Physical activity levels across COVID-19 outbreak in youngsters of Northwestern Lombardy

Abstract

BacKGrouNd: italy early experienced one of the most suffering impact of the coVid-19 outbreak in terms of number of cases and death toll. progressively, more compelling national restrictions hardened citizens' lifestyle and habits, including limiting mobility and outdoor physical activity (pa). in a second phase, people were allowed to perform outdoor activities close to their houses and thereafter motor or sports activity were gradually reintroduced. These drastic changes raised the question on how to cope and exploit the residual opportunities of pa under circumstances of home confinement. MeThodS: international physical activity Questionnaires were administered to 1568 youngsters from North-western italian high schools, before, during, and after lockdown enacted by italian Government to contrast the coVid-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Student's PA levels were significantly different before (1676.37±20.6 MET-min/week) and after (1774.50±33.93 MET-min/week) the governmental restrictions (TIME effect: F=3.49; η p 2= 0.005 P=0.03). There was a significant TIME*CATEGORY interaction effect (F=8.37; η p 2= 0.021; P<0.001). In particular, only highly active students (>2520 MET-min/week) increased their PA during (3467.48±55.85 MET-min/ week) and after (3515.73±65.75 MET-min/week) the lockdown measures with respect to their baseline levels (3151.43±42.41 MET-min/week). coNcluSioNS: lockdown measures, including isolation, impacted negatively on the pa levels of the already inactive or moderately active young population. Government actions should enhance strategies to control physical inactivity during pandemics like coVid-19.

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

“…These different time points of baseline assessments led to varying follow-up durations (4 months-5 years). Only one cohort study also made an outcome measurement post-lockdown additionally to measurement during lockdown [95]. The four (prospective) secondary data analyses based their measurements on continuous data collection via movement tracking systems, whereby two calculated mean values for the time before and during lockdown [81,94] and two presented linear trends (trajectories) of outcomes before and during lockdown measures [98,99].…”

“…One study recruited all middle-aged and older adults undergoing annual physical checkups who used the WeChat app [96]. The five studies on children and adolescents either enrolled participants at school [87,89,95] or via community registers [86,93].…”

“…The mean (or median) age of the subgroup of students ranged between 20.0 and 29.9 years [74,76,84,88,92,97,98]. Of the five studies investigating children and adolescents, three stated a mean age between 9.0 and 12.1 years [87,89,93], and two an age range of 5-17 years [86] and 15-18 years [95], respectively.…”

“…Four studies on children and adolescents which gave information on gender distribution, illustrated a nearly equal distribution of boys and girls [86,87,89,93]. Overall, only two studies did not state values of gender distribution [78,95].…”

Body Mass Index, Practice of Physical Activity and Lifestyle of Students During COVID-19 Lockdown

“…During the lockdown, people could go out of their houses for necessary shopping from 6 am to 7 pm in the partial lockdown period and 6 am to 3 pm in increased timing of lockdown period. Physical activity 7 has been reduced for students because of lockdown movements; this could alter their BMI. One of the common primary contributors to the obesity or overweight epidemic is physical inactivity, which could be promoted or delayed by various environmental factors.…”