INTERACTIONS OF DEPRESSION WITH FATIGUE, QUALITY OF LIFE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PARKINSON DISEASE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Keywords: Pandemic; Covid-19; Parkinson’s; Quality of Life; Physical Exercise; Fatigue; Depression.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was necessary to take some restrictive measures, one of which was physical distancing. Distance and restrictions had a negative impact on the level of physical activity of individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and worsened their quality of life, psychological aspects, among other impairments. Objective: To evaluate the dynamics of levels of depression, fatigue, quality of life and level of physical activity in individuals with PD during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as compare them and verify which were predictors for depression during the pandemic. Methods: 65 individuals with PD were selected and responded to questionnaires via social media. The Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) was used for Quality of Life (QoL), Baecke’s Questionnaire was used for Physical Activity Level (PAL), the Fatigue Severity Scale (ESF) was used for fatigue, and the Geriatric Depression Scale 15 (GDS-15) was used for depression. A multiple linear regression analysis using the backward method was performed, and the independent variables (QoL, PAL, fatigue) that showed a statistically significant relationship with the depression score entered the model. Results: Only the QoL assessment was able to predict depression (R = 0.550, adjusted R² = 0.292, F(1, 62) = 26.931, p = 0.00). Conclusion: Despite the proven correlations between depression and fatigue, PAL and QoL, only the latter proved to be a predictor of depression in elderly people with PD during the period of physical distancing.