Life in a time of COVID: retrospective examination of the association between physical activity and mental well-being in western Australians during and after lockdown

Abstract

Background The aim of this study was to examine physical activity and sedentary behaviours during Western Australia’s COVID-19 lockdown and their association with mental well-being. Methods Participants completed activity related questions approximately two months after a three-month lockdown (which formed part of a larger cross-sectional study from August to October 2020) as part of a 25-minute questionnaire adapted from the Western Australia Health and Well-being Surveillance system. Open-ended questions explored key issues relating to physical activity behaviours. Results During the lockdown period, 463 participants (female, n = 347; 75.3%) reported lower number of active days (W = 4.47 p < .001), higher non-work-related screen hours per week (W = 11.8 p < .001), and higher levels of sitting time (χ2=28.4 p < .001). Post lockdown body mass index was higher (U = 3.0 p = .003), with obese individuals reporting the highest non-work-related screen hours per week (Wald χ2= 8.9 p = .012). Inverse associations were found for mental well-being where higher lockdown scores of Kessler-10 (p = .011), Dass-21 anxiety (p = .027) and Dass-21 depression (p = .011) were associated with lower physical activity levels. A key qualitative message from participants was wanting to know how to stay healthy during lockdown. Conclusions Lockdown was associated with lower physical activity, higher non-work-related screen time and more sitting time compared to post lockdown which also reported higher body mass index. Lower levels of mental well-being were associated with lower physical activity levels during lockdown. Given the known positive affect of physical activity on mental well-being and obesity, and the detrimental associations shown in this study, a key public health message should be considered in an attempt to maintain healthy activity behaviours in future lockdowns and similar emergency situations to promote and maintain positive well-being. Furthermore, consideration should be given to the isolation of a community due to infectious disease outbreaks and to recognise the important role physical activity plays in maintaining weight and supporting good mental health.

Bouncing back from COVID-19: a Western Australian community perspective

“…Since the LTA can identify subpopulations based on the behavioral profiles, it can be useful for informing diverse targeted strategies to effectively plan future health promotion campaigns and procedures in future. For example, some of the topics that were identified in the studies by Bhoyroo et al (8) and Piggott et al (24) also emerged in the present study as being associated with specific subgroups. For instance, Piggott et al (24) reported that some people were "challenged to stay motivated and to find new ways to exercise in general or lacked motivation overall, " which is most likely be associated with inactive groups from the present study.…”

“…For example, some of the topics that were identified in the studies by Bhoyroo et al (8) and Piggott et al (24) also emerged in the present study as being associated with specific subgroups. For instance, Piggott et al (24) reported that some people were "challenged to stay motivated and to find new ways to exercise in general or lacked motivation overall, " which is most likely be associated with inactive groups from the present study. Similarly, the present study revealed detailed information of the different characteristics of individuals that reported "no change" in Bhoyroo et al ( 8) study-that is, individuals who "remain" in their group in present study.…”

“…Two classes were characterized by inactivity, and three classes were characterized as active. The transition between LTA classes post-COVID-19 lockdown provided important insights for protective and risk factors for maintaining health and wellbeing during pandemic conditions, extending the research by Bhoyroo et al (8) and Piggott et al (24).…”

“…The study by Bhoyroo et al (8) revealed several individual changes in behavior and mental health during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. Similarly, drawing from the same sample as Bhoyroo et al (8), Piggott et al (24) more deeply investigated the association between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown. Since the LTA offers a unique approach to explore the hidden subgroups that the previous conventional methodological approach (e.g., regression, within-subject analysis, or group comparisons) cannot detect, the present study expands the earlier research by Bhoyroo et al (8) and Piggott et al (24) by focusing on group behavior rather than individual-or population-level changes.…”

“…In contrast to the 10-item Kessler psychological distress scale (K10) utilized in the study by Bhoyroo et al (8), the present study utilized the shorter 6-item version (K6). The K-6 version was chosen due to the validated "dichotomic" categorization: "No probable serious mental illness" (sum range 6-18) and "Probable serious mental illness" (sum range [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] established by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (34). The K-6 includes six items from the original K-10 version: felt nervous, hopeless, restless or fidgety, worthless, everything was an effort, and so sad/depressed that nothing could cheer you up, and it has been validated among the Australian general population (35,36).…”