scholarly journals Physical Activity Change during COVID-19 Confinement

Author(s):  
Arkaitz Castañeda-Babarro ◽  
Ane Arbillaga-Etxarri ◽  
Borja Gutiérrez-Santamaría ◽  
Aitor Coca

Background: The lockdown and social distancing caused by COVID-19 may influence common health behavior. The unprecedent worldwide confinement, in which Spain has been one of the most affected—with severe rules governing confinement—may have changed physical activity (PA) and sedentary habits due to prolonged stays at home. Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate how self-reported PA and sedentary time (ST) have changed during confinement in the Spanish population. Methods: 3800 healthy adults (age 18–64 years) residing in Spain answered the international physical activity questionnaire short (IPAQ-S) twice between 23 March and 1 April (confinement). Data analysis was carried out taking into consideration meeting general PA recommendations before confinement, age and gender. Results: Self-reported PA decreased significantly during confinement in our sample. Vigorous physical activities (VPA) and walking time decreased by 16.8% (p < 0.001) and 58.2% (p < 0.001), respectively, whereas ST increased by 23.8% (p < 0.001). The percent of people fulfilling the 75 min/week of VPA recommendation decreased by 10.7% (p < 0.001) while the percent of people who reached 150 min/week of moderate activity barely changed (1.4%). The group that performed the most VPA before confinement showed the greatest decrease (30.5%, p < 0.001). Men reduced time in VPA more than women (21% vs 9%, respectively) who even increased time in moderate PA by 11% (p < 0.05) and reported less increase in ST than men (35% vs 25.3%, respectively). Conclusion: The Spanish adult population, especially young people, students and very active men, decreased daily self-reported PA and increased ST during COVID-19 confinement.

World ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-61
Author(s):  
Pouya Molaei ◽  
Liyaning Tang ◽  
Mary Hardie

The walkability of urban areas is an important criterion related to the level of physical activity and public health of citizens. This research aims to measure this parameter in Golsar town located in Rasht, Iran. Two methods were used in this research: Street connectivity and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The principal variables of street connectivity were measured in four districts of Golsar by Geographic Information System (GIS) to rank each one. Then, the acquired results were compared by the average walking time of the respondents of the questionnaire. The comparison explicitly indicated that there is a strong positive correlation between the measures of street connectivity and people’s tendency to walk. As well, District 1 had the highest value of connectivity and the highest average time for walking amongst the four districts. This supports the contention that walkability and the level of outdoor physical activities of people in each district are undoubtedly under the influence of the variables of street connectivity. Nevertheless, the evaluation of other indexes such as proximity, land use mix, safety, and density in Golsar, in future research. can expand our perception of the walkability of this region.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-13
Author(s):  
Tina Smith ◽  
Sue Reeves ◽  
Lewis G. Halsey ◽  
Jörg Huber ◽  
Jin Luo

The aim of the current study was to compare bone loading due to physical activity between lean, and overweight and obese individuals. Fifteen participants (lower BMI group: BMI < 25 kg/m2, n = 7; higher BMI group: 25 kg/m2 < BMI < 36.35 kg/m2, n = 8) wore a tri-axial accelerometer on 1 day to collect data for the calculation of bone loading. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short form) was used to measure time spent at different physical activity levels. Daily step counts were measured using a pedometer. Differences between groups were compared using independent t-tests. Accelerometer data revealed greater loading dose at the hip in lower BMI participants at a frequency band of 0.1–2 Hz (P = .039, Cohen’s d = 1.27) and 2–4 Hz (P = .044, d = 1.24). Lower BMI participants also had a significantly greater step count (P = .023, d = 1.55). This corroborated with loading intensity (d ≥ 0.93) and questionnaire (d = 0.79) effect sizes to indicate higher BMI participants tended to spend more time in very light activity, and less time in light and moderate activity. Overall, participants with a lower BMI exhibited greater bone loading due to physical activity; participants with a higher BMI may benefit from more light and moderate level activity to maintain bone health.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Hanan Khalil ◽  
Aseel Aburub ◽  
Saddam F. Kanaan ◽  
Alham AlSharman ◽  
Shada Khazaaleh ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: Assessing physical activity (PA) in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) is essential to follow-up the recommended PA level. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the Incidental and Planned Exercise Questionnaire (IPEQ) have been widely used, but their validity has not been investigated previously in PwMS. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the convergent and criterion validity of the IPAQ and the IPEQ in PwMS. METHODS: 50 PwMS were asked to wear an Actigraph for seven days and to fill the IPAQ and IPEQ. Sedentary, moderate (MPA), vigorous (VPA) and moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) levels were recorded. RESULTS: Significant correlations were found between sitting time as reported by IPAQ and sedentary time as recorded by Actigraph (r = 0.41, p = 0.003), VPA by IPAQ and VPA as recorded by Actigraph (r = 0.46, p = 0.001), and MVPA by IPAQ and MVPA by Actigraph (r = 0.36, p = 0.011). IPEQ showed poor both criterion and convergent validity when compared to the Actigraph. Both IPAQ and IPEQ overestimate the intensities of PA for all the derived parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this study are important as they suggest that IPAQ in particular had convergent validity when compared to Actigraph data, but still had the problem of overestimating PA levels.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Gacek ◽  
Grażyna Kosiba ◽  
Agnieszka Wojtowicz ◽  
Guillermo F. López Sánchez ◽  
Jacek Szalewski

