Changes to Physical Activity, Sitting Time, Eating Behaviours and Barriers to Exercise during the First COVID-19 ‘Lockdown’ in an English Cohort

This study aimed to determine the effect of the first English national COVID-19 lockdown on physical activity (PA), sitting time, eating behaviours and body mass in an adult cohort. This was further examined to determine whether conforming to recommended guidelines on PA and sedentary behaviour was improved. Based on an online survey (n = 818) incorporating the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF), self-reported body mass change showed that in 32.2% of participants body mass increased, with 39.1% reporting an increase in food intake. Never exercising at the gym or undertaking an exercise class (online or live), increased by 50.8% during lockdown, with 53.5% changing from exercising frequently to never exercising, suggesting a lack of engagement with online and home workouts. However, outdoor running and cycling >2 times/week increased by 38% during lockdown. Walking at least 30 min continuously on >2 occasions/week increased by 70% during lockdown with minimum 10-min walks on 7 days per week increasing by 23%. The lockdown had a negative impact on sitting time (>8 h a day), which increased by 43.6% on weekdays and 121% at weekends. Furthermore, sitting <4 h/day decreased during lockdown (46.5% and 25.6% for weekdays and weekends, respectively). Those citing tiredness or lack of time as a barrier to exercise reduced by 16% and 60%, respectively, from pre-lockdown to during lockdown. More of the sedentary group met the Public Health England PA recommendations, however most participants still did not meet the UK Government guidelines for PA. Improvements in health per additional minutes of physical activity will be proportionately greater in those previously doing <30 min/week, the area where most improvements were found although, conversely sitting time was greatly increased. This study may assist in informing whether future lifestyle changes could improve the health of the population.

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Lifestyle Changes and Body Mass Index during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: An Italian Online-Survey

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13041117 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1117

Author(s):

Silvia Maffoni ◽

Silvia Brazzo ◽

Rachele De Giuseppe ◽

Ginevra Biino ◽

Ilaria Vietti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Body Mass ◽

Online Survey ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Phase 1 ◽

Adult Population ◽

Lifestyle Changes ◽

Eating Behaviours ◽

Public Health Services ◽

Activity Frequency

Background. COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a period of contingency measures, including total or partial lockdowns all over the world leading to several changes in lifestyle/eating behaviours. This retrospective cohort study aimed at investigating Italian adult population lifestyle changes during COVID-19 pandemic “Phase 1” lockdown (8 March–4 May 2020) and discriminate between positive and negative changes and BMI (body mass index) variations (ΔBMI). Methods. A multiple-choice web-form survey was used to collect retrospective data regarding lifestyle/eating behaviours during “Phase 1” in the Italian adult population. According to changes in lifestyle/eating behaviours, the sample was divided into three classes of changes: “negative change”, “no change”, “positive change”. For each class, correlations with ΔBMI were investigated. Results. Data were collected from 1304 subjects (973F/331M). Mean ΔBMI differed significantly (p < 0.001) between classes, and was significantly related to water intake, alcohol consumption, physical activity, frequency of “craving or snacking between meals”, dessert/sweets consumption at lunch. Conclusions. During “Phase 1”, many people faced several negative changes in lifestyle/eating behaviours with potential negative impact on health. These findings highlight that pandemic exacerbates nutritional issues and most efforts need to be done to provide nutrition counselling and public health services to support general population needs.

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Effects of COVID-19 Home Confinement on Eating Behaviour and Physical Activity: Results of the ECLB-COVID19 International Online Survey

Kompass Nutrition & Dietetics ◽

10.1159/000512852 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 19-21

Author(s):

