Determining the physical activity level and social media addiction of physiotherapy and rehabilitation students who receive online education during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Every individual was affected by the new life coming from Covid-19 pandemic. The lives of university students changed quickly and gradually as they found themselves while learning all courses from the screens. This study was carried out in order to examine the effects of students' continuing education from home on their physical activity levels and attitudes towards social media and to determine their relations with each other.A cross-sectional study. An online survey was conducted with the participation of 211 volunteer university students (female = 99). Questionnaires and qualitative questions were used to collect data. It was determined that 67.8% of the participants were physically active at a moderate level. It was determined that the perceived duration of social media usage increased compared to before and after the pandemic (p=0.000). Social media addiction of 63% of individuals was not found to be risky. There was no significant relationship between physical activity levels and social media addiction levels (r=0.069, p>0.05). Considering that students' various activities such as going to and from university and social life are limited during the pandemic process, it is possible that their physical activities have decreased, and they are directed to social media tools. Despite these, we think that most of the students can use physical activity strategies and create regular exercise environments at home, considering that they are aware of the importance of physical activity with their education in physiotherapy department.