The impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on physical activity amongst older adults: evidence from longitudinal data in the UK.

Background: A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of adverse health outcomes and frailty,particularly for older adults. To reduce transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic, people were instructed to stay at home, group sports were suspended, and gyms were closed, thereby limiting opportunities for physical activity. Whilst evidence suggests that physical activity levels reduced during the pandemic, it is unclear whether the proportion of older adults realising the recommended minimum level of physical activity changed throughout the various stages of lockdown.

Somatization and health anxiety as predictors of health care use.

Objective: To assess whether the number of somatic symptoms and health anxiety are independent predictors of future health care use after adjusting for confounders.

Methods: In a random sample of the adult UK population, questionnaires assessed the number of somatic symptoms (Somatic Symptom Inventory), health anxiety (Whiteley Index), anxiety/depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), the number of physical illnesses and demographic variables. The number of consultations in primary care was obtained from medical records for 1 year before and after questionnaire assessment, and negative binomial regression analyses identified predictors of consultation rate.

The epidemiology of multiple somatic symptoms.

Background: The risk factors for a high total somatic symptom count are unclear; and it is not known whether total somatic symptoms count is a predictor of impaired health status.

Method: A prospective population-based cohort study in North West England. Randomly sampled residents (1443 participants; 58% response) completed questionnaires to determine number of somatic symptoms (SSI), health status and a wide range of risk factors; 741 completed questionnaires 1 year later.