Physical Activity and Sociodemographic Profile of Brazilian People during COVID-19 Outbreak: An Online and Cross-Sectional Survey

Vancini, Rodrigo L.; Camargo-Neto, Luiz; de Lira, Claudio A. B.; Andrade, Marília S.; Viana, Ricardo B.; Nikolaidis, Pantelis T.; Knechtle, Beat; Gentil, Paulo; Piacezzi, Luiz H. V.; Lopes, Maria C. B. Teixeira; Batista, Ruth E. Assayag; Vancini-Campanharo, Cássia R.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has created an unprecedented impact on global health and further aggravated the physical inactivity pandemic. For this reason, the understanding of sociodemographic variables in the context of physical activity levels are important for the field of public health in order to assist in relevant public health decisions. Our main aim was to characterize sociodemographic variables and physical activity levels and their association with COVID-19 aspects. We applied an online Google survey with closed questions in Brazilian people of different age and regions, both sexes and physical activity levels (n = 1.726). Our main results were that participants who had symptoms of COVID-19 had the highest percentage of level 1 of physical activity (the lowest level according to the classification used) and those who showed no symptoms had the highest percentage of levels 2 and 3 of physical activity; that is, close to the light/moderate levels of physical activity. This cross-sectional study in the Brazilian population provided important sociodemographic data and COVID-19 aspects regarding the level of physical activity. It is possible to assume that the regular practice of physical activity could positively impact health status and quality of life and be a tool in the field of public health to cope (from a physical and mental point of view) with disease scenarios that require quarantine.