Home confinement during COVID-19 pandemic reduced physical activity but not health-related quality of life in previously active older women
Abstract
Background
To investigate the effect of COVID-19 home confinement on levels of physical activity, sedentary behavior and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in older women previously participating in exercise and educational programs.
Methods
64 older women (age = 72±5 ys) who participated in a physical exercise/educational program and adhered to government home confinement recommendations have their levels of physical activity, sedentary behavior and HRQL assessed before and during (11 to 13 weeks after introduction of government recommendations to reduce virus transmission) COVID-19 pandemic.
Results
There were significant reductions in total physical activity (−259 METs/week, P = 0.02), as a result of a ∼17.0 % reduction in walking (−30.8 min/week, P = 0.004) and ∼41.8 % reduction in vigorous-intensity activity (−29.6 min/week, P < 0.001). Sedentary behavior also increased (2.24 h/week, P < 0.001; 1.07 h/week days, P < 0.001; and 1.54 h/weekend days, P < 0.001). However, no significant change occurred in moderate-intensity physical activity, and HRQL domains and facets, except for an improvement in environment domain.
Conclusion
Home confinement due to COVID-19 pandemic decreased levels of physical activity and increased levels of sedentary behavior in previously active older women who participated in an educational program. However, there were no significant changes in HRQL. These results suggest that educational programs promoting healthy behaviors may attenuate the impact of home confinement in older women.
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