Abstract
Social workers require a better understanding of the impact of pandemic measures on the level of physical activity of their clients to better target client activation. In this retrospective tracker-based study (two years of measurement), we examined changes in the physical activity of the elderly population (204 participants with an average age of 84.5 years) in the Czech Republic as a result of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Physical activity was statistically compared according to the physical, demographic and social conditions of the participants. In addition to observing the expected activity decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic, we made several hypotheses based on the sex, age group, body mass index, type of housing (apartment or house) and size of the city of residence. We found that 33% of the 204 participants had increased levels of physical activity in the period following the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Central Europe. We found that the size of the city where the seniors lived and the type of housing did not affect the general level of physical activity. When comparing physical acquisition rates in each month of 2019 and 2020, we saw the largest declines in April and May 2020, that is, one month after the start of the lockdown.
Highlights
Necessary restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic forced social isolation of the population, and this led to a reduction in physical activity. (PA) [1]
We evaluated the relationship between the results of the subjective questionnaire survey and the objective measurement of the change in physical activity level (PAL)
There was a decrease in PA among the elderly in the during-COVID period compared to the pre-COVID period, as we expected
Summary
Necessary restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic forced social isolation of the population, and this led to a reduction in physical activity. (PA) [1]. A reduction in physical activity level (PAL) has adverse health consequences for the elderly [2]. Changes occur in both the structure and function of organs Many of these changes are characterised by a decline in physiological reserves to such an extent that, even when basic functions are preserved, organ systems become progressively less able to maintain homeostasis and to cope with the rigours of the environment, disease and medical therapy. These changes can cause increased vulnerability of the body, a decline in certain abilities and a related decline in overall performance. The elderly population is one of the most severely impacted groups [5] and is the focus of our study
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