Physical Activity and Diet in a Global Pandemic: An Investigation of the Impact of COVID-19 on Factors Relevant for Musculoskeletal Health at Two Different Stages of the Lifecourse

Abstract

BackgroundPhysical activity, nutrition and other lifestyle factors play important roles in maintaining musculoskeletal health. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) originated in late 2019, spread globally to be declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation in March 2020, and led to widespread behaviour change. The aim of this study was to use two existing cohorts, the Hertfordshire Cohort Study (HCS) and Health and Employment After Fifty Study (HEAF), to understand how wave one of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted lifestyle factors associated with musculoskeletal health in the UK.Methods125 eligible participants, 65 males and 60 females (drawn from the HCS study, median (IQR) age 84.3 (82.4-86.6) years, all Caucasian, and community dwelling) were contacted by telephone and asked to complete a questionnaire administered by a trained researcher. Data collection occurred over the period July 2020 to February 2021. 2469 participants, 1086 men and 1383 women (drawn from the HEAF study, median age 65.7 (62.0-69.3) years, mostly Caucasian and community dwelling) completed an online questionnaire in March 2021.ResultsIn HCS, 47% respondents reported being less physically active than before the pandemic (and only 5% more so), 27% said they consumed less alcohol compared to pre-pandemic times (and only 3% more so), and 18% reported eating less than before, although quality of diet was generally unchanged over this timeframe surveyed. In HEAF, 44% participants said they were less active than before the pandemic, while 17% reported being more active. The majority of participants reported no changes in alcohol consumption and diet; however, 19% said they drank more than before (32% of which was above recommended levels), 16% said their diet was less healthy, and 19% reported eating more than before.ConclusionWe have reported the experience of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic among participants of two Caucasian community dwelling UK cohorts, highlighting the impact of the pandemic on lifestyle factors associated with musculoskeletal health. Changed physical activity levels were reported in a high proportion of respondents in both studies; an investigation of reversibility of these changes is required.

Patient-Perceived Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medication Adherence and Access to Care for Long-Term Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey

“…Finally, our study shows the impact of the pandemic on recommended diet and physical activities, which is consistent with other studies reporting on self-care measures [64,65]. Lockdown measures such as stay-at-home orders and quarantine often limited opportunities for physical exercise and increased sedentary behavior, as well as changes in dietary patterns such as increases in overeating [66,67].…”

A study of diet in older community-dwelling adults in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from the Southampton Longitudinal Study of Ageing (SaLSA)

“…Constant et al found that individuals aged 40-60 and 60+ years were around 20% less likely to have made a "positive" lifestyle change in eating habits during the lockdown period in France (23). Similar findings were reported in a recent study by Bevilacqua et al of participants from two UK cohorts of community-dwelling older adults: during the first months of the pandemic, individuals from the younger cohort (median age 65 years) reported more negative changes to their diets when compared to those from the older cohort (median age 84 years) (24). In addition, Bevilacqua et al reported that younger women were more likely to have increased their food intake and reduced the quality of their diet compared to men (24), a tendency that we also notice in our sample population, with more women than men reporting both a decrease in diet quality (9.4% vs. 4.9%) and an increase in food intake (7.2% vs. 4.5%); however, in our study this difference was not statistically significant.…”

“…Similar findings were reported in a recent study by Bevilacqua et al of participants from two UK cohorts of community-dwelling older adults: during the first months of the pandemic, individuals from the younger cohort (median age 65 years) reported more negative changes to their diets when compared to those from the older cohort (median age 84 years) (24). In addition, Bevilacqua et al reported that younger women were more likely to have increased their food intake and reduced the quality of their diet compared to men (24), a tendency that we also notice in our sample population, with more women than men reporting both a decrease in diet quality (9.4% vs. 4.9%) and an increase in food intake (7.2% vs. 4.5%); however, in our study this difference was not statistically significant. Quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on physical and mental health as well as on lifestyle in older adults from five Central American countries; a greater effect was reported on having a balanced diet, frequency of falls, and functional ability amongst others (25).…”