Alghadier Mshari, Basuodan Reem M, Gmmash Afnan, Albesher Reem A
Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj 11942, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.
Life (Basel). 2025 Jan 14;15(1):91. doi: 10.3390/life15010091.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have had long-lasting detrimental effects on children's physical health. Previous studies have shown that children's participation in physical activity (PA) declined during the pandemic. This study examined the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on PA type selection and the influence of gender, number of siblings, residence type, and caregiver education level on PA.
Parents of Saudi children (ages 6-9 years) were recruited through convenience sampling and completed an online survey between July and August 2020. The parent-reported survey included demographics and PA types across three time periods (pre-, during, and post-lockdown). Chi-squared tests and logistic regression with pairwise comparisons were used to analyze the differences.
Parents reported that children ( = 361, mean age 7.7 ± 1.1 years) selected different PA types pre-COVID-19 pandemic more often than during the COVID-19 lockdown, such as swimming (16.9% vs. 12.8%), high-intensity jumping (9.8% vs. 6.6%), cycling (12.8% vs. 9.6%), football (14.3% vs. 6.1%), running (9.3% vs. 5.5%), virtual gaming exercise (5% vs. 3.2%), and playground activity (11.3% vs. 5.8%) ( < 0.05). Additionally, PA type was shown to be influenced by gender and residence type, with girls being 55% more likely to be physically active during COVID-19 compared to boys, and participants living in houses without private yards being less physically active compared to those who lived in houses with private yards.
Children's gender (boy vs. girl) and residence type (with private yards vs. without private yards) affected their PA level during the COVID-19 lockdown. These findings suggest that more effort should be directed toward understanding the influence of gender and house types in the selection of PA types.
新冠疫情可能对儿童身体健康产生了长期的不利影响。此前的研究表明，疫情期间儿童参与体育活动（PA）的情况有所下降。本研究调查了新冠疫情对体育活动类型选择的影响，以及性别、兄弟姐妹数量、居住类型和照料者教育水平对体育活动的影响。
通过便利抽样招募了沙特6至9岁儿童的家长，并于2020年7月至8月完成了一项在线调查。家长报告的调查内容包括人口统计学信息以及三个时间段（封锁前、封锁期间和封锁后）的体育活动类型。采用卡方检验和两两比较的逻辑回归分析差异。
家长报告称，儿童（n = 361，平均年龄7.7±1.1岁）在新冠疫情前比疫情封锁期间更常选择不同的体育活动类型，如游泳（16.9%对12.8%）、高强度跳跃（9.8%对6.6%）、骑自行车（12.8%对9.6%）、足球（14.3%对6.1%）、跑步（9.3%对5.5%）、虚拟游戏锻炼（5%对3.2%）和操场活动（11.3%对5.8%）（P<0.05）。此外，体育活动类型受性别和居住类型的影响，与男孩相比，女孩在新冠疫情期间进行体育活动的可能性高55%，与居住在有私人院子房屋中的参与者相比，居住在没有私人院子房屋中的参与者体育活动较少。
在新冠疫情封锁期间，儿童的性别（男孩对女孩）和居住类型（有私人院子对没有私人院子）影响了他们的体育活动水平。这些发现表明，应更加努力了解性别和房屋类型对体育活动类型选择的影响。
