Promoting physical activity during the COVID-19 lockdown in Australia: The roles of psychological predictors and commercial physical activity apps

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mood and family relationships of runners

Introduction

The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the mood of amateur runners and on their relationships with their partners and families.

Methods

Adult runners 18 years or older (N = 260) completed an online survey that included demographic information, standardized psychological assessments of Exercise Dependence (EDS-R) and mood (POMS), and, to measure relationship functioning, either the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) if they did not have children, or the Basic Family Evaluation Questionnaire (CERFB), measuring conjugal and parental relationships. Participants also answered questions about their exercise habits and the coping strategies they adopted during lockdown.

Results

The results suggest that runners who saw the largest reductions in time spent exercising during lockdown tended to feel significantly less energetic (p < 0.05) and friendly (p < 0.01). In addition, they recorded significantly lower scores in marital satisfaction with their peers (p < 0.05). The runners with a higher degree of dependence on physical exercise registered significantly higher levels of depression, tension and anger than non-dependent runners (p < 0.001). Runners whose partners were physically active and did not have children had significantly higher scores marital satisfaction than runners whose partners were not physically active and had children (p < 0.05).

Discussion

These findings seem to indicate that the psychological approach to athletes in the context of crises such as the pandemic should consider not only individual aspects, but also include the family perspective.

COVID-19 and working from home-related changes in physical activity in Sydney, Australia

ISSUES ADDRESSED

Evidence on how COVID-19 lockdowns impacted physical activity (PA) is mixed. This study explores changes in PA following initial mobility restrictions, and their subsequent relaxation, in a sample of Sydney (Australia) residents using a natural experiment methodology.

METHODS

Participants' health and travel behaviours were collected pre-pandemic in late 2019 (n = 1937), with follow-up waves during the pandemic in 2020 (n = 1706) and 2021 (n = 1514). Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyse changes in weekly duration of PA between the three waves.

RESULTS

Compared with pre-pandemic, average weekly PA increased in 2021 by 42.6 min total PA (p = .001), 16 min walking PA (p = .02), and 26.4 min moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) (p = .003). However, average weekly sessions of PA decreased in 2020 and remained lower in 2021. For participants who were sufficiently active in 2019, weekly total PA (-66.3 min) MVPA (-43.8 min) decreased in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic. Conversely, among participants who were insufficiently active in 2019, average weekly PA increased in both 2020 (total PA, +99.1 min; walking PA, +46.4 min; MVPA +52.8 min) and 2021 (total PA, +117.8 min; walking PA, +58.4 min; MVPA +59.2 min), compared to 2019. Participants who did more work from home increased their average weekly total PA in 2021 compared to pre-pandemic (+45.3 min).

CONCLUSION

These findings reveal the complex variability in PA behaviour brought about by the pandemic. SO WHAT?: Strategies to support the population in achieving sufficient PA must focus on maintaining an appetite for PA as we move out of the pandemic and on promoting more frequent PA sessions.

Understanding physical activity declines during COVID-19: The affective repercussions of disruption to exercise routines

Recent research has examined psychological factors that forestalled declines in physical activity (PA) during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Surprisingly, there has been limited evidence of an association between intrinsic motivation (IM) and PA. We reasoned that IM may have not predicted PA because COVID-19 restrictions limited opportunities to engage in exercise in ways that produced positive affective experiences (i.e., inherent rewards). Using data from a cross-sectional survey (N = 373 participants), we tested a moderated mediation model that predicted perceived changes to affective experiences during exercise would mediate the association between disruption to one's exercise routine and self-reported declines in PA, and that effects would be moderated by IM. Evidence of moderated mediation was found, suggesting that disruptions to exercise routines were associated with fewer positive affective experiences during exercise that predicted declines in PA engagement, especially for people who typically exercised for intrinsic reasons.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Maintaining Physical Activity and Its Associated Factors among Medical Students

BACKGROUND

Stay-home orders and the shutdown of university campuses and fitness centers have greatly influenced health behaviors, resulting in a widespread reduction in physical activity. This study aimed to identify factors associated with maintaining physical activity among Jazan University medical students during the COVID-19 shutdown.

METHODS

An official Arabic short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess physical activity before and during the COVID-19 home quarantine. Differences between groups were examined using chi-square analyses and the Mann-Whitney U test. Multinomial logistic regression was used to test whether certain demographic and exercise-related variables were significant predictors of maintaining physical activity levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS

More than half of the participants (53%) reported no change or increased physical activity level. Several factors were significantly related to physical activity heterogeneity including income (p = 0.04), fitness center membership (p < 0.01), usage of fitness tracker devices (p < 0.01), and the purchase of physical activity equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.01). The odds of maintaining physical activity were higher among those who tracked their physical activity (AOR = 6.160; 95% CI = 3.782-10.032, p < 0.001). Similarly, the odds of maintaining physical activity were higher among those who purchased home-exercise equipment during the pandemic (AOR = 2.243; 95% CI = 1.386-3.632, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding the factors affecting physical activity behaviors is an essential step toward addressing the reduction in physical activity. This could help maintain physical activity levels during a potential future pandemic-related shutdown.

