TABLE 2.
Characteristics of included studies investigating the relation between COVID-19 and physical activity1
| Study ID | Country | Study type | Sample size | Sample characteristics | Assessment tool | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wang et al. 2020 (35) | China | Longitudinal | 3544 | Age: 51.6 ± 8.9 y Sex (F): 1226 (34.6%) Occupation/characteristics: General population | Daily step counts recorded by the accelerometer sensor | Significant decrease in daily steps during COVID-19: reduced by 2678 (95% CI: 2582–2763) |
| Xiang et al. 2020 (51) | China | Longitudinal | 2426 | Age: 6–17 Sex (F): 1184 (48.8%) Occupation/characteristics: Children and adolescents (6–17 y) | WHO Global Physical Activity implantable cardioverter-defibrillators Questionnaire | Reduction in median time spent in physical activity (min/wk) during COVID-19: 540 vs. 105 (P < 0.001) Increase in prevalence of physically inactive students (21.3% vs. 65.6%), P value NRIncrease in screen time (min/wk) by +1730 min [or ∼30 h] per week on average (P < 0.001) |
| Sassone et al. 2020 (44) | Italy | Longitudinal | 24 | Age: 72 ± 10 y Sex (F): 7 (29%) Occupation/characteristics: Patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators | ICD-embedded accelerometric sensors | Significant reduction in physical activity during forced confinement (P = 0.0001) |
| Tornaghi et al. 2020 (47) | Italy | Longitudinal | 1568 | Age: 15–18 y Sex: not stated Occupation/characteristics: High school students | IPAQ | No significant change in physical activity between during and pre-restriction or during and post-restriction COVID-19 rules Only highly active students increased their PA during and after the lockdown measures with respect to their baseline levels |
| Zheng et al. 2020 (45) | Hong Kong | Longitudinal (n = 70)Cross-sectional (n = 631) | 631 | Age: 21.2 ± 2.9 y Sex (M:F): 386 (61.2%) Occupation/characteristics: Young adults | IPAQ | Decrease in vigorous (P < 0.05) and moderate (P < 0.01) physical activity during COVID-19Significant decrease in walking during COVID-19 (P < 0.01) Significant increase in sedentary time during COVID-19 (P < 0.01) |
| Schmidt et al. 2020 (46) | Germany | Longitudinal | 1711 | Age: 4–17 y Sex (F): 852 (49.8%) Occupation/characteristics: 4–17-y-olds | Questionnaire | Increase of 0.44 active days per week (P < 0.01) during COVID-19 11.1% overall increase in adherence to WHO physical activity guidelinesScreen time guideline adherence decreased by 17.5% (P < 0.01) |
| Hanke et al. 2020 (48) | Germany | Longitudinal | 248 | Age: Females: 52.3 ± 13.7 y Males: 56.3 ± 13.7 y Sex (F): 89 (35.9%) Occupation/characteristics: Kidney transplant patients | Questionnaire | Significant decrease in sport (h/wk) during lockdown (P = 0.008) Significant increase in leisure activity2 (h/wk) (P < 0.001 |
| Yang and Koenigstorfer 2020 (49) | USA | Longitudinal | 431 | Age: 39.1 ± 10.6 y Sex (F): 221 (51.3%) Occupation/characteristics: Healthy adults aged between 18 and 65 y old | IPAQ-SF | Significant decrease in moderate PA (P < 0.01), vigorous PA (P < 0.001) and PA in MET-min/wk (P < 0.01) during lockdown No significant change in sedentary time (P = 0.85) or walking (P = 0 .067) |
| Huckins et al. 2020 (37) | USA | Longitudinal | 217 | Age: 18–22 y Sex (F): 147 (67.8%) Occupation/characteristics: Undergraduate students | Mobile phone sensor data | Individuals were more sedentary during COVID-19 (P < 0.001) |
| Gallo et al. 2020 (50) | Australia | Longitudinal | 2018 n = 174 (for PA 158)2019 n = 185 (for PA 177)2020 n = 150 (for PA 149) | Age: 19–27 y Sex (F):For physical activity: 2018: 97, 2019: 104, 2020: 84 Occupation/characteristics: Undergraduate students | Active Australia Survey | Males:Walking participation Significant reduction in 2020 combined with years 2018/2019, (P < 0.05)Vigorous activity No difference between 2020 and years 2018/2019, (P = 0.257) Females:Walking participationSignificant reduction in 2020 combined with years 2018/2019, (P < 0.05)Vigorous activity No difference between 2020 and years 2018/2019 combined (P = 0.245) |
| Hemphill et al. 2020 (36) | Canada | Longitudinal | 109, of which 56 had longitudinal 2019 and 2020 data2019: n = 832020: n = 82 | Age:2019: 13.0 ± 2.3 y 2020: 13.2 ± 2.3 ySex (F): 2019: 42% 2020: 48% Occupation/characteristics: Children with CHD aged 9–16 y | Step count data | Significant reduction in step count during lockdown (P < 0.001) During the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, children with CHD had a decline of 21–24% of their overall daily step counts |
| Bourdas and Zacharakis (2020) (38) | Greece | Longitudinal | 8495 | Age: 37.2 ± 0.2 y Sex (F): 5241 (61.7%) Occupation/characteristics: General population | Activity questionnaire | Overall physical activity decreased during lockdown measures (P < 0.05) Significant reduction (P < 0.05) in sporting activities |
| Munasinghe et al. (2020) (39) | Australia | Longitudinal | 582 | Age: 13–19 y Sex (F): 465 (79.9%) Occupation/characteristics: Adolescents | Questionnaire | Significant decrease in physical activity after physical-distancing measures |
| Muriel et al. (2020) (40) | Spain | Longitudinal | 18 | Age: 24.9 (2.8) y Sex (F): 0 (0%) Occupation/characteristics: Professional cyclists | Objective data collection—specialist software | Total training volume decreased by 33.9% during the lockdown (P < 0.01) Large reductions in best 5-min and best 20-min performances (P < 0.001) |
| Martínez-de-Quel et al. 2020 (31) | Spain | Longitudinal | 161 | Age: 35.0 ± 11.2 [19–65] y Sex (M:F): 60 (37%) Occupation/characteristics: General population | Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (MLTPAQ) | Total physical activity significantly decreased during lockdown (P < 0.001) Increase in number physically inactive during the pandemic (P < 0.001) |
| Savage et al. (2020) (41) | UK | Longitudinal | 214 | Age: 20.0 y Sex (F): 154 (72%) Occupation/characteristics: Students | Questionnaire | Physical activity significantly decreased during the first 5 wk of lockdown (P < 0.01). Sedentary time significantly increased (P < 0.0001) |
| Vetrovsky et al. (2020) (42) | Czech Republic | Longitudinal | 26 | Age: 58.8 (9.8) y Sex (F): 8 (30.7%) Occupation/characteristics: Heart failure patients | Accelerometer | Significant decrease in daily step count during quarantine period (P < 0.001) |
| Zenic et al. (2020) (43) | Croatia | Longitudinal | 823 | Age: 16.5 ± 2.1 y Sex (F): NR Occupation/characteristics: Adolescents | Questionnaire | Physical activity levels significantly decreased during social distancing (P < 0.01).This was greater in urban than rural adolescents |
1
CHD, congenital heart disease; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; MET, metabolic equivalent of task; NR, not reported; PA, physical activity; ICD, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators; IPAQ-SF, Internatonal Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short form; .
2
Includes walks, bike rides, bicycle ergometer training, dancing, and bowling.