HOSPITALIZATION DUE TO COVID-19 AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN FLORIANÓPOLIS: A POPULATION-BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

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Introduction/Objective Studies have demonstrated protective effects of regular physical activity in reducing the risk of severe forms of COVID-19. In addition to contributing to the control of comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes—factors associated with worse disease outcomes—physical activity is considered an important factor in preventing hospitalizations due to COVID-19. The aim of this study was to estimate the association between physical activity practice and hospitalization due to COVID-19 among older adults with confirmed diagnosis of the disease. Methods Cross-sectional study conducted with a sample of older adults (≥60 years) from the EpiFloripa Older Adult Cohort Study, a population-based household survey carried out in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. Data from the 5th wave of the survey (2023/2024) were used. Participants were asked: “Have you been diagnosed positive for COVID-19?” Only those who answered positively were then asked: “Did you need hospitalization due to the novel coronavirus?” (no; yes), which was the dependent variable. The analysis considered only older adults who reported a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. The independent variable was leisure-time physical activity (inactive, 0–9 min/week; insufficiently active, 10–149 min/week; active ≥150 min/week), measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Logistic Regression analysis was performed using Stata 14 software. Analyses were adjusted for sex, age group, and per capita income. The study was approved by the UFSC Research Ethics Committee. Results The study included 276 individuals (66.3% women) aged 75 years or older (55.8%). Among participants, 9.1% reported having required hospitalization due to COVID-19, 27.6% were physically active, and 55.3% were inactive in leisure time. In the adjusted analysis, older adults who were active in leisure time and had a positive COVID-19 diagnosis had an 80% lower odds of being hospitalized due to the disease compared to inactive individuals (OR = 0.20; 95%CI: 0.04–0.94; p = 0.042). Insufficiently active individuals had a 52% lower odds, although without association (OR = 0.48; 95%CI: 0.13–1.73; p = 0.264). Conclusion Lower odds of hospitalization due to COVID-19 were observed among older adults who were physically active during leisure time, reinforcing the importance of physical activity as a possible protective factor against more severe forms of the disease.

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