Background: The aim of this study was to characterize patterns of physical activity (PA) and to examine whether resilience contributed to PA levels among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during the COVID-19 quarantine period among adult population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) were used to assess the participants' activity and resilience levels. The Kruskal-Wallis Test was used to examine differences in PA across resilience levels. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between resilience and PA levels. Data were reported as medians and interquartile ranges.
Results: In total, 1859 individuals were included in the study (40% aged 26-35 years). The findings showed that 85% of the respondents engaged in PA and 15% were physically inactive. The majority (71%) participated in moderate-intensity PA. The median resilience score was 3.50 (0.85), indicating a medium level of resilience. A positive correlation was shown between the average resilience score and both walking (rs=0.01, P<0.001) and vigorous-intensity PA (rs=0.08, P=0.007). Data did not show a significant correlation between moderate-intensity PA and resilience score.
Conclusions: Greater emphasis on PA engagement after the period of quarantine is needed. Resilience may play an important role in buffering the deleterious impact of quarantine on PA.