Stress, physical activity, and screen-related sedentary behaviour within the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This study investigated how stress, physical activity and sedentary behaviours, of a small sample of Canadians, changed within the first month (i.e. March/April) of the COVID-19 pandemic and the reasons/barriers associated with such changes. Individuals who regularly wear activity trackers were recruited via social media. Participants (N = 121) completed fillable calendars (March/April 2020) with their step counts and answered an online survey. Separate paired-sample t-tests, one-way ANOVAs and bivariate chi-squares were conducted, in addition to qualitative analysis. Daily (p <.001) and work (p =.003) stress increased, physical activity (measured by step count) decreased (p =.0014), and screen-related sedentary behaviour increased (p <.001) as a result of COVID-19. A decrease in physical activity, as a result of the pandemic, was also associated with a larger increase in work stress, compared with those who self-reported their physical activity to have been maintained or increased (p =.005). The most common reasons/barriers to changes in physical activity behaviours were access/equipment, time and motivation. Findings provide initial evidence of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health of some Canadians and highlight the need for continued monitoring of the health of Canadians throughout the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; pandemic; physical activity; sedentary behaviour; stress; wearable activity trackers.