Dataset Information

Physical Distancing Measures and Walking Activity in Middle-aged and Older Residents in Changsha, China, During the COVID-19 Epidemic Period: Longitudinal Observational Study.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Physical distancing measures taken to contain COVID-19 transmission may substantially reduce physical activity levels and cause individuals to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study is to determine if there was any change in daily steps, an important component of daily physical activity, and examine risk factors for frequent low daily steps during the COVID-19 epidemic. METHODS:We used data collected from the Step Study, a population-based longitudinal study of walking activity among residents aged ?40 years in Changsha, China. Daily steps were collected via a smartphone linked to WeChat, a social networking platform. We plotted mean daily steps and the prevalence of low daily steps (?1500 steps/day) 30 days before (reference period) and 30 days after (epidemic period) January 21, 2020 (date of the first COVID-19 case diagnosed in Changsha), and compared it with the same corresponding period from 2019. We examined the association of risk factors with the prevalence of frequent low daily steps (?1500 steps/day for ?14 days) using logistic regression. RESULTS:Among 3544 participants (mean age 51.6 years; n=1226 females, 34.6%), mean daily steps dropped from 8097 to 5440 and the prevalence of low daily steps increased from 3% (2287/76,136 person-day) to 18.5% (12,951/70,183 person-day) during the reference and epidemic periods, respectively. No such phenomenon was observed during the corresponding period in 2019. Older age (P for interaction=.001) and female sex (P for interaction<.001) were both associated with a higher prevalence of frequent low daily steps and were more pronounced during the epidemic period. More education was associated with a lower prevalence of frequent low daily steps during the reference period but not the epidemic period (P for interaction=.34). Body mass index or comorbidity were not associated with frequent low daily steps during either period. CONCLUSIONS:Daily steps of Changsha residents aged ?40 years dropped significantly during the COVID-19 period, especially among older adults and females. Although successful physical distancing, measured by the rapid downward trend in daily step counts of residents, played a critical role in the containment of the COVID-19 epidemic, our findings of an increase in the prevalence of frequent low daily steps raise concerns about unintended effects on physical activity.

SUBMITTER: Wang Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7592463 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Physical Distancing Measures and Walking Activity in Middle-aged and Older Residents in Changsha, China, During the COVID-19 Epidemic Period: Longitudinal Observational Study.

Wang Yilun Y Zhang Yuqing Y Bennell Kim K White Daniel Kenta DK Wei Jie J Wu Ziying Z He Hongyi H Liu Shaohui S Luo Xianghang X Hu Shuo S Zeng Chao C Lei Guanghua G

Journal of medical Internet research 20201026 10

<h4>Background</h4>Physical distancing measures taken to contain COVID-19 transmission may substantially reduce physical activity levels and cause individuals to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle.<h4>Objective</h4>The objective of this study is to determine if there was any change in daily steps, an important component of daily physical activity, and examine risk factors for frequent low daily steps during the COVID-19 epidemic.<h4>Methods</h4>We used data collected from the Step Study, a populat ...[more]

PMID: 33027035

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Project description:ObjectiveThis study investigated whether (1) cognitive functions change after the transition from the perimenopausal to the postmenopausal stage, (2) cognitive functions and walking are associated in middle-aged women, and (3) cognitive functions assessed in perimenopause are associated with walking after reaching the postmenopause or vice versa.MethodsIn total, 342 women, categorized as early (n = 158) or late perimenopausal (n = 184), were included in the study and followed up until postmenopausal. Psychomotor speed, executive functions related to set-shifting and updating, working memory, and visual memory were assessed. Walking was assessed with walking speed, walking distance, and dual-task cost in walking speed. Data was analyzed using the paired-samples t test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, multiple linear regression analysis, and structural equation modeling.ResultsWe found small but significant improvements in psychomotor speed (P = 0.01) and working memory (P < 0.001) among early perimenopausal and in psychomotor speed (P = 0.001), set-shifting (P = 0.02), visual memory (P = 0.002), and working memory (P < 0.001) among late perimenopausal women after the transition from peri- to postmenopause. Walking speed (β = 0.264, P = 0.001) and dual-task cost (β = 0.160, P = 0.03) were associated with updating, and walking distance was associated with updating and set-shifting (β = 0.198, P = 0.02, β=-0.178 P = 0.04 respectively) among the late perimenopausal women. We found no longitudinal associations between cognitive functions and walking.ConclusionCognitive performance remained unchanged or improved after reaching postmenopause. Cognitive functions and walking were associated during the late perimenopause, but the association depended on the cognitive process and nature of the physical task. Cognitive performance was not associated with walking after reaching postmenopause or vice versa.

Project description:ObjectivesStudies of autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease (AD) have shown structural and cognitive changes in mutation carriers decades prior to clinical disease. Whether such changes are detectable in offspring of persons with sporadic dementia remains unknown. We related prospectively verified parental dementia to brain MRI and cognitive testing in the offspring, within a 2-generational community-based cohort.MethodsA total of 717 Framingham offspring (mean age: 59 +/- 8 years) were studied. In multivariate analyses, we compared offspring with and without verified parental dementia (and AD) for 1) performance on tests of memory, abstract reasoning, and cognitive flexibility, and 2) volumetric brain MRI measures of total cerebral brain volume (TCBV), hippocampal volume (HV), and white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV), assessed cross-sectionally and longitudinally.ResultsWhen testing the association of parental dementia and AD with baseline cognitive performance, we observed an interaction of parental dementia and AD with APOE epsilon4 status (p < 0.002). In APOE epsilon4 carriers only (n = 165), parental dementia was associated with poorer scores on tests of verbal memory (beta = -1.81 +/- 0.53, p < 0.001) and visuospatial memory (beta = -1.73 +/- 0.47, p < 0.001). These associations were stronger for parental AD (beta = -1.97 +/- 0.52, p < 0.001, beta = -1.95 +/- 0.48, p < 0.001), equivalent to 14-16 years of brain aging. Among APOE epsilon4 carriers, offspring of participants with dementia were also more likely to show an annual decline in TCBV in the top quartile (odds ratio = 4.67 [1.26-17.30], p = 0.02). Regardless of APOE epsilon4 status, participants with parental dementia were more likely to be in the highest quartile of decline in executive function test scores (odds ratio = 1.61 [1.02-2.53], p = 0.04).ConclusionsAmong middle-aged carriers of the APOE epsilon4 allele, parental dementia and Alzheimer disease were associated with poorer verbal and visuospatial memory and a higher rate of global brain atrophy.

Dataset Information

Physical Distancing Measures and Walking Activity in Middle-aged and Older Residents in Changsha, China, During the COVID-19 Epidemic Period: Longitudinal Observational Study.

Publications

Physical Distancing Measures and Walking Activity in Middle-aged and Older Residents in Changsha, China, During the COVID-19 Epidemic Period: Longitudinal Observational Study.

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