Nikolaos Papaspanos

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Online Survey ◽

Age Groups ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Sitting Time ◽

Eating Behaviours ◽

Lifestyle Behaviours ◽

Western Asia ◽

The Impact

Background: Public health recommendations and governmental measures during the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in numerous restrictions on daily living including social distancing, isolation and home confinement. While these measures are imperative to abate the spreading of COVID-19, the impact of these restrictions on health behaviours and lifestyles at home is undefined. Therefore, an international online survey was launched in April 2020, in seven languages, to elucidate the behavioural and lifestyle consequences of COVID-19 restrictions. This report presents the results from the first thousand responders on physical activity (PA) and nutrition behaviours. Subjects and methods: Following a structured review of the literature, the «Effects of home Confinement on multiple Lifestyle Behaviours during the COVID-19 outbreak (ECLB-COVID19)» Electronic survey was designed by a steering group of multidisciplinary scientists and academics. The survey was uploaded and shared on the Google online survey platform. Thirty-five research organisations from Europe, North Africa, Western Asia and the Americas promoted the survey in English, German, French, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese and Slovenian languages. Questions were presented in a differential format, with questions related to responses «before» and «during» confinement conditions. Results: 1047 replies (54% women) from Asia (36%), Africa (40%), Europe (21%) and other (3%) were included in the analysis. The COVID-19 home confinement had a negative effect on all PA intensity levels (vigorous, moderate, walking and overall). Additionally, daily sitting time increased from 5 to 8 h per day. Food consumption and meal patterns (the type of food, eating out of control, snacks between meals, number of main meals) were more unhealthy during confinement, with only alcohol binge drinking decreasing significantly. Summary: While isolation is a necessary measure to protect public health, results indicate that it alters physical activity and eating behaviours in a health compromising direction. A more detailed analysis of survey data will allow for a segregation of these responses in different age groups, countries and other subgroups, which will help develop interventions to mitigate the negative lifestyle behaviours that have manifested during the COVID-19 confinement.

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Effects of COVID-19 home confinement on physical activity and eating behaviour Preliminary results of the ECLB-COVID19 international online-survey

10.1101/2020.05.04.20072447 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Achraf Ammar ◽

Michael Brach ◽

Khaled Trabelsi ◽

Hamdi Chtourou ◽

Omar Boukhris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Online Survey ◽

Age Groups ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Sitting Time ◽

Eating Behaviours ◽

Preliminary Results ◽

Western Asia ◽

The Impact

AbstractBackgroundPublic health recommendations and governmental measures during the COVID-19 pandemic have enforced numerous restrictions on daily living including social distancing, isolation and home confinement. While these measures are imperative to abate the spreading of COVID-19, the impact of these restrictions on health behaviours and lifestyle at home is undefined. Therefore, an international online survey was launched in April 2020 in seven languages to elucidate the behavioral and lifestyle consequences of COVID-19 restrictions. This report presents the preliminary results from the first thousand responders on physical activity (PA) and nutrition behaviours.MethodsThirty-five research organisations from Europe, North-Africa, Western Asia and the Americas promoted the survey through their networks to the general society, in English, German, French, Arabic, Spanish, Portugese, and Slovenian languages. Questions were presented in a differential format with questions related to responses “before” and “during” confinement conditions.Results1047 replies (54% women) from Asia (36%), Africa (40%), Europe (21%) and other (3%) were included into a general analysis. The COVID-19 home confinement had a negative effect on all intensities of PA (vigorous, moderate, walking and overall). Conversely, daily sitting time increased from 5 to 8 hours per day. Additionally, food consumption and meal patterns (the type of food, eating out of control, snacks between meals, number of meals) were more unhealthy during confinement with only alcohol binge drink decreasing significantly.ConclusionWhile isolation is a necessary measure to protect public health, our results indicate that it alters physical activity and eating behaviours in a direction that would compromise health. A more detailed analysis of survey data will allow for a segregation of these responses in different age groups, countries and other subgroups which will help develop bespoke interventions to mitigate the negative lifestyle behaviors manifest during the COVID-19 confinement.