We aimed to analyze personality-related determinants of physical activity among Polish and Spanish physical education (PE) students. The study was conducted among 219 Polish and 280 Spanish PE students, using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the NEO-FFI Personality Inventory. Compared with Spanish PE students, their Polish counterparts are characterized by a higher level of extraversion and conscientiousness and a lower level of neuroticism. The level of total physical activity for all students was 8,697.21 METs, and this value was higher among Polish students. Among Polish and Spanish PE students, the level of total, vigorous, and moderate physical activity increased along with the increase in extraversion, while a decrease occurred along with the increase in neuroticism. The level of each domain of physical activity also increased in line with the intensification of student conscientiousness. In moderation analyses, it was shown that the home country of students may be considered a moderator of the relationship between conscientiousness and total exercise in such a way that the physical activity increased along with the increase in conscientiousness only among the Polish students. In addition, the country is a moderator of the correlation between moderate physical activity and neuroticism (p = 0.031), openness (p = 0.049), and conscientiousness (p = 0.019), with moderate activity only decreasing among Polish students and increasing along with the increase in openness and conscientiousness. Positive correlations among physical activity, extraversion, and conscientiousness, as well as negative ones with neuroticism, were demonstrated among Polish and Spanish students, and also the moderating impact of the country on the correlation between personality-related dimensions and physical activity.


2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy L. Kolbe-Alexander ◽  
Estelle V. Lambert ◽  
Judith Biletnikoff Harkins ◽  
Ulf Ekelund

The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Yale Physical Activity Survey (YPAS) and the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) in older South African adults. The YPAS includes measures of weekly energy expenditure (EE) for housework, yard work, caregiving, exercise, and recreation. The IPAQ measures total time and EE during vigorous and moderate activity, walking, and sitting. The instruments were administered twice for test–retest reliability (men, n = 52, 68 ± 5.4 years, and women, n = 70, 66 ± 5.8 years). Data for criterion validity were obtained from accelerometers. YPAS reliability ranged from r = .44 to.80 for men and r = .59 to .99 for women (p < .0001). IPAQ reliability was lower for men (r = .29 to .76) than for women (r = .46 to .77). Criterion validity of the YPAS was .31 to .54 for men and .26 to .29 for women. The YPAS and short IPAQ had comparable results for reliability and criterion validity.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin P. Shook ◽  
Nicole C. Gribben ◽  
Gregory A. Hand ◽  
Amanda E. Paluch ◽  
Gregory J. Welk ◽  
...  

Background:Subjective measures of moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) rely on relative intensity whereas objective measures capture absolute intensity; thus, fit individuals and unfit individuals may perceive the same activity differently.Methods:Adults (N = 211) wore the SenseWear Armband (SWA) for 10 consecutive days to objectively assess sedentary time and MVPA. On day 8, participants completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to subjectively assess sitting time and MVPA. Fitness was assessed via a maximal treadmill test, and participants were classified as unfit if the result was in the bottom tertile of the study population by sex or fit if in the upper 2 tertiles.Results:Overall, estimates of MVPA between the IPAQ and SWA were not significantly different (IPAQ minus SWA, 67.4 ± 919.1 MVPA min/wk, P = .29). However, unfit participants overestimated MVPA using the IPAQ by 37.3% (P = .02), but fit participants did not (P = .99). This between-group difference was due to overestimation, using the IPAQ, of moderate activity by 93.8 min/wk among the unfit individuals, but underestimation of moderate activity among the fit participants by 149.4 min/wk.Conclusion:Subjective measures of MVPA using the IPAQ varied by fitness category; unfit participants overestimated their MVPA and fit participants accurately estimated their MVPA.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 858-865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lise Crinière ◽  
Claire Lhommet ◽  
Agnès Caille ◽  
Bruno Giraudeau ◽  
Pierre Lecomte ◽  
...  

Background:Increasing physical activity and decreasing sedentary time are cornerstones in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, there are few instruments available to measure physical activity in this population. We translated the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-L) into French and studied its reproducibility and validity in patients with T2DM.Methods:Reproducibility was studied by 2 telephone administrations, 8 days apart. Concurrent validity was tested against pedometry for 7 days during habitual life.Results:One-hundred forty-three patients with T2DM were recruited (59% males; age: 60.9 ± 10.5 years; BMI: 31.2 ± 5.2 kg/m2; HbA1c: 7.4 ± 1.2%). Intraclass correlation coefficients (95% CI) for repeated administration (n = 126) were 0.74 (0.61−0.83) for total physical activity, 0.72 (0.57−0.82) for walking, and 0.65 (0.51−0.78) for sitting time. Total physical activity and walking (MET-min·week-1) correlated with daily steps (Spearman r = .24 and r = .23, respectively, P < .05). Sitting time (min·week-1) correlated negatively with daily steps in women (r = −0.33; P < .05).Conclusion:Our French version of the IPAQ-L appears reliable to assess habitual physical activity and sedentary time in patients with T2DM, confirming previous data in nonclinical populations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 621-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikita Rowley ◽  
James Steele ◽  
Matthew Wade ◽  
Robert James Copeland ◽  
Steve Mann ◽  
...  

