exercise increased more in those living alone.

Conclusions

Although older adults refrained from going out, they compensated for the risks of inactivity in daily life by increasing or maintaining their frequency of exercise and social interactions. The view that "older adults have a poor ability to accommodate the lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic" may be a stereotypical assumption.

[Decrease in activity and its related factors under COVID-19 crisis in community-dwelling older people]

AIM

To prevent the transmission of the novel coronavirus [COVID-19] and stop its spread, a state of emergency was declared from April to May 2020. People were encouraged to refrain from outings and reduce their contact with people. The purpose of this study was to examine the subjective changes in the amount of activity under COVID-19 crisis among the elderly and the factors related to this decrease in activity.

METHODS

This study was part of the SONIC study, an ongoing prospective cohort study targeting community dwelling older people in their 70, 80, 90s, and over 100 years old in different regions (urban and suburban) of Japan. Subjective changes in the amount of activity during the state of emergency were assessed via a mail questionnaire.

RESULTS

The percentage decrease in activity for the subjects in their 70s, 80s, and 90s were 68.1% (513/753), 65.3% (324/496), and 56.0% (164/293), respectively. By region, 69.4% in urban, while 57.7% in the suburbs. In the 70- and 80-year-old cohorts, the decrease in activity was more frequent among those in urban areas than in suburban areas. In the 90-year-old cohort, the differences between the regions were attenuated, while the economic status and walking speed were significantly associated with a decrease in activity.

CONCLUSIONS

The decrease in activity varied by age group and region, suggesting that approaches to preventing the adverse health effects associated with inactivity due to the COVID-19 crisis are more important in urban areas than in suburban ones.

Gender-related differences in the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in cardiometabolic patients in Latin America: The CorCOVID LATAM Gender sub-study

COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures have disrupted lifestyle habits and self-care. Gender differences in health behavior during the pandemic have not yet been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate gender related differences in the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on patients with cardiometabolic diseases. A cross-sectional survey was administered to cardiometabolic patients in 13 Latin American countries between June 15th and July 15th, 2020. The study included 4216 participants, of which 2147 (50.9%) were women. Women reported healthier eating habits as well as lower tobacco and alcohol consumption than men but exercised less and reported increased symptoms of depression. Low income and symptoms of depression were associated with sedentarism in women. The interplay between psychological factors and sedentarism could increase the risk of cardiovascular events in this population.

Prospective changes in physical activity, sedentary time and sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic in a US-based cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Assess differences in movement behaviours within the 24-hour cycle, including light intensity physical activity (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary time and sleep, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess these differences stratified by several relevant factors in a subcohort of the Cancer Prevention Study-3.

DESIGN AND SETTING

US-based longitudinal cohort study (2018-August 2020).

PARTICIPANTS

N=1992 participants, of which 1304 (65.5%) are women, and 1512 (75.9%) are non-Latino white, with a mean age 57.0 (9.8) years.

MEASURES

Age, sex, race/ethnicity, education; self-reported LPA, MVPA, sedentary time and sleep duration collected before and during the pandemic; pandemic-related changes in work, childcare and living arrangement; COVID-19 health history.

RESULTS

Compared to 2018, participants spent an additional 104 min/day sedentary, 61 fewer min/day in LPA and 43 fewer min/day in MVPA during the pandemic. Time spent sleeping was similar at the two time points. Differences in movement behaviours were more pronounced among men, those with a higher level of education, and those who were more active before the pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

From 2018 to Summer 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, US adults have made significant shifts in daily time spent in LPA, MVPA and sedentary. There is an urgent need to promote more physical activity and less sedentary time during this public health crisis to avoid sustaining these patterns long-term.

Associations between individual and environmental determinants and physical activity levels of an active population during the Spanish lockdown

Restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to decrease physical activity (PA) levels. The purpose of the study was to explore the associations between age, gender, and exercise facilities-type membership and physical activity levels during COVID-19 lockdown among users of exercise facilities from Spain. Participants were recruited among the members of 84 exercise facilities across Spain. Data was collected through an online questionnaire between 5th and 20th of April 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown. A total of 7062 participants met inclusion criteria and responded correctly to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Lower levels of total PA were found in women compared with men (β = -26, 95%CI: -40 to -13), and among older adults (β = -48, 95%CI: -10 to -85) compared with younger ones. Moreover, users of private facilities showed higher levels of PA (β = 40, 95%CI: 13 to 66) than those from low-cost and public facilities (reference). Lastly, women from private facilities showed greater levels of PA (β = 63, 95%CI: 29 to 96) than low cost and public's users, an increase higher than what was found in men (β = 7, 95%CI: -38 to 52). Therefore, gender, age and the type of exercise facility's subscription had a relevant influence on PA levels during COVID-19 lockdown in an active population. These findings are useful for public health recommendations, in order to identify subpopulations of previously active people at risk of being physically inactive during and after this pandemic.

