The effect of two COVID-19 lockdowns on physical activity of school-age children

Abstract

The introduction of strict quarantine restrictions in many countries initiated a direction in science to study the behavioral characteristics of children and adolescents during the social isolation at the population level. We present our observations during the two lockdowns in Ukraine. The objective of this study was to determine: a) the level of light (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) physical activity among school-age children, and b) the impact of the external and internal factors on their physical activity during the lockdown. Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) as part of our questionnaire Q-RAPH was used. Parents of 1091 children 6–18 years old (54% boys) filled Q-RAPH at two measurement points in 2020 and 2021. After performing ANCOVA and logistic regression, we found a significant decrease in MVPA by 12.7% in 2021 compared to 2020 ( p ​< ​0.001) while LPA was about 1.5 ​h a day during both periods. The proportion of children who reach the recommended levels of MVPA also decreased by 13.7% in 2021 ( p ​< ​0.001). Factors negatively affecting the achievement of 60 ​min a day of MVPA were female gender, chronic diseases, overweight/obesity, non-participation in organized sports, and a decrease in the average air temperature. This study evidences the insufficient level of preventive measures and requires an intensification of health education among the Ukrainian population. When developing preventive measures, special attention should be paid to groups vulnerable to MVPA reduction as children who have chronic diseases and/or overweight/obesity as well as non-participation in sports.

The Consequences of the Restrictive Measures Due to Two Strict Covid-19 Lockdowns on Self-Reported Physical Activity in Adolescents

“…Also, this reduction of PA related to changes in body weight, eating and health habits, in adolescents. Moreover, the results of the present study are in line with studies which used parents' reports about their children's PA level, showing a decreased in PA level and an increase in sedentary behavior (Yelizarova et al, 2022;Alghadir et al, 2021;Chambonniere et al 2021;Kovacs et al, 2021;Stverakova et al, 2021;Wunsch et al, 2021;Dunton et al, 2020;Moore et al, 2020;Schmidt et al, 2020;Seculic et al, 2020). Two Greek research studies have found similar results with the present study, showing insufficient levels of PA only during the first lockdown, in adolescents (Androutsos et al 2021;Morres et al, 2021).…”

“…Furthermore, significant decreases in PA reported among boys, in a study in Croatia (Sekulic et al, 2020). On the contrary, two studies found that PA and perceived MVPA to be higher in adolescent boys, compared to girls both strict lockdowns (Yelizarova et al, 2022;Ng et al, 2021).…”

“…Regarding changes in health habits during lockdown, PA participation among girls increased in Germany and Canada (Moore et al, 2020;Schmidt et al, 2020), whereas, a study in Croatia reported significant decreases among boys (Sekulic et al, 2020). On the contrary, in a study in Ukraine, adolescent boys reported higher PA participation, compared to girls (Yelizarova et al, 2022) and moreover, in a Czech study, during the spring 2020 lockdown, boys reported higher levels of participation in MVPA than girls, compared to the levels of participation in the pre-lockdown period (Ng et al, 2021).…”

“…However, lockdowns and being away from school routine (Racine et al, 2020) restricted the above mentioned activities with a negative impact in adolescents' mental health (Ng et al, 2020). Available data using parents' and children's reports from countries all over the world and a large online survey across ten European countries, showed a decline in PA participation, a remarkable increase in screen time and a transition to distance learning, in children aged 6-18 years, during both COVID-19 Strict lockdowns (Yelizarova et al, 2022;Alghadir et al, 2021;Chambonniere et al 2021;Kovacs et al, 2021;Stverakova et al, 2021;Wunsch et al, 2021;Moore et al, 2020;Schmidt et al 2020;Seculic et al 2020). According to Dunton et al (2020), parents reported a decrease in their children's PA and an increase in their sedentary behavior.…”

Anthropometric Indicators of the Cardiometabolic Risk, Muscle Strength, and Functional Capacity of Schoolchildren with Intellectual Disabilities during Lockdown in Chile

“…Compared to the absence of lockdown, the pandemic reduced by up to 61% the levels of physical activity in people with ID [ 14 ]. In this sense, de-schooling due to the COVID-19 pandemic decreased the possibilities of socialization through group activities and interactions among schoolchildren, heightening non-compliance with the recommendations of physical activity for this population, which suggest an average of 60 min/day of physical activity at moderate and vigorous intensity in children under 18 years of age [ 15 ]. In addition, a decrease in explosive muscle actions related to strength and power were observed [ 16 ], together with muscle disuse due to a lack of motor stimuli [ 17 ] and exercise deficit disorder, accompanied by problems such as pediatric dynapenia and physical illiteracy [ 18 ].…”