SHAPE Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2024 Feb 23;19(2):e0298134. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298134. eCollection 2024.
Historically, university students demonstrate poor movement behaviours that could negatively impact current and future health. Recent literature has focused on identifying determinants of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) in this population to inform the development of intervention strategies. However, the COVID-19 pandemic substantially restricted movement behaviours in this population, meaning findings of previous research may no longer be applicable within the current societal context. The present study explored the longitudinal relationships between pre-pandemic psychological, behavioural and anthropometric factors, and the movement behaviours of UK university students nine months following the outbreak of COVID-19.
Mental wellbeing (MWB), perceived stress (PS), body mass index (BMI), SB, and PA were assessed using an online self-report survey in 255 students prior to (October 2019) and nine months following (October 2020) the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the UK. Path analysis was utilised to test relationships between pre-COVID mental wellbeing, perceived stress and BMI, and movement behaviours during the pandemic.
The fit of the path analysis model was good (χ2 = 0.01; CMIN = 0.10, CFI = 1.00, RMSEA = 0.00). Pre-covid MWB and PS positively influenced PA (β = 0.29; β = 0.24; P < 0.01) but not SB (β = -0.10; β = 0.00; P = 0.79) during the pandemic. Additionally, pre-pandemic SB and PA positively influenced SB and PA during the pandemic respectively (SB: β = 0.26; P < 0.01) (PA: β = 0.55; P < 0.01). Pre-pandemic BMI did not influence any measured variable during the pandemic (PA: β = 0.03 and P = 0.29; SB: β = 0.06 and P = 0.56), and there was no mediating effect of PA on SB during the pandemic (β = -0.26; P = 0.14).
These findings indicate that pre-covid mental health and movement behaviours had a direct positive influence on PA during the pandemic, but not SB. This longitudinal study demonstrates the influence that prior psychological and behavioural factors have in determining university students' response to periods of elevated stress and uncertainty, furthering our understanding of determinants of health-related behaviours in students.
从历史上看，大学生的运动行为较差，这可能对他们当前和未来的健康产生负面影响。最近的文献集中于确定这一人群中身体活动（PA）和久坐行为（SB）的决定因素，以为干预策略的制定提供信息。然而，COVID-19 大流行极大地限制了这一人群的运动行为，这意味着之前研究的结果在当前的社会背景下可能不再适用。本研究探讨了英国大学生在 COVID-19 爆发前的心理、行为和人体测量因素与 COVID-19 爆发后九个月内的运动行为之间的纵向关系。
使用在线自我报告调查，在英国首次确诊 COVID-19 病例前（2019 年 10 月）和之后九个月（2020 年 10 月）对 255 名学生进行心理健康（MWB）、压力感知（PS）、身体质量指数（BMI）、SB 和 PA 的评估。路径分析用于测试 COVID-19 前心理健康、感知压力和 BMI 与大流行期间运动行为之间的关系。
路径分析模型的拟合度良好（χ2 = 0.01；CMIN = 0.10，CFI = 1.00，RMSEA = 0.00）。COVID-19 前的 MWB 和 PS 积极影响 PA（β = 0.29；β = 0.24；P < 0.01），但不影响 SB（β = -0.10；β = 0.00；P = 0.79）。此外，COVID-19 前的 SB 和 PA 积极影响 COVID-19 期间的 SB 和 PA（SB：β = 0.26；P < 0.01）（PA：β = 0.55；P < 0.01）。COVID-19 前的 BMI 不影响 COVID-19 期间的任何测量变量（PA：β = 0.03，P = 0.29；SB：β = 0.06，P = 0.56），并且 COVID-19 期间 PA 对 SB 没有中介作用（β = -0.26；P = 0.14）。
这些发现表明，COVID-19 前的心理健康和运动行为对大流行期间的 PA 有直接的积极影响，但对 SB 没有影响。这项纵向研究表明，先前的心理和行为因素对大学生应对压力和不确定性增加时期的反应具有影响，进一步了解了学生健康相关行为的决定因素。
