The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions on Sedentary Behavior Among Chinese University Students: A Retrospectively-Matched Cohort Study

Hongjun Yu; Yiling Song; Yangyang Wang; Xiaoxin Wang; Xiaolu Feng; Panpan Chen; Mingzhong Zhou; Xinyi Wen; Chen Fan

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions on Sedentary Behavior Among Chinese University Students: A Retrospectively-Matched Cohort Study

J Healthy Eat Act Living. 2022 Dec 23;2(3):142-165. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Hongjun Yu¹, Yiling Song¹, Yangyang Wang¹, Xiaoxin Wang¹, Xiaolu Feng¹, Panpan Chen¹, Mingzhong Zhou¹, Xinyi Wen¹, Chen Fan¹

Affiliation

¹ Tsinghua University, Department of Physical Education, China.

PMID: 37771478
PMCID: PMC10521997

Abstract

Purpose: This study was to estimate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on sedentary behavior (SB) for Chinese university students during the pandemic period, as well as explore how sedentary behavior changed as a function of sex.

Methods: We conducted an online questionnaire (the Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire) on students from one university in China during the pandemic period (March 29-April 15, 2020) and students retrospectively recalled pre-pandemic physical activity levels (before January 26, 2020). Sedentary behavior was measured using the short version of the Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ). SB in a typical week during the COVID-19 pandemic period and before the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were measured based on SBQ. The data was analyzed using a paired-samples t-test. Chi-square tests were to compare categorical variables.

Results: A total of 1487 (947 males & 513 females; Age 19.72± 1.32yr., BMI = 21.12 ± 4.50) participated in this study. Before the COVID-19-associated lockdown restriction, on weekdays, survey participants averaged engaged in 11.41 (SD =3.93) hours of SB, 10.97 (SD = 3.85) hours of SB in males, 12.25 (SD =3.94) hours of SB in females; on weekends, survey participants averaged engaged in 13.18 (SD =4.06) hours of SB, 12.74 (SD = 3.96) hours of SB in males, 14.04 (SD =4.11) hours of SB in females. During the COVID-19-associated lockdown restriction, on weekdays, survey participants averaged engaged in 13.34 (SD =3.78) hours of SB, 12.90 (SD = 3.67) hours of SB in males, 14.19 (SD =3.83) hours of SB in females; on weekends, survey participants averaged engaged in 14.48 (SD =3.93) hours of SB, 14.10 (SD = 3.81) hours of SB in males, 15.22 (SD =4.04) hours of SB in females. Overall, on weekdays, The COVID-19-associated lockdown restriction on average appeared to increase SB by 1.93 (16.91%↑, 95% CI = 1.74, 2.12) hours, an increase in daily total SB by 1.92 (17.50%↑, 95% CI = 1.92, 2.15) hours for males, and an increase 1.94 (15.84%↑, 95% CI = 1.62, 2.27) hours in females. On weekends, The COVID-19-associated lockdown restriction on average appeared to increase SB by 1.30 (9.86%↑, 95% CI = 1.12, 1.48) hours, an increase in daily total SB by 1.36 (10.68%↑, 95% CI = 1.13, 1.58) hours for males, and an increase 1.18 (8.40%↑, 95% CI = 0.87, 1.50) hours in females.

Conclusions: The COVID-19 restriction may lead to an increase in SB of Chinese university students. The total sedentary time of female students per week was higher than that of male students. Public policy action might be urgently needed to decrease the sedentary behavior of Chinese university students.

Keywords: COVID-19; sedentary behavior; university students.

Grants and funding

The research was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China (19ZDA353, 20BTY004), by The National Key Research and Development Project (2018YFF0300901, 2018YFF0300902), by the Social Science Fund of Beijing (21YTA009), by the “Shuang Gao” Plan of Humanity and Social Science Fund of Tsinghua University (2021TSG08208), by the Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program (2019THZW) and by the Tsinghua University Teaching Innovation Program (ZY01_01).