Effects of COVID-19 Stay-at- Home Orders on Physical Activity in People with Obesity

Background: Individuals may experience reduced physical activity (PA) levels during stay-at-home orders in response to COVID-19. While reduced PA negatively affects all populations, those with overweight/obesity may be disproportionately affected. Also, differences between men and women may exist. T...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) Md.), 2021-12, Vol.29, p.89-90
Main Authors: Lofrano-Prado, Mara Cristina, Prado, Wagner, Malik, Neal, Christofaro, Diego, Santana, Carla Caroliny, Cucato, Gabriel, Jackson, Matthew, Shumate, Grace, Shumate, Sarah, Correia, Marilia, Botero, Joao Paulo, Ritti-Dias, Raphael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Exercise
Gender
Obesity
Overweight
Pandemics
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Summary:Background: Individuals may experience reduced physical activity (PA) levels during stay-at-home orders in response to COVID-19. While reduced PA negatively affects all populations, those with overweight/obesity may be disproportionately affected. Also, differences between men and women may exist. The aim of this study was to examine changes in PA levels during COVID-19 between individuals with normal weight and overweight/obesity, and the influence of gender in this relationship.Methods: An electronic survey was distributed in Brazil between May 5th -17th 2020. Participants (N = 1828 >18 y) were invited through social media to answer a structured questionnaire using Google Forms. The online assessment included questions pertaining to physical activity type and frequency, overall health status, weight, and height. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between overweight/obesity (body mass index > 25 kg/m2), the impact COVID-19 on PA level, and the influence of gender.Results: Compared to normal weight individuals, those with overweight/obesity were more likely to engage in lower intensity activities (p < 0.001). There were significant associations between those with overweight/obesity and PA levels when compared with normal weight individuals when adjusted for age, education level, social isolation, and pre-pandemic physical activity levels (p < 0.017).Conclusions: There is an association between body weight and changes in PA levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals with overweight/obesity were more likely to have lower PA levels during COVID-19 pandemic, independent of their gender.
ISSN:1930-7381
1930-739X