2021 Volume 44 Issue 2 Pages 68-73
Introduction: Our aim was to examine the changes in the self-rated frequency of activities among elderly residents living in communities during the self-restraint period associated with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Methods: Regular outpatients aged 75 years or older who visited the hospital or clinic at the Center for Community Medicine in north-western Gifu prefecture between May 11 and May 22, 2020 were selected as participants. The frequency of outings, walks, outdoor exercise, indoor exercise, farm work, communication and interaction, such as at community salons, direct communication with friends and estranged family members, and remote communication by telephone and video calls was surveyed using a questionnaire method at four levels: "0 days", "1-2 days", "3-4 days", and "5 days to every day" per week in the two weeks prior to the visit and in the same period in the previous year.
Results: In total, 292 people aged 75-95 years participated in the study. There was an increase in the number of respondents who reported a lower frequency of going out, walking, farming, outdoor exercise, home exercise, visiting community salons, and direct conversation than in the previous year. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).
Conclusion: In this study, the self-rated frequency of physical activity and social activity decreased among community-dwelling elderly due to the COVID-19 epidemic, suggesting a reduction in these activities.
