Document Type
Article
Abstract
During the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, physical activity (PA) behaviors were altered worldwide due to public health measures such as “lockdown.” This study described PA among adults residing in 11 countries during COVID-19 lockdown and examined factors associated with PA engagement. We conducted a cross-sectional anonymous survey among adults (≥18 years old) in 11 countries (Brazil, Bulgaria, China, India, Ireland, Malaysia, North Macedonia, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, United States). Of 11,775 participants, 63.7% were female and 52.8% were 18–34 years old. More than 40% of participants were insufficiently active (43.9%) and reported a decrease in their PA during lockdown (44.8%). Statistically significant differences were observed in (1) proportions of participants being insufficiently active, (2) level of PA, and (3) decrease in PA across the 11 countries. More stringent governmental policy responses were associated with greater likelihood of being insufficiently active during lockdown (adjusted odds ratio = 1.22, 95% confidence interval = 1.03, 1.45). Higher depression or anxiety scores were associated with greater likelihood of decreased level of PA during lockdown.We found substantial reductions in PA levels during COVID-19 lockdown across countries. Country-specific PA promotion interventions are needed during this and similar global emergencies.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication Info
Published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Volume 18, Issue 3, 2021, pages 7056-.
Rights
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/)
APA Citation
Ding, K., Yang, J., Chin, M.-K., Sullivan, L., Durstine, J., Violant-Holz, V., Demirhan, G., Oliveira, N., Popeska, B., Kuan, G., Khan, W., Dai, J., Xu, X., Mladenova, Z., Balasekaran, G., & Smith, G. (2021). Physical activity among adults residing in 11 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(13), 7056. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18137056