Sadarangani, Kabir P.De Roia, Gabriela F.Lobo, PabloChavez, RobinsonMeyer, JacobCristi-Montero, CarlosMartinez-Gomez, DavidFerrari, GersonSchuch, Felipe B.Gil-Salmerón, AlejandroSolmi, MarcoVeronese, Nicola2024-04-162024-04-162021-05-02International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Volume 18, Issue 10, 2 May 2021, Article number 52391661-7827https://repositorio.unab.cl/handle/ria/56033INDEXACIÓN: SCOPUS.The worldwide prevalence of insufficient physical activity (PA) and prolonged sedentary behavior (SB) were high before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Measures that were taken by governments (such as home confinement) to control the spread of COVID-19 may have affected levels of PA and SB. This cross-sectional study among South American adults during the first months of COVID-19 aims to (i) compare sitting time (ST), screen exposure, moderate PA (MPA), vigorous PA (VPA), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) before and during lockdown to sociodemographic correlates and (ii) to assess the impact of lockdown on combinations of groups reporting meeting/not-meeting PA recommendations and engaging/not-engaging excessive ST (≥7 h/day). Bivariate associations, effect sizes, and multivariable linear regressions were used. Adults from Argentina (n = 575) and Chile (n = 730) completed an online survey with questions regarding demographics, lifestyle factors, and chronic diseases. Mean reductions of 42.7 and 22.0 min./day were shown in MPA and VPA, respectively; while increases of 212.4 and 164.3 min./day were observed in screen and ST, respectively. Those who met PA recommendations and spent <7 h/day of ST experienced greatest changes, reporting greater than 3 h/day higher ST and more than 1.5 h/day lower MVPA. Findings from the present study suggest that efforts to promote PA to South American adults during and after COVID-19 restrictions are needed. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.enCOVID-19ExerciseHealth behaviorPublic healthScreen timeSedentary behaviorArtículoCC BY 4.0 DEED Atribución 4.0 Internacional10.3390/ijerph18105239