Abstract
Background: During the coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic various containment strategies were employed. Their impact on individuals with neurological conditions, considered vulnerable to COVID-19 complications, remains to be determined.
Objective: To investigate associations between physical activity and health-related quality of life outcomes in individuals with a neurological condition during government mandated COVID-19 restrictions.
Methods: An e-questionnaire assessing fear of COVID-19, physical activity level and health-related quality of life outcomes (functional disability and pain, anxiety and depression, loneliness, fatigue and vitality) was distributed to individuals with a neurologically-related mobility disability living in the United Kingdom. Open-ended questions were also included to contextualize barriers and facilitators to engage in physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gamma-weighted generalized linear models and tree-structured regression models were employed to determine the associations between physical activity and health-related quality of life.
Results: Of 199 responses, 69% reported performing less physical activity compared to pre-pandemic. Tree-structured regression models revealed that lower leisure-time physical activity was significantly associated (p≤.008) with higher depression and fatigue, but lower vitality. The closure of leisure facilities and organized sport (27%) was the most commonly cited barrier to engage in physical activity, while 31% of participants mentioned concerns around their physical and mental health as a facilitator.
Conclusion: Our analysis identified homogenous subgroups for depression, fatigue, and vitality based specifically on leisure-time physical activity cut points, irrespective of additional demographic or situational characteristics. Findings highlight the importance of and need to safely promote leisure-time physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic in this at-risk population to help support health-related quality of life.
Objective: To investigate associations between physical activity and health-related quality of life outcomes in individuals with a neurological condition during government mandated COVID-19 restrictions.
Methods: An e-questionnaire assessing fear of COVID-19, physical activity level and health-related quality of life outcomes (functional disability and pain, anxiety and depression, loneliness, fatigue and vitality) was distributed to individuals with a neurologically-related mobility disability living in the United Kingdom. Open-ended questions were also included to contextualize barriers and facilitators to engage in physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gamma-weighted generalized linear models and tree-structured regression models were employed to determine the associations between physical activity and health-related quality of life.
Results: Of 199 responses, 69% reported performing less physical activity compared to pre-pandemic. Tree-structured regression models revealed that lower leisure-time physical activity was significantly associated (p≤.008) with higher depression and fatigue, but lower vitality. The closure of leisure facilities and organized sport (27%) was the most commonly cited barrier to engage in physical activity, while 31% of participants mentioned concerns around their physical and mental health as a facilitator.
Conclusion: Our analysis identified homogenous subgroups for depression, fatigue, and vitality based specifically on leisure-time physical activity cut points, irrespective of additional demographic or situational characteristics. Findings highlight the importance of and need to safely promote leisure-time physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic in this at-risk population to help support health-related quality of life.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 699884 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Frontiers in neurology |
| Volume | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 27 Aug 2021 |
Keywords
- Exercise
- Mental Health
- SARS-CoV-2
- neurological disorders
- pandemic
- wellbeing