Does Self-restraint Due to the COVID-19 Epidemic Reduce the Self-rated Frequency of Activity in Older Adults?

Abstract

Introduction : Our aim was to examine the changes in the self-rated frequency of activities among elderly resi-dents living in communities during the self-restraint period associated with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods : Regular outpatients aged 75 years or older who visited the hospital or clinic at the Center for Community Medicine in north-western Gifu prefecture between May 11 and May 22, 2020 were selected as partici-pants. The frequency of outings, walks, outdoor exercise, indoor exercise, farm work, communication and inter-action, such as at community salons, direct communication with friends and estranged family members, and re-mote communication by telephone and video calls was surveyed using a questionnaire method at four levels: “ 0 days ” , “ 1-2 days ” , “ 3-4 days ” , and “ 5 days to every day ” per week in the two weeks prior to the visit and in the same period in the previous year. Results : In total, 292 people aged 75-95 years participated in the study. There was an increase in the number of respondents who reported a lower frequency of going out, walking, farming, outdoor exercise, home exer-cise, visiting community salons, and direct conversation than in the previous year. There was a significant dif-ference between the two groups (P ＜ 0.05). Conclusion : In this study, the self-rated frequency of physical activity and social activity decreased among community-dwelling elderly due to the COVID-19 epidemic, suggesting a reduction in these activities.