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. 2024 Jun 17;3(5):100253.
doi: 10.1016/j.focus.2024.100253. eCollection 2024 Oct.

Physical Activity and Sedentary Time Among U.S. Adolescents Before and During COVID-19: Findings From a Large Cohort Study

Ethan T Hunt  1   2 , Keith Brazendale  3 , Augusto C F De Moraes  1   4 , Raja Malkani  1 , Natalia I Heredia  2 , Christopher D Pfledderer  1   2 , Denver M Brown  5 , Deanna M Hoelscher  1   2 , Michael W Beets  6 , Robert G Weaver  6
Affiliations

Physical Activity and Sedentary Time Among U.S. Adolescents Before and During COVID-19: Findings From a Large Cohort Study

Ethan T Hunt et al. AJPM Focus. .

Abstract

Introduction: Evidence suggests that adolescents engage in less physical activity during the summer break. Less is known regarding physical activity during the summer months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Utilizing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, the authors examined daily activity measured by Fitbit Charge 2 devices before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during school and summer months. Linear models estimated activity during pre-COVID-19 school, pre-COVID-19 summer, COVID-19 school, and COVID-19 summer.

Results: Participants (N=7,179, aged 11.96 years, 51% female, 51% White) accumulated 8,671.0 (95% CI=8,544.7; 8,797.3) steps, 32.5 (95% CI=30.8, 32.3) minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and 507.2 (95% CI=504.2, 510.2) minutes of sedentary time. During COVID-19 school, adolescents accumulated fewer daily steps and minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (-1,782.3 steps [95% CI= -2,052.7; -1,511.8] and -6.2 minutes [95% CI= -8.4, -4.0], respectively). Adolescents accumulated more minutes of daily sedentary time (29.6 minutes [95% CI=18.9, 40.3]) during COVID-19 school months than during the pre-COVID-19 school months. During pre-COVID-19 summer months, adolescents accumulated 1,255.1 (95% CI=745.3; 1,765.0) more daily steps than during COVID-19 months. Boys accumulated more daily steps and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (2,011.5 steps [95% CI=1,271.9; 2,751.0] and 7.9 minutes [95% CI=1.4, 14.4], respectively) during the summer before COVID-19 than in summer during COVID-19. Both girls and boys accumulated more minutes of sedentary time during COVID-19 school months (47.4 [95% CI=27.5, 67.3] and 51.2 [95% CI=22.8, 79.7], respectively) than during COVID-19 summer months.

Conclusions: Societal restrictions during COVID-19 negatively impacted activity levels in the U.S., particularly during the summer months during COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; adolescents; physical activity; summer.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Description of conditions analyzed with COVID-19 restrictions depicted by daily mean MVPA. Notes: Figure is depicted by daily mean steps stratified by sex. Figure is depicted with monthly sample size. May 2020 and June 2020 recorded 0 participants. MVPA, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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