Efeitos do isolamento social em participantes de um programa de extensão para terceira idade durante a pandemia de Covid-19

Abstract

Introduction: Social isolation, a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, had a negative impact on the physical fitness (ApF) of people, especially the elderly. Objective: To compare the level of ApF of elderly users of an Open University for the Elderly (UATI) before and after the social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This is a prospective longitudinal comparative study, carried out in a UATI, between the months of October to December 2019 and April to July 2022. The sample included elderly people ≥ 60 years old, independent in basic activities of daily living (50 points on the modified Barthel Index). Exclusion criteria were: attendance <70% in the last three months, admission to the UATI less than 3 months ago, having visual, hearing and language impairments that were not corrected and a score on the Mini Mental State Examination lower than the cut-off point. according to education. Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected using a form. ApF was assessed using the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), the sit-and-stand test five times and the sitand-reach test. The predicted distance in the 6MWT and body mass index were calculated. Through an interview, the Senior Physical Activities Questionnaire for the Elderly was used. Results: 22 elderly people aged 74 (±2) participated, most of them women (n=19 - 86.4%), single (n=12 - 54.5%), completed higher education (n=10 - 45.5 %), income of 3 minimum wages (n=10 - 45.5%), hypertensive (n=13 - 59.1%) and those who practice physical activity (PA) (n=14 - 63.6%). Before the pandemic, 15 participants (68.2%) performed physical exercise outside the UATI, the majority (n=13 - 59.1%) ≥150 minutes of physical exercise per week; in relation to ApF, flexibility worsened -5.05 (±12.12); had more free time in activities that produce energy for work (PA) 23.32 (±12.09) and in activities that produce muscular strength (FO) 19.68 (±15.23), they began to carry less loads from 1 to 5kg 2.13 (±1.03), from 6 to 15kg 2.13 (±1.03) and greater than 15kg 0.45 (±0.67). During social isolation, 17 participants (77.3%) performed < 150 minutes of physical exercise per week outside the UATI; in relation to ApF, flexibility worsened -11.25 (±9.59); had more free time in activities PA 13.59 (±9.80) and FO 7.50 (±7.18), started to carry less loads from 1 to 5kg 1.00 (±1.19), from 6 to 15kg 0.23 (±0.61) and <15kg 0.00 (±0.00). In relation to those practicing <150 min and ≥150 min per week of physical exercise before and during social isolation, both worsened in free activity PA (0.002) and FO (0.004) and when carrying loads from 6 to 15kg (0. 00). Regarding loads from 1 to 5kg, those practicing ˂150 minutes of physical exercise per week showed low values before and after social isolation (0.013) and load <15kg (0.008). Conclusion: The elderly did not reduce their ApF level amid isolation, due to health education and the active lifestyle encouraged by UATI.