gms | German Medical Science

Background: In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic presented unforeseen challenges for governments worldwide. During the initial mobility restrictions from March to mid-July 2020, the German population was advised to stay home and engage in remote work. These restrictions and the newfound option to work remotely likely have significantly impacted daily physical activity patterns with regard to existing active transport habits.

Method: Cross-sectional observational data from the German National Cohort (NAKO) were utilized. These data were collected from individuals aged 19-74 who visited one of 18 study centers across Germany between 2014 and 2019. Six questions regarding self-reported commuting methods were analyzed and operationalized into five active transport categories based on clustering analysis. Physical activity was obtained from the self-reported General Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) at the baseline assessment, and data on changing physical activity patterns were collected from a COVID-19-specific questionnaire distributed to the participants at the beginning of the pandemic between April 30 and May 12, 2020.

Results: Data were available from 51,331 employed persons. At the baseline assessment, the primary mode of transport was car usage (51%), followed by public transport (14%), walking, cycling, and a combination of walking & cycling. Employed persons who predominantly used the car and those who used public transport were the most sedentary, engaged in the least sports activities, and showed the highest body mass index compared to persons using other commuting methods. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, existing differences were exacerbated as sedentary individuals were more likely to become even more sedentary. Multivariate analyses, adjusting for socioeconomic status and baseline sedentary levels, revealed that compared with their car-only counterparts, persons who relied on public transport had a greater likelihood of becoming even more sedentary (β= .06, CI: .049; .074). Persons who transitioned to remote work reported significantly less time for transport-related physical activity. Notably, individuals who primarily cycled for active transport reported the most substantial reductions in physical activity for transport (β= -.11, CI: -.125; -.100), independent of their baseline level.

Discussion: Active transport, such as walking and cycling alone, or in combination with public transport, is increasingly recognized as a promising means of enhancing physical activity at the population level. However, when mobility restrictions were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, public transport was limited, and active transport modes supporting daily physical activity, like cycling, were also curtailed due to the option to work remotely.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

The authors declare that a positive ethics committee vote has been obtained.