Abstract
BackgroundThis study aims to determine the changes in physical activity and actigraphy-measured rest-activity circadian rhythm among Hong Kong community aged population before and during the outbreak of COVID-19.MethodsThis is a three repeated measure population-based cross-sectional study. We recruited community older men aged > 60 years in three periods of the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong, i.e., before the COVID-19 outbreak (2 July 2019–8 January 2020), between the 2nd and 3rd waves of COVID-19 (23 June 2020–9 July 2020), and during the 3rd wave of COVID-19 (15 September 2020–29 September 2020). Participants reported detailed information on their physical activity habits using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and wore actigraphs continuously for 7 days (168 h). The actigraph data were then transferred to four rest-activity circadian rhythm parameters: midline statistic of rhythm (MESOR), amplitude, acrophase and percent rhythm. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to estimate the association of period effect of COVID-19 on physical activity and rest-activity circadian rhythm parameters.ResultsAmong the 242 community older men, 106 (43.8%) of them were recruited before the COVID-19 outbreak, 66 (27.3%) were recruited between the 2nd and 3rd waves of COVID-19, and 70 (28.9%) were recruited during the late phase of the 3rd wave of COVID-19. Compared with those recruited before COVID-19, participants recruited between the 2nd and 3rd waves of COVID-19 had lower physical activity (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.03, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) =1.05–3.93), MESOR (AOR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.01–4.18), and amplitude (AOR = 1.91, 95%CI = 0.95–3.83). There was no difference in physical activity or circadian rhythm parameters between subjects recruited before and during the late phase of the 3rd wave.ConclusionsThis study found that the effect of COVID-19 on physical activity and rest-activity circadian rhythm for the community people may be short-term, indicating strong resilience of the community population. Although maintaining physical activity are encouraged for the older adults to sustain good health, a rebound in their physical activity may be a sign for the next wave of outbreak if insufficient social distancing and population protection are facilitated.
Highlights
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a human-tohuman infectious disease which is highly contagious via transmission mainly through respiratory droplets [1]
This study found that the effect of COVID-19 on physical activity and rest-activity circadian rhythm for the community people may be short-term, indicating strong resilience of the community population
Maintaining physical activity are encouraged for the older adults to sustain good health, a rebound in their physical activity may be a sign for the wave of outbreak if insufficient social distancing and population protection are facilitated
Summary
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a human-tohuman infectious disease which is highly contagious via transmission mainly through respiratory droplets [1]. The outbreak of COVID-19 awakened the memories of the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in Hong Kong which promoted many people to conscientiously wear masks and practice social distancing immediately after knowing the spread of a new pathogen in the community All these intended actions and personal restriction were used to break the chain of infection from the SARS-Cov-2 virus, but on the other hand these control of measures potentially reduced people’s physical activity, dampened their rest-activity circadian rhythms and affected their health. Social restrictions due to COVID-19 resulted in the reduction of physical activity levels among older adults (e.g., less likely to take a walk or do exercises) This physically less active status and the accompanied less robust rest-activity circadian rhythm may pose the aged people at increased risk of diabetes [5], cardiovascular diseases [6, 7] and all-cause mortality [8]. This study aims to determine the changes in physical activity and actigraphy-measured rest-activity circadian rhythm among Hong Kong community aged population before and during the outbreak of COVID-19
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