Nutritional and functional sequelae after the cessation of recreational activities due to COVID-19 in a group of Mexican older adults
BY Jaime Alberto Bricio-Barrios
As part of the effort to promote healthy aging in the population, recreational centers for the social inclusion of older adults have been a timely strategy for encouraging cultural, physical, educational, and social activities in that age group. In the first quarter of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the activities of those centers were suspended because their target populations were considered vulnerable, consequently resulting in several risks to the intrinsic capacities of older adults. The study carried out by our research group from the University of Colima, in Mexico, demonstrated the impact on nutritional and functional parameters in older adults, after the suspension of their activities at a social coexistence center.
The longitudinal study was carried out in Colima, a state located in the western region of Mexico, on a group of older adults that attended a social assistance center. The participants were observed 18 and 3 months before the COVID-19 quarantine period, as well as 12 months after that time. Of the 256 older adults evaluated, 71 were included in the longitudinal study. The parameters assessed were body composition, dietary energy and nutrient intake, and various tests related to older adult musculoskeletal function (such as gait speed, hand strength, and frailty and dependency tests).
Nine out of 10 participating older adults perceived a negative impact on their overall health, following the lack of activities at the social assistance center. Despite the proposed hypothesis of a possible increase in body weight after the pandemic, our study showed that body weight in the older adults was maintained for 12 months after activity cessation, albeit there was a slight increase in body fat percentage and a reduction in lean mass. That trend is similar to the involuntary loss of muscle mass that occurs in sarcopenia, and in the long term, could increase the risk of presenting frailty and dependency. In fact, before the COVID-19 quarantine period, 7.3% of the participating older adults presented with frailty, increasing to 20.7% after said period.
Low-cost breakfast support was also provided at the recreation center, an excellent complement for improving the dietary quality of the older adults. During the 12 months of the COVID-19 quarantine, there was a decrease in the quality of their diets, evidenced by lower energy intake, lower protein consumption, and higher sugar intake.
Social assistance centers are suitable spaces for promoting active and healthy lifestyles. Even though older adults may attend them only for a specific course or to have a moment of leisure, elements that favor their intrinsic capacities are indirectly promoted. Our study on older adults described their dietary intake, body composition, and musculoskeletal function. There are more intrinsic capacities to understand and improve in that age group, and so it is essential to continue strategies for the promotion of healthy aging, through the diverse, entertaining, and nourishing activities of social coexistence centers.
Article details
Impact on the Nutritional and Functional Status of Older Mexican Adults in the Absence of Recreational Activities due to COVID-19: A Longitudinal Study From 2018 to 2021
Jaime Alberto Bricio-Barrios, Mónica Ríos-Silva , Miguel Huerta, Rosa Yolitzy Cárdenas-María, Alondra Elizabeth García-Ibáñez, María Guadalupe Díaz-Mendoza, Héctor Mariano Jiménez-Leal, Liz Argelia Chávez-Torres, Liliana Islas-Piza, Shelem García-García, Mario del Toro-Equihua, Ricardo García-Rodríguez , Karla Berenice Carrazco-Peña, Fátima López-Alcaraz and Xóchitl Trujillo
First Published: May 3, 2022
DOI: 10.1177/07334648221099278
Journal of Applied Gerontology
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