Assessment of Physical Well-Being and Leisure Time of Polish Students during the COVID-19 Outbreak

Abstract

This project aims to recognize the school experiences of Polish students during the COVID-19 outbreak; we focused on the area of assessment of physical well-being and leisure time. Nearly two thousand primary or secondary school students aged 9 to 20 participated in the survey. Running descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, and significant difference tests, we found that 45% of students thought their physical well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak worsened compared to pre-pandemic times. Boys declared they felt better in their physical well-being than girls (p < 0.001). Most students noticed changes in the quality of their leisure time activities; boys were happier than girls in their free time during the outbreak (p < 0.001). Learners’ ages also differentiated the assessment of their physical well-being (p < 0.001) and leisure time (p < 0.001). The youngest students more often assessed their experiences in the researched fields as good or increased, while the older groups more often noticed a decrease. Multinomial logistic regression proved that the differences in the assessments of physical well-being and leisure time could be explained to the greatest extent by age and gender, whereas the place of residence and school location were insignificant. All in all, our study confirms the dominance of the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical well-being and changes in leisure time. As such, it is advisable (during and after outbreaks) to support children and adolescents by targeting individual and institution levels. We recommend developing techniques to reduce stress and information overload, increasing creative ways of spending leisure time, supporting families in navigating children’s free time, and expanding social support networks.

Creative leisure activities, mental health and well-being during 5 months of the COVID-19 pandemic: a fixed effects analysis of data from 3725 US adults

“…as in previous cross-sectional studies. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Fixed effects models account for observed and unobserved individual heterogeneity. However, they do not address the directionality of associations, so our analyses do not demonstrate whether changes in leisure activities cause changes in mental health and well-being or vice versa.…”

“…3 Some older adults also reported doing hobbies and other creative activities, such as cooking and baking, listening to music and reading to help them cope during the pandemic. 4 Elsewhere, also in cross-sectional surveys, people have reported increases in creativity during the pandemic, [5][6][7][8] with increased time spent on creative activities such as crafts, fine arts, music and performing arts all associated with enhanced well-being. 6 In correlation analyses of another cross-sectional survey of Australian adults, more time spent on artistic creative activities was correlated with lower anxiety and depressive symptoms and less loneliness.…”

Psychosocial Functioning and the Educational Experiences of Students with ASD during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland

“…This situation has had a significant impact on the well-being and mental health of young people [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Some adolescents, particularly girls, experienced a significant increase in symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as a marked decrease in satisfaction with life [ 18 , 19 ]. Concerns related to COVID-19, difficulties with online learning, and increased conflict with parents, as well as limitations to social interactions due to isolation, were all predictors of mental health problems of adolescents [ 18 , 20 ].…”

Preventive Health Behaviours among Adolescents and Their Parents during the COVID-19 Outbreak in the Light of the Health Beliefs Model

“…The results of other studies show a significant decrease in the physical well-being of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. Undoubtedly, it is associated with an observable decrease in physical activity, a marked increase in emotional disorders and problems, and a level of stress that can cause psychosomatic symptoms [ 39 ]. Therefore, despite less anxiety related to the physical aspects of possible illness, they still require a dedicated preventive programme because of the threat to psychological well-being.…”