Impact of social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on the mood profile of active and sedentary older adults: physical activity as a protective factor.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our habits and lifestyle due to social isolation and mobility restrictions. This new scenario, together with the fear of contracting the coronavirus, influenced mental health, especially among older adults, who presented reductions in social contact and physical activity (PA). Thus, the objective of the study was to analyze the impact caused by social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic on the mood states of active and sedentary older adults. Methods: This is an observational study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Older adults aged over 60 years, who were registered in the database of the Secretariat for the Promotion of Citizenship from a city in southern Brazil, participated in the research. An online questionnaire was applied with questions about sociodemographic characteristics, level of PA, confinement, and mood states in two periods: May 2020 and June 2021. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the mood states of active and inactive individuals during the pandemic. Results: One hundred and fifty participants answered the questionnaire, of which 80 (53.3%) reported practicing PA. More active older adults suffered fewer changes in mood when compared to inactive older adults, with lower levels of confusion (p = 0.035), depression (p = 0.002), and fatigue (p = 0.000). Older adults confined for more than 50 days were more likely to develop depression. In addition, the mood state correlated with the variable fear of contracting the coronavirus; the greater the fear, the greater the mental confusion, depression, fatigue, and tension, and the lower the vigor in the older adults. The practice of PA is also correlated with the mood state; the greater the number of hours dedicated to PA, the lower the confusion, depression, fatigue, and tension of the older adults. Conclusion: The practice of PA positively influenced the mental health of older adults during periods of isolation and social restrictions. PA has a protective factor for the development of mental health problems and improves mood states, with greater time performing PA leading to more benefits.

Comparison of urinary incontinence, based on pelvic floor and abdominal muscle strength, between nulliparous female athletes and non-athletes: A secondary analysis.

AIMS: To compare the strength of abdominal and pelvic floor muscles (PFM) between nulliparous female athletes (FAs) and non-athletes (FNAs), to determine the frequency of urinary incontinence (UI) in these groups. METHODS: This cross-sectional comparative study of nulliparous women included 39 professional FAs, who competed at the district level or above, and 34 FNAs. Participants underwent pelvic floor and abdominal muscle assessments. PFM function and strength were assessed using the modified Oxford scale and a manometer (PERINA 996-2 QUARK). Abdominal muscle function and strength were assessed using a 4-Pro isokinetic dynamometer. The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form was used to assess UI symptoms among the athletes, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form was used to establish the level of physical activity among the non-athletes. RESULTS: The prevalence of UIs in the FAs was 53.8%, while that for FNAs was 35.3%. There was no association between being an athlete and having UI (p = 0.112). FAs were found to weigh more (p = 0.012) and have increased abdominal muscle strength (p = 0.014) and maximum voluntary PFM contraction as recorded by the manometer (p = 0.035), as well as a decreased PFM contraction endurance time (p = 0.025) than FNAs. CONCLUSION: FAs had stronger abdominal muscles and PFM contraction, as assessed by a manometer, but less PFM endurance when compared to FNAs. Despite these differences, the prevalence of UI was similar between groups.

Assessment of abdominal and pelvic floor muscle function among continent and incontinent athletes.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Studies have shown that there is a co-contraction between the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. This study aimed to evaluate pelvic floor and abdominal muscle function in continent and incontinent female athletes and to investigate the association between these muscle groups. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Forty nulliparous professional female athletes who competed at the municipal level or above participated in this study. All participants underwent a pelvic floor muscle (PFM) and abdominal muscle assessment. PFM function and strength were assessed using the modified Oxford Scale and a perineometer. Abdominal muscle function and strength were assessed using a 4-Pro isokinetic dynamometer. To assess athletes' urinary continence, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short-Form (ICIQ-UI-SF) was used. RESULTS: There was a positive association between PFM and abdominal muscle strength among the incontinent athletes (p = 0.006; r = 0.577). The incontinent athletes had greater PFM strength than the continent athletes (p = 0.02). There was no difference in abdominal muscle function between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: We found that incontinent athletes have greater PFM strength than continent athletes. This suggests that urinary incontinence in this population is not due to PFM weakness. The positive association between abdominal and PFM strengths in incontinent athletes may be due to frequent co-contraction between these muscle groups.

Female sexual function and urinary incontinence in nulliparous athletes: An exploratory study.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) and Urinary Incontinence (UI) symptom in nulliparous athletes and analyze the risk factors for these dysfunctions. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF) and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) were applied to assess the UI and the FSD. PARTICIPANTS: 50 athletes with ≥18 years old. RESULTS: We found a prevalence of 48% of UI and 44% of FSD among nulliparous athletes. The rate of athletes having concomitant FSD and UI was 24%. We found a significant difference between high and low impact sports in the ICIQ-UI-SF score (p = 0.028). Hours of training (p = 0.007; R2 = 0.21) was found to be a risk factor for UI. Incontinent athletes demonstrated a Relative Risk of 2.7 to develop sexual desire problem when compared to the continents (p = 0.04; 95% CIs: 1.50-4.89). CONCLUSIONS: This study found a high prevalence of both UI and FSD among nulliparous athletes. Furthermore, nulliparous athletes practicing high-impact modalities are the most susceptible to UI. The hours of training per day was considered a risk factor to develop UI, and incontinent athletes have more chances of showing difficulties in sexual desire.