UK Adults’ Exercise Locations, Use of Digital Programs and Associations with Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Analysis of Data from the Health Behaviours During the COVID-19 Pandemic Study (Preprint)

Background

Digital physical activity (PA) program use has been associated with higher PA guideline adherence during COVID-19 pandemic confinements. However, little is known longitudinally about exercise locations (inside vs outside the home environment), digital program use, and their associations with moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and muscle-strengthening activities (MSAs) during the pandemic.

Objective

The aims of this study were to assess the relationship between exercise location and use of digital programs with PA guideline adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic, describe how individuals exercised inside and outside of their home environments, and explore which sociodemographic and contextual factors were associated with exercise locations and digital PA program use.

Methods

Active UK adults (N=1938) who participated in the 1-month follow-up survey of the Health Behaviours During the COVID-19 Pandemic (HEBECO) study (FU1, June-July 2020) and at least one more follow-up survey (FU2, August-September; FU3, November-December 2020) reported exercise locations and types of exercises inside and outside their homes, including digital programs (online/app-based fitness classes/programs), MVPA, and MSA. Generalized linear mixed models were used to assess associations of exercise location and digital PA program use with PA guideline adherence (MVPA, MSA, full [combined] adherence), and predictors of exercise location and digital program use.

Results

As the pandemic progressed, active UK adults were less likely to exercise inside or to use digital PA programs compared with periods of initial confinement: 61% (95% CI 58%-63%; weighted n=1024), 50% (95% CI 48%-53%; weighted n=786), and 49% (95% CI 46%-51%; weighted n=723) performed any exercise inside their homes at FU1, FU2, and FU3, respectively. At FU1, FU2, and FU3, 22% (95% CI 21%-25%; weighted n=385), 17% (95% CI 15%-19%; weighted n=265), and 16% (95% CI 14%-18%; weighted n=241) used digital PA programs, respectively. Most participants who exercised inside already owned indoor equipment, used digital PA programs, or had their own workout routines, whereas MVPA and gentle walking were the most common exercise types performed outside the home. Being female, nonwhite, having a condition limiting PA, indoor exercising space, a lower BMI, and living in total isolation were associated with increased odds of exercising inside the home or garden compared with outside exercise only. Digital PA program users were more likely to be younger, female, highly educated, have indoor space to exercise, and a lower BMI. While exercising inside was positively associated with MSA and exercising outside was positively associated with MVPA guideline adherence, both inside (vs outside only) and outside (vs inside only) activities contributed to full PA guideline adherence (odds ratio [OR] 5.05, 95% CI 3.17-8.03 and OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.10-3.23, respectively). Digital PA program use was associated with a higher odds of MSA (OR 3.97-8.71) and full PA (OR 2.24-3.95), but not with MVPA guideline adherence.

Conclusions

During the COVID-19 pandemic, full PA guideline adherence was associated with exercising inside and outside of one’s home environment and using digital PA programs. More research is needed to understand the reach, long-term adherence, and differences between digital PA solutions.

Association between gut microbiota and elevated serum urate in two independent cohorts

OBJECTIVES

Hyperuricemia is a precursor to gout and is often present in other metabolic diseases that are promoted by microbiome dysbiosis; however, no study has examined the association of gut microbiota with hyperuricemia and serum urate in humans.

METHODS

Study participants were derived from a community-based observational study, the Xiangya Osteoarthritis Study (discovery cohort). Hyperuricemia was defined as the presence of serum urate level >357 μmol/L for women and >416 μmol/L for men. Gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing from stool samples. We examined the relation of microbiota dysbiosis (i.e., richness, diversity, composition, and relative abundance of microbiota taxa) and predicted functional pathways to prevalent hyperuricemia and serum urate levels. We verified the associations in an independent observational study, the Step Study (validation cohort).

