Medicina (Dec 2023)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic isolation concerning physical activity and cardiovascular health
Abstract
Regular physical activity (PA) is essential for health maintenance and disease prevention. COVID- 19 and its social isolation affected patients with cardiovascular (CV) disease. This is a scoping review aiming to map, analyze, and summarize the impacts caused by the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic concerning PA and CV health in adults. Methods: The review was based on PRISMA-ScR. PubMed, PubMed Central, BVS/BIREME, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, and SciELO databases were selected to search. Two search phases were performed: May 2021 and March 2022. English-language full-text papers were included. Initially, the titles and abstracts of the retrieved documents were read and screened based on the research question. A third reviewer resolved disagreement through consensus meetings. An assessment form was adapted for data extraction. The study was registered in the Open Science Framework platform under the DOI https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/AH6P8. Results: 11 papers were included and demonstrated that regular PA could be challenging in social isolation environments. Most participants were moderately active and performed low-intensity PA. Confinement led to the limitation of everyday activities, nutritional disorders, and reduced PA, contributing to weight gain. Quarantine was associated with stress and depression, leading to an unhealthy diet. Possible solutions point to home PA, considering the baseline health and CV status. Conclusion: The post-COVID- 19 era and its consequences point to the pressing need for planning strategies that increase and maintain home PA as a protective measure for the general population, considering CV health, resources, and household space.
