Impact of Social Isolation on Physical Activity and Factors Associated With Sedentary Behavior in Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

"If I want to be able to keep going, I must be active." Exploring older adults' perspectives of remote physical activity supports: a mixed-methods study

Introduction

Pandemic-related public health restrictions limited older adults' physical activity programs and opportunities. Physical activity supports shifted to remote options, however, information on their adoption and effectiveness is limited. This study aims to describe the remote supports received by older adults and their perceived effectiveness. Additionally, it aims to describe facilitators and barriers to remote supports for physical activity among older adults, particularly those reliant on technology.

Methods

This study used an explanatory, sequential, mixed-methods design. Community-dwelling older adults (≥ 60 years) were recruited to partake in a web-based survey and an optional semi-structured follow-up interview informed by the COM-B model. Participant characteristics, perceived effectiveness of remote supports, and the presence and severity of barriers were described. Changes in physical activity levels before and during the pandemic were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Qualitative data underwent inductive thematic analysis.

Results

Fifty seven older adults (68.3 ± 7.1 years, 43 Female) completed the survey, of which 15 participants (67.4 ± 5.8 years, 12 Female) participated in interviews. The majority were Caucasian, highly educated, and resided in Canada. Total physical activity levels showed no statistically significant change from before to during the pandemic (p = 0.74); however, at-home exercise participation and technology usage increased. Pre-recorded and real-time virtual exercise supports were perceived as most effective. Main barriers included limited contact with exercise professionals, limited access to exercise equipment or space, and decreased mental wellness. Thematic analysis identified five main themes: (i) Enabled by knowledge and resources; (ii) Diverse motivations for physical activity; (iii) Fostering participation through social connection; (iv) Supervision and safety: enabling adherence; and (v) Virtual exercise: a sustainable option with technological considerations.

Conclusion

Virtual platforms show promise in supporting older adults' physical activity at home, especially for those with limited in-person access. Our study suggests that both real-time and pre-recorded virtual exercise supports are feasible, depending on technological capacity and support. While interactive real-time virtual programs allow interaction with professionals and peers, pre-recorded programs provide timing flexibility. Further research is needed to establish best practices for safe and effective virtual exercise programming, promoting its long-term adoption for supporting a wider range of older adults.

Social isolation, loneliness, and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: results from two large prospective cohorts in Europe and East Asia and Mendelian randomization

Background

Social isolation and loneliness pose significant public health challenges globally. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between social isolation, loneliness, and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

423,503 UK adults from the UK Biobank (UKB) and 13,800 Chinese adults from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were analyzed. The exposures of interest were social isolation and loneliness. Social isolation was evaluated based on the number of household members, frequency of social activities, contact with others, and marriage status (CHARLS only). Loneliness was evaluated by the subjective feeling of loneliness and the willingness to confide in others (UKB only). The primary endpoint was incident T2DM. The two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was based on the genome-wide association studies of UKB (n = 463,010) and the European Bioinformatics Institute (n = 655,666).

Findings

The UKB cohort study documented 15,072 T2DM cases during a mean follow-up of 13.5 years, and the CHARLS cohort study recorded 1,249 T2DM cases during a mean follow-up of 5.8 years. Social isolation and loneliness showed significant associations with an elevated risk of T2DM in both UKB (social isolation [most vs least]: HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.11-1.23; loneliness [yes vs no]: HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.13-1.30) and CHARLS cohorts (social isolation [yes vs no]: HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.06-1.40; loneliness [yes vs no]: HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.07-1.36). These associations remained significant after accounting for baseline glucose status and genetic susceptibility to T2DM. Two-sample MR analyses determined that feeling lonely (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06) and engaging in fewer leisure/social activities (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.05) were associated with increased T2DM risk, whereas more contact with friends or family (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98-0.99) was associated with reduced T2DM risk.

Interpretation

Social isolation and loneliness are each associated with an elevated risk of T2DM, with MR analyses suggesting potential causal links. These associations remain significant after considering genetic susceptibility to T2DM. The findings highlight the importance of promoting initiatives to address social isolation and loneliness as part of T2DM prevention strategies.

Funding

CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (No. 2021-I2M-1-008) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 72103187).