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Effects of COVID-19 Home Confinement on Eating Behaviour and Physical Activity: Results of the ECLB-COVID19 International Online Survey

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12061583 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 1583 ◽

Cited By ~ 87

Author(s):

Achraf Ammar ◽

Michael Brach ◽

Khaled Trabelsi ◽

Hamdi Chtourou ◽

Omar Boukhris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Online Survey ◽

Age Groups ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Sitting Time ◽

Eating Behaviours ◽

Lifestyle Behaviours ◽

Western Asia ◽

The Impact

Background: Public health recommendations and governmental measures during the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in numerous restrictions on daily living including social distancing, isolation and home confinement. While these measures are imperative to abate the spreading of COVID-19, the impact of these restrictions on health behaviours and lifestyles at home is undefined. Therefore, an international online survey was launched in April 2020, in seven languages, to elucidate the behavioural and lifestyle consequences of COVID-19 restrictions. This report presents the results from the first thousand responders on physical activity (PA) and nutrition behaviours. Methods: Following a structured review of the literature, the “Effects of home Confinement on multiple Lifestyle Behaviours during the COVID-19 outbreak (ECLB-COVID19)” Electronic survey was designed by a steering group of multidisciplinary scientists and academics. The survey was uploaded and shared on the Google online survey platform. Thirty-five research organisations from Europe, North-Africa, Western Asia and the Americas promoted the survey in English, German, French, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese and Slovenian languages. Questions were presented in a differential format, with questions related to responses “before” and “during” confinement conditions. Results: 1047 replies (54% women) from Asia (36%), Africa (40%), Europe (21%) and other (3%) were included in the analysis. The COVID-19 home confinement had a negative effect on all PA intensity levels (vigorous, moderate, walking and overall). Additionally, daily sitting time increased from 5 to 8 h per day. Food consumption and meal patterns (the type of food, eating out of control, snacks between meals, number of main meals) were more unhealthy during confinement, with only alcohol binge drinking decreasing significantly. Conclusion: While isolation is a necessary measure to protect public health, results indicate that it alters physical activity and eating behaviours in a health compromising direction. A more detailed analysis of survey data will allow for a segregation of these responses in different age groups, countries and other subgroups, which will help develop interventions to mitigate the negative lifestyle behaviours that have manifested during the COVID-19 confinement.

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Health behaviours of young adults during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic – a longitudinal study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11140-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ewelina Czenczek- Lewandowska ◽

Justyna Wyszyńska ◽

Justyna Leszczak ◽

Joanna Baran ◽

Aneta Weres ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Young Adults ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Online Survey ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Short Form ◽

Health Behaviours ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Sedentary Behaviours ◽

Metabolic Equivalents

Abstract Background The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has created a number of obstacles to daily functioning, which have led to a need for major changes in lifestyles. The aim of the study was to assess whether and to what extent the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the health behaviours of young adults. Methods 506 people aged 18 to 34 ($$ \overline{x} $$ x ¯ =24.67 years ±4.23 years) who filled in an online survey were qualified for the study. Assessment was made of eating habits (a modified Food Frequency Questionnaire, FFQ), physical activity and sedentary behaviours (International Physical Activity Questionnaire, short form IPAQ-SF), sleep quality (The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), and generalized anxiety (Generalized anxiety Disorder, 7-item, GAD-7 scale). Results During the pandemic, young adults changed their dietary preferences toward sweets and cereal products, increased alcohol (p < 0.001) and fat (p = 0.005) intake, significantly reduced their physical activity (from 8752.5 metabolic equivalents (MET) min/week vs. 6174.6 MET min/week, p < 0.001), increased the time spent sedentarily (Me = 240 min vs. Me = 360 min, p < 0.001) and had decreased sleep quality (PSQI score Me = 7.00 vs. Me = 9.00). Conclusions The Covid-19 pandemic worsened health behaviours and intensified the feeling of generalized anxiety in young adults. Generalized anxiety during obligatory lockdown had the greatest negative impact on sedentary behaviours and sleep quality.