Reflecting on physical activity across 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic: Predictors of intention-behavior profiles

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected how many people engage in regular moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA). The purpose of this study was to predict current and dynamic (across 2 years of the pandemic) intention and MVPA profiles using the multi-process action control (M-PAC) framework. A representative sample of 977 English-speaking Canadians (18 + years) completed measures of reflective (instrumental attitude, affective attitude, perceived capability, and opportunity), regulatory (planning and self-monitoring), and reflexive (habit and identity) processes, intention, and MVPA. These measures included current assessments and reflections prior to the COVID-19 restrictions. Three current intention-behavior profiles (nonintenders, unsuccessful intenders, and successful intenders) and five dynamic intention-MVPA by prepandemic MVPA profiles (consistent nonintenders, relapsed nonintenders, consistent unsuccessful intenders, relapsed unsuccessful intenders, and consistent successful intenders) emerged from these data, showing few increased MVPA across the pandemic. The current and dynamic profiles were subsequently predicted by changes in specific reflective, regulatory, and reflexive processes across the pandemic; however, only change in identity was the critical predictor of successful MVPA engagement in the dynamic 2-year MVPA profiles. Collectively, the findings support the joint promotion of reflective, regulatory, and reflexive processes in the choice of behavior change techniques to promote postpandemic MVPA intention and behavior.

The use of mobile apps and fitness trackers to promote healthy behaviors during COVID-19: A cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVES

To examine i) the use of mobile apps and fitness trackers in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic to support health behaviors; ii) the use of COVID-19 apps; iii) associations between using mobile apps and fitness trackers, and health behaviors; iv) differences in usage amongst population subgroups.

METHODS

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted during June-September 2020. The survey was developed and reviewed independently by co-authors to establish face validity. Associations between using mobile apps and fitness trackers and health behaviors were examined using multivariate logistic regression models. Subgroup analyses were conducted using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Three open-ended questions were included to elicit participants' views; thematic analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

Participants included 552 adults (76.7% women; mean age: 38±13.6 years); 59.9% used mobile apps for health, 38.2% used fitness trackers, and 46.3% used COVID-19 apps. Users of mobile apps or fitness trackers had almost two times the odds of meeting aerobic physical activity guidelines compared to non-users (odds ratio = 1.91, 95% confidence interval 1.07 to 3.46, P = .03). More women used health apps than men (64.0% vs 46.8%, P = .004). Compared to people aged 18-44 (46.1%), more people aged 60+ (74.5%) and more people aged 45-60 (57.6%) used a COVID-19 related app (P < .001). Qualitative data suggest people viewed technologies (especially social media) as a 'double-edged sword': helping with maintaining a sense of normalcy and staying active and socially connected, but also having a negative emotional effect stemming from seeing COVID-related news. People also found that mobile apps did not adapt quickly enough to the circumstances caused by COVID-19.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of mobile apps and fitness trackers during the pandemic was associated with higher levels of physical activity, in a sample of educated and likely health-conscious individuals. Future research is needed to understand whether the association between using mobile devices and physical activity is maintained in the long-term.

Trends in Physical Fitness and Nutritional Status among School-Aged Children and Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Shaanxi, China-A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to explore the characteristics of trends in physical fitness and nutritional status among school-aged students during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could help to develop targeted guidelines and policies for students (adolescents) to promote health during lockdowns resulting from public health emergencies.

METHODS

The physical fitness and nutritional status were measured from 2019 to 2021; the correlation between years and grade were analyzed.

RESULTS

a declining trend was found in aerobic fitness, strength fitness, speed fitness, and BMI during this lockdown.

CONCLUSION

The changes in dietary behavior and the decrease in outdoor physical activities may be the reason for the decline. Furthermore, differences in subjects' growth and limited space at home must be considered in the formulation of exercise and nutritional plans. According to the results of our study, exercise for aerobic fitness should receive more attention when students are enduring a pandemic lockdown. In addition, saying "no" to high-calorie foods in the form of snacking and ultra-processed food was the key to improving subjects' nutritional status.

Health related behaviours and physical activity level of hypertensive individuals during COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all countries implemented lockdown to prevent transmission of coronavirus. The prolonged stay-at-home process created some unfavourable effects like unhealthy lifestyle, physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour especially in patients with cardiovascular risk. Hypertensive individuals are also affected in the pandemic because of limited access to healthcare services, screening, and altered lifestyles. We aimed to investigate physical activity (PA) level, sedentary behaviour, mental health and healthy lifestyle behaviours in patients with hypertension and compare these parameters with healthy controls. This prospective, cross-sectional study included 40 hypertensive and 40 age-sex matched healthy controls. We assessed PA with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire long-form, quality of life with Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire, anxiety and depression with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and lifestyle behaviours with Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile Scale-II (HPLP-II). Moderate and vigorous PA levels of hypertensives' were statistically lower than healthy controls (P = 0.001; P = 0.003, respectively). Hypertensive patients exhibited lower SF-36 physical function (P = 0.001), energy/vitality (P = 0.042), body pain scores than those of healthy controls (P = 0.007). Although HADS-anxiety, depression scores were similar (P > 0.05), the depression ratio (45%) was more common in the hypertensive group during the lockdown. The main findings are that hypertensive patients have lower PA levels and worse quality of life than healthy controls during the pandemic. In addition, the presence of depression is more common among hypertensive patients. Considering unhealthy lifestyles, governments, and health professionals should take some precautions and plan interventions against physical inactivity. As known, providing regular physical activity is a keystone to fighting against cardiovascular disease.