ArticleBMC public health2021
Physical activity and mental well-being under COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional multination study.
Article in BMC public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 74 citations in OpenAlex.
- The COVID-19 Pandemic and Daily Steps in the General Population: Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2023Pooled it
- Nonsurgical management of hallux valgus: findings of a randomised pilot and feasibility trial.Journal of foot and ankle research · 2023Trial
- The effects of subjective socioeconomic status and its underestimation on physical activity: evidence from China.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- The COVID rebound effect: Incidence of tendon rupture surgeries in the peripandemic COVID era in a single tertiary academic institution.Bulletin of the Hospital for Joint Disease (2013) · 2025Article
- Recreational activities and psychological distress during the COVID-19 crisis: a cohort study from Norway.BMC public health · 2025Article
- The Health-Related Quality of Life Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on People Living with Multiple Sclerosis and the General Population: A Comparative Study Utilizing the EQ-5D-5L with Psychosocial Bolt-Ons.Brain and behavior · 2025Article
- Physical activity as clinical practice care for patients with type 2 diabetics and its implementation in routine clinical care: an expert opinion survey.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025Article
- Changes in insulin resistance and other metabolic parameters during home quarantine amid the COVID-19 pandemic among the general population.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- How Can the Coping Strategies Mediate the Relationship Among COVID-19 Stress, Depression, and Anxiety?Psychiatry investigation · 2024Article
- Influence of park visitation on physical activity, well-being and social connectedness among Australians during COVID-19.Health promotion international · 2024Article
- The Effect of Psychological Flexibility on Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Multiple Mediation Role of Mindfulness and Coping.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- The quality of life impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS): evidence from the Australian MS Longitudinal Study.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2024Article
- The effect of a prosocial environment on health and well-being during the first COVID-19 lockdown and a year later.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Self-perception of health and physical activity levels among the youth and adults before and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Daily step counts before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic: a smartphone-tracking study of university students in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Increased psychological distress among young people before and during the fifth wave of COVID-19 after two years of pandemic in Hong Kong: a 6-month longitudinal study.BMC psychiatry · 2023Article
- The Effectiveness of a Smartphone Intervention Targeting Suicidal Ideation in Young Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the Influence of Loneliness.JMIR mental health · 2023Article
- Changes in Diet and Physical Activity among 18-65-Year-Olds after the First National COVID-19 Lockdown in Denmark.Nutrients · 2023Article
- The medium-term perceived impact of work from home on life and work domains of knowledge workers during COVID-19 pandemic: A survey at the National Research Council of Italy.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Sports activity limitation during the COVID-19 pandemic in young Italian athletes: impact on mental health in children, adolescents, and young adults.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 8 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCOVID-19 lockdowns have reduced opportunities for physical activity (PA) and encouraged more sedentary lifestyles. A concomitant of sedentariness is compromised mental health. We investigated the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on PA, sedentary behavior, and mental health across four Western nations (USA, UK, France, and Australia).
methodsAn online survey was administered in the second quarter of 2020 (N = 2541). We measured planned and unplanned dimensions of PA using the Brunel Lifestyle Physical Activity Questionnaire and mental health using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Steps per day were recorded only from participants who used an electronic device for this purpose, and sedentary behavior was reported in hours per day (sitting and screen time).
resultsIn the USA and Australia samples, there was a significant decline in planned PA from pre- to during lockdown. Among young adults, Australians exhibited the lowest planned PA scores, while in middle-aged groups, the UK recorded the highest. Young adults exhibited the largest reduction in unplanned PA. Across nations, there was a reduction of ~ 2000 steps per day. Large increases in sedentary behavior emerged during lockdown, which were most acute in young adults. Lockdown was associated with a decline in mental health that was more pronounced in women.
conclusionsThe findings illustrate the deleterious effects of lockdown on PA, sedentary behavior, and mental health across four Western nations. Australian young and lower middle-aged adults appeared to fare particularly badly in terms of planned PA. The reduction in steps per day is equivalent to the non-expenditure of ~ 100 kcal. Declines in mental health show how harmful lockdowns can be for women in particular.
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