Effect of the COVID-19 lockdown period on the physical condition, living habits, and physical activity of citizens in Beijing, China

Comparison of Diet, Sleep, and Stress During the Emergency Coronavirus Disease Curfew in Men and Women with Hemodialysis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on diet, stress, and sleep in Japanese patients with hemodialysis.

METHODS

Data on nutritional intake, frequency of food intake by cuisine, dietary behavior, and frequency of food use before and during the declaration of the state of emergency due to COVID-19, were collected.

RESULTS

For the 81 participants (47 men), changes were observed in the following diet-related items: nutrition and nutrient content (one item for men, three for women), eating behavior, and frequency of food use (1 item for men, six for women), and the total number of items was two for men and nine for women. Nine out of 12 questions addressed stress and six out of eight questions addressed sleep, with a higher percentage of women adversely affected and no item with a higher percentage of men adversely affected. The mean score for stress was 25.3 ± 5.1 for men and 29.5 ± 5.0 for women, P < .001, and for sleep disturbance was 11.6 ± 3.0 for men and 14.4 ± 4.4 for women, P < .001.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with hemodialysis, the effect of refraining from going out due to the spread of COVID-19 on diet, sleep, and stress was suggested to be more significant in women than in men.

Body mass index combined with (waist + hip)/height accurately screened for normal-weight obesity in Chinese young adults

OBJECTIVES

Only a few studies have explored the prevalence of normal-weight obesity in young adults or the development of a simple evaluation index for body fat percentage. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the prevalence of normal-weight obesity in young Chinese adults and use anthropometric measurements to develop an evaluation index.

METHODS

In total, 1322 college students participated in the study and were divided into the normal-weight lean, normal-weight obese, and overweight and obese groups based on their body mass index and body fat percentage. The differences in body composition, circumference, and circumference ratio among these three groups were examined.

RESULTS

When exploring the correlation between the circumference ratio and body fat percentage, the circumference ratio was suitable for early screening of abnormal body fat percentage, and the cutoff value was calculated. Body composition and circumference were significantly different among the three groups: (waist + hip)-to-height, hip-to-height, and waist-to-height ratios were strongly correlated with body fat percentage.

CONCLUSIONS

(Waist + hip)-to-height ratio can be used as a simple evaluation index for indicating abnormal body fat percentage when higher than 1.032 in male and 1.047 in female individuals. Downregulating the normal upper limit for body mass index to 24.4 and 23.8 kg/m² in male and female individuals, respectively, is recommended. Body mass index combined with (waist + hip)-to-height ratio allowed for more accurate screening of normal-weight obesity as an easy and cost-free evaluation measure for abnormal body fat percentage.

Physical activity and sitting time changes in response to the COVID-19 lockdown in England

To reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), national governments implemented measures to limit contact between citizens. This study evaluated changes in physical activity and sitting in response to the first COVID-19 lockdown in England and factors associated with these changes. A cross-sectional online survey-based study collected data from 818 adults between 29 April and 13 May 2020. Participants self-reported demographic information, physical activity and sitting for a 'typical' week before and during lockdown. Participants were grouped into low, moderate and high physical activity, and low and high (≥8 hours/day) sitting. Paired samples t-tests compared physical activity (MET-min/week) before and during lockdown. Pearson's Chi-squared evaluated the proportion of participants in the physical activity and sitting categories. Logistic regression explored associations of demographic and behavioural factors with physical activity and sitting during lockdown. Walking and total physical activity significantly increased during lockdown by 241 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 176, 304) MET-min/week and 302 (CI: 155, 457) MET-min/week, respectively (P < 0.001). There was a 4% decrease in participants engaging in low physical activity and a 4% increase in those engaging in high physical activity from before to during lockdown (P < 0.001). The proportion engaging in high sitting increased from 29% to 41% during lockdown (P < 0.001). Lower education level (odds ratio [OR] = 1.65, P = 0.045) and higher BMI (OR = 1.05, P = 0.020) were associated with increased odds of low physical activity during lockdown, whereas non-White ethnicity (OR = 0.24, P = 0.001) was associated with reduced odds. Younger age was associated with increased odds of high sitting (OR = 2.28, P = 0.008). These findings suggest that physical activity and sitting both increased during lockdown. Demographic and behavioural factors associated with low physical activity and high sitting have been identified that could inform intervention strategies during situations of home confinement.

Body Fat Percentage and Normal-Weight Obesity in the Chinese Population: Development of a Simple Evaluation Indicator Using Anthropometric Measurements

Few studies explore the associations between body fat percentage (BFP) prediction and evaluation indicators for Chinese with normal-weight obesity. We aimed to explore convenient and cost-free BFP evaluation indicators to routinely monitor BFP status in Chinese patients with normal-weight obesity. Participants (N = 164) were divided into three groups according to body mass index (BMI) and BFP: normal-weight lean, normal-weight obese, and overweight and obese. Differences in body composition and circumference were compared to examine the relationship between BFP and circumference, determine a simple evaluation indicator reflecting BFP, and identify cutoff values for normal-weight obesity circumference. Significant differences in body composition and circumference were observed among the three groups. The correlation between thigh/height, hip/height, (hip + waist)/height, and BFP was stronger than that with BMI. The (hip + waist)/height ratio was the indicator most reflective of BFP (95% confidence interval: 3.004−9.018, p = 0.013), and a ratio above 1.115 (95% confidence interval: 0.936−0.992, p < 0.001) was predictive of normal-weight obesity. Furthermore, we suggest that the upper value for a normal BMI in Chinese individuals be lowered to 23.4 kg/m2 (95% confidence interval: 0.984−0.999, p < 0.001). The (hip + waist)/height ratio can be used with body mass index for a more accurate evaluations of BFP abnormalities and health risks.

Changes in Physical Activity Compared to the Situation before the Outbreak of COVID-19 in Korea

The purpose of this study is to examine changes in physical activity in Korean society, after the outbreak of COVID-19. Method This study was conducted using the Korean Community Health Survey conducted in 2019 and 2020. Subjects that have been diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes were excluded; a total of 355,914 cases were involved for analysis. In terms of the analysis method, General Linear Model (GLM) was conducted to examine the changes in physical activities in 2019 and 2020 depending on the presence of a spouse, educational status, and economic activities. In addition, the GLM was adopted to divide the subjects by gender and age, and analyze their physical activity changes in 2019 and 2020 with spouse presence, educational status, and economic activities as adjusted variables. Result In terms of Koreans, those without a spouse, high educational attainment, and economically inactive were less engaged in physical activities. Differences were found in subjects regarding moderate-intensity physical activities after social distancing following the spread of COVID-19. Senior females without a spouse, both males and females with low educational attainment, economically inactive adult females, and economically active senior males showed a greater drop in physical activities. For walking hours, both adult males and females without a spouse, adult females with all educational attainment level excluding elementary and middle school graduates, and economically inactive adult males and females also showed a downward trend. Conclusion The study recommends that people develop a strategy to increase their post-outbreak physical activity, taking into account the sociodemographic.