Association of self-rated health with type and frequency of social interaction during the declaration of COVID-19 state of emergency among Japanese community-dwelling oldest-old adults.

AIM: To investigate whether the type and frequency of social interaction during the state of emergency due to coronavirus disease were associated with self-rated health (SRH) after the state of emergency. METHODS: Data from a cross-sectional study were collected for 889 oldest-old adults in Bibai City, Hokkaido, Japan. In total, 612 participants (mean age: 83.0 ± 4.3 years; women: 51.8%) were included in the analysis, taking biological sex into account. The self-reported questionnaire included questions about demographic variables, SRH (July 2020, after the emergency), and the type and frequency of social interaction (March 2020, during the state of emergency). RESULTS: There was no significant association between social interaction and SRH in men (P > 0.05). Women who had social interactions (both face-to-face and non-face-to-face) more than once a week during the state of emergency reported higher SRH after the emergency than those who did not (odds ratio 2.17, 95% confidence interval 1.07-4.41). CONCLUSIONS: Having both types of interaction more than once a week during the state of emergency was related to higher SRH after the emergency among oldest-old women. It is suggested that having opportunities for both types of interaction at least once a week would potentially be beneficial for high SRH in women, even in situations where the declaration of a state of emergency restricts face-to-face interaction. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 405-411.

Physical Activity and Perceived Physical Fitness during the COVID-19 Epidemic: A Population of 40- to 69-Year-Olds in Japan.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an abrupt change in lifestyle for many people with restrictions, often leading to a decrease in physical activity (PA), and thus contributing to a negative perception of health status. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on physical activity and perceived physical fitness in Japanese adults aged 40 to 69 years. Data were collected from an online survey conducted between October 19 and 28, 2020. The analytic sample consisted of 1989 Japanese adults (mean age, 50.1 ± 6.9 years; women, 38.9%) who were aged between 40 and 69 years and completed the online survey. Overall, the PA time per week decreased by 32.4% between October 2019 and April 2020. A decrease in PA time was recorded in October 2020; however, a decline of 15.5% was observed. Compared to individuals who did not perceive a decline in physical fitness, individuals who perceived declining physical fitness during the COVID-19 state of emergency demonstrated a greater decrease in PA time in April 2020 (-50.5%), and this trend continued into October 2020 (-25.0%). These findings may indicate that Japanese adults aged 40 to 69 years who perceived declining physical fitness experienced a greater decrease in physical activity.