Objectives: To examine if exercise referral schemes (ERSs) are associated with meaningful changes in physical activity in a large cohort of individuals throughout England, Scotland, and Wales from The National Referral Database. Methods: Data were obtained from 5246 participants from 12 different ERSs, lasting 6–12 weeks. The preexercise referral scheme and changes from the preexercise to the postexercise referral scheme in self-reported International Physical Activity Questionnaire scores were examined. A 2-stage individual patient data meta-analysis was used to generate the effect estimates. Results: For the pre-ERS metabolic equivalent (MET) minutes per week, the estimate (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 676 MET minutes per week (539 to 812). For the change in MET minutes per week, the estimate (95% CI) was an increase of 540 MET minutes per week (396 to 684). Changes in the total PA levels occurred as a result of increases in vigorous activity of 17 minutes (95% CI, 9 to 24), increases in moderate activity of 29 minutes (95% CI, 22 to 36), and reductions in sitting of −61 minutes (95% CI, −78 to −43), though little change in walking (−5 min; 95% CI, −14 to 5) was found. Conclusions: Most participants undergoing ERSs are already “moderately active.” Changes in PA behavior associated with participation are through increased moderate to vigorous PA and reduced sitting. However, this was insufficient to change the International Physical Activity Questionnaire category, and the participants were still “moderately active.”


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Ewelina Czenczek-Lewandowska ◽  
Justyna Wyszyńska ◽  
Justyna Leszczak ◽  
Joanna Baran ◽  
Aneta Weres

Background and Objectives: The frequency with which people leave their homes and the time they spend in recreational places is significantly reduced at a time of pandemic, particularly during lockdown, due to which it is significantly more difficult for them to be active. The aim of the study was to assess to what extent the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected young adults’ physical activity (PA). Materials and Methods: A total of 506 people aged 18 to 34 (24.67 years ± 4.23 years), who filled in a retrospective-pre-post online survey, qualified for the study. The survey began 12 days after the epidemic was announced at the site of the study, i.e., between weeks two and four of obligatory lockdown, including significant restriction of movement. The levels of physical activity and sedentary time were measured using a seven-item International Physical Activity Questionnaire—Short Form (IPAQ–SF). The respondents provided two answers to each question, i.e., information relating to the last 7 days during the pandemic (lockdown), and to a period of 7 days before the pandemic. Results: During the pandemic, young adults spent significantly less time performing physical activity, shown as median (Q1–Q3): Me = 8752.5 [5403.0–11,820.0] vs. 5483.0 [2380.0–9009.0] metabolic equivalents (MET) min/week (p < 0.001) and they spent more time engaging in sedentary behaviours, Me = 240 [120.0–360.0] vs. 300 [180.0–420.0] min/day (p < 0.001). During the pandemic, respondents spent less energy engaging in vigorous PA from Me = 480.00 [0.0–1920.0] vs. 0.00 [0.0–1920.0] (MET) min/week, 100% decline, (p < 0.001); or in moderate PA from Me = 360.00 [0.0–840.0] vs. 240.00 [0.0–720.0] (MET) min/week, 33.34% decline, and they walked much less from Me = 6930.0 [3762.0–9702.0] vs. 3861.0 [1485.0–7260.0] (MET) min/week, 44.29% decline (p < 0.001). Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic young adults are significantly less involved in PA, which adversely affects their health status, including their physical and mental condition. The importance of sufficient PA should be highlighted during this specific period, particularly among young people.


2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodi Barnett ◽  
Claudio Nigg ◽  
Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij ◽  
Christine Maglione ◽  
Jay Maddock

Objective: To investigate the effect of item order on physical activity (PA) estimates using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – short form (last 7 day) telephone interview (IPAQ-S7T). Method: The IPAQ-S7T was conducted for Time 1 (Hawai`i) and sample 1 (Belgium). Then item order was reversed for Times 2, 3 (Hawai`i), and sample 2 (Belgium). Results: In Hawai`i, vigorous activity levels were higher, walking levels lower for Time 1, compared to Times 2 and 3. Moderate activity was higher at Time 1 than Time 3. The Belgium study reported higher levels of vigorous activity for sample 1, compared to sample 2. Total volume of PA across time points was unchanged for the Hawai`i study, but decreased with reversed items in the Belgium study. Conclusion: Item ordering affects the levels and duration of reported PA using the IPAQ-S7T. This warrants further research on order efficacy and whether other PA measures are affected.


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