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. 2023 Dec 6;20(1):23.
doi: 10.1186/s11556-023-00332-5.

Patterns of physical activity among nursing home residents before and during the Covid 19 pandemic-a systematic observation

Lea-Sofie Hahn  1   2 , Ansgar Thiel  1   2 , Dorothée Trüb  2 , Gerhard W Eschweiler  3 , Andreas M Nieß  2   4 , Gorden Sudeck  1   2 , Annika Frahsa  5
Affiliations

Patterns of physical activity among nursing home residents before and during the Covid 19 pandemic-a systematic observation

Lea-Sofie Hahn et al. Eur Rev Aging Phys Act. .

Abstract

Background: The Covid-19 outbreak in spring of 2020 posed an array of challenges for nursing homes, including promoting resident physical activity (PA). Given the diversity of factors affecting resident PA, we explored how activity patterns outside weekly-scheduled structured activities changed during the pandemic and what factors promoted or inhibited PA during the pandemic.

Methods: We conducted systematic direct observations over 823.5 h in eight nursing homes in Southern Germany in 2020 and 2021.

Results: In 2020, 84.7% of person observation units were classified as sedentary (average activity level: 1.14 MET). In 2021, the percentage increased to 91.6% of observed person units (average activity level: 1.08 MET) (t = 6.947; p = .000). According to tree classification, influencing factors of PA included mealtime and daytime in 2020 and 2021, as well as presence of men residents only in 2020 and guided low threshold activities in 2021.

Conclusions: Nursing homes constitute highly sedentary places-an issue exacerbated by access restrictions for external activity experts and significant others as well as behavioural restrictions for residents during the Covid-19 pandemic. Staff could not compensate due to existing time restraints and lack of training in PA promotion. Based on our findings, we recommend future studies to develop feasible and resource-low activities to be integrated into the daily routines of nursing homes.

Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic; Long-term care facilities; Nursing home; Older adults; Physical activity patterns.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Classification tree of predictors associated with physical activity (PA; 2020). PA levels of groups 1 = sedentary; 2 = rather passive; 3 = lightly active; 4 = moderately active; and 5 = extremely active
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Classification tree of predictors associated with physical activity (PA; 2021). PA levels of groups: 1 = sedentary; 2 = rather passive; 3 = lightly active; 4 = moderately active; and 5 = extremely active
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Physical activity clusters directly comparing 2020 and 2021
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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