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.

Impact of air pollution on the health of the older adults during physical activity and sedentary behavior: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Air pollution, in addition to presenting health risks, can impact the practice of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in older adults. This study analyzed the impact of air pollution on the health of older adults during PA and SB, through a systematic review. METHODS: A keyword and reference search was performed in PubMed, SCOPUS, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science. Predetermined selection criteria included study designs: interventions or experiments, retrospective or prospective cohort studies, cross-sectional studies and case-control studies; population: older adults aged 60 years or older; exposures: specific air pollutants (particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), black carbon (CN), ultrafine particles (PU), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and biomass fuels) indoors and outdoors; and outcomes: physical activity and/or sedentary behavior. RESULTS: The beneficial effects of PA were attenuated or harmed in 11 studies, showing negative impacts on the health of the older adults, mainly by PM2.5 pollutants. On the other hand, in 10 studies the effects of PA were greater than the negative effects of air pollutants, with a greater frequency in relation to PM2.5. In general, even the articles presenting controversial results suggest that practicing PA in polluted environments is more favorable to the health of older adults than remaining in SB. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: On the one hand, air pollution negatively impacted the health of the older adults during PA practices, while on the other hand, PA can mitigate the negative effects of pollutants on the health of older adults during the practices. Evidence shows that practicing PA in environments with low concentrations of pollutants can provide gains and reduce health risks. Remaining in SB in environments with high levels of air pollution worsens the health of older adults.

Effects of Air Pollution on the Health of Older Adults during Physical Activities: Mapping Review.

Atmospheric pollutants present environmental threats to health and have been investigated in different environments, such as highways, squares, parks, and gyms. These environments are frequented by older adults, who are considered fragile to the harmful impacts of pollution present in the air. The aim was to analyze the state of the art on the effects of air pollution on the health of older adults during physical activities (PAs) through a mapping review. The search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cinahl databases until June 2022. Of the 10,109 studies initially identified, 58 met the inclusion criteria. The most investigated health outcome was cardiovascular disease, followed by respiratory outcomes. Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) were the most investigated pollutants. Of the 75 health outcomes investigated, in 29, air pollution had harmful effects on the health of the older adults during the practice of PA, more frequently in cardiovascular diseases. In 25 outcomes, the beneficial effects of PA to the health of the older adults remained, despite exposure to high and low concentrations of pollutants, most often in terms of mental disorders. We conclude that poor air quality is a harmful factor for the health of older adults during the practice of PAs, more frequently in cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. On the other hand, for mental-health-related outcomes (depression and cognition), in most studies, the beneficial effects of PA in older adults were maintained, even after exposure to pollutants.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological aspects and mental health of elite soccer athletes: a systematic review.

Introduction: Investigation of the psychological impact on soccer athletes during the pandemic is essential given their unique challenges, including training disruptions and competition postponements. Understanding these effects will allow the development of specific strategies to preserve the mental health and performance of elite athletes, contributing to effective interventions with both short and long-term benefits. Objective: To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological aspects and mental health of elite soccer athletes. Method: The review adhered to PRISMA criteria, and the study protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42022341545). Searches were conducted until July 2023 in databases including Cochrane, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science. Only original, peer-reviewed studies in English, Portuguese, or Spanish assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological aspects and mental health of elite soccer athletes were included. Results: The search identified 1,055 records and 43 studies were included in this review between 2020 and 2023. In total, the sample included 16,321 soccer athletes of different age groups. Anxiety, depression, mood states, and mental well-being were the most investigated variables. Increased levels of anxiety, depression, and worsening mental well-being were observed in elite soccer athletes. Maintaining fitness during the pandemic showed positive results. Other variables, such as coping, resilience, and sleep quality monitoring, were less widely investigated. Evaluating methodological quality was considered regular for observational and experimental studies. Conclusion: The study reveals a negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on elite soccer athletes, considering psychological aspects and their mental health, notably heightened anxiety and depression. Observational methods predominated, showing mood swings linked to individual characteristics and fitness maintenance efforts. Studies with better-designed methodological approaches and controlled experimental interventions are recommended in the future to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic on soccer players. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?, identifier (CRD42022341545).

Home Physical Exercise Protocol for Older Adults, Applied Remotely During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protocol for Randomized and Controlled Trial.

The emergence of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) at the beginning of 2020, considered a public health emergency due to its high transmission rate and lack of specific treatment, led many countries to adhere to social isolation. Although necessary, social isolation causes important psychological changes, negatively affecting the health of the population, including the older population. The aim of this study is to propose a 4-week, home-based physical exercise protocol for older people in social isolation and evaluate whether will promote positive changes in psychological variables such as anxiety, mood, depression, and stress, and in the variables sleep, quality of life, and physical capacities in the older adults. The sample will be selected in a probabilistic way from individuals aged 60 years or more from the city of Itajaí (Santa Catarina, Brazil). Of these, half will perform a home-based resistance training protocol, with 3 weekly sessions, for 4 consecutive weeks. For group allocation, patients will be randomized with a computer-generated 1:1 allocation to the physical exercise (PE) group or control group. Outcomes will be depressive symptoms, sleep quality, quality of life, stress, mood states, anxiety, and functional capacity, evaluated at baseline, after 4 weeks, and after 15 days of follow-up. This study will offer a home-based exercise protocol for older adults, with load progression and remote monitoring, thus filling a gap in the provision of PE in this population. The results will be able to identify possible improvements not only in physical health, but also in quality of life and mental health. Clinical Trial Registration: The trial registration was carried out in the Brazil Clinical Trials Registry (RBR-5qh6f3v). (https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-5qh6f3v).

Effects of Exercise in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

The authors aimed to provide an overview of the evidence on the effects of exercise in people with Alzheimer's disease through a comprehensive review of the existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses. A literature search was performed in CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Web of Science databases according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The AMSTAR-2-Tool was used for the quality assessment. Twenty-three reviews fulfilled the criteria. Most of the reviews investigated the effects of aerobic exercise on Alzheimer's disease symptoms. The largest effects of exercise were seen in terms of improved cognition by multiple exercises. The majority of the reviews were rated as being of moderate quality and none were classified as having high quality. Exercise is an effective way to treat Alzheimer's disease symptoms and has a low incidence of related adverse events. As most reviews were evaluated as low-moderate quality, caution is needed in the interpretation of the results.

Mental health of older people in social isolation: the role of physical activity at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic involves a new coronavirus characterized by a respiratory disease resulting from an infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome by coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The severity and fatality of COVID-19 are directly related to age and immunocompromised states, with older adults making up the vast majority of cases. The elderly with a higher risk of serious complications due to COVID-19 and deaths are also the group most susceptible to the damage of social isolation, impacting on mental health, resulting in a more sedentary lifestyle, and health problems due to several causes, implying need for greater attention, care and protection. Physical activity has shown excellent results for mental health, being used in different treatments and populations, when considering the elderly, one of the ways to mitigate this impact on mental health is the practice of physical activity. Here, we discuss the impacts of social isolation on mental health and the role of physical activity and exercise in the homes of the elderly as a way to protect the spread of other diseases from all causes during the COVID-19 pandemic period. To this end, we discuss some possibilities that can be used by the elderly in the period of social isolation, to the point of remaining active within their homes.