RESULTS

The discovery cohort consisted of 1,392 rural participants (mean age: 61.3 years; women: 57.4%; hyperuricemia: 17.2%). Participants with hyperuricemia had decreased richness and diversity, altered composition of microbiota, and lower relative abundances of genus Coprococcus compared with those with normouricemia. Predicted Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes metabolism pathways belonged to amino acid and nucleotide metabolisms were significantly altered in individuals with hyperuricemia compared with those with normouricemia. Gut microbiota richness, diversity and low relative abundances of genus Coprococcus were also associated with high levels of serum urate. These findings were replicated in the validation cohort with 480 participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Gut microbiota dysbiosis was associated with elevated serum urate levels. Our study raises the possibility that microbiota dysbiosis may modulate serum urate levels.

Longitudinal changes in physical activity during and after the first national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England

Recent studies have shown reduced physical activity at early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is a lack of investigation on longitudinal changes in physical activity beyond lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. Moreover, it is unclear if there is heterogeneity in physical activity growth trajectories. This study aimed to explore longitudinal patterns of physical activity and factors associated with them. Data were from the UCL COVID-19 Social Study. The analytical sample consisted of 35,915 adults in England who were followed up for 22 weeks from 24th March to 23rd August 2020. Data were analysed using growth mixture models. Our analyses identified six classes of growth trajectories, including three stable classes showing little change over time (62.4% in total), two classes showing decreasing physical activity (28.6%), and one class showing increasing physical activity over time (9%). A range of factors were found to be associated the class membership of physical activity trajectories, such as age, gender, education, income, employment status, and health. There is substantial heterogeneity in longitudinal changes in physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a substantial proportion of our sample showed persistent physical inactivity or decreasing physical activity. Given the well-established link between physical activity and health, persistent or increased physical inactivity is likely to have both immediate and long-term implications for people's physical and mental health, as well as general wellbeing. More efforts are needed to promote physical activity during the pandemic and beyond.

Prevalence of anxiety symptom and depressive symptom among college students during COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has brought huge changes to people's lifestyles, college students have also been affected seriously. Evidence about these significant changes indicated that college students were more prone to feel anxious and depressed. To derive a precise assessment of the prevalence of anxiety symptom and depressive symptom among college students worldwide, we conducted this meta-analysis.

METHODS

Based on the guidance of PRISMA, literature was searched in Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycArticles (last search November 6, 2020). These articles after the screening were analyzed by a random-effects model to estimate the pooled prevalence of anxiety symptom and depressive symptom. Also, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias were performed in this meta-analysis.

RESULTS

The results showed that the pooled anxiety symptom prevalence was 31% (95% CI: 23-39%), pooled depressive symptom prevalence was 34% (95% CI: 27-41%). Subgroup analysis showed that the prevalence of anxiety symptom and depressive symptom among different countries' college students were different, and the pooled depressive symptom prevalence of females was higher compared with males.

LIMITATIONS

The prevalence of anxiety symptom and depressive symptom in worldwide college students could be better assessed by a standard and reliable questionnaire.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that the prevalence of anxiety symptom and depressive symptom during the COVID-19 pandemic is relatively high. Except for interventions that should be taken to control the pandemic urgently, mental health services are also needed to decrease the risk of anxiety and depression among college students.

A Rapid Review on the Influence of COVID-19 Lockdown and Quarantine Measures on Modifiable Cardiovascular Risk Factors in the General Population

Preceding coronavirus outbreaks resulted in social isolation, which in turn is associated with cardiovascular consequences. Whether the current COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacts cardiovascular health is unclear. The aim of the rapid review was to investigate, whether COVID-19 lockdown influences modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (i.e., physical inactivity, sedentary behaviour, smoking, alcohol use, unhealthy diet, obesity, bad blood lipids, and hypertension) in the general population. Medline and EMBASE were searched until March 2021. Title, abstracts, and full texts were screened by one reviewer and 20% by a second reviewer. Only studies using probability sampling were included in order to ensure the representativeness of the target population. Data extraction and critical appraisal were done by one reviewer and double-checked by another reviewer. We identified 32 studies that fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Findings show that physical activity decreased, and sedentary behaviour increased among all age groups during the COVID-19 lockdown. Among adults, alcohol consumption increased, dietary quality worsened, and the amount of food intake increased. Some adults reported weight gain. Studies on children and adolescents were sparse. This rapid review found a high number of epidemiological studies on the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, but only a few used probability sampling methods.

