A health behaviour pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behaviour of already-struggling Canadians
Objectives: The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines (24HMG) provide evidence-based recommendations for health behaviours, including light physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behaviour (SB), sleep, and muscle strengthening activities. These behaviours likely c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023062138 |
| _version_ | 1797732968004845568 |
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| author | Hayden F. Atkinson Alexander Norris |
| author_facet | Hayden F. Atkinson Alexander Norris |
| author_sort | Hayden F. Atkinson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines (24HMG) provide evidence-based recommendations for health behaviours, including light physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behaviour (SB), sleep, and muscle strengthening activities. These behaviours likely changed as a result of public health measures implemented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to understand how Canadians’ health behaviours changed during the pandemic. Methods: We conducted a nationwide survey asking Canadians aged 18–64 to report their health behaviours according to the 24HMG at three timepoints: 1) immediately prior to the pandemic, 2) the most restricted timepoint of the pandemic, and 3) more recently, in March 2022. Results: We received 494 eligible responses from across Canada. Prior to the pandemic, only 7.7% of respondents were able to meet all 24HMG, which reduced to 3.8% during the most restricted phase of the pandemic (p < 0.01). During this timepoint, self-reported MVPA decreased by −21.9 ± 55.6 weekly minutes, muscle strengthening decreased by −0.34 ± 0.94 weekly sessions, and SB increased by 0.88 ± 2.04 daily hours (p < 0.00001 for all), with nonsignificant increases in nightly sleep. At the more recent March 2022 timepoint, mild recoveries were observed in all health behaviours, however remained significantly lower than baseline levels, with the exception of sleep, which decreased significantly (−0.18 ± 1.42 nightly hours, p = 0.005). Conclusions: Unfavourable health behaviour changes among Canadians were observed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which increases the risk for acute and long-term health conditions. Improved education, infrastructure, and support from public and private sectors can reverse the negative risk factors that arise from these health behaviour changes, and can improve the culture of proactive health behaviours in Canada. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:21:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f1bfad20fd9b405c80e722ab635f2677 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:21:11Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-f1bfad20fd9b405c80e722ab635f26772023-08-30T05:53:24ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-08-0198e19005A health behaviour pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behaviour of already-struggling CanadiansHayden F. Atkinson0Alexander Norris1School of Physical Therapy, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada; Bone & Joint Institute, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada; Corresponding author. School of Physical Therapy, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada.Department of Applied Human Sciences, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 4P3, CanadaObjectives: The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines (24HMG) provide evidence-based recommendations for health behaviours, including light physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behaviour (SB), sleep, and muscle strengthening activities. These behaviours likely changed as a result of public health measures implemented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to understand how Canadians’ health behaviours changed during the pandemic. Methods: We conducted a nationwide survey asking Canadians aged 18–64 to report their health behaviours according to the 24HMG at three timepoints: 1) immediately prior to the pandemic, 2) the most restricted timepoint of the pandemic, and 3) more recently, in March 2022. Results: We received 494 eligible responses from across Canada. Prior to the pandemic, only 7.7% of respondents were able to meet all 24HMG, which reduced to 3.8% during the most restricted phase of the pandemic (p < 0.01). During this timepoint, self-reported MVPA decreased by −21.9 ± 55.6 weekly minutes, muscle strengthening decreased by −0.34 ± 0.94 weekly sessions, and SB increased by 0.88 ± 2.04 daily hours (p < 0.00001 for all), with nonsignificant increases in nightly sleep. At the more recent March 2022 timepoint, mild recoveries were observed in all health behaviours, however remained significantly lower than baseline levels, with the exception of sleep, which decreased significantly (−0.18 ± 1.42 nightly hours, p = 0.005). Conclusions: Unfavourable health behaviour changes among Canadians were observed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which increases the risk for acute and long-term health conditions. Improved education, infrastructure, and support from public and private sectors can reverse the negative risk factors that arise from these health behaviour changes, and can improve the culture of proactive health behaviours in Canada.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023062138Physical activitySedentary behaviourSleepPandemicHealth |
| spellingShingle | Hayden F. Atkinson Alexander Norris A health behaviour pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behaviour of already-struggling Canadians Heliyon Physical activity Sedentary behaviour Sleep Pandemic Health |
| title | A health behaviour pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behaviour of already-struggling Canadians |
| title_full | A health behaviour pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behaviour of already-struggling Canadians |
| title_fullStr | A health behaviour pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behaviour of already-struggling Canadians |
| title_full_unstemmed | A health behaviour pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behaviour of already-struggling Canadians |
| title_short | A health behaviour pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behaviour of already-struggling Canadians |
| title_sort | health behaviour pandemic the covid 19 pandemic has impacted the physical activity sleep and sedentary behaviour of already struggling canadians |
| topic | Physical activity Sedentary behaviour Sleep Pandemic Health |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023062138 |
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