RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Exercise Habits Among US Primary Care Patients
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 295
OP 309
DO 10.3122/jabfm.2022.02.210313
VO 35
IS 2
A1 Natalie Wood Byrne
A1 Daniel J. Parente
A1 Nicole T. Yedlinsky
YR 2022
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/35/2/295.abstract
AB Background: To explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected exercise habits, we hypothesized that participants' physical activity would have increased by at least 30 min/wk after the onset of the pandemic.Methods: We distributed an anonymous survey to ambulatory patients at the Family Medicine Clinic, University of Kansas Medical Center to analyze changes in exercise habits and weight.Results: Of the 500 adult patients surveyed, 382 were included. Results were stratified by demographics, including employment status before and during COVID-19. The median change in weekly exercise duration was 0.0 minutes, but the mean change was –25.7 minutes; total exercise duration decreased after the pandemic's onset (paired Wilcox signed rank test P < .001). More individuals reported participation in virtual group classes (6.3% before the pandemic vs 13.1% during the pandemic; McNemar's P < .001). Individuals with home exercise equipment before the pandemic were more likely to acquire more than were those who had none before (Chi square test P < .005). Overall, there is a significant trend in the direction of weight gain (Wilcox signed rank test P < .001).Conclusions: Most participants decreased physical activity during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, expanding our understanding of how exercise habits change during stressful life events.