Abstract
Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are associated with poor physical and mental health. The article aims to assess the changes in the habits of the Brazilian participants engaged in physical activities in relation to their practices, due the measures of social distancing during the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020. The secondary objective was to describe their levels of anxiety and depression. The questionnaire used in this online survey included demographic information, questions about self-perceptions of the impact of the COVID-19 in the life routines and the 14-item Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. A total of 1,613 adults completed the questionnaire between May 11 and 15, 2020. Of those, 79.4% reported that the measures to contain the epidemic had any impact on their physical activities, and many had to interrupt or decrease the frequency of their practices. Participants who felt a higher impact of quarantine on their physical activities tend to have higher prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms. Individuals who practiced physical activities reported that social distance had a high influence on their practices. Furthermore, changes in these habits are associated with high levels of poor mental health.
Highlights
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by a RNA virus named the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), introduced to human populations in November or December 20191,2
Physical activity is associated with reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms in multiple populations[34,35], and the results of this study highlight a very large number of people with symptoms of anxiety and depression according to the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), which is compatible with the literature
Using the HADS, a Chinese study including hospitalized patients with COVID-19 estimated that 34.7% and 28.5% of the participants presented symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively[36]
Summary
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by a RNA virus named the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), introduced to human populations in November or December 20191,2. The first cases of the disease appeared in Wuhan, the capital city of Chinese Hubei Province, and the COVID-19 quickly spread outside China reaching practically every country in the world[1]. In Brazil, COVID-19 was declared as a public health emergency on February 3, 2020, and on February 6, the Brazilian Ministry of Health approved the law 13979 with measures that included isolation and quarantine[4,5]. The first case of the disease in Brazil was registered on February 26, 2020 in São Paulo[4,6], and as of May 14, 202,918 reported cases and 13,993 deaths had been registered all over the country (official data from the Brazilian Ministry of Health)[7]. Essential to decrease the spread of the disease, these measures reduced opportunities to remain physically active, probably influencing the increase in sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity of the population
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