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. 2022 Mar 12;11(6):1568. doi: 10.3390/jcm11061568

Table 2.

Changes in physical activity and sitting time during the COVID-19 pandemic stratified by sex, age, obesity, co-morbidities, and meeting physical-activity guidelines before the pandemic.

n Before Pandemic
(December 2019–
February 2020)		 First Three Months of Pandemic
(March 2020–
May 2020)		 One Year into Pandemic
(April 2021–
June 2021)		 Within-Group
Time Effect
p-Value a 		Interaction
p-Value a
Sex Sitting, h/day Male 157 6.4 ± 3.0 7.5 ± 3.1 6.3 ± 3.0 <0.001 1,2 0.87
Female 203 6.1 ± 2.8 7.2 ± 3.1 6.0 ± 2.8 <0.001 1,2
Walking, h/day Male 156 2.3 ± 1.7 2.2 ± 1.6 2.4 ± 1.7 0.001 1,2 0.37
Female 197 2.5 ± 1.7 2.3 ± 1.8 2.8 ± 2.0 <0.001 2,3
Total MVPA, min/wk Male 149 408 ± 431 354 ± 435 501 ± 509 <0.001 1,2,3 0.51
Female 187 323 ± 418 244 ± 364 407 ± 494 <0.001 1,2,3
Muscle-strengthening PA, min/wk Male 147 79 ± 147 65 ± 149 82 ± 151 <0.001 1,2 0.61
Female 168 94 ± 166 70 ± 176 96 ± 179 0.02 2
Age Sitting, h/day <75 years 215 6.2 ± 2.8 7.3 ± 3.0 6.0 ± 2.7 <0.001 1,2 0.47
≥75 years 145 6.3 ± 3.0 7.5 ± 3.3 6.3 ± 3.1 <0.001 1,2
Walking, h/day <75 years 215 2.3 ± 1.7 2.2 ± 1.8 2.6 ± 1.8 <0.001 2,3 0.76
≥75 years 138 2.5 ± 1.8 2.3 ± 1.7 2.6 ± 1.9 <0.001 1,2
Total MVPA, min/wk <75 years 206 238 ± 461 301 ± 410 468 ± 513 <0.001 1,2,3 0.58
≥75 years 130 328 ± 362 279 ± 384 432 ± 434 <0.001 1,2,3
Muscle-strengthening PA, min/wk <75 years 191 81 ± 118 55 ± 86 85 ± 138 <0.001 1,2 0.11
≥75 years 124 96 ± 204 88 ± 127 97 ± 204 0.72
Obesity Sitting, h/day Normal weight 125 6.2 ± 3.1 7.1 ± 3.2 6.1 ± 3.1 <0.001 1,2 0.04
Overweight/Obese 235 6.2 ± 2.8 7.5 ± 3.1 6.1 ± 2.8 <0.001 1,2
Walking, h/day Normal weight 120 2.3 ± 1.7 2.1 ± 1.6 2.4 ± 1.8 0.001 2 0.31
Overweight/Obese 233 2.5 ± 1.7 2.3 ± 1.8 2.7 ± 1.9 <0.001 1,2,3
Total MVPA, min/wk Normal weight 114 449 ± 541 349 ± 489 515 ± 590 <0.001 1,2 0.26
Overweight/Obese 222 315 ± 344 264 ± 343 423 ± 448 <0.001 1,2,3
Muscle-strengthening PA, min/wk Normal weight 108 101 ± 142 66 ± 92 94 ± 151 <0.001 1,2 0.14
Overweight/Obese 207 79 ± 165 68 ± 191 87 ± 175 0.049 2
Co-morbidities Sitting, h/day <2 205 6.1 ± 2.9 7.1 ± 3.1 6.0 ± 2.9 <0.001 1,2 0.09
≥2 155 6.3 ± 2.9 7.6 ± 3.2 6.2 ± 2.9 <0.001 1,2
Walking, h/day <2 198 2.5 ± 1.8 2.4 ± 1.8 2.8 ± 2.0 <0.001 2,3 0.38
≥2 155 2.3 ± 1.6 2.1 ± 1.6 2.4 ± 1.6 0.001 1,2
Total MVPA, min/wk <2 185 388 ± 448 319 ± 434 482 ± 500 <0.001 1,2,3 0.73
≥2 151 327 ± 396 260 ± 394 433 ± 503 <0.001 1,2,3
Muscle-strengthening PA, min/wk <2 176 89 ± 161 69 ± 174 89 ± 175 0.06 0.80
≥2 139 83 ± 153 65 ± 149 90 ± 156 <0.001 1,2
Meeting Both Aerobic and Muscle-strenghthening Physical-Activity Guidelines Sitting, /day Does Not Meet 167 6.4 ± 3.1 7.4 ± 3.3 6.2 ± 3.1 <0.001 1,2 0.38
Meet 158 6.0 ± 2.7 7.3 ± 3.1 6.0 ± 2.7 <0.001 1,2
Walking, /day Does Not Meet 162 2.3 ± 1.6 2.1 ± 1.6 2.5 ± 1.8 <0.001 1,2,3 0.50
Meet 158 2.5 ± 1.8 2.4 ± 1.8 2.7 ± 1.9 0.001 2
Total MVPA, min/wk Does Not Meet 170 208 ± 312 188 ± 295 317 ± 405 <0.001 2,3 <0.001
Meet 162 526 ± 470 407 ± 465 606 ± 552 <0.001 1,2,3
Muscle-strengthening PA, min/wk Does Not Meet 141 25 ± 45 27 ± 50 45 ± 91 0.003 2,3 0.03
Meet 156 126 ± 160 75 ± 188 117 ± 175 0.006 1,2

Values are mean ± SD. MVPA, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity; PA, physical activity. a All analyses adjusted for age (not in age-stratified analyses), sex (not in sex-stratified analyses), BMI before COVID-19 pandemic (not in obesity-stratified analyses), and number of co-morbidities (not in co-morbidity-stratified analyses). 1 Significant difference between before the COVID-19 pandemic and first three months of COVID-19 pandemic, p < 0.05. 2 Significant differences between first three months of COVID-19 pandemic and one year into COVID-19 pandemic, p < 0.05. 3 Significant differences between before the COVID-19 pandemic and one year into COVID-19 pandemic, p < 0.05.