Background: Although home confinement reduces the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections, it may negatively impact the psychological and physical health of older adults. Objective: The present study attempted to describe the quality of life (QoL) of older adults before and during the COVID-19 outbreak focus on evaluating QoL, physical activity, sitting time, and sleep quality during home confinement. Method: The present study was conducted in 1,063 older adults (91% females) enrolled in a Brazilian social program. They were interviewed for QoL (EQ-5D), physical activity (international physical activity questionnaire-short vision), and sleep quality [Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI)] after 11.6 ± 2.4 weeks of confinement. Logistic regression confirmed changes in QoL. Results: The QoL (86.5 ± 14.7) decreased significantly during confinement (66.0 ± 21.0; P < 0.001), whereas the PSQI global score was 6.8 ± 3.9 points. Older adults spent 18.7 ± 29.8 min/day in moderate to vigorous physical activity, whereas they spent 325.5 ± 144.4 min/day sitting. The PSQI global score [odds ratio (OR): 1.10], sitting time (OR: 1.001), and diseases (OR: 1.23) were significantly associated with low QoL (P <0.05). Conclusion: Confinement has a deleterious effect on QoL, which is influenced by quality of sleep, sitting time, and disease. Awareness regarding the significance of sleep and physical exercise in older adults can mitigate the damage to their health during confinement.

METHODS:A sample of 513 undergraduate students (Mage 19.1 ± 1.2 years; 348 females; 24.4% nonwhite) reported perceived stress level and hours per week of engagement in physical activity, screen time, and sleep. Participants then participated in a body composition assessment (using bioelectrical impedance analysis; yielding individuals' percent body fat) and a VO2max aerobic fitness assessment (using a maximal graded exercise test; yielding individuals' ageand sex-adjusted aerobic fitness percentile). RESULTS: No relationships between percent body fat or aerobic fitness and stress were identified. Stepwise hierarchical regression analyses identified that screen time, sleep, and the threeway interaction of screen time, sleep, and physical activity were predictive of perceived stress levels, over and above the influence of demographic factors (Fchange(4, 508) = 9.3, p < 0.001, f 2 = 0.05 [95% CI: 0.01 to 0.09], R 2 change = 0.05). Post-hoc decomposition revealed that higher levels of physical activity and sleep both mitigated the relationship between screen time and perceived stress. Specifically, the relationship between total weekly screen time and stress was only apparent when total weekly physical activity was low and total weekly sleep was low to moderate, (B's ≥ 0.01 [95% CI: 0.01 to 0.03], SE B's = 0.01, β's ≥ 0.13, p's ≤ 0.003). CONCLUSION: These findings provide important context about the ways in which health behavior in multiple areas may impact students' well-being -and could be used to inform future intervention work in the area of stress reduction.

A solidão é uma percepção de insatisfação que parece resultar da carência de relacionamentos significativos, sendo múltiplos os seus potenciais fatores causais. A atual evidência não é robusta no que diz respeito à associação da solidão com a atividade física (AF) e aptidão física (ApF) em adultos 50+. O objetivo deste estudo transversal é caracterizar a AF e ApF de acordo com a solidão. Os 62 indivíduos portugueses (64,68 ± 6,85 anos; 68% mulheres) foram avaliados para solidão (Escala de Solidão de 16 itens da Universidade da Califórnia em Los Angeles - UCLA-16) e classificados como Isolamento Social ou Afinidades, i.e., presença de relações socias significativas. A AF foi estimada por questionário (Questionário Internacional de AF - Versão Curta - IPAQ-SV) e a ApF medida pela bateria Senior Fitness Test (força de membros superiores e inferiores, flexibilidade de membros superiores e membros inferiores, aptidão cardiorrespiratória e agilidade e equilíbrio dinâmico. Foram utilizadas estatísticas descritivas. A comparação entre grupos foi realizada através de testes paramétricos (teste-t, ANCOVA ajustada ao sexo e qui quadrado) e não paramétricos (Mann-Whitney). A prevalência de isolamento social foi de 53%. O grupo Afinidades apresentou mais AF moderada a vigorosa comparativamente ao grupo Isolamento Social (11,43 [0,00 – 17,14] vs (0,00 [0,00 – 12,86], respetivamente; p = 0,041). Após ajuste para o sexo, as diferenças deixaram de ser significativas. Os grupos de solidão não foram diferentes relativamente à ApF. A AF parece contribuir para um melhor perfil mental de adultos e idosos, contudo, os resultados devem ser confirmados em estudos com amostras maiores.