The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered much of US life with shifts to working-from-home and social distancing changing day-to-day behavior. We aimed to determine the self-reported prevalence of meeting US physical activity guidelines, stratified by sitting time during the early lockdown phase of COVID-19 in US adults. We conducted two cross-sectional internet-based studies April 3rd-May 4th, 2020 in convenience samples of US adults. Participants self-reported daily sitting time and weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) via questions from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. A total of 5036 US adults (65.3% women, 30.2% with chronic conditions) provided complete physical activity and sitting time data (80.3% of total). Overall, 42.6% of participants reported sitting for > 8 h/day (95% CI: 41.2%–44.0%) and 72.5% (71.2%–73.7%) reported being either sufficiently (150–300 MVPA minutes) or highly active (>300 min). The greatest proportion of people self-reported being highly active and sitting for > 8 h/day (24.0%; 22.8%-25.2%), followed by being highly active and sitting for 6–8 h/day (20.9%; 19.8%–22.1%). Sitting and activity appeared similar between sexes, while there was evidence of some age differences. For example, more young adults (ages 18–34) appeared to self-report being inactive and more appeared to sit for > 8 h/day compared to older adults. High sitting time was reported by US adults (>40% sitting > 8 h/day) during April 2020. However, high levels of physical activity (>70% meeting guidelines) were also reported. Since physical activity cannot eliminate the negative health effects of sitting, maintaining activity and limiting sitting during periods of large workplace and societal shifts is encouraged.

Cognitive fatigue is an alteration in central nervous system (CNS) processing due to prolonged performance of mentally demanding tasks. Decreased gait speed and increased stride length variability have been noted in cognitively fatigued older adults (≥ 65 years). Further, cognitive fatigue may weaken the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems of the CNS, contributing to increased postural sway. Detriments in gait and sway caused by cognitive fatigue could increase fall risk. The objective of this literature review was to evaluate the impact of cognitive fatigue on changes in gait and postural sway and its role in fall risk.

Sexually transmitted infections (STI) among older adults have dramatically increased in recent years, especially among those who are widowed and divorced. The purposes of this study were to: (1) identify STI-related knowledge among older adults; (2) report the psychometric properties of a tool commonly used to assess STI-related knowledge among younger populations using data from adults 65 years and older; and (3) determine test-retest reliability of the tool. Data were analyzed from 43 adults, aged 65–94 years, using the 27-item Sexually Transmitted Disease Knowledge Questionnaire (STD-KQ). Participants completed identical instruments on two separate days with approximately two weeks between. After responses were coded for correctness, composite scores were created. Cronbach’s reliability coefficients were calculated to determine response consistency, and Pearson’s r coefficients were used to assess test–retest reliability. Of 27 possible correct answers, participants reported an average of 11.47 (±6.88) correct responses on Day 1 and 11.67 (±7.33) correct responses on Day 2. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the 27-item composite scale were high for both days (0.905 and 0.917, respectively), which indicates strong response consistency. Pearson’s r coefficients were high between responses for the 27-item composite scale on Days 1 and 2 (r = 0.882, P < 0.01), which indicates strong test–retest reliability. Pearson’s r coefficients were high between responses for all but three of the 27 items when assessed separately. Findings suggest the utility of the STD-KQ to assess STI knowledge among older adults. However, the consistently low knowledge scores highlight the need for educational interventions among this population.

Background: Studies examining energy and fatigue as a bipolar mood have focused on a single variable, usually fatigue, when studying these moods. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify factors predicting feelings of energy and fatigue separately while simultaneously examining multiple domains related to these mood states in graduate health sciences students. Method: Seventy-seven participants were recruited from a Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy program at a small school in Northern New York. Participants completed a series of surveys to measure mood, diet, mental work load intensity on school days and non-school days, and physical activity. Participants also completed the Trail-making Test Part B task on an iPad and their Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) and muscle oxygen consumption mVO2 was measured. A backwards linear regression was used to determine the relationship between energy, fatigue and multiple variables. Results: The predictor variables accounted for 46.1% and 22.7% of the variance in fatigue and energy, respectively. More fatigue was associated with worse sleep quality, more time spent sitting and higher perceived intensity of mental workload on non-school days. More energy was associated with better sleep quality, higher muscle oxygen saturation, lower RMR, and faster psychomotor performance. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that energy and fatigue are separate, yet overlapping constructs that are predicted with different accuracy by different variables. Our results indicate that small lifestyle changes may be necessary to improve feelings of fatigue but comprehensive interventions may be necessary to improve feelings of energy and fatigue.

Multiple studies suggest that genetic polymorphisms influence the neurocognitive effects of caffeine. Using data collected from a double-blinded, within-participants, randomized, cross-over design, this study examined the effects of trait (long-standing pre-disposition) mental and physical energy and fatigue to changes in moods (Profile of Mood Survey-Short Form (POMS-SF), state mental and physical energy and fatigue survey), cognitive (serial subtractions of 3 (SS3) and 7 (SS7)), and fine-motor task (nine-hole peg test) performance after consuming a caffeinated beverage and a non-caffeinated placebo. Results indicate that trait mental and physical fatigue and mental energy modified the effects of caffeine on vigor, tension-anxiety, physical, and mental fatigue. Additionally, we report that those who were high trait physical and mental fatigue and low-trait mental energy reported the greatest benefit of caffeine on the SS3 and SS7, while those who were high trait mental and physical fatigue reported the greatest benefit of consuming caffeine on fine-motor task performance. The results of our study suggest that trait mental and physical fatigue and mental energy modify the acute effects of caffeine among a group of healthy, young adults and should be measured and controlled for by researchers who choose to study the effects of caffeine on acute moods and cognitive and fine-motor task performance.

Background: Mental and physical energy and fatigue can be assessed as either stable long-term traits or as a temporary state. Although researchers recognize the need to separate the two, most research has focused on state, leaving trait understudied. Therefore, the objective of this study was to apply demographic, lifestyle and psychosocial variables known to be associated with state fatigue and energy to examine predictors of trait mental and physical energy and fatigue. Methods: A convenience sample (N = 671) completed an online survey measuring mood, physical activity, mental workload, polyphenol (plant-based healthy micronutrients) consumption in the diet, and sleep quality. A multivariate multiple regression model was fit to simultaneously test associations between covariates for each four trait fatigue indicators. Results: Poor sleep quality was the only consistent predictor of both energy and fatigue (mental and physical), with confusion correlating with all but physical energy. Age and depression were predictors of mental and physical fatigue, but caffeine consumption was predicted by higher physical fatigue only. Mental workload and physical activity on off-days predicted physical energy only, while polyphenol consumption and BMI predicted mental energy only. Conclusions: Findings suggest that mental/ physical energy and fatigue may be separate constructs that can be treated as empirically distinct. The distinctions between physical and mental fatigue are less pronounced, needing further exploration. Subsequent research should explore other potentially important biopsychosocial sources of variation in trait mental and physical energy and fatigue.