Evidencing the Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Imposed Lockdown Measures on Fitness Status in Adolescents: A Preliminary Report

Šunda, Mirela; Gilić, Barbara; Perić, Ivan; Savičević, Anamarija Jurčev; Sekulić, Damir

doi:10.3390/healthcare9060681

Cited by 30 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 36 publications

(49 reference statements)

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“…However, Sunda et al found a more negative trend in muscular fitness among boys aged 16.25 ± 0.55 years at baseline [ 32 ]. This inconsistency with our study may be because their fiber size had stabilized at that time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Physical Fitness during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown among Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study

Zhou

Zhai

et al. 2022

Healthcare

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The negative impact of COVID-19 on physical activity has been improved, while the research on changes in physical fitness that may be caused by physical inactivity is still scarce. This study aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on physical fitness, and the impact of initial physical fitness indicators on their changes during the lockdown in adolescents. A longitudinal study including 265 adolescents aged 14.1 ± 0.4 years old was conducted in China. Physical fitness measurement at baseline and follow-up were respectively measured before (November 2019) and after the lockdown (July 2020). Several physical fitness indicators including aerobic fitness (i.e., 800-m or 1000-m run) and explosive force (i.e., 50-m sprint) deteriorated during the lockdown. Whereas the performances of vital capacity, flexibility (i.e., sit and reach), and muscular strength (i.e., pull-ups) were significantly improved during the lockdown. Furthermore, the reduction in physical fitness for adolescents with higher physical fitness before the lockdown was greater than that for others. These findings may contribute to the development of targeted intervention strategies for physical fitness promotion during the lockdown caused by the public health emergency.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Physical Fitness during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown among Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study

Zhou

Zhai

et al. 2022

Healthcare

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“…Another finding of the present study was that males had significantly lower upper-body performance after the COVID-19 lockdown compared with the previous classes who served as controls, while this reduction in strength and power was not observed in females. Sunda et al [ 19 ] reported a greater impairment in 600 m run and sit-up performance in boys than in girls after two months of lockdown for lower body and torso performance [ 19 ]. One possible explanation may be the possibly greater decrease in PA in boys than in girls, as reported in two recent studies examining the influence of COVID-19 restrictions on PA levels in Croatia [ 15 ] and in Saudi Arabia [ 17 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, Elnaggar et al [ 17 ] showed that PA was reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and these changes were gender related, with adolescent boys presenting significant reductions whereas girls did not. The degree of PA decrease may be influenced by the living environment (country or continent, urban or rural) [ 14 , 16 ], educational, political and economic factors [ 18 ], and the prior level of physical fitness in adolescence [ 19 , 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent study showed that physical fitness parameters and anthropometric measurements of urban adolescents predicted their PA level during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 14 ]; however, the authors did not present any data from the physical fitness tests. Another study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on fitness indices in adolescents and found a decrease of the number of sit-ups and 600 m time respectively, especially in boys, in the lockdown cohort compared with the control cohort [ 19 ]. However, these tests of local muscular endurance and aerobic/anaerobic capacity do not cover the entire spectrum of physical fitness components.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Effects of a Five-Month Lockdown Due to COVID-19 on Physical Fitness Parameters in Adolescent Students: A Comparison between Cohorts

Τσούκος

Bogdanis

2021

IJERPH

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Background: This study examined the effects of a five-month lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic on physical fitness parameters in urban adolescent male and female students. Methods: Two hundred and ninety-three male and female students (age: 15.8 ± 0.3 years) who attended the fourth grade of the same high school during the years 2016–2017 (first control group), 2018–2019 (second control group) and 2020–2021 (lockdown group) took part in the present study. Results: The percentage of overweight and obese students, according to body mass index, increased in males from 16.0% (2016–2017) and 14.6% (2018–2019), to 36.7% in 2020–2021 (p < 0.01), and in females from 8.6% (2016–2017) and 7.0% (2016–2017), to 25.6% in 2020–2021 (p < 0.01). Lower body fitness, as assessed by jumping, sprinting and agility tests, was impaired for both males and females after the lockdown compared with the 2016–2017 and 2018–2019 cohorts (vertical jumps: 10.4–15.1%; p < 0.01; d = 0.58–1.01, 30 m sprint: 3.7–4.9%; p < 0.01; d = 0.62–0.74; 505 agility test: from 6.1% to 9.4%; p < 0.01; d = 0.80–1.04). However, flexibility and performance in upper-body fitness tests (handgrip maximum isometric strength and medicine ball throws with different loads) was significantly reduced only in males after the lockdown (p < 0.05 to 0.01). Conclusions: These results suggest that a five-month lockdown negative influenced the physical fitness of adolescent students. Notably, greater reductions were observed in upper body strength, power and flexibility in males than in females. These results highlight the need to maintain strength, power and body mass during long periods of inactivity in adolescent populations.

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“…In the survey, many of the parents would instruct their children to go on the weekday to avid crowds. Overall, the visitation pattern of children has been profoundly affected by the pandemic, which could be producing negative influence on their physical fitness, especially for boys ( 51 ). It is hence necessary to reflect the relationship of GOS characteristic and children visitation pattern during the pandemic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

To Create a Safe and Healthy Place for Children: The Associations of Green Open Space Characteristics With Children's Use

Adeney

Chen

et al. 2022

Front. Public Health

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Green open space (GOS) is an important outdoor resource for the well-being of children by providing places for physical activity (PA), especially in the highly urbanized environment. The COVID-19 lockdowns have made children have more sedentary time than before due to less access to public places. This article aims to examine the associations of GOS characteristics (environmental and surrounding) and children's use (visitation and PA pattern) to provide evidence for promoting their PA during the pandemic. This study employed the method of GPS positioner, accelerometer, and survey to measure the children's actual use in GOS. A total of 179 children participated in the study and 10 GOSs were selected. The children were provided with the accelerometers and GPS positioners to track their walking steps, duration, and locations. The environmental characteristics and 1 km buffer of the selected GOSs were explored as extended study area. Results showed that 49.16% of children reported more visitations than before the pandemic, and 48.60% of them preferred to go on weekdays during the pandemic. Both environmental and surrounding characteristics could affect the visitation pattern. The size (p < 0.000), residential ratio (p < 0.000), and intersection density (p < 0.000) were found as the factors significantly associated with visitation pattern. The children's PA pattern was mainly associated with the environmental characteristics of size (p < 0.000), sports, and playground proportion (p < 0.000). The locations of children's PA were mainly around square, playground, sheltered place, and waterside areas. COVID-19 has transformed the children's use of GOS, as well as their relationship with GOS. The large GOS was more likely to promote PA and its use by the children. The environmental and surrounding characteristics of GOS could affect their use pattern, whereas their PA pattern was mainly associated with the environmental characteristics. The findings suggest that GOS characteristics could be an effective solution to respond the challenge from the pandemic, and promote their visitation and PA.

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Evidencing the Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Imposed Lockdown Measures on Fitness Status in Adolescents: A Preliminary Report

Cited by 30 publications

References 36 publications

Changes in Physical Fitness during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown among Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study

Changes in Physical Fitness during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown among Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study

The Effects of a Five-Month Lockdown Due to COVID-19 on Physical Fitness Parameters in Adolescent Students: A Comparison between Cohorts

To Create a Safe and Healthy Place for Children: The Associations of Green Open Space Characteristics With Children's Use

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