Effects of COVID-19 Home Confinement on Eating Behavior and Physical Activity [COVID-19 and Physical Activity Series]
Effects of COVID-19 Home Confinement on Eating Behavior and Physical Activity by Dr. Ammar and co-authors is an international online survey of the behavioral and lifestyle consequences of COVID-19 restrictions. Launched in April 2020 in seven languages and disseminated in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, the survey captured results from the first thousand respondents. It included 64 questions on health, mental well-being, mood, life satisfaction and multi-dimensional lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, diet, social participation, sleep, technology use, need of psychosocial support). The validated questionnaire for physical activity was the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Dr. Ammar and co-authors found that COVID-19 restrictions had a negative effect on all physical activity intensity levels (vigorous, moderate, walking and overall):
The number of days/week and minutes/day of vigorous intensity physical activity decreased by 22.7% (t = 7.75, p < 0.001, d = 0.374) and 33.1% (t = 9.75 p < 0.001, d = 0.542), respectively.
The number of days/week and minutes/day of moderate intensity physical activity decreased by 24% (t = 7.89, p < 0.001, d = 0.396) and 33.4% (t = 7.85, p < 0.001, d = 0.343), respectively.
The number of days/week and minutes/day of walking decreased by 35% (t = 15.80, p < 0.001, d = 0.677) and 34% (t = 9.34, p < 0.001, d = 0.389), respectively.
The number of days/week and minutes/day of all physical activity decreased by 24% (t = 15.61, p < 0.001, d = 0.482) and 33.5% (t = 12.51, p < 0.001, d = 0.387), respectively.
The number of hours/day of sitting increased by 28.6% (t = −25.61, p < 0.001, d = 1.130).
They call for further research that addresses improved interventions for specific subpopulations and identifies conditions for successfully maintaining a healthy lifestyle before, as well as during, isolation. While COVID-19 restrictions help to abate the rate of infection, the results of this survey show that the restrictions have reduced overall physical activity (number of days and number of hours) and access to exercise, and that the decline in physical activity was accompanied by increased sedentary (sitting) behavior.
Ammar, A., Brach, M., Trabelsi, K., Chtourou, H., Boukhris, O., Masmoudi, L., ... & Müller, P. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 Home Confinement on Eating Behaviour and Physical Activity: Results of the ECLB-COVID19 International Online Survey. Nutrients, 12(6), 1583.