Changes in Workers' Sedentary and Physical Activity Behaviors in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Relationships With Fatigue: Longitudinal Online Study

Background

Sedentary behaviors and physical activity are likely to be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, and sedentary lifestyles can increase subjective fatigue. The nonpharmaceutical policies imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic may also have adverse effects on fatigue.

Objective

This study has two aims: to examine the changes in sedentary behaviors and physical activity of company workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan and to examine relationships between changes in these sedentary behaviors and physical activity and changes in fatigue.

Methods

Data from a nationwide prospective online survey conducted in 2019 and 2020 were used. On February 22, 2019, an email with a link to participate in the study was sent to 45,659 workers, aged 20 to 59 years, who were randomly selected from a database of approximately 1 million individuals. A total of 2466 and 1318 participants, who self-reported their occupation as company workers, answered the baseline and follow-up surveys, respectively. Surveys captured fatigue, workday and daily domain-specific sedentary behaviors and physical activity, and total sedentary behaviors and physical activity. We used multivariable linear regression models to estimate associations of changes in sedentary behaviors and physical activity with changes in fatigue.

Results

Increases in public transportation sitting during workdays, other leisure sitting time during workdays, and other leisure sitting time were associated with an increase in the motivation aspect of fatigue (b=0.29, 95% CI 0-0.57, P=.048; b=0.40, 95% CI 0.18-0.62, P<.001; and b=0.26, 95% CI 0.07-0.45, P=.007, respectively). Increases in work-related sitting time during workdays, total sitting time during workdays, and total work-related sitting time were significantly associated with an increase in the physical activity aspect of fatigue (b=0.06, 95% CI 0-0.12, P=.03; b=0.05, 95% CI 0.01-0.09, P=.02; and b=0.07, 95% CI 0-0.14, P=.04, respectively). The motivation and physical activity aspects of fatigue increased by 0.06 for each 1-hour increase in total sitting time between baseline and follow-up (b=0.06, 95% CI 0-0.11, P=.045; and b=0.06, 95% CI 0.01-0.10, P=.009, respectively).

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrated that sedentary and active behaviors among company workers in Japan were negatively affected during the COVID-19 outbreak. Increases in several domain-specific sedentary behaviors also contributed to unfavorable changes in workers’ fatigue. Social distancing and teleworking amid a pandemic may contribute to the sedentary lifestyle of company workers. Public health interventions are needed to mitigate the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic or future pandemics on sedentary and physical activity behaviors and fatigue among company workers.

Short-Range Forecasting of COVID-19 During Early Onset at County, Health District, and State Geographic Levels Using Seven Methods: Comparative Forecasting Study

BACKGROUND

Forecasting methods rely on trends and averages of prior observations to forecast COVID-19 case counts. COVID-19 forecasts have received much media attention, and numerous platforms have been created to inform the public. However, forecasting effectiveness varies by geographic scope and is affected by changing assumptions in behaviors and preventative measures in response to the pandemic. Due to time requirements for developing a COVID-19 vaccine, evidence is needed to inform short-term forecasting method selection at county, health district, and state levels.

OBJECTIVE

COVID-19 forecasts keep the public informed and contribute to public policy. As such, proper understanding of forecasting purposes and outcomes is needed to advance knowledge of health statistics for policy makers and the public. Using publicly available real-time data provided online, we aimed to evaluate the performance of seven forecasting methods utilized to forecast cumulative COVID-19 case counts. Forecasts were evaluated based on how well they forecast 1, 3, and 7 days forward when utilizing 1-, 3-, 7-, or all prior-day cumulative case counts during early virus onset. This study provides an objective evaluation of the forecasting methods to identify forecasting model assumptions that contribute to lower error in forecasting COVID-19 cumulative case growth. This information benefits professionals, decision makers, and the public relying on the data provided by short-term case count estimates at varied geographic levels.

METHODS

We created 1-, 3-, and 7-day forecasts at the county, health district, and state levels using (1) a naïve approach, (2) Holt-Winters (HW) exponential smoothing, (3) a growth rate approach, (4) a moving average (MA) approach, (5) an autoregressive (AR) approach, (6) an autoregressive moving average (ARMA) approach, and (7) an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) approach. Forecasts relied on Virginia's 3464 historical county-level cumulative case counts from March 7 to April 22, 2020, as reported by The New York Times. Statistically significant results were identified using 95% CIs of median absolute error (MdAE) and median absolute percentage error (MdAPE) metrics of the resulting 216,698 forecasts.

