Worldwide Effect of COVID-19 on Physical Activity: A Descriptive Study

Tison, Geoffrey H.; Avram, Robert; Kuhar, Peter; Abreau, Sean; Marcus, Gregory M.; Pletcher, Mark J.; Olgin, Jeffrey E.

doi:10.7326/m20-2665

Cited by 698 publications

(717 citation statements)

References 4 publications

(4 reference statements)

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“…Unsurprisingly, no significant change in physical activity was seen among those who were not active prior to COVID-19-related restrictions. This extends data released by Fitbit and from that collected through Azumio that show substantial decreases in objectively-monitored physical activity in the US and across the world [ 7 , 8 ]. However, previous data were not stratified based on prior physical activity levels.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

“…Physical activity appears to be reduced following COVID-related public health restrictions. A recent blog post from Fitbit Inc. indicated average decreases in step count across the US during the week of 22 March of 12%, with larger decreases across the world [ 7 ] which is mirrored in recent data from Azumio [ 8 ]. As only 26 percent of men and 19 percent of women report meeting the US physical activity guidelines [ 9 ], and there are consistent positive benefits of regular physical activity for mental health [ 10 , 11 , 12 ], reductions in physical activity are likely to compound the already-problematic psychological effects of the pandemic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Changes in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Response to COVID-19 and Their Associations with Mental Health in 3052 US Adults

Meyer

McDowell

Lansing

et al. 2020

IJERPH

546

494

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The COVID-19 pandemic altered many facets of life. We aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19-related public health guidelines on physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, mental health, and their interrelations. Cross-sectional data were collected from 3052 US adults 3–8 April 2020 (from all 50 states). Participants self-reported pre- and post-COVID-19 levels of moderate and vigorous PA, sitting, and screen time. Currently-followed public health guidelines, stress, loneliness, positive mental health (PMH), social connectedness, and depressive and anxiety symptoms were self-reported. Participants were grouped by meeting US PA guidelines, reporting ≥8 h/day of sitting, or ≥8 h/day of screen time, pre- and post-COVID-19. Overall, 62% of participants were female, with age ranging from 18–24 (16.6% of sample) to 75+ (9.3%). Self-reported PA was lower post-COVID among participants reporting being previously active (mean change: −32.3% [95% CI: −36.3%, −28.1%]) but largely unchanged among previously inactive participants (+2.3% [−3.5%, +8.1%]). No longer meeting PA guidelines and increased screen time were associated with worse depression, loneliness, stress, and PMH (p < 0.001). Self-isolation/quarantine was associated with higher depressive and anxiety symptoms compared to social distancing (p < 0.001). Maintaining and enhancing physical activity participation and limiting screen time increases during abrupt societal changes may mitigate the mental health consequences.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Response to COVID-19 and Their Associations with Mental Health in 3052 US Adults

Meyer

McDowell

Lansing

et al. 2020

IJERPH

546

494

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…While it is possible that the types of physical activities that students were participating in changed, for example, the shut-down of activity centers such as indoor gyms may have resulted in increases in outdoor physical activities or in-home exercise, this does not seem to have led to more overall minutes of physical activity. This is consistent with Huckins and colleagues who used motion sensors in smart phones to track college student's pre-and post-COVID-19 changes and found students to be more sedentary [14], and with Tison and colleagues who used daily step counts from smart phone accelerometers and found that steps decreased worldwide after the declaration of the global pandemic [63]. This particular nding is concerning, as physical activity has consistently been found to prevent depression [43] and reduce depression symptoms in those with mental illness [44].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Changes in Depression and Physical Activity Among College Students on a Diverse Campus After a COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Order

