Physical activity and long COVID: findings from the Prospective Study About Mental and Physical Health in Adults cohort.

OBJECTIVES: The study investigated the longitudinal association between physical activity and the risk of long COVID in patients who recovered from COVID-19 infection. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed longitudinal data of the Prospective Study About Mental and Physical Health cohort, a prospective cohort study with adults living in Southern Brazil. METHODS: Participants responded to an online, self-administered questionnaire in June 2020 (wave 1) and June 2022 (wave 4). Only participants who self-reported a positive test for COVID-19 were included. Physical activity was assessed before (wave 1, retrospectively) and during the pandemic (wave 1). Long COVID was assessed in wave 4 and defined as any post-COVID-19 symptoms that persisted for at least 3 months after infection. RESULTS: A total of 237 participants (75.1% women; mean age [standard deviation]: 37.1 [12.3]) were included in this study. The prevalence of physical inactivity in baseline was 71.7%, whereas 76.4% were classified with long COVID in wave 4. In the multivariate analysis, physical activity during the pandemic was associated with a reduced likelihood of long COVID (prevalence ratio [PR]: 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69-0.99) and a reduced duration of long COVID symptoms (odds ratio: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.26-0.75). Participants who remained physically active from before to during the pandemic were less likely to report long COVID (PR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.58-0.95), fatigue (PR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.32-0.76), neurological complications (PR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.27-0.80), cough (PR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.22-0.71), and loss of sense of smell or taste (PR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.21-0.87) as symptom-specific long COVID. CONCLUSION: Physical activity practice was associated with reduced risk of long COVID in adults.

Depression and anxiety symptoms remained elevated after 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in southern Brazil: findings from the PAMPA cohort.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the changes in depression and anxiety symptoms among Brazilian adults over 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS: The present study used data from wave 1 (June/July 2020) and wave 2 (December 2020/January 2021) of the Prospective Study About Mental and Physical Health (PAMPA) Cohort, a state-level, ambispective longitudinal study with adults from southern Brazil. The frequency of anxiety and depressive symptoms was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Anxiety and depressive symptoms before social distancing were retrospectively assessed during wave 1. RESULTS: Most of the 674 participants were classified as non-symptomatic for depressive (85.0%) and anxiety symptoms (73.2%) before the COVID-19 pandemic. At wave 1, there were increases in symptoms of depression (7.6% [95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.2%, 8.1%]) and anxiety (9.1% [95% CI: 8.6%, 9.5%]). These decreased at wave 2 (depression: 6.9% [95% CI: 6.5%, 7.2%]; anxiety: 7.4% [95% CI: 7.1%, 7.8%]) although they were still elevated compared with pre-COVID (depression: 4.5% [95% CI: 4.2%, 4.8%]; anxiety: 5.8% [95% CI: 5.5%, 6.1%]). Adults living alone (b = 0.44 [95% CI: 0.07, 0.82]) had a faster trajectory in anxiety symptoms than their counterparts. Cohort members who were living alone (b = 0.24 [95% CI: 0.06, 0.42]) and with diagnosed chronic disease (0.32 [95% CI: 0.18, 0.46]) had a faster increase in depressive symptoms than their respective counterparts. Participants aged ≥60 years showed a slower trajectory of depressive (b = -0.46 [95% CI: -0.73, -0.18]) and anxiety (b = -0.61 [95% CI: -1.20, -0.02) symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: During 10 months of COVID-19, anxiety and depression symptoms improved but were still higher than before COVID-19.

Machine learning for predicting chronic diseases: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to review the literature regarding the use of machine learning to predict chronic diseases. STUDY DESIGN: This was a systematic review. METHODS: The searches included five databases. We included studies that evaluated the prediction of chronic diseases using machine learning models and reported the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values. The Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis Or Diagnosis scale was used to assess the quality of studies. RESULTS: In total, 42 studies were selected. The best reported area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value was 1, whereas the worst was 0.74. K-nearest neighbors, Naive Bayes, deep neural networks, and random forest were the machine learning models most frequently used for achieving the best performance. CONCLUSION: We found that machine learning can predict the occurrence of individual chronic diseases, progression, and their determinants and in many contexts. The findings are original and relevant to improve clinical decisions and the organization of health care facilities.

Association between specific types of physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of subjective memory decline: findings from the PAMPA Cohort.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the effects of different physical activities practised during the time period when COVID-19 social distancing measures were in place on the risk of subjective memory decline in adults. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Data from the Prospective Study about Mental and Physical Health (PAMPA), a state-level (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil), online-based cohort study, were analysed. Respondents were asked to rate their memory before COVID-19 social distancing measures were implemented (retrospectively) and on the day that the survey was completed. Subjective memory decline was defined as a perceived worsening of memory function during COVID-19 social distancing compared with the pre-pandemic period. The types of physical activity practised before and during COVID-19 social distancing measures were assessed. RESULTS: Data from 2319 adults were included. Out-of-home endurance, muscle strengthening, combined endurance and muscle strengthening, and stretching activities reduced the risk of subjective memory decline during the pandemic. In terms of physical activities practised at home, only muscle strengthening did not protect against subjective memory decline. Participants who sustained any type of physical activity at home during the COVID-19 pandemic showed a reduced risk for subjective memory decline. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity, regardless of the type of activity and location performed, during the time period when COVID-19 social distancing measures were in place can mitigate the effects of the pandemic on subjective memory decline.