The objective of this longitudinal study was to analyze changes in physical activity, sedentary time, sleep, anxiety, mood, and perceived health as a result of COVID-19 pandemic in a cohort of Spanish university students, both during the home confinement and one year after. Additionally, we analyzed the associations between physical activity, sedentary time, and other measured parameters. Data were collected through two online questionnaires that included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and self-reported anxiety, mood, and perceived health levels before, during and one year after home confinement. Participants reported decreased physical activity, increased sedentary time, and deterioration in sleep quality and perceived health during confinement. Most parameters had improved one year later; however, the participants still reported less physical activity, more sedentary time, and deterioration in sleep quality and perceived health compared to before confinement. Men reported greater reduction of physical activity during home confinement than women. In contrast, women reported reduced physical activity one year after confinement, whereas men reported increased activity. Participants reported higher anxiety and worse mood both during and one year post-confinement compared to pre-confinement, with women reporting higher levels of anxiety than men. Sports science students were closer to regaining pre-pandemic levels of physical activity one year post-confinement than students in other disciplines. Sleep, anxiety, and mood were worse among students with obesity compared to students in other BMI categories. Overall, increased physical activity and decreased sedentary time were associated with less anxiety and better sleep, mood, and perceived health during and one year post-confinement. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep, anxiety, mood, and perceived health were disrupted one year after home confinement. Higher levels of physical activity and lower sedentary time were associated with preserved sleep and mental health during the pandemic.

Validated tools to evaluate physical performance remotely with real-time supervision are lacking. We assessed test–retest and inter-rater reliability, as well as the feasibility of carrying out the five-repetition sit-to-stand (5RSTS), kneeling push-up (KPU) and Shirado–Ito trunk flexor endurance (SIF) tests by 1:1 real-time videoconference. We also evaluated the correlation of these tests with measures of self-reported physical fitness, physical activity, health state and pain. A total of 96 healthy adults participated in the study (18–65 years). Relative and absolute reliabilities were assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM), respectively. Feasibility outcomes included testing duration, participant acceptability (1–5 Likert scale) and presence of adverse events. Self-reported measures were obtained with validated online questionnaires, and correlations were analyzed with Pearson’s partial correlation coefficients controlling for age. ICCs were excellent (>0.9), and SEMs were generally low (2.43–16.21%). The mean duration of all tests was <5 min, mean acceptability was ≥4.5, and adverse events were few. The KPU showed statistically significant correlations with various self-reported measures (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the 5RSTS, KPU and SIF were reliable and feasible when conducted by 1:1 real-time videoconference. This study provides a tool that could be logistically and economically advantageous.

Cancer in older adults is often associated with functional limitations, geriatric syndromes, poor self-rated health, vulnerability, and frailty, and these conditions might worsen treatment-related side effects. Recent guidelines for patients with cancer during and after treatment have documented the beneficial effects of exercise to counteract certain side effects; however, little is known about the role of exercise during cancer treatment in older adults. This is a multicentre randomised controlled trial in which 200 participants will be allocated to a control group or an intervention group (the sample size has been calculated to detect a clinical difference of 1 point in Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score, assuming an α error of 0.05, a β error of 0.20, and a 10 % loss rate). Patients aged ≥70 years, diagnosed with any type of solid cancer and candidates for systemic treatment are eligible. Subjects in the intervention group are invited to participate in a 12-week supervised multicomponent exercise programme in addition to receiving usual care. Study assessments are conducted at baseline and three months. The primary outcome measure is physical function as assessed by the SPPB. Secondary outcome measures include comprehensive geriatric assessment scores (including social situation, basic and instrumental activities of daily living, cognitive function, depression, nutritional status, polypharmacy, geriatric syndromes, pain, and emotional distress), anthropometric characteristics, frailty status, physical fitness, physical activity, cognitive function, quality of life, fatigue, and nutritional status. Study assessments also include analysis of inflammatory, endocrine, and nutritional mediators in serum and plasma as potential frailty biomarkers at mRNA and protein levels and multiparametric flow cytometric analysis to measure immunosenescence markers on T and NK cells. This study seeks to extend our knowledge on exercise interventions during systemic anticancer treatment in patients over 70 years of age. Results from this research will guide the management of older adults during systemic treatment in hospitals seeking to enhance the standard of care. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05131113, November 11, 2021.