Sense of Belonging and its Positive Association with Physical Activity Levels and NegativeAssociation with Sedentary Behaviours in Residential Aged Care Facilities in Covid-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study.

Gonzalo Marchant ^1* Emma Guillet-Descas ² Natacha Heutte ¹

• ¹ Laboratoire CETAPS, Université de Rouen, Rouen, France
• ² L-ViS. F-69622, Villeurbanne, 69100, France, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, Rhône-Alpes, France

The COVID-19 pandemic reduced physical activity levels and increased sedentary behavior among older adults in residential care facilities. Another effect of this crisis was that facilitating a sense of social belonging through in-person social activities, such as group exercises or communal meals, became difficult. This study examines the relationship between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sense of social belonging in older adults. Methods: This longitudinal study, which lasted ten months, involved 57 older adults in residential care facilities. Participants completed the Échelle de mesure du Sentiment d'Appartenance Sociale (ESAS) questionnaire three times. They wore an accelerometer on their waists for one week to measure sedentary time and physical activity levels. The ESAS questionnaire, a validated tool for evaluating social belonging in older adults, measures social belonging through a series of questions that assess an individual's feelings of acceptance and intimacy within their social group. Results: Participants were predominantly sedentary (7.30 hours/day) and engaged in low-intensity physical activities (2.9 hours/day). They did not meet the recommended 150 minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. The sense of social belonging was high, with mean scores of 6.75 (ESAS), 7.08 (Acceptance), and 6.43 (Intimacy). Light physical activity was negatively associated with sedentary time. The sense of social belonging was positively related to light physical activity and negatively correlated to sedentary time. This study underscores the importance of light physical activity and a sense of social belonging in reducing sedentary behavior among older adults in residential care facilities.