The impact of COVID-19 movement restrictions on physical activity in a low-income semi-rural population in Malaysia: A longitudinal study

Ruth Salway; Tin Tin Su; Roshidi Ismail; Miranda Elaine Glynis Armstrong; Charlie Foster; Laura Johnson

doi:10.7189/JOGH.11.05029

The impact of COVID-19 movement restrictions on physical activity in a low-income semi-rural population in Malaysia: A longitudinal study

Ruth Salway
, Tin Tin Su
, Roshidi Ismail
, Miranda Elaine Glynis Armstrong
, Charlie Foster
, Laura Johnson

University of Bristol
Monash University Malaysia

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted movement restrictions in countries worldwide, impacting on physical activity (PA), a major non-communicable disease risk factor, and thus may have unintentional long-term health implications. In semi-rural areas of low-middle-income-countries (LMICs), where occupational activity is the main source of PA, changes in PA associated with COVID-19 restrictions are unknown. We investigated the impact of Movement Control Order (MCO) restrictions in a semi-rural region of Malaysia.

METHODS: The South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) is a dynamic prospective community cohort. We contacted a random sample of 1007 adults (18+) who had previously provided PA data in 2018. We asked about PA during the MCO (March-May 2020) and at the time of interview (June 2020).

RESULTS: During the MCO, PA reduced by a mean of 6.7 hours/week (95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.3, 8.0) compared to 2018, with the largest reductions among those in employment. By June, PA was 3.4 hours/week (95% CI = 2.0, 4.8) less than 2018, leaving 34% of adults currently inactive (20% in 2018). Reductions in occupational PA were not replaced with active travel or activity at home. Despite these observed reductions, most participants did not think the MCO had affected their PA.

CONCLUSIONS: Movement restrictions are associated with lower PA lasting beyond the period of strict restrictions; such longer-term reductions in PA may have a detrimental impact on health. Future MCOs should encourage people to be active, but may additionally need targeted messaging for those who don't necessarily realise they are at risk. In particular, policies developed in more affluent countries may not easily translate to LMICs.

Original language	English
Article number	05029
Pages (from-to)	1-9
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of global health
Volume	11
Early online date	25 Dec 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7189/JOGH.11.05029
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 25 Dec 2021

Data Availability Statement

Data are available from Laura Johnson ([email protected]) or Tin Tin Su ([email protected]), upon reasonable request.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their appreciation to the SEACO Field Teams and survey participants.

Funding

SEACO is funded by Monash University which provided the baseline data collection. This work was supported by the Global Public Health strand of the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research, funded under the University of Bristol’s QR GCRF strategy. LJ, RS and MA were additionally supported by MRC grant reference MR/T018984/1. The funders of the study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Adult
COVID-19
Exercise
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Malaysia
Pandemics
Prospective Studies
Rural Population
SARS-CoV-2

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Health Policy
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Access to Document

10.7189/JOGH.11.05029Licence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{219bb10c03b8459e85028110abcebc7c,

title = "The impact of COVID-19 movement restrictions on physical activity in a low-income semi-rural population in Malaysia: A longitudinal study",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted movement restrictions in countries worldwide, impacting on physical activity (PA), a major non-communicable disease risk factor, and thus may have unintentional long-term health implications. In semi-rural areas of low-middle-income-countries (LMICs), where occupational activity is the main source of PA, changes in PA associated with COVID-19 restrictions are unknown. We investigated the impact of Movement Control Order (MCO) restrictions in a semi-rural region of Malaysia.METHODS: The South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) is a dynamic prospective community cohort. We contacted a random sample of 1007 adults (18+) who had previously provided PA data in 2018. We asked about PA during the MCO (March-May 2020) and at the time of interview (June 2020).RESULTS: During the MCO, PA reduced by a mean of 6.7 hours/week (95\% confidence interval (CI) = 5.3, 8.0) compared to 2018, with the largest reductions among those in employment. By June, PA was 3.4 hours/week (95\% CI = 2.0, 4.8) less than 2018, leaving 34\% of adults currently inactive (20\% in 2018). Reductions in occupational PA were not replaced with active travel or activity at home. Despite these observed reductions, most participants did not think the MCO had affected their PA.CONCLUSIONS: Movement restrictions are associated with lower PA lasting beyond the period of strict restrictions; such longer-term reductions in PA may have a detrimental impact on health. Future MCOs should encourage people to be active, but may additionally need targeted messaging for those who don't necessarily realise they are at risk. In particular, policies developed in more affluent countries may not easily translate to LMICs.",

keywords = "Adult, COVID-19, Exercise, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Malaysia, Pandemics, Prospective Studies, Rural Population, SARS-CoV-2",

author = "Ruth Salway and Su, \{Tin Tin\} and Roshidi Ismail and Armstrong, \{Miranda Elaine Glynis\} and Charlie Foster and Laura Johnson",

year = "2021",

month = dec,

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doi = "10.7189/JOGH.11.05029",

