O IMPACTO DA PANDEMIA DE COVID-19 NA PRODUÇÃO DE ARTIGOS CIENTÍFICOS SOBRE IDOSOS PELOS PROFISSIONAIS DE EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA E SEUS EFEITOS NA ÁREA 21 – EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the production of scientific articles by Physical Education professionals concerning the elderly and its effects within area 21: Physical Education. This study evaluated the scientific output of 558 researchers from graduate programs in Physical Education between 2018 and 2022. Only articles targeting the elderly were included. These articles were analyzed based on Qualis strata and the impact factor of the journals. Out of a total of 17,932 articles published by the researchers, 969 were studies focused on older adults. During the pandemic, there was a significant decrease in the number of articles published about the elderly (P = 0.001), accompanied by a decline in Qualis strata rankings (P = 0.001). However, the impact factor of the journals remained unaffected by the pandemic (P = 0.426). The results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted both the quantity and quality of scientific production related to the elderly, as measured by Qualis strata. On the positive side, there was an increase in scientific production in the northeastern region, and the journal impact factors, according to JCR, were not affected by the pandemic.