Stay-at-Home Orders during COVID-19: The Influence on Physical Activity and Recreational Screen Time Change among Diverse Emerging Adults and Future Implications for Health Promotion and the Prevention of Widening Health Disparities.

Daheia J. Barr-Anderson,Dianne Neumark-Sztainer,Samantha L. Hahn,Vivienne M. Hazzard,Amanda L. Folk,Brooke E. Wagner

doi:10.3390/ijerph182413228

Daheia J. Barr-Anderson, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413228

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Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine changes in physical activity (PA) and recreational screen time (RST) behaviors from pre-COVID-19 in 2018 to Spring 2020 during the mandatory stay-at-home order in an ethnically/racially, socioeconomically diverse sample of emerging adults. Methods: Longitudinal data were analyzed from 218 participants (Mage = 24.6 ± 2.0 years) who completed two surveys: EAT 2018 (Eating and Activity over Time) and C-EAT in 2020 (during COVID-19). Repeated ANCOVAs and multiple linear regression models were conducted. Results: Moderate-to-vigorous and total PA decreased (4.7 ± 0.3 to 3.5 ± 0.3 h/week [p < 0.001] and 7.9 ± 0.4 to 5.8 ± 0.4 h/week [p < 0.001], respectively), and RST increased from 26.5 ± 0.9 to 29.4 ± 0.8 h/week (p = 0.003). Perceived lack of neighborhood safety, ethnic/racial minoritized identities, and low socioeconomic status were significant predictors of lower PA and higher RST during COVID-19. For example, low SES was associated with 4.04 fewer hours of total PA compared to high SES (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Stay-at-home policies may have significantly influenced PA and RST levels in emerging adults with pre-existing disparities exacerbated during this mandatory period of sheltering-in-place. This suggests that the pandemic may have played a role in introducing or magnifying these disparities. Post-pandemic interventions will be needed to reverse trends in PA and RST, with a focus on improving neighborhood safety and meeting the needs of low socioeconomic and ethnic/racial minoritized groups.

Highlights

Prior to the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), inadequate physical activity (PA) and excessive screen time were already public health concerns for people living in the United States, as physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are highly prevalent risk factors for cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, depression, and premature death [1]
Results from repeated ANCOVA analyses controlling for the month of the year during which the EAT 2018 survey was completed to account for potential pre-pandemic seasonal differences
We found that, on average, there was a decrease in PA and an increase in screen time during the COVID-19 mandatory stay-at-home order; these findings are similar to what was found in an older, more racially homogenous sample of U.S

Summary

Introduction

Prior to the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), inadequate physical activity (PA) and excessive screen time were already public health concerns for people living in the United States, as physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are highly prevalent risk factors for cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, depression, and premature death [1]. As a result of the stay-at-home orders implemented both domestically and internationally to curb the spread of COVID-19, public venues such as fitness centers, certain parks, schools, restaurants, and theaters closed [2], and the public was encouraged to stay at home as much as possible and only leave for essential activities. As many people were urged to stay within the confines of their homes and faced with the cancellation of in-person activities (i.e., on-site work, school, extracurricular activities), important health behaviors, such as PA and screen time, may have been affected.

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