Physical Activity, Life Satisfaction, Stress Perception and Coping Strategies of University Students in Belarus during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 restrictions in Belarus turned out to be less stringent than those of its neighboring countries. Objective: We aimed to evaluate physical activity, life satisfaction, perception of stress, choice of coping strategies and their correlations among Belarusian students. An anonymous Internet survey was conducted among 1769 students studying at the faculties of physical culture (415), pedagogical (737), and medical (617) universities. International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ) and Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), and Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (mini-COPE) questionnaires were used. The respondents declared sufficient and high levels of physical activity. The level of physical activity was correlated with life satisfaction (typically for student-athletes). The least satisfaction with life and highest level of perceived stress were among future doctors. The minimum indicator of stress was noted in athletes. The most common coping strategy was active coping. Strategies of problem avoidance and seeking support from outside were not used by student-athletes. These strategies were used by pedagogical and medical students. Student-athletes have the most favorable opportunities, followed by representatives of pedagogical and medical students. The proposed classification of the levels of behavior (optimal, acceptable, satisfactory and risky) makes it possible to adjust lifestyles.

Factors affecting psychological health and career choice among medical students in eastern and western region of China after COVID-19 pandemic

“…This study investigated the factors related to psychological abnormalities in medical students in the post-epidemic era. In concert with results from Shpakou et al's survey that medical students are less satisfied with life and have a higher level of perceived stress than other majors ( 13 ), our study found that nursing and clinical students were more likely to suffer from psychological stress, anxiety and insomnia. Of note, senior and graduate medical students reported less anxiety than younger students, and no close family member or friend infected with COVID-19 reduced medical students' risk of anxiety and depression, which was consistent with published reports.…”

“…A Saudi Arabia survey observed nearly 20% of respondents suffering from a moderate to severe level of anxiety relative to this pandemic; western, northern, and eastern regions were reported to be the most anxious, which may be due to western and eastern regions being the initial epicenters of COVID-19 within Saudi Arabia (11). These findings are similar to those in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of COVID-19, with medical professionals experiencing a higher level of anxiety (12). These data demonstrate that differences in geographical area result in diversity in the degree of anxiety of medical students; however, the specific reasons still need to be explored in detail.…”

Physical Activity and Mental Health of Medical Students from Poland and Belarus-Countries with Different Restrictive Approaches during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Shpakou et al [ 46 ] noted a positive correlation of PA (IPAQ) with life satisfaction (SWLS). However, our results did not confirm such a correlation.…”

“…However, our results did not confirm such a correlation. The above-mentioned study of Shpakou et al [ 46 ] showed that the majority of students from Belarusian universities demonstrated high PA levels. A considerable proportion of the respondents used such coping strategies as active coping, planning, seeking emotional support as well as positive revaluation and development.…”

Effect of physical activity on stress and the sense of community during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of gender and age

“…This has led to a wide range of attempts to find links between physical activity and psychological and mental health across countries, races, and ages [28]. As a result, several studies have reported the adequacy of adopting physical activity as a stress management strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic [29,30]. Studies on Koreans have also reported that various health and lifestyle-related indicators deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic [31][32][33].…”