Changes in Physical Activity, Heart Rate, and Sleep Measured by Activity Trackers During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across 34 Countries: Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted behavior within populations, affecting physical activity (PA), heart rate (HR), and sleep characteristics in particular. Activity trackers provide unique insights into these changes, enabling large-scale, real-time monitoring.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to analyze the associations between the features of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide and PA, HR, and sleep parameters, using data collected from activity trackers over a 3-year period.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis using anonymized data collected from the 208,818 users of Withings Steel HR activity trackers, spanning 34 countries, over a 3-year period from January 2019 to March 2022. Key metrics analyzed included daily step counts, average heart rate, and sleep duration. The statistical methods used included descriptive analyses, time-trend analysis, and mixed models to evaluate the impact of restriction measures, controlling for potential confounders such as sex, age, and seasonal variations.

RESULTS

We detected a significant decrease in PA, with a 12.3% reduction in daily step count (from 5802 to 5082 steps/d) over the 3 years. The proportion of sedentary individuals increased from 38% (n=14,177) in 2019 to 52% (n=19,510) in 2020 and remained elevated at 51% (n=18,972) in 2022, while the proportion of active individuals dropped from 8% (n=2857) to 6% (n=2352) in 2020 before returning to 8% (n=2877) in 2022. In 2022, the global population had not returned to prepandemic PA levels, with a noticeable persistence of inactivity. During lockdowns, HR decreased by 1.5%, which was associated with lower activity levels. Sleep duration increased during restrictions, particularly in the countries with the most severe lockdowns (eg, an increase of 15 min in countries with stringent measures compared to 5 min in less restricted regions).

CONCLUSIONS

The sustained decrease in PA and its physiological consequences highlight the need for public health strategies to mitigate the long-term effects of the measures taken during the pandemic. Despite the gradual lifting of restrictions, PA levels have not fully recovered, with lasting implications for global health. If similar circumstances arise in the future, priority should be given to measures for effectively increasing PA to counter the increase in sedentary behavior, mitigate health risks, and prevent the rise of chronic diseases.