Physical activity, sleep, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A one-year longitudinal study of Spanish university students
Julia García-García,
Asier Mañas,
Marcela González-Gross,
Ander Espin,
Ignacio Ara,
Jonatan R. Ruiz,
Francisco B. Ortega,
José Antonio Casajús,
Ana Rodriguez-Larrad,
Jon Irazusta
Affiliations
Julia García-García
AgeingOn Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, 48940, Spain; Clinical Nursing and Community Health Research Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, 48903, Spain
Asier Mañas
GENUD Toledo Research Group, Department of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, 45071, Spain; CIBER of Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, 28029, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla- La Mancha (IDISCAM), Junta de Comunidades de Castilla- La Mancha (JCCM), Castilla- La Mancha, 45004, Spain; Center UCM- ISCIII for Human Evolution and Behavior, Madrid, 28029, Spain; Didactics of Languages, Arts and Physical Education Department, Faculty of Education, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain
Marcela González-Gross
ImFINE Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain; CIBEROBN Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, 28029, Spain
Ander Espin
AgeingOn Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, 48940, Spain; Clinical Nursing and Community Health Research Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, 48903, Spain
Ignacio Ara
GENUD Toledo Research Group, Department of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, 45071, Spain; CIBER of Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, 28029, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla- La Mancha (IDISCAM), Junta de Comunidades de Castilla- La Mancha (JCCM), Castilla- La Mancha, 45004, Spain
Jonatan R. Ruiz
Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS), University of Granada, Granada, 18071, Spain; CIBEROBN Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, 28029, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.Granada, Granada, Spain
Francisco B. Ortega
Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS), University of Granada, Granada, 18071, Spain; CIBEROBN Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, 28029, Spain; Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
José Antonio Casajús
CIBEROBN Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, 28029, Spain; Department of Physiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 50009, Spain
Ana Rodriguez-Larrad
AgeingOn Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, 48940, Spain; Clinical Nursing and Community Health Research Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, 48903, Spain
Jon Irazusta
AgeingOn Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, 48940, Spain; Clinical Nursing and Community Health Research Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, 48903, Spain; Corresponding author. AgeingOn Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, 48940, Spain.
The objective of this longitudinal study was to analyze changes in physical activity, sedentary time, sleep, anxiety, mood, and perceived health as a result of COVID-19 pandemic in a cohort of Spanish university students, both during the home confinement and one year after. Additionally, we analyzed the associations between physical activity, sedentary time, and other measured parameters. Data were collected through two online questionnaires that included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and self-reported anxiety, mood, and perceived health levels before, during and one year after home confinement. Participants reported decreased physical activity, increased sedentary time, and deterioration in sleep quality and perceived health during confinement. Most parameters had improved one year later; however, the participants still reported less physical activity, more sedentary time, and deterioration in sleep quality and perceived health compared to before confinement. Men reported greater reduction of physical activity during home confinement than women. In contrast, women reported reduced physical activity one year after confinement, whereas men reported increased activity. Participants reported higher anxiety and worse mood both during and one year post-confinement compared to pre-confinement, with women reporting higher levels of anxiety than men. Sports science students were closer to regaining pre-pandemic levels of physical activity one year post-confinement than students in other disciplines. Sleep, anxiety, and mood were worse among students with obesity compared to students in other BMI categories. Overall, increased physical activity and decreased sedentary time were associated with less anxiety and better sleep, mood, and perceived health during and one year post-confinement. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep, anxiety, mood, and perceived health were disrupted one year after home confinement. Higher levels of physical activity and lower sedentary time were associated with preserved sleep and mental health during the pandemic.
