DeYoung Wendy, Schulte Becca, Li Kaigang
Department of Health and Exercise Science Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA.
Colorado School of Public Health Fort Collins Colorado USA.
Public Health Chall. 2023 Sep 30;2(4):e124. doi: 10.1002/puh2.124. eCollection 2023 Dec.
As the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown in March 2020, reports indicate reduced physical activity (PA), increased sitting time (ST), and higher stress in various groups. It remains uncertain if these patterns persist in college students. This study aimed to discover trends in vigorous PA (VPA), moderate PA (MPA), light PA (LPA), ST, and stress among college students from 2020 to early 2022, spanning 2 years.
Using a repeated cross-sectional design, this study involved three online surveys in Summer and Fall 2020, and Winter 2021, respectively. Participants recalled pre-COVID-19 information in the first two periods and reported current information during COVID in all three periods, outlining four time points: Before-COVID and During-COVID times 1, 2, and 3.
This study included 2163 students from a large Western university. All types of PA decreased from the start of the pandemic to late 2021; however, increases toward pre-pandemic levels in MPA and LPA were found in early 2022. Also, activity shifted from VPA to MPA and LPA. Although ST and perceived stress (PS) surged in the pandemic's first year, they began decreasing toward pre-COVID levels in early 2022.
The study indicates a decline in PA during the peak of the pandemic, followed by a recent return to almost pre-COVID levels. Additionally, elevated ST and PS in early pandemic have reduced by the third year. As society begins to live with a new COVID-normal, there must be adaptations to maintain PA and promote mental well-being.
自2020年3月新冠疫情爆发及随后实施封锁以来，报告显示不同群体的身体活动（PA）减少、久坐时间（ST）增加且压力增大。这些模式在大学生中是否持续尚不确定。本研究旨在发现2020年至2022年初这两年间大学生在剧烈身体活动（VPA）、中等强度身体活动（MPA）、轻度身体活动（LPA）、久坐时间和压力方面的趋势。
本研究采用重复横断面设计，分别在2020年夏季和秋季以及2021年冬季进行了三次在线调查。参与者在前两个时期回忆新冠疫情前的信息，并在所有三个时期报告新冠疫情期间的当前信息，共列出四个时间点：新冠疫情前、新冠疫情期间的时间点1、2和3。
本研究纳入了一所大型西部大学的2163名学生。从疫情开始到2021年末，各类身体活动均有所减少；然而，2022年初发现中等强度身体活动和轻度身体活动朝着疫情前水平有所增加。此外，活动类型从剧烈身体活动转向中等强度身体活动和轻度身体活动。尽管久坐时间和感知压力在疫情的第一年激增，但在2022年初开始朝着新冠疫情前水平下降。
该研究表明，在疫情高峰期身体活动减少，随后最近又恢复到几乎新冠疫情前的水平。此外，疫情初期升高的久坐时间和感知压力在第三年有所下降。随着社会开始适应新的新冠疫情常态化生活，必须做出调整以维持身体活动并促进心理健康。
