Initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and sedentary behavior in hypertensive older adults: An accelerometer-based analysis.
Browne, Rodrigo A.V. a; Macedo, Geovani A.D. b; Cabral, Ludmila L.P. a; Oliveira, Gledson T.A. a; Vivas, Andres a; Fontes, Eduardo B. a,b; Elsangedy, Hassan M. b; Costa, Eduardo C. a,b,*
[Article] Experimental Gerontology. 142:111121, December 2020.

(Format: HTML, PDF)

Background: This study reports the accelerometer-based physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in hypertensive older adults.

Methods: Thirty-five hypertensive older adults were included in this observational study. Accelerometer-based PA and SB measures were assessed before (January to March 2020) and during (June 2020) the COVID-19 pandemic. Linear mixed models were used to assess within-group changes in PA and SB measures, adjusted by accelerometer wear time.

Results: Before COVID-19 pandemic participants presented: 5809 steps/day (SE = 366), 303.1 min/day (SE = 11.9) of light PA, 15.5 min/day (SE = 2.2) of moderate-vigorous PA, and 653.0 min/day (SE = 12.6) of SB. During COVID-19 pandemic there was a decrease in steps/day ([beta] = -886 steps/day, SE = 361, p = 0.018), in moderate-vigorous PA ([beta] = -2.8 min/day, SE = 2.4, p = 0.018), and a trend in light PA ([beta] = -26.6 min/day, SE = 13.4, p = 0.053). In addition, SB increased during the COVID-19 pandemic ([beta] = 29.6 min/day, SE = 13.4, p = 0.032). The magnitude of changes was greater on the weekend, mainly for steps/day ([beta] = -1739 steps/day, SE = 424, p < 0.001) and the SB pattern (more time spent in bouts of >=10 and 30 min, less breaks/day and breaks/h).

Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic may elicit unhealthy changes in movement behavior in hypertensive older adults. Lower PA, higher and more prolonged SB on the weekend are the main features of the behavioral changes.

Highlights:

* Unhealthy changes in movement behavior were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

* Hypertensive older adults decreased steps/day and time spent in physical activities.

* An increase in time spent in sedentary behavior (SB) was observed.

* The time spent in prolonged SB increased and the breaks in SB decreased.

* Greater unhealthy changes in movement behavior occurred on weekend.

(C) 2020Elsevier, Inc.