Centre for Supercentenarian Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Sports Medicine Research Center, Keio University, 4-1-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, 223-8521, Japan.
BMC Geriatr. 2021 Feb 24;21(1):137. doi: 10.1186/s12877-021-02085-1.
On April 7, 2020, Japan declared a state of emergency due to the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with the associated social distancing likely to have had a great impact on older adults' lifestyle and health. This study aimed to explore the behavioral changes and personal hygiene practices in relation with background psychosocial and health characteristics of older adults during the COVID-19 emergency.
A cross-sectional telephonic survey was conducted with the participants of the Kawasaki Aging and Wellbeing Project (KAWP), an on-going longitudinal cohort study of older adults aged 85 or older. The interviews were conducted using a structured questionnaire consisting of 11 closed questions regarding behavioral changes and personal hygiene practices during the state of emergency. Sociodemographic and health data were obtained from the KAWP baseline survey conducted 2.2 years before the telephonic survey.
Overall, 487 participants from the KAWP responded to the telephonic survey (response rate: 89.2%). 94.5% of the respondents reported no changes in basic lifestyle habits, such as eating, sleeping, smoking, and drinking, whereas 28.1% reported a decrease in physical activity, and 54.6% reported going out less frequently. One-third of the respondents reported a decrease in the number of people to converse with, as well as the amount of time to converse. For personal hygiene practices, 93.8% reported wearing a mask when they went out, and 50.3% reported an increased frequency of handwashing. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that engagement in physical activity at baseline (odds ratio [OR] = 1.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.23-3.08), smartphone ownership (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.33-3.47), and visual impairment (OR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.10-2.91) were independently associated with decreased physical activity during the COVID-19 emergency. Female respondents and smartphone ownership were significantly associated with more frequent handwashing.
The study revealed that older adults in an urban setting responded to the COVID-19 emergency with behavioral changes. The findings of this study have implications for the design of preventive strategies to maintain the health and wellbeing of at-risk older adults.
2020 年 4 月 7 日，日本因 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）第一波疫情宣布进入紧急状态，社交距离措施可能对老年人的生活方式和健康产生重大影响。本研究旨在探讨 COVID-19 紧急状态下老年人的行为改变和个人卫生习惯与背景心理社会和健康特征之间的关系。
使用 KAWP（川崎老龄化与健康项目）的参与者进行了一项横断面电话调查，KAWP 是一项针对 85 岁或以上老年人的正在进行的纵向队列研究。访谈使用了一份由 11 个封闭问题组成的结构化问卷进行，这些问题涉及紧急状态期间的行为改变和个人卫生习惯。社会人口统计学和健康数据来自电话调查前 2.2 年进行的 KAWP 基线调查。
总体而言，来自 KAWP 的 487 名参与者对电话调查做出了回应（回应率：89.2%）。94.5%的受访者报告基本生活习惯没有改变，如饮食、睡眠、吸烟和饮酒，而 28.1%的受访者报告体力活动减少，54.6%的受访者报告外出频率减少。三分之一的受访者报告与他人交谈的次数和时间减少。就个人卫生习惯而言，93.8%的受访者表示外出时戴口罩，50.3%的受访者表示洗手频率增加。多因素逻辑回归分析显示，基线时的体力活动参与（比值比[OR] = 1.95，95%置信区间[CI] = 1.23-3.08）、智能手机拥有（OR = 2.15，95%CI = 1.33-3.47）和视力障碍（OR = 1.79；95%CI = 1.10-2.91）与 COVID-19 紧急状态下体力活动减少独立相关。女性受访者和智能手机拥有与更频繁的洗手显著相关。
本研究表明，城市老年人对 COVID-19 紧急情况做出了行为改变。本研究结果对制定预防策略以维持高危老年人的健康和福祉具有重要意义。