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journal = "Journal of global health",

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T1 - The impact of COVID-19 movement restrictions on physical activity in a low-income semi-rural population in Malaysia

T2 - A longitudinal study

AU - Salway, Ruth

AU - Su, Tin Tin

AU - Ismail, Roshidi

AU - Armstrong, Miranda Elaine Glynis

AU - Foster, Charlie

AU - Johnson, Laura

PY - 2021/12/25

Y1 - 2021/12/25

N2 - BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted movement restrictions in countries worldwide, impacting on physical activity (PA), a major non-communicable disease risk factor, and thus may have unintentional long-term health implications. In semi-rural areas of low-middle-income-countries (LMICs), where occupational activity is the main source of PA, changes in PA associated with COVID-19 restrictions are unknown. We investigated the impact of Movement Control Order (MCO) restrictions in a semi-rural region of Malaysia.METHODS: The South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) is a dynamic prospective community cohort. We contacted a random sample of 1007 adults (18+) who had previously provided PA data in 2018. We asked about PA during the MCO (March-May 2020) and at the time of interview (June 2020).RESULTS: During the MCO, PA reduced by a mean of 6.7 hours/week (95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.3, 8.0) compared to 2018, with the largest reductions among those in employment. By June, PA was 3.4 hours/week (95% CI = 2.0, 4.8) less than 2018, leaving 34% of adults currently inactive (20% in 2018). Reductions in occupational PA were not replaced with active travel or activity at home. Despite these observed reductions, most participants did not think the MCO had affected their PA.CONCLUSIONS: Movement restrictions are associated with lower PA lasting beyond the period of strict restrictions; such longer-term reductions in PA may have a detrimental impact on health. Future MCOs should encourage people to be active, but may additionally need targeted messaging for those who don't necessarily realise they are at risk. In particular, policies developed in more affluent countries may not easily translate to LMICs.

AB - BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted movement restrictions in countries worldwide, impacting on physical activity (PA), a major non-communicable disease risk factor, and thus may have unintentional long-term health implications. In semi-rural areas of low-middle-income-countries (LMICs), where occupational activity is the main source of PA, changes in PA associated with COVID-19 restrictions are unknown. We investigated the impact of Movement Control Order (MCO) restrictions in a semi-rural region of Malaysia.METHODS: The South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) is a dynamic prospective community cohort. We contacted a random sample of 1007 adults (18+) who had previously provided PA data in 2018. We asked about PA during the MCO (March-May 2020) and at the time of interview (June 2020).RESULTS: During the MCO, PA reduced by a mean of 6.7 hours/week (95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.3, 8.0) compared to 2018, with the largest reductions among those in employment. By June, PA was 3.4 hours/week (95% CI = 2.0, 4.8) less than 2018, leaving 34% of adults currently inactive (20% in 2018). Reductions in occupational PA were not replaced with active travel or activity at home. Despite these observed reductions, most participants did not think the MCO had affected their PA.CONCLUSIONS: Movement restrictions are associated with lower PA lasting beyond the period of strict restrictions; such longer-term reductions in PA may have a detrimental impact on health. Future MCOs should encourage people to be active, but may additionally need targeted messaging for those who don't necessarily realise they are at risk. In particular, policies developed in more affluent countries may not easily translate to LMICs.

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KW - COVID-19

KW - Exercise

KW - Humans

KW - Longitudinal Studies

KW - Malaysia

KW - Pandemics

KW - Prospective Studies

KW - Rural Population

KW - SARS-CoV-2

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DO - 10.7189/JOGH.11.05029

M3 - Article

C2 - 35003716

SN - 2047-2978

VL - 11

SP - 1

EP - 9

JO - Journal of global health

JF - Journal of global health

M1 - 05029

ER -

The impact of COVID-19 movement restrictions on physical activity in a low-income semi-rural population in Malaysia: A longitudinal study

Abstract

Data Availability Statement

Acknowledgements

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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