The Geras virtual frailty rehabilitation program to build resilience in older adults with frailty during COVID-19: a randomized feasibility trial

BACKGROUND

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated the risk for poor physical and mental health outcomes among vulnerable older adults. Multicomponent interventions could potentially prevent or reduce the risk of becoming frail; however, there is limited evidence about utilizing alternative modes of delivery where access to in-person care may be challenging. This randomized feasibility trial aimed to understand how a multicomponent rehabilitation program can be delivered remotely to vulnerable older adults with frailty during the pandemic.

METHODS

Participants were randomized to either a multimodal or socialization arm. Over a 12-week intervention period, the multimodal group received virtual care at home, which included twice-weekly exercise in small group physiotherapy-led live-streamed sessions, nutrition counselling and protein supplementation, medication consultation via a videoconference app, and once-weekly phone calls from student volunteers, while the socialization group received only once-weekly phone calls from the volunteers. The RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance) framework was used to evaluate the feasibility of the program. The main clinical outcomes were change in the 5-times sit-to-stand test (5 × STS) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) scores. The feasibility outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics and expressed as frequencies and mean percent with corresponding confidence intervals (CI). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used for the effectiveness component.

RESULTS

The program enrolled 33% (n = 72) of referrals to the study (n = 220), of whom 70 were randomized. Adoption rates from different referral sources were community self-referrals (60%), community organizations (33%), and healthcare providers (25%). At the provider level, implementation rates varied from 75 to 100% for different aspects of program delivery. Participant's adherence levels included virtual exercise sessions 81% (95% CI: 75-88%), home-based exercise 50% (95% CI: 38-62%), protein supplements consumption 68% (95% CI: 55-80%), and medication optimization 38% (95% CI: 21-59%). Most participants (85%) were satisfied with the program. There were no significant changes in clinical outcomes between the two arms.

CONCLUSION

The GERAS virtual frailty rehabilitation study for community-dwelling older adults living with frailty was feasible in terms of reach of participants, adoption across referral settings, adherence to implementation, and participant's intention to maintain the program. This program could be feasibly delivered to improve access to socially isolated older adults where barriers to in-person participation exist. However, trials with larger samples and longer follow-up are required to demonstrate effectiveness and sustained behavior change.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04500366. Registered August 5, 2020, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04500366.

Emotional and physical-related experiences as potential mechanisms linking physical activity and happiness: Evidence from the Ghana Aging, Health, Psychological Well-being, and Health-seeking Behavior Study

This study examines the association between physical inactivity (PI) and happiness among Ghanaian older adults and whether emotional and physical-related experiences (EPE) mediate the association. Data from the Aging, Health, Psychological Well-being and Health-seeking Behavior Study (AgeHeaPsyWel-HeaSeeB) conducted in 2016-2018 among 1201 older Ghanaians were analyzed. Happiness was assessed with the self-rated and cross-culturally validated item on a 5-point scale. PI was evaluated with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Hierarchical linear regressions and mediation analyses were performed to estimate the hypothesized associations. Results showed that PI was significantly associated with lower levels of happiness (β = -0.053, p < .001) net of potential confounders. The association of PI with happiness was attenuated and fully mediated by pain, sleep problems, loneliness, anxiety, and boredom. Moreover, in terms of the cross-level interaction effects, PI moderated the happiness-pain (β = -0.029, p < .005), happiness-social isolation (β = -0.024, p < .05), and happiness-boredom (β = -0.023, p < .005) associations. Our data suggest that EPE may explain why PI decreases happiness in old age. Findings provide valuable insight into the interventions and decisions to improve subjective well-being and quality of life in old age.

Association between social isolation and reduced mental well-being in Swedish older adults during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of cardiometabolic diseases

Social isolation has been recommended as a strategy for reducing COVID-19 risk, but it may have unintended consequences for mental well-being. We explored the relationship between social isolation and symptoms of depression and anxiety in older adults during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and assessed the role of cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) in this association. Between May and September 2020, 1,190 older adults from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen were surveyed about their behaviors and health consequences during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 913 (76.7%) participants reported socially isolating at home to avoid infection during this period. Social isolation was associated with a greater likelihood of reduced mental well-being (i.e., feelings of depression or anxiety) (OR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.15-2.65). In joint exposure analysis, there was a significant likelihood of reduced mental well-being only among people who were socially isolating and had CMDs (OR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.22-3.71) (reference: not isolating, CMD-free). In conclusion, social isolation as a COVID-19 prevention strategy was related to reduced mental well-being in an urban sample of Swedish older adults, especially among individuals with CMDs.