Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • 2 Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
  • 3 Department of Conservative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 173, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
  • 4 Division of Operative Dentistry, Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
  • 5 Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 960, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
  • 6 Department of General Surgery, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • 7 Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medical Sciences, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi 74027, Nigeria
  • 8 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, City Campus, Kota Bharu 16100, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • 9 Faculty of Health Science, Somali International University, Mogadishu, Somalia
Healthcare (Basel), 2022 Oct 27;10(11).
PMID: 36360481 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10112140

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The authorities of the world had to take extraordinary containment measures due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic spreading across the globe. The only way to stay active during the pandemic was at-home physical activity (PA). The current study evaluates how these preventative measures impacted the PA and well-being of students.

METHODS: This study is multicentral and was conducted in Malaysia, India, Cambodia, and Saudi Arabia; participants were recruited from four different regions to answer the online questionnaire provided via a link shared using their personal WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Twitter social media.

RESULTS: The means of vigorous, moderate, and light PA (min/day) between the active and inactive groups were significantly different (p = 0.001, 0.007, and 0.001), respectively. In comparison with pre-COVID-19, the participants reported that it became more challenging to engage in regular exercise since the onset of social distance, associated with a lack of motivation followed by "less confidence", "less enjoyment", "less support, and fewer opportunities to engage in exercise"; moreover, it was "difficult to maintain close relationships" and "hard to voice their options on contentious matters" (p = 0.001). Public health measures affected the PA and well-being of active and inactive students; this demonstrates that health promotion strategies aimed at enhancing levels of PA in inactive students may be necessary to improve students' well-being.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.