Coughenour

Gakh

Pharr

et al. 2020

Preprint

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The numerous negative health impacts of COVID-19, which include expected changes to psychiatric illness and physical activity (PA), are disproportionately distributed in the United States. Mental illnesses and physical inactivity are prevalent among U.S. college students. This study examined whether there was a change in minutes of PA and depression scores after a stay-at-home order and examined predictors of these changes. An online survey was sent to all undergraduate and graduate students attending a large, diverse university via an electronic newsletter. The survey requested information about demographic and academic data, cardiorespiratory fitness, and depression symptoms. Paired t-tests and logistic regression were employed. Our sample (n=194) was predominantly female (73%), young (mean age of 25), not a sexual minority (82%), and had a mean 3.4 GPA. Students reported worse depression scores (p<0.01) and fewer minutes of PA (p=0.01) after the stay-at-home order. There was a small but significant (p=0.04) correlation between changes in total minutes of PA and depression scores. Senior (p=0.05) and Hispanic (p=0.03) students were less likely to report worsening depression scores than freshmen and white students, respectively. Asian students were significantly more likely than white students to report decreased PA. This study suggests that COVID-19 and its consequences may be contributing to reduced PA and greater depression symptoms in college students and that sub-groups have been affected differently. Targeted interventions to promote PA and support mental health may bolster the ability for resilience of college students.

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“…To date, several studies have reported changes in daily steps during the COVID-19 epidemic [ 10 - 14 ]. One worldwide study based on a smartphone app (Argus) showed that mean daily steps in different regions decreased by 5.5% and 27.3% (287 and 1432 steps/day, respectively) within 10 and 30 days after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared [ 10 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies also demonstrated that individuals who walked less than 1500 daily steps for 14 days were at a higher risk of muscle mass loss and low insulin sensitivity [ 8 , 9 ]. To date, several studies have reported changes in daily steps of residents in areas affected by COVID-19 [ 10 - 14 ]; however, none of these studies specifically described the prevalence of frequent low daily steps (≤1500 steps/day for ≥14 days over one month) [ 8 , 9 ], a strong predictor of poor health outcomes, and examined its risk factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Wang¹,

Zhang²,

Bennell³

et al. 2020

J Med Internet Res

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Background Physical distancing measures taken to contain COVID-19 transmission may substantially reduce physical activity levels and cause individuals to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. Objective The objective of this study is to determine if there was any change in daily steps, an important component of daily physical activity, and examine risk factors for frequent low daily steps during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods We used data collected from the Step Study, a population-based longitudinal study of walking activity among residents aged ≥40 years in Changsha, China. Daily steps were collected via a smartphone linked to WeChat, a social networking platform. We plotted mean daily steps and the prevalence of low daily steps (≤1500 steps/day) 30 days before (reference period) and 30 days after (epidemic period) January 21, 2020 (date of the first COVID-19 case diagnosed in Changsha), and compared it with the same corresponding period from 2019. We examined the association of risk factors with the prevalence of frequent low daily steps (≤1500 steps/day for ≥14 days) using logistic regression. Results Among 3544 participants (mean age 51.6 years; n=1226 females, 34.6%), mean daily steps dropped from 8097 to 5440 and the prevalence of low daily steps increased from 3% (2287/76,136 person-day) to 18.5% (12,951/70,183 person-day) during the reference and epidemic periods, respectively. No such phenomenon was observed during the corresponding period in 2019. Older age (P for interaction=.001) and female sex (P for interaction<.001) were both associated with a higher prevalence of frequent low daily steps and were more pronounced during the epidemic period. More education was associated with a lower prevalence of frequent low daily steps during the reference period but not the epidemic period (P for interaction=.34). Body mass index or comorbidity were not associated with frequent low daily steps during either period. Conclusions Daily steps of Changsha residents aged ≥40 years dropped significantly during the COVID-19 period, especially among older adults and females. Although successful physical distancing, measured by the rapid downward trend in daily step counts of residents, played a critical role in the containment of the COVID-19 epidemic, our findings of an increase in the prevalence of frequent low daily steps raise concerns about unintended effects on physical activity.

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Worldwide Effect of COVID-19 on Physical Activity: A Descriptive Study

Cited by 698 publications

References 4 publications

Changes in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Response to COVID-19 and Their Associations with Mental Health in 3052 US Adults

Changes in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Response to COVID-19 and Their Associations with Mental Health in 3052 US Adults

Changes in Depression and Physical Activity Among College Students on a Diverse Campus After a COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Order

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

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