Open AccessReduced physical activity and weight gain are associated with an increase of depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. A general practitioners’ prospective observational study
Author(s) -
Simon Wernhart,
Eberhard Weihe,
Tienush Rassaf
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
jrsm cardiovascular disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2048-0040
DOI - 10.1177/20480040211047742
Subject(s) - covid-19 , observational study , pandemic , depressive symptoms , psychology , medicine , psychiatry , clinical psychology , virology , anxiety , outbreak , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Objectives We aimed to assess associations between depressive symptoms, lifestyle, and somatic symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design A prospective, observational study using a self-designed questionnaire.Setting Three general practitioners’ (GP) offices in rural Germany.Participants 271 adult patients without manifest cardiovascular or pulmonary disease with (n = 82) and without (n = 189) hypertension reporting to our GP offices.Main outcome measures The reported increase of depressive symptoms (loneliness, sleeplessness, joylessness, listlessness) prior to the first documented case in Germany on 27.01.2020 (t 0 ) as opposed to patients’ health perception during the Corona pandemic (t 1 ) was the primary outcome measure. The secondary outcome measures were changes in physical activity (PA), dyspnea and angina in the two groups.Results Out of 271 patients (50.8 ± 16.8 years, 55.1% females), 1.5% were tested positive for COVID-19. Overall, listlessness (8.5%, p = 0.001), sleeplessness (5.2%, p = 0.001) and joylessness (4.2%, p = 0.003) were increased. Dyspnea significantly increased (9.2%, p < 0.001) and employment status worsened (6.5%, p < 0.001). There were significant associations between the increase of depressive symptoms, weight increase (p = 0.017), and reduction in physical activity (p = 0.046). However, after adjusting for age, hypertensive patients did not show more depressive symptoms (p = 0.704), dyspnea (p = 0.063) or angina (p = 0.432), nor was there any difference in PA (p = 0.906) compared to healthy individuals.Conclusions We demonstrate an association between the deterioration of depressive symptoms, weight gain, and reduced physical activity during COVID-19, both in hypertensives and healthy controls. Hypertension is no driver of symptom deterioration during the pandemic. The trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Registry (DRKS00022157).