RESULTS

The next-day MA forecast with 3-day look-back length obtained the lowest MdAE (median 0.67, 95% CI 0.49-0.84, P<.001) and statistically significantly differed from 39 out of 59 alternatives (66%) to 53 out of 59 alternatives (90%) at each geographic level at a significance level of .01. For short-range forecasting, methods assuming stationary means of prior days' counts outperformed methods with assumptions of weak stationarity or nonstationarity means. MdAPE results revealed statistically significant differences across geographic levels.

CONCLUSIONS

For short-range COVID-19 cumulative case count forecasting at the county, health district, and state levels during early onset, the following were found: (1) the MA method was effective for forecasting 1-, 3-, and 7-day cumulative case counts; (2) exponential growth was not the best representation of case growth during early virus onset when the public was aware of the virus; and (3) geographic resolution was a factor in the selection of forecasting methods.

Virtual Group Exercises and Psychological Status among Community-Dwelling Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Feasibility Study

Social isolation, magnified by the restriction of movement order during the COVID-19 pandemic, may lead to negative psychosocial health impacts among community-dwelling older adults. We, therefore, aimed to evaluate recruitment rates, data collection, and group exercises conducted through virtual technology among individuals aged 60 years and over in Malaysia. Participants were recruited from the Promoting Independence in Seniors with Arthritis (PISA) pilot cohort through social media messaging. A four-week course of virtual group exercise was offered. Anxiety and depression were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) during the last attended follow-up of the cohort study (pre-pandemic), pre-intervention, and post-intervention. Exercise adherence was recorded using diaries with daily entries and attendance to the virtual group exercise sessions were also captured electronically daily. The outcomes of interest were changes in anxiety and depression scores from baseline to pre-intervention (pandemic-related) and post-intervention (virtual exercise related). Forty-three individuals were recruited. A significant increase in anxiety scores from baseline to pre-intervention was observed. Comparisons using repeated-measures analysis of variance between those who attendance ≥14 and <14 group exercise sessions revealed no between-within subject differences in depression scores. There was a 23% dropout rate in the post intervention survey and 60.5% of diaries were returned. Virtual group exercises could be conducted among older adults residing in a middle-income country, though recruitment would have been limited to those with internet access.

Change in walking steps and association with built environments during the COVID-19 state of emergency: A longitudinal comparison with the first half of 2019 in Yokohama, Japan

In Japan, a state of emergency (SoE) was declared in early April 2020 until late May in response to the first wave of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This longitudinal study analyzed the step counts of 18,817 citizens in Yokohama city in the first half of 2020 compared to the previous year, and investigated the association between the change in step counts and the individuals' neighborhood environment by sex and age using generalized linear mixed models. Step counts decreased especially in women and non-elderly people during the SoE. Older women were more susceptible to the neighborhood environment: high walkability (i.e., high population density, proximity to railway stations) adversely affected their step counts, whereas proximity to large parks came to have a positive effect during the SoE.

How Did the COVID-19 Confinement Period Affect Our Physical Activity Level and Sedentary Behaviors? Methodology and First Results From the French National ONAPS Survey

BACKGROUND

The French National Observatory for Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors conducted a national survey aiming to evaluate the potential effects of confinement on the population's physical activity levels and sedentary behaviors.

METHODS

In close collaboration with the French Ministry of Sports and a selected expert committee, 3 different questionnaires investigating 3 subgroup populations were included in the survey: (1) children, (2) adolescents, and (3) adults.

RESULTS

Forty-two percentage of children, 58.7% of adolescents, 36.4% of adults, and 39.2% of older people had reduced physical activity levels. Particularly, active transportation and endurance practices showed a significant decrease, while domestic, muscular strengthening, and flexibility activities increased. Sitting time and screen time increased, respectively, in 36.3% and 62.0% of children, 25.5% and 69.0% in adolescents, 24.6% and 41.0% in adults, and 36.1% and 32.1% in seniors.

CONCLUSION

The COVID-19 confinement period led to important modifications in individual movement behaviors at all ages, particularly favoring decreased physical activity and increased sedentariness. These findings suggest that the authors need to inform and encourage people to maintain and improve their physical activities and to change their sedentary time habits during postconfinement and during the period of a potential future lockdown.