Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Time of Utilitarian Walking and Walking as Exercise Among Brazilian Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The REMOBILIZE Study

This study aimed to investigate behavioral changes related to utilitarian walking and walking as exercise among Brazilian older adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Baseline data from the longitudinal REMOBILIZE study were used. The survey was online and comprised 1,482 adults aged 60 years and older. The outcome was the hours per week of walking time (for utilitarian purposes, as exercise, and total), estimated by the frequency and duration and analyzed by average and rate of decrease, comparing pre- and during the pandemic. Total walking time was used to estimate transition patterns between levels of walking intensity. A moderate reduction of 1.76 hr per week in the total walking time was observed, and 28.1% of the participants' walking transition patterns were from more to less physically active. Our findings demonstrate the need for gender-specific interventions and policies to increase the walking levels among older adults after the COVID-19 pandemic period.