Home Confinement in Previously Active Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Physical Fitness and Physical Activity Behavior and Their Relationship With Depressive Symptoms.

AIM: The aim of our study was to analyze physical activity levels, sitting time, physical fitness, and their relationship with depressive symptoms after home confinement in previously active older adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study sample comprised 68 older adults (74.24 ± 5.67 years) from a community-based exercise program conducted in Porto, Portugal. After home confinement, participants were assessed in person for lower-body strength (30-s chair stand test), cardiorespiratory fitness (6-min walking test), agility/dynamic balance (8-ft up-and-go test), handgrip strength, and anthropometry. Telephone interviews were performed to evaluate depressive symptoms with the Geriatric Depression Scale - 15 items (GDS-15) and physical activity levels through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SV). Individuals were also asked to self-report changes in their physical activity levels and time spent sitting. RESULTS: Ninety percent of older adults self-reported a decrease in overall physical activity levels, and nearly 65% increased daily sitting time during the home confinement. However, previously active older adults still presented high levels of physical fitness (scores above 50th compared with Portuguese normative values) after 11 weeks of home confinement. Overall, 52.9% of participants scored 5 or more points on GDS-15, which is suggestive of depression. Higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and cardiorespiratory fitness were found in the non-depressed group compared with the depressed group. Finally, results from multiple regression analysis revealed that MVPA was negatively associated with depression. This model explained 16.4% of the variability seen in depression score, controlled for age, gender, and education. CONCLUSION: Even reporting a decline in physical activity, older adults who previously participated in a formal exercise program, still presented high levels of physical fitness after 11 weeks of home confinement. However, MVPA, but not physical fitness, seems to be an associated depression score in previously active older adults. These results reinforce the importance of older adults to remain physically active, since higher levels of MVPA may have a protective effect on depressive symptoms and, therefore, mitigate the negative impact of home confinement on mental health. Future longitudinal research studies are needed to ascertain these results.

Active Older Adults Keep Aerobic Capacity and Experience Small Reductions in Body Strength During Confinement Due to COVID-19 Outbreak.

The objective of this study was to observe the home-confinement effects on physical fitness, physical activity (PA), and body composition in active older adults, and to compare physical fitness and PA according to quality of life (QoL) during confinement. A total of 72 physically active older adults (61.1% females; 74.24 ± 5.57 years) were assessed pre- and postconfinement for aerobic capacity (6-min walk test), lower (30-s sit-to-stand), and upper (30-s arm-curl) body strength, PA (short-version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire), and QoL (EQ-5D-visual analogue scale). The pre- and postconfinement comparisons show declines in upper (-2.24 ± 0.45 repetitions; p < .001; η2 = .276) and lower body strength (-2.65 ± 0.42 repetitions; p < .001; η2 = .378) in both genders, but not in aerobic capacity. Ninety percentage of older adults perceived a decline in PA. Older adults reporting high QoL increased 19.27 ± 97.04 m in the 6-min walk test, while the participants with low QoL reduced 28.32 ± 63.27 m (p = .018; η2 = .090). Previously active older adults did not have their aerobic capacity decrease significantly despite a decline in upper and lower body strength during an 11-week home confinement period.

Dietary inflammatory index and academic performance in children.

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of the present study was to examine the association between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) and academic performance in children. DESIGN: School-based cross-sectional study. The DII was calculated based on dietary information obtained from a single 24h dietary recall. Academic performance was assessed by school records provided by the administrative services (i.e. Maths and Language). SETTING: Porto area (Portugal). SUBJECTS: A total of 524 children (277 girls) aged 11·56 (sd 0·86) years. RESULTS: The DII was associated with academic indicators (standardized ß values ranging from -0·121 to -0·087; all P<0·05). Significant differences were found between quartiles of the DII (P<0·05); children in the fourth quartile had significantly lower scores in all academic indicators compared with children in the first quartile (score differences ranging from -0·377 to -0·292) after adjustment for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: The inflammatory potential of diet may negatively influence academic performance. Children should avoid the consumption of a pro-inflammatory diet and adhere to a more anti-inflammatory diet to achieve academic benefits.

Parental physical activity, safety perceptions and children's independent mobility.

BACKGROUND: Parents are likely to be a basic influence on their children's behavior. There is an absence of information about the associations between parents' physical activity and perception of neighborhood environment with children's independent mobility.The purpose of this study is to examine the contribution of parental physical activity and perception of neighborhood safety to children's independent mobility. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study of 354 pupils and their parents, independent mobility, perceptions of neighborhood safety and physical activity were evaluated by questionnaire. Categorical principal components analyses were used to determine the underlying dimensions of both independent mobility and perceptions of neighborhood safety items. RESULTS: The strongest predictor of independent mobility was the parental perception of sidewalk and street safety (beta = 0.132). Parent's physical activity was also a significant predictor. The final model accounted for 13.0% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: Parental perception of neighborhood safety and parents' self reported physical activity might be associated with children's independent mobility. Further research in this topic is needed to explore this possible association.

Modifiable lifestyle behavior patterns, sedentary time and physical activity contexts: a cluster analysis among middle school boys and girls in the SALTA study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze how modifiable health-related variables are clustered and associated with children's participation in play, active travel and structured exercise and sport among boys and girls. METHODS: Data were collected from 9 middle-schools in Porto (Portugal) area. A total of 636 children in the 6th grade (340 girls and 296 boys) with a mean age of 11.64 years old participated in the study. Cluster analyses were used to identify patterns of lifestyle and healthy/unhealthy behaviors. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to estimate associations between cluster allocation, sedentary time and participation in three different physical activity (PA) contexts: play, active travel, and structured exercise/sport. RESULTS: Four distinct clusters were identified based on four lifestyle risk factors. The most disadvantaged cluster was characterized by high body mass index, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and cardiorespiratory fitness and a moderate level of moderate to vigorous PA. Everyday outdoor play (OR=1.85, 95%CI 0.318-0.915) and structured exercise/sport (OR=1.85, 95%CI 0.291-0.990) were associated with healthier lifestyle patterns. There were no significant associations between health patterns and sedentary time or travel mode. CONCLUSION: Outdoor play and sport/exercise participation seem more important than active travel from school in influencing children's healthy cluster profiles.

Appendicular fat mass is positively associated with femoral neck bone mineral density in older women.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we examined the relationships between body fat accumulation and distribution and bone mineral density (BMD) in older women. METHODS: A total of 100 healthy white women (mean ± SD age, 68.7 ± 5.5 y) free of medications known to affect bone were enrolled. Lean mass, fat mass (FM), percentage body fat, android FM, gynoid FM, appendicular FM (AFM), appendicular lean mass, and femoral neck BMD were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Dietary intake was assessed by 4-day dietary record, and potential renal acid load was also calculated. Performance measures included knee extension and flexion strength measured on an isokinetic dynamometer. Physical activity was assessed using accelerometers and a questionnaire. Lactase nonpersistence was defined by the C/T-13910 genotype. Sociodemographic information, lifestyle behaviors, and clinical status were also examined. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that AFM was the most significant positive predictor of femoral neck BMD. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounders (age, height, age at menopause, potential renal acid load, physical activity, and knee muscle strength), AFM had strong and independent associations with femoral neck BMD (26.4% of variance). CONCLUSIONS: These data highlight that in older women, localization of FM is more important for bone mass than obesity per se or lean mass. AFM (subcutaneous adiposity) seems to exhibit an independent protective effect on BMD.