A Bibliographic Analysis of Primary Studies on Physical Activity and COVID-19 during 2020–2021

Abstract

Physical distancing and restrictions have been implemented to reduce the transmission rate of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). In contrast, the impact of the pandemic on levels of physical activity has been the subject of studies worldwide. Since the first reported case in December 2019, the number of scientific studies on COVID-19 has grown in a way that has never been seen before. The current study aimed to perform a bibliometric analysis of primary studies on physical activity and COVID-19 during the first two years of the pandemic. The search was carried out using the SCOPUS and Web of Science databases. Our analysis identified a total of 2023 published documents from 10,199 authors, with an annual growth rate of 330% between 2020 and 2021. Open-access scientific journals were the main sources of publication, and the level of collaboration among the most influential researchers contributed to productivity. A co-occurrence analysis of the authors’ keywords indicated a high prevalence of themes related to mental health, depression, anxiety, stress, sleep, and quality of life. In conclusion, the bibliometric analysis revealed a high volume of primary studies on physical activity and COVID-19 during the first two years of the pandemic, and mental health was a much discussed topic.

Keywords

• physical inactivity
• sedentary
• coronavirus
• pandemic
• bibliometrix