Impact of COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Restrictions on Employment Status, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behavior

Abstract

Background. North Americans report insufficient moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and ample sedentary behaviors (SBs), suggesting possible barriers to an active lifestyle. This study compared self-reported MVPA and SB before and during COVID-19 “Stay-at-Home” restrictions as a potential barrier across North America. Methods: Questionnaires were distributed from 21 April to 9 May 2020. ANOVAs compared data overall and by group (age, sex, race, income, education, employment status). Results: During restrictions, 51.4% (n = 687) of the 1336 responses (991 female, 1187 Caucasian, 634 18–29 years) shifted to work from home and 12.1% (n = 162) lost their job. Overall, during restrictions, 8.3% (n = 110) fewer reported work-related MVPA (−178.6 ± 20.9 min/week). Similarly, 28.0% (n = 374) fewer reported travel-related MVPA, especially females and younger age groups. While the 7.3% (n = 98) fewer reporting recreational MVPA was not statistically significant (−30.4 ± 11.5 min/week), there was an increase in SB (+94.9 ± 4.1 min/week) in all groups, except the oldest age group (70+ years). Locomotive activities and fitness class remained the predominant MVPA mode. Of those reportedly using facilities (68%; n = 709) before COVID, 31.3% (n = 418) would not return due to it “being unsafe”. Conclusion: While barriers related to pandemic restrictions had a negative short-term impact on MVPA and SB in North America, the long-term impact is unknown.

Working From Home: Experiences of Home-Working, Health Behavior and Well-Being During the 2020 UK COVID-19 Lockdown

“…For others, however, working from home detrimentally impacted health behavior and well-being. For example, it is well-documented that physical activity decreased and sedentary behaviors increased among home workers during the pandemic 43–45 . Our participants reported that the discontinuation of in-person communication during the lockdown rendered day to day working practices entirely dependent on digital interfaces (see too 46 ).…”

“…For example, it is well-documented that physical activity decreased and sedentary behaviors increased among home workers during the pandemic. [43][44][45] Our participants reported that the discontinuation of in-person communication during the lockdown rendered day to day working practices entirely dependent on digital interfaces (see too 46 ). Home-workers experienced a greater number of online meetings, and many described feeling pressured to be visibly online throughout the day to demonstrate to colleagues that they were working.…”

Hidden Costs of the COVID-19 Pandemic Response

“…Medical students in Taiwan experienced significant deficits in clinical emergency training [ 31 ]. Lockdowns and school closures have also been linked to decreases in physical activity and substantial increases in screen time and negative emotions [ 32 , 33 , 34 ].…”

Impact of Shifting From Office Work to Telework on Workers’ Physical Health

“…When workers shift from workplace work to telework, health issues may arise. Several previous studies indicated that telework leads to decreased physical activity, [8][9][10][11][12][13] increased screen time, 9,14 unhealthy eating habits, such as snacking, and increased alcohol consumption. 9,[13][14][15] These lifestyle changes of workers may result in their weight gain or a deterioration in their mental health, such as isolation, loneliness, and work-family conflict.…”

“…9,[13][14][15] These lifestyle changes of workers may result in their weight gain or a deterioration in their mental health, such as isolation, loneliness, and work-family conflict. 14,[16][17][18][19][20] However, most previous studies on this point have been cross-sectional studies [8][9][10][12][13][14][15][16][17]19,20 using self-administered questionnaires, [8][9][10][12][13][14][15][16][17][19][20][21] and there have been few studies using objectively measured data with a longitudinal study design, although such studies are crucial to clarify the details of the health effects of telework. Therefore, in this study, we longitudinally analyzed the changes in physical health before and after the introduction of telework among Japanese workers.…”