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The impact of sitting time and physical activity on mental health during COVID-19 lockdown

Sport Sciences for Health ◽

10.1007/s11332-021-00791-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew Pears ◽

Susanna Kola-Palmer ◽

Liane Beretta De Azevedo

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Online Survey ◽

Depression Score ◽

Sitting Time ◽

Multiple Stepwise Regression Analysis ◽

Previous Diagnosis ◽

The Uk ◽

The Impact

Abstract Objective The primary aim of this study was to investigate the association between physical activity (PA) and sitting time on adults’ mental health (i.e., depression, anxiety and wellbeing) and the influence of mediators and confounders. Methods An online survey was disseminated in the UK between May and June 2020. A total of 284 participants (33.5 ± 12.4 years) self-reported their PA, sitting time and mental health through validated questionnaires. Results Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that being of younger age, female, on a lower income, with one or more comorbid health conditions, with a previous diagnosis of mood disorder and increased sitting time independently correlated with higher depression scores (F (13,219) = 12.31, p < 0.001), and explained 42% of the variance. Similar results were found for wellbeing where socio-demographic, health outcomes and sitting time influenced the subjective wellbeing (F (14,218) = 5.77, p < 0.001, 27% variance), although only socio-demographic and health outcomes contributed to the variation in anxiety score (F (13,219) = 7.84, p < 0.001, 32% variance). PA did not explain variation when sitting time was taken into account in any of the models. Combined analysis revealed that participants with lower sedentary time (< 8 h) and with both low or moderate and high PA presented a significantly lower depression score [low PA: (B = −2.7, 95% CI −4.88, −0.52); moderate and high PA (B = −2.7, −4.88, −0.52)]. Conclusion Sitting time was strongly associated with adverse mental health during COVID-19 lockdown and should be considered in future public health recommendations.

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Lifestyle Changes and Determinants of Children’s and Adolescents’ Body Weight Increase during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Greece: The COV-EAT Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13030930 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 930

Author(s):

Odysseas Androutsos ◽

Maria Perperidi ◽

Christos Georgiou ◽

Giorgos Chouliaras

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Body Weight ◽

Fast Food ◽

Online Survey ◽

Lifestyle Changes ◽

The Body ◽

Weight Increase ◽

Lifestyle Behaviors ◽

Lifestyle Habits ◽

Body Weight Increase

Previous studies showed that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown imposed changes in adults’ lifestyle behaviors; however, there is limited information regarding the effects on youth. The COV-EAT study aimed to report changes in children’s and adolescents’ lifestyle habits during the first COVID-19 lockdown and explore potential associations between changes of participants’ lifestyle behaviors and body weight. An online survey among 397 children/adolescents and their parents across 63 municipalities in Greece was conducted in April–May 2020. Parents self-reported changes of their children’s lifestyle habits and body weight, as well as sociodemographic data of their family. The present study shows that during the lockdown, children’s/adolescents’ sleep duration and screen time increased, while their physical activity decreased. Their consumption of fruits and fresh fruit juices, vegetables, dairy products, pasta, sweets, total snacks, and breakfast increased, while fast-food consumption decreased. Body weight increased in 35% of children/adolescents. A multiple regression analysis showed that the body weight increase was associated with increased consumption of breakfast, salty snacks, and total snacks and with decreased physical activity. The COV-EAT study revealed changes in children’s and adolescents’ lifestyle behaviors during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Greece. Effective strategies are needed to prevent excessive body weight gain in future COVID-19 lockdowns.

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Individual-Level Determinants of Lifestyle Behavioral Changes during COVID-19 Lockdown in the United States: Results of an Online Survey

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18084364 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 4364

Author(s):

Xiaotao Zhang ◽

Abiodun Oluyomi ◽

LeChauncy Woodard ◽

Syed Ahsan Raza ◽

Maral Adel Fahmideh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Online Survey ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

