COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions And Changes In Physical Activity Among Blacks Living In Rural Alabama

Though emerging work continues to improve our understanding of physical activity (PA) behavior in response to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions among the general population, empirical evidence on populations that are economically and socially marginalized, such as Blacks and those living in rural areas, is scarce. There are also few studies examining the effectiveness of PA interventions during COVID-19. Hence, identifying interventions that are effective in increasing PA participation during COVID-19 could prove useful for future intervention development. PURPOSE: To examine the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on PA participation among rural-residing Blacks in the Deep South enrolled in an ongoing RCT of an automated physical activity phone counseling intervention vs. waitlist control (WC) condition. METHODS: Data were collected from a subsample of 168 participants from 4 rural counties, in which recruitment/enrollment occurred early on during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021). Participants completed surveys at baseline and 12 weeks assessing PA behavior and perceived impact of COVID-19 on PA. We evaluated the relationship between moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and perceived impact of COVID-19 on PA using paired t-tests, independent samples t-tests, and Pearson correlations. RESULTS: Almost half (47.6%) of participants endorsed that COVID-19 restrictions made it more difficult to be physically active. Despite that, there were significant increases in MVPA from baseline to week 12 (p < 0.001, mean difference = +79.7 minutes/week). The increase in MVPA was greater in the intervention group than WC (p < 0.001, mean difference = +53.1 minutes/week). Interestingly, whether participants indicated COVID-19 made PA more difficult was not associated with the increase in MVPA from baseline to 12 weeks. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that PA interventions have the potential to positively impact PA behavior among rural-residing Black persons in the Deep South, even among those who report that COVID-19 pandemic restrictions made it more difficult to be physically active.Supported by NIH Grant R01CA233550