Changes in Sitting Time, Screen Exposure and Physical Activity during COVID-19 Lockdown in South American Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Kabir P. Sadarangani, Gabriela F. De Roia, Pablo Lobo, Robinson Chavez, Jacob Meyer, Carlos Cristi-Montero, David Martinez-Gomez, Gerson Ferrari, Felipe B. Schuch, Alejandro Gil-Salmerón, Marco Solmi, Nicola Veronese, Hosam Alzahrani, Igor Grabovac, Cristina M. Caperchione, Mark A. Tully and Lee Smith
Additional contact information
Kabir P. Sadarangani: Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Salud y Odontología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago 8370179, Chile
Gabriela F. De Roia: Laboratorio de Estudios en Actividad Física (LEAF), Universidad de Flores (UFLO), Buenos Aires C1406, Argentina
Pablo Lobo: Laboratorio de Estudios en Actividad Física (LEAF), Universidad de Flores (UFLO), Buenos Aires C1406, Argentina
Robinson Chavez: Instituto de Salud Pública Andrés Bello, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago 8370149, Chile
Jacob Meyer: Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Carlos Cristi-Montero: IRyS Group, Physical Education School, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2530388, Chile
David Martinez-Gomez: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and IdiPaz, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Gerson Ferrari: Escuela de Ciencias de la Actividad Física, el Deporte y la Salud, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 7500618, Chile
Felipe B. Schuch: Department of Sports Methods and Techniques, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria 97105-900, RS, Brazil
Alejandro Gil-Salmerón: International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC), Annex Offices, Oxford OX2 6UD, UK
Marco Solmi: Department of Neurosciences, Padua Neurosciences Center, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy
Nicola Veronese: Geriatrics Section, Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
Hosam Alzahrani: Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Igor Grabovac: Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Wien, Austria
Cristina M. Caperchione: Human Performance Research Centre, School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
Mark A. Tully: Institute of Mental Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Ulster University, Newtownabbey BT37 0QB, UK
Lee Smith: The Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 10, 1-12

Abstract: The worldwide prevalence of insufficient physical activity (PA) and prolonged sedentary behavior (SB) were high before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Measures that were taken by governments (such as home confinement) to control the spread of COVID-19 may have affected levels of PA and SB. This cross-sectional study among South American adults during the first months of COVID-19 aims to (i) compare sitting time (ST), screen exposure, moderate PA (MPA), vigorous PA (VPA), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) before and during lockdown to sociodemographic correlates and (ii) to assess the impact of lockdown on combinations of groups reporting meeting/not-meeting PA recommendations and engaging/not-engaging excessive ST (?7 h/day). Bivariate associations, effect sizes, and multivariable linear regressions were used. Adults from Argentina ( n = 575) and Chile ( n = 730) completed an online survey with questions regarding demographics, lifestyle factors, and chronic diseases. Mean reductions of 42.7 and 22.0 min./day were shown in MPA and VPA, respectively; while increases of 212.4 and 164.3 min./day were observed in screen and ST, respectively. Those who met PA recommendations and spent <7 h/day of ST experienced greatest changes, reporting greater than 3 h/day higher ST and more than 1.5 h/day lower MVPA. Findings from the present study suggest that efforts to promote PA to South American adults during and after COVID-19 restrictions are needed.

Keywords: COVID-19; exercise; sedentary behavior; screen time; public health; health behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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