Impact of the home confinement related to COVID-19 on the device-assessed physical activity and sedentary patterns of Spanish older adults

Objectives

The main objective of this study was to device-assess the levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour patterns of older adults during the situation prior to COVID-19 pandemic, home-quarantine and the ending of isolation. We also aimed analysing the effectiveness of an unsupervised home-based exercise routine to counteract the potential increase in sedentary behaviour during the periods within the pandemic.

Methods

18 non-institutionalized elderly (78.4±6.0 y.), members of the Spanish cohort of EXERNET-Elder 3.0 project participated in the study. They were recommended to perform an exercise prescription based on resistance, balance and aerobic exercises during the pandemic. Wrist triaxial accelerometers (ActiGraph GT9X) were used to assess the percentage of sedentary time, physical activity and sedentary bouts and breaks of sedentary time. An ANOVA for repeated measures was performed to analyse the differences between the three different periods.

Results

During home-quarantine, older adults spent more time in sedentary behaviours (71.6±5.3%) in comparison with either the situation prior to the pandemic (65.5±6.7%) or the ending of isolation (67.7±7.1%) (all p<0.05). Moreover, participants performed less bouts of physical activity and with a shorter duration during home quarantine (both p<0.05). Additionally, no differences in the physical activity behaviours were found between the situation prior to the pandemic and the ending of isolation.

Conclusions

According with our results, the home-quarantine could negatively affect health due to increased sedentary lifestyle and the reduction of physical activity. Therefore, our unsupervised exercise program does not seem to be a completely effective strategy at least in this period.

What is already known on this topic

• Although the available information is scarce and includes subjective methodology (questionnaires), it seems that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected physical activity patterns.

• It is known that physical activity interventions are effective in improving health and reducing sedentary lifestyle in older adults. Nevertheless, little is known about whether an unsupervised home-based exercise routine is an effective alternative to counteract the potential increase in sedentary behaviour in this specific population during the pandemic lockdown.

What are the findings? / What this study adds

• Despite unsupervised training, during home-quarantine, older adults spent more sedentary time than in the situation prior to COVID-19 and the ending of isolation (phase 0).

• There were no differences in break of sedentary time patterns between the situation prior to COVID-19 and the periods within the pandemic.

• During home-quarantine older adults performed fewer and shorter physical activity bouts than in the situation prior to COVID-19 despite unsupervised training.

• Our unsupervised home-exercise routine was not a completely effective alternative to avoid the increase of sedentary behaviour during home-quarantine.

How might it impact on clinical practice in the future?

• Our findings can be used as a starting point to manage isolation restrictions more effectively and to develop strategies to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour among older adults during situations of forced lockdowns, as in the present COVID-19 pandemic.