Decreased levels of physical activity: results from a cross-sectional study in southern Italy during the COVID-19 lockdown

Franco, Isabella; Bianco, Antonella; Bonfiglio, Caterina; Sorino, Paolo; Mirizzi, Antonella; Campanella, Angelo J.; Buongiorno, Claudia; Liuzzi, Rosalba; Osella, Alberto Rubén

doi:10.23736/s0022-4707.20.11536-6

Cited by 26 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Previous studies exploring lifestyle and behavioural variations during the lockdown in European adults were conducted, in the majority of cases, at a national level (mainly in The Netherlands, 61,62 Spain, 42,52 Scotland, 53 Poland, 54 UK 55 Italy 41,56,63,64 . France, 57 Croatia, 58 Belgium 59 ), generally confirming the trend towards the unhealthy behaviours described in our study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Multiplying effects of COVID‐19 lockdown on metabolic risk and fatty liver

Shanmugam

Ciaula

Palo

et al. 2021

Eur J Clin Investigation

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Background Social containment measures imposed in Europe during the lockdown to face COVID‐19 pandemic can generate long‐term potential threats for metabolic health. Methods A cohort of 494 non‐COVID‐19 subjects living in 21 EU countries were interviewed by an anonymous questionnaire exploring anthropometric and lifestyle changes during 1‐month lockdown. A subgroup of 41 overweight/obese Italian subjects with previously diagnosed nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) joined the study following a 12‐month follow‐up period promoting weight loss by healthy lifestyle. Results During the lockdown, body weight increased in 55% of subjects (average 2.4 ± 0.9 kg). Weight change increased with age, but not baseline body mass index. Subjects living in Italy had greater weight gain than those living in other European Countries. Weight gain during the lockdown was highest in subjects reporting no physical activity, and low adherence to Mediterranean diet. In the NAFLD group, weight gain occurred in 70% of cases. Subjects reporting weight loss during lockdown had decreased fatty liver score at 3 months before the lockdown, as compared with 1 year before. Conclusions Strict measures of social containment—even short‐term—pave the way to the increased risk of metabolic abnormalities in the medium‐long term. In this context, adherence to Mediterranean diet and regular physical activity play a protective role both in terms of weight gain and fatty liver development/progression, with implication for primary and secondary prevention. When adopting measures imposing social containment, intensive educational campaigns must increase public awareness about beneficial effects of healthy lifestyles.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Multiplying effects of COVID‐19 lockdown on metabolic risk and fatty liver

Shanmugam

Ciaula

Palo

et al. 2021

Eur J Clin Investigation

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“…Firstly, the current results show that METs increased on average in men but not in women, according to previous reports on higher male PA and EE [2,29]. Secondly, METs decreased in overweight subjects but not in normal-weight or obese people.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…These benefits were more marked in men than women. The present finding was not surprising since, as already reported, men generally appear to be more active than their female counterparts [2,29].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…In our previous study [ 2 ], performed during the first 2-month home confinement (March to May 2020), physical activity (PA) levels and energy expenditure (EE) (MET-minutes/week) were estimated in a cohort of subjects from the Southern Italian population before and during the home confinement. Evaluations were performed by administering online an adapted, validated, and already used version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) [ 3 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Physical Activity Reduction and the Worsening of Gastrointestinal Health Status during the Second COVID-19 Home Confinement in Southern Italy

Bianco

Franco

Osella

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in December 2020, the Italian government established a second home confinement during the Christmas holidays. These restrictions offered the opportunity to utilize a well-defined model for observing the consequences of lifestyle changes of healthy individuals. This study aimed at estimating in healthy subjects from Southern Italy the physical activity (PA), the presence and the severity of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, and the association between the possible worsening of GI health status and the PA levels. An adapted version of the International PA Questionnaire-short form (IPAQ-SF) and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) were proposed through Google’s online survey platform in three different periods via WhatsAppTM to 499 healthy subjects (62% females) from Apulia (25%), Calabria (37%), and Campania (38%). Our results showed statistically significant changes during the home confinement: reduced energy expenditure (EE) among overweight subjects (−239.82, 95%CI −405.74; −73.89) or those who had high GSRS total score (−1079.54, 95%CI −2027.43; −131.66). An increase in GSRS total score was observed in overweight subjects, reaching statistical significance in those from Campania. Our study supports the importance of PA to reduce health risks, including those related to the possible onset of GI tract diseases.

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“…However, Italian researchers conducted a study simultaneously with the present study and discovered that mandated restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as social distancing, contributed to the reduction of regular physical activity (Franco et al, 2021). In addition, Cheikh Ismail et al (2020) analyzed data from countries in the Middle East and north Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic discovered an increase in the number of meals consumed and that ∼50% of participants did not consume fruits on a daily basis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Physical Activity Is Associated With Improved Eating Habits During the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2021

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The aim of this study was to analyze the association between physical activity and eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic among Brazilian adults. A sample of 1,929 participants answered an online survey, however 1,874 were included in the analysis. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating habits was assessed inquiring about participants' intake of fruits, vegetables, fried foods, and sweets during the pandemic. Physical activity was assessed by asking participants about their weekly frequency, intensity and number of minutes/hours engaging in structured physical activities per week. Participants were then stratified into categories based on moderate-to-vigorous intensity (0–30; 31–90; 91–150; 151–300; and >300 min/week) and into active (≥150 min) or inactive (<150 min). Increased sweets consumption was the most commonly reported change to eating habits (42.5%), followed by an increase in the consumption of vegetables (26.6%), fruits (25.9%), and fried foods (17.9%). Physical activity practice was related to lower consumption of fried foods (OR = 0.60; p < 0.001) and sweets (OR = 0.53; p < 0.001). A cluster analysis revealed subjects with higher the level of physical activity was more likely to follow a healthy diet (p < 0.001). Thus, physical activity was positively associated with healthier eating habits. Health authorities must recommend regular physical as a strategy to improve overall health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies should address the physical activity interventions to improve health status during a pandemic.

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Decreased levels of physical activity: results from a cross-sectional study in southern Italy during the COVID-19 lockdown

Cited by 26 publications

References 36 publications

Multiplying effects of COVID‐19 lockdown on metabolic risk and fatty liver

Multiplying effects of COVID‐19 lockdown on metabolic risk and fatty liver

Physical Activity Reduction and the Worsening of Gastrointestinal Health Status during the Second COVID-19 Home Confinement in Southern Italy

Physical Activity Is Associated With Improved Eating Habits During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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