Levels of Distress and Physical Activity of Adolescents during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The importance of physical activity, as one of the crucial resources for maintaining and improving physical health, was diminished during the Covid-19 pandemic. Except for the impact it has on physical health, physical activity may have various psychological benefits, especially during the development period of adolescence. The current findings of physical activity show that adolescents are more physically inactive during the pandemic than usual. Also, there are increasingly negative psychological outcomes in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to explore the levels of physical activity, negative affectivity, coping and preoccupation with the pandemic in an adolescent sample. The study involved 2409 adolescents (53.5% girls, 46.5% boys) from elementary and high schools aged 10 to 19. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was applied, and information about levels of physical activity, coping and preoccupation with pandemic and isolation measures were collected. Participants answered on a Likert-type scale. Findings of this research show that on average male adolescents are more likely to engage in physical activities than females. Also, a relation of physical inactivity distress and preoccupation was obtained for adolescent girls. No similar finding was found for males. However, very high physical activity (five or more times a week) was a protective factor for coping and preoccupation with coronavirus infection. The conclusion of this research indicates that levels of physical activity have a different effect on male and female adolescents during the Covid-19 pandemic. It can be concluded that female adolescents that are less physically active are more at risk of depression, anxiety and stress.

Physical activity levels before and after the COVID-19 restrictions among Danish adolescents: a retrospective cohort study

“…The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in decreased PA levels among adolescents during the restrictions [10,17 –20]. The lockdown measures imposed during the pandemic limited adolescents’ opportunities to be active, leading to negative consequences in relation to adopting a healthy lifestyle [21].…”

“…The improper dietary behaviours of children and adolescents during the pandemic, which were associated with lockdowns and reduced PA, constitute a complex problem, potentially resulting in an increased risk of diet-related diseases, including overweight and obesity and their associated consequences [22]. PA was necessary to maintain body weight during the pandemic [23], and the importance of PA, as one of the crucial resources for maintaining and improving physical health, was diminished during COVID-19 [18]. Therefore, the decreased PA levels among adolescents observed during the pandemic could explain why we found adolescents to be less active post COVID-19; however, as it was impossible to include a control group, we cannot conclude that the restrictions were the cause.…”