Abstract
Background: The negative impact of isolation, confinement, and physical (in)activity due to pandemic movement restriction has been well-documented over the past year, but less is known on the impact of these policies on children's physical fitness. This study was designed to determine the effects of pandemic movement restriction policies on the 24-hour movement behavior (24-HMB) of children, and whether any alterations are reflected in worsening physical fitness outcomes determined via direct testing.Methods: A two-phase, repeated-measures study with matched controls was conducted. Phase One: N = 62 schoolchildren (N = 31 female) completed self-assessment questionnaires on 24-HMB in October 2018 (pre-pandemic) and again in April 2020, at the height of movement restrictions enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic first wave. Phase Two: physical fitness of the original N = 62 children were determined directly pre- and post-isolation using an eight-component standardized fitness test battery and compared to N = 62 control children who were matched for age, sex, school region, and fitness centile scores.Results: During lockdown (total duration: 63 days), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) decreased by ~46 min per day, screen time demonstrated a significant interaction effect, such that kids reported spending less recreational screen time on weekends during lockdown compared to no restriction, and sleep duration was consistently lower (95% CI: −104.1 to −45.5 min, p < 0.001). No interaction effect was present for direct fitness indicators, including: hand tapping (reaction time), standing broad jump, polygon backward obstacle course (coordination), sit-ups, stand-and-reach, bent-arm hang, 60-m, and 600-m run (p ≥ 0.05) although significant main effects are noted for both sexes.Conclusion: Initial changes in 24-HMB did not translate to reductions in physical fitness per se, likely due to the high initial fitness levels of the children. Further work is needed to confirm whether longer or repeated movement restrictions exacerbate initial negative 24-HMB trends, especially for children who are less fit when restrictions are initiated, prolonged, or repeated.
Highlights
Climate change is severely affecting all aspects of human life on Earth, in both direct and indirect ways [1]
The authors found that in the detraining period, the prepeak-height group showed greatest loss of strength and power compared to children who were past their peak growth phase
Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was significantly affected by the COVID-19 lockdown measures such that self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) minutes decreased substantially, by ∼46 min per day
Summary
Climate change is severely affecting all aspects of human life on Earth, in both direct (e.g. floods, drafts, wildfires) and indirect ways (e.g., ecosystem disruptions, increased air pollution, more aeroallergens) [1]. Researchers found that global responses to 4 weeks of detraining (after 8 weeks of leg press training) in 10–13-year-old, pre-peak-height-velocity stage boys, can persist over baseline measures for at least a month [11] The exercises they tested included assessments of boys’ dominant and nondominant limbs, unilateral one repetition maximum (RM) and 60% one RM, knee extension, knee flexion, handgrip maximal voluntary isometric contraction, and countermovement jumps. The authors found that in the detraining period, the prepeak-height group showed greatest loss of strength and power compared to children who were past their peak growth phase They emphasized that maintenance programs are needed for most aspects of explosive performance, especially for less mature children. This study was designed to determine the effects of pandemic movement restriction policies on the 24-hour movement behavior (24-HMB) of children, and whether any alterations are reflected in worsening physical fitness outcomes determined via direct testing
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