COVID-19 Related Employment Changes and Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior [COVID-19 and Physical Activity Series]
Working From Home and Job Loss Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Are Associated With Greater Time in Sedentary Behaviors by Dr. McDowell and co-authors examined associations of changing COVID-19-related employment conditions with physical activity and sedentary behavior. Data was collected from 2,303 previously employed U.S. adults between April 3, 2020 and April 7, 2020. Linear regression quantified associations of COVID-19-related employment changes with physical activity, sitting time, and screen time, controlling for age, sex, race, BMI, smoking status, marital status, chronic conditions, household location, public health restrictions, and recalled physical activity, sitting time, and screen time prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. McDowell and co-authors found that, compared to those whose employment remained unchanged, individuals whose employment changed (either working from home or job loss) due to COVID-19 reported higher sitting time (WFH: g = 0.153, 95% CI = 0.095–0.210; lost job: g = 0.212, 0.113–0.311) and screen time (WFH: g = 0.158, 0.104–0.212; lost job: g = 0.193, 0.102–0.285). This equated to 31 and 33 minutes more sitting and screen time per day, respectively, among those working from home, and 44 and 40 minutes more sitting and screen time per day, respectively, among those who lost their jobs. There were no significant group differences for physical activity (WFH: g = −0.030, −0.101 to 0.042; lost job: g=-0.070, −0.178 to 0.037). COVID-19 related employment changes were associated with greater sitting and screen time. As sedentary time is consistently negatively associated with current and future health and wellbeing, increased sedentary time due to employment changes is a public health concern.
McDowell, C. P., Herring, M. P., Lansing, J., Brower, C., & Meyer, J. D. (2020). Working From Home and Job Loss Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Are Associated With Greater Time in Sedentary Behaviors. Frontiers in public health, 8.
