A pilot study of the moderating effect of gender on the physical activity and fatigue severity among recovered COVID-19 patients

Abstract

Background Clinical data point toward gender-based differences in COVID-19 severity. However, there is insufficient research examining whether gender predicts physical activity (PA) and fatigue severity in patients recovering from COVID-19. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the PA and fatigue severity in a cohort of patients recovering from COVID-19 infection and measure the extent to which gender-based differences moderate the relationship of PA with fatigue. Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The sample comprised patients recovering from COVID-19 over at least 3 months. Recovered patients were stratified into two groups based on gender. The survey included items pertaining to sociodemographic, a fatigue severity scale and a self-reported international PA questionnaire. Results Eighty-seven patients (44 women and 43 men) met the inclusion criteria. Compared with men, women reported sedentary behavior (70%) and high fatigue severity (64%). A significantly higher number of women had a low PA score compared with men (p = .002). The findings indicated that gender significantly moderates the effect of total PA in metabolic equivalents (METs; min/wk) on fatigue severity [F = 4.8, p = .03, ΔR2 = 0.24]. Conclusions The current study suggests that women might be at risk of higher fatigue severity, in addition to engaging less in PA. Physical activity may plays a significant role in modulate the fatigue severity. Consequently, interventions aimed at promoting physical activity in women stand high chances of addressing the disparity in the distribution of prevalence of fatigue between men and women.

Fatigue and physical activity levels in Poles living in Poland and the United Kingdom in the futher year of the COVID-19 pandemic: a pilot study

“…It was found that women had statistically signi cantly lower average MET moderate intensity scores. This is consistent with other studies where women reported high levels of low physical activity compared to men [51].…”

“…Similar associations are also found in the results of studies conducted in different parts of the world [25,50,51]. Regular physical activity has also been indicated as a factor that may play a protective role against fatigue [43].…”

“…Gender had no in uence on MFIS scores in our study. It seems that there are con icting results in the literature where female gender [45,51] or male gender is identi ed as an important predictor of fatigue…”

Fatigue and Physical Activity in People after COVID-19 in Poland

“…According to the findings of this study, women are more prone to become weary at lower levels of PA. The increased fatigue found in women in our study is consistent with previous results that indicated female sex is a potential contributory cause for fatigue following COVID-19 [ 5 , 8 , 34 ].…”

“…The relationship between the level of fatigue and the level of PA is multifactorial. It can be clarified by body composition, physical fitness, or concomitant diseases, among other factors [ 8 ]. At the same time, many factors can influence fatigue and PA levels after SARS-CoV-2 virus infection.…”