Impact of COVID-19 on Life-Space Mobility, Physical Fitness and Motor Abilities in Older Japanese Women with Social Participation

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to examine changes in physical fitness and motor abilities among older adult Japanese females who participated in social activities during the pandemic and prepandemic periods. Methods: This study included 60 older adult females whose physical fitness and motor abilities were measured in 2014 and 2017 (the 2014 group), and 15 older adult females who participated in the same tests before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 and during the pandemic in 2022 (the 2019 group). Hand grip strength (upper limb strength), knee extension strength (leg strength), standing on one leg with eyes open and using functional reach (balance ability), 10-m maximal walking (walking ability), cross-step moving on four spots, and hip displacement in the anteroposterior direction (hip function) were selected as parameters. Test results were statistically analyzed using two-way ANOVA to examine the interaction effects of group and chronological changes, followed by post-hoc comparisons using the Tukey Honest Significant Difference test. Results: Significant chronological changes were found between the 2014 and 2019 groups in one-leg standing with eyes open (46.92–36.84 s and 39.44–29.05 s), functional reach (31.18–29.58 cm and 32.69–31.53 cm), and hip displacement in the anteroposterior direction (23.99–29.17 cm and 26.16–20.25 cm). The cross-step moving on four spots test revealed a notable chronological change (5.34–6.40 s), and life-space mobility only decreased in the 2019 group. Conclusion: Among older adult females who participate in social activities, the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a significant compression of life-space mobility. While balance already showed small, age-related declines before the pandemic, the pandemic period was additionally characterized by a reduction in hip function, indicating mobility constraints beyond normal aging.