Frequency of physical activity and stress levels among Brazilian adults during social distancing due to the coronavirus (COVID-19): cross-sectional study

de Camargo, Edina Maria; Piola, Thiago Silva; dos Santos, Letícia Pechnicki; de Borba, Edilson Fernando; de Campos, Wagner; da Silva, Sergio Gregorio

doi:10.1590/1516-3180.2020.0706.R1.0802021

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Sao Paulo Medical Journal

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE • Sao Paulo Med. J. 139 (4) • Jul-Aug 2021 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-3180.2020.0706.R1.0802021 copy

Frequency of physical activity and stress levels among Brazilian adults during social distancing due to the coronavirus (COVID-19): cross-sectional study

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The COVID-19 pandemic may be having many psychological impacts on people, at both an individual and a community level.

OBJECTIVE:

To ascertain the relationship between the weekly frequency of physical activity and levels of stress among Brazilian adults during social distancing due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), and the interaction of sex in this association.

DESIGN AND SETTING:

Cross-sectional study with a descriptive approach conducted at a public university in Curitiba (PR), Brazil.

METHODS:

2,000 Brazilian adults (average age 36.4 years; 59.6% women) were recruited according to convenience through digital media. They filled out a questionnaire in electronic format that asked for sociodemographic information, health data, food consumption data, weekly frequency of physical activity and stress levels on the 10-item Kessler psychological distress scale. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to evaluate the data.

RESULTS:

Associations were observed for the following correlations: male sex * no physical activity (odds ratio (OR): 4.35; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-16.67); female sex * physical activity 4 or 5 times a week (OR: 7.86; 95% CI: 2.28-27.05); female sex * physical activity 3 times a week (OR: 7.32; 95% CI: 2.09-25.58); female sex * physical activity 1 or 2 times a week (OR: 14.57; 95% CI: 4.28-49.57); and female sex * no physical activity (OR: 24.17; 95% CI: 7.21-80.97).

CONCLUSION:

The lower the weekly frequency of physical activity during the period of social distancing was, the greater the chances of having stress levels were, especially for women.

KEY WORDS (MeSH terms):
Epidemiology; Pandemics; Exercise

AUTHORS’ KEY WORDS:
SARS; Stress; Physical activity

	Stress level								P
	Low		Moderate		High		Very high
	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%
Sex
Male	335^a	16.8	400^b	20.0	290^c	14.5	167^d	8.3	< 0.001
Female	383^a	19.1	275^b	13.8	114^c	5.7	36^d	1.8
Weekly frequency of physical activities during social distancing
6 or 7 times	136^a	6.8	72b	3.6	27^b	1.4	10^b	0.5	< 0.001
4 or 5 times	179^a.b	8.9	182^b	9.1	80^a	4.0	34^a	1.7
3 times	167	8.3	135	6.8	82	4.1	37	1.8
Once or twice	127^a	6.3	151^a.b	7.5	105^b	5.3	44^a,b	2.2
Not practiced	109^a	5.5	135^a	6.8	110^b	5.5	78^c	3.9
Age group
60 years and over	51^a	2.5	23^b	1.1	7^b	0.4	2^b	0.1	< 0.001
50 to 59 years	92^a	4.6	63^a.b	3.1	23^b	1.1	9^b	0.4
40 to 49 years	172^a	8.6	137^a.b	6.9	71^a.b	3.5	28^b	1.4
30 to 39 years	251	12.6	230	11.5	144	7.2	59	2.9
18 to 29 years	152^a	7.6	222^b	11.1	159^b	8.0	105^c	5.3
Body mass index
Obese	87	4.3	86	4.3	63	3.1	36	1.8	0.713
Overweight	266	13.3	254	12.7	127	6.3	62	3.1
Normal	356	17.8	325	16.3	206	10.3	98	4.9
Underweight	9	0.4	10	0.5	8	0.4	7	0.4
Increased food intake during social distancing
Yes	129^a	6.5	189^b	9.4	147^c	7.3	82^c	4.1	< 0.001
Sometimes	192	9.6	221	11.1	137	6.9	60	3.0
No	397^a	19.9	265^b	13.3	120^c	6.0	61^{b. c}	3.0

