Changes in Physical Activity and Cognitive Function of the Elderly Due to COVID-19 in South Korean

PURPOSE: This study aimed to ascertain whether there were changes in the physical activity and cognitive function of older adults before and during the pandemic.METHODS: We recruited 547 older individuals (277 men, 270 women). All participants were assessed (body composition, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, cognitive function, and physical activity) in 2019, before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was declared, and again in 2021 during the pandemic.RESULTS: One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that SBP (p=.044), VPA (p<.001), MPA (p<.001), MVPA (p<.001), and cognitive function (p=.030) were significantly different among the older males group. One-way ANOVA indicated that weight (p=.045), SBP (p=.030), VPA (p<.001), MPA (p<.001), MVPA (p<.001), and cognitive function (p=.002) significantly differed among the older females group.CONCLUSIONS: Social distancing and isolation contributed to a decline in physical activity and cognitive function in both older males and females in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to 2019, the year before the pandemic.