The United States ◽

Lifestyle Changes ◽

Lifestyle Behaviors ◽

Individual Level ◽

Diet And Physical Activity ◽

Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors

This study examined individual-level determinants of self-reported changes in healthy (diet and physical activity) and addictive (alcohol use, smoking, and vaping) lifestyle behaviors during the initial COVID-19 lockdown period in the USA. A national online survey was administered between May and June 2020 that targeted a representative U.S. sample and yielded data from 1276 respondents, including 58% male and 50% racial/ethnic minorities. We used univariate and multivariable linear regression models to examine the associations of sociodemographic, mental health, and behavioral determinants with self-reported changes in lifestyle behaviors. Some study participants reported increases in healthy lifestyle behaviors since the pandemic (i.e., 36% increased healthy eating behaviors, and 33% increased physical activity). However, they also reported increases in addictive lifestyle behaviors including alcohol use (40%), tobacco use (41%), and vaping (46%). With regard to individual-level determinants, individuals who reported adhering to social distancing guidelines were also more likely to report increases in healthy lifestyle behaviors (β = 0.12, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.21). Conversely, women (β = −0.37, 95% CI −0.62 to −0.12), and unemployed individuals (β = −0.33, 95% CI −0.64 to −0.02) were less likely to report increases in healthy lifestyle behaviors. In addition, individuals reporting anxiety were more likely to report increases in addictive behaviors (β = 0.26, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.43). Taken together, these findings suggest that women and unemployed individuals may benefit from interventions targeting diet and physical activity, and that individuals reporting anxiety may benefit from interventions targeting smoking and alcohol cessation to address lifestyle changes during the pandemic.

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Physical Activity as a Predictor of the Level of Stress and Quality of Sleep during COVID-19 Lockdown

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18115811 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 5811

Author(s):

Anna Lipert ◽

Remigiusz Kozłowski ◽

Dariusz Timler ◽

Michał Marczak ◽

Kamila Musiał ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Online Survey ◽

Short Form ◽

Well Being ◽

Poor Quality ◽

Quality Of Sleep ◽

Low Level ◽

The Government

Background: The coronavirus pandemic and the government restrictions significantly disturbed the daily functioning of people, thereby influencing healthy behaviors, such as physical activity—the core indicator of well-being. This study evaluates the associations between physical activity (PA), the level of stress and quality of sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Methods: An online survey was distributed during the governmental lockdown in April 2020 and included measures for assessing physical activity, stress and sleep. The surveyed participants included all adults aged 18 years and over. The final data were collected from the 1959 respondents using: International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Findings: Almost half of the respondents indicated a low level of PA, performing only 60 min of PA daily. Most of the participants reported a moderate or high level of stress (57% and 29%, respectively) and 64% of them reported poor quality of sleep. People with low levels of stress performed on average 85.1 min/day of walking (WPA), 40.9 min/day of moderate PA (MPA) or 52.6 min/day of vigorous PA (VPA). People with good quality of sleep performed 82.9 min/day of WPA, 43.6 min/day MPA and 40.5 min/day VPA. Interpretation: The results from the study indicate that the volume of daily PA may be a predictor of the level of stress and sleep quality in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. To retain a low level of stress and good quality of sleep, a lifestyle that allows to achieve a moderate level of physical activity should be maintained. The optimal daily dose of PA is at least 70 min per day, involving different intensities.

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Criterion validity and reliability of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Hungarian short form against the RM42 accelerometer

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10372-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

Pongrác Ács ◽

Réka Veress ◽

Paulo Rocha ◽

Tamás Dóczi ◽

Bence László Raposa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Concurrent Validity ◽

International Physical Activity Questionnaire ◽

Short Form ◽

Sitting Time ◽

Validity And Reliability ◽

Retest Reliability ◽

Physical Activity Questionnaire ◽

Test Retest Reliability ◽

Activity Questionnaire

Abstract Background Physical inactivity is a global phenomenon in European welfare countries. Proper monitoring is essential to measure the physical activity level of the population. Methods In the Hungarian cohort of the European Physical Activity and Sport Monitoring System (EUPASMOS) project, our participants (N = 598) completed sociodemographic questions and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – short form (IPAQ-SF) survey. The validity and reliability of the subjective measurement tool were examined, IPAQ-SF outcomes were contrasted against triaxial RM42 accelerometer wore for 7 consecutive days. Results The IPAQ-SF showed moderate internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha = 0.647). The concurrent validity of the IPAQ-SF to triaxial accelerometer indicated a significant weak-to-moderate correlation (R = 0.111–0.338, p = 0.042; p < 0.001). The test-retest reliability showed a significant correlation between two measurements (R = 0.788–0.981, p < 0.001). Conclusion The Hungarian version of the IPAQ-SF had excellent test-retest reliability, but low-to-fair concurrent validity for moderate and vigorous physical activity, walking and sitting time, as compared to the objective criterion measure among Hungarian adults.

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