	Stress level
	Moderate			High			Very high
	OR	95% CI		OR	95% CI		OR	95% CI
Sex
Male	1	-	-	1	-	-	1	-	-
Female	1.66	1.34	2.05	2.90	2.23	3.77	5.30	3.59	7.82
Frequency of physical activities during social distancing
6 or 7 times	1	-	-	1	-	-	1	-	-
4 or 5 times	1.92	1.35	2.73	2.25	1.37	3.67	2.58	1.23	5.41
3 times	1.52	1.06	2.19	2.47	1.51	4.03	3.01	1.44	6.28
Once or twice	2.24	1.55	3.25	4.16	2.55	6.77	4.71	2.27	9.75
Not practiced	2.33	1.59	3.42	5.08	3.11	8.30	9.73	4.80	19.69
Age group
60 years and over	1	-	-	1	-	-	1	-	-
50 to 59 years	1.51	0.84	2.73	1.82	0.73	4.53	2.49	0.51	11.98
40 to 49 years	1.76	1.02	3.03	3.00	1.30	6.94	4.15	0.95	18.02
30 to 39 years	2.03	1.20	3.43	4.18	1.84	9.45	5.99	1.41	25.32
18 to 29 years	3.23	1.89	5.52	7.62	3.35	17.31	17.61	4.19	73.94
Body mass index
Obese	1	-	-	1	-	-	1	-	-
Overweight	0.65	0.44	0.97	0.65	0.44	0.97	0.56	0.35	0.90
Normal	0.79	0.55	1.15	0.79	0.55	1.15	0.66	0.42	1.04
Underweight	1.22	0.44	3.35	1.22	0.44	3.35	1.88	0.65	5.43
Increased food intake during social distancing
Yes	1	-	-	1	-	-	1	-	-
Sometimes	0.78	0.58	1.05	0.62	0.45	0.86	0.49	0.32	0.73
No	0.45	0.34	0.59	0.26	0.19	0.36	0.24	0.16	0.35

	Stress level
	Moderate			High			Very high
	OR	95% CI		OR	95% CI		OR	95% CI
*Weekly frequency of physical activity Male**
6 or 7 times	1	-	-	1	-	-	1	-	-
4 or 5 times	2.02	1.18	3.44	1.86	0.82	4.21	1.24	0.30	5.14
3 times	1.35	0.77	2.35	1.92	0.84	4.34	2.98	0.82	10.80
Once or twice	2.01	1.13	3.57	2.76	1.20	6.34	0.95	0.18	4.90
Not practiced	2.22	1.21	4.06	3.62	1.55	8.47	4.35	1.14	16.67
*Weekly frequency of physical activity Female**
6 or 7 times	1.48	0.82	2.65	1.77	0.74	4.23	2.07	0.51	8.35
4 or 5 times	2.93	1.70	5.04	4.95	2.27	10.82	7.86	2.28	27.05
3 times	2.76	1.58	4.81	5.83	2.66	12.78	7.32	2.09	25.58
Once or twice	3.71	2.13	6.46	9.36	4.31	20.30	14.57	4.28	49.57
Not practiced	3.51	2.01	6.13	10.07	4.65	21.80	24.17	7.21	80.97

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[1] Address for correspondence: Edina Maria de Camargo. Universidade Federal do Paraná. Novo Edifício do Departamento de Educação Física. Av. Coronel Francisco Heráclito dos Santos, 100. Caixa Postal 19061 — Campus Centro Politécnico. Curitiba (PR) — Brasil. CEP 81531-980. Tel. (+55 41) 3361-3072. E-mail:edinacamargo@gmail.com