Population density predicts youth's physical activity changes during Covid-19 - Results from the MoMo study

Carina Nigg; Doris Oriwol; Kathrin Wunsch; Alexander Burchartz; Simon Kolb; Annette Worth; Alexander Woll; Claudia Niessner

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102619

Population density predicts youth's physical activity changes during Covid-19 - Results from the MoMo study

Health Place. 2021 Jul:70:102619. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102619. Epub 2021 Jul 3.

Authors

Carina Nigg¹, Doris Oriwol², Kathrin Wunsch³, Alexander Burchartz⁴, Simon Kolb⁵, Annette Worth⁶, Alexander Woll⁷, Claudia Niessner⁸

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern, Bremgartenstrasse 145, 3012, Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 15, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany. Electronic address: carina.nigg@ispw.unibe.ch.
² Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 15, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany; Institute of Movement and Sport, University of Education Karlsruhe, Bismarckstraße 10, 76133, Karlsruhe, Germany. Electronic address: doris.oriwol@partner.kit.edu.
³ Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 15, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany. Electronic address: kathrin.wunsch@kit.edu.
⁴ Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 15, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany. Electronic address: alexander.burchartz@kit.edu.
⁵ Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 15, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany. Electronic address: simon.kolb@kit.edu.
⁶ Institute of Movement and Sport, University of Education Karlsruhe, Bismarckstraße 10, 76133, Karlsruhe, Germany. Electronic address: annette.worth@ph-karlsruhe.de.
⁷ Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 15, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany. Electronic address: alexander.woll@kit.edu.
⁸ Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 15, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany. Electronic address: claudia.niessner@kit.edu.

Abstract

Children in Germany showed positive physical activity changes during the first Covid-19 lockdown in April 2020, but it is unclear how the changes relate to population density, which we investigated in a longitudinal sample of 1711 youth (4-17 years). For each ten citizens more per km², less positive physical activity changes were observed. For example, a child living in an area with 100 citizens/km² increased daily life physical activity by 44.50 min/day, whereas a child living in an area with 3000 citizens/km² only engaged in an additional 9.70 min/day. Policymakers should ensure that youth in densely populated areas have access to physical activity opportunities during the pandemic.

Keywords: Adolescents; Built environment; Children; Lockdown; Rural; Urban.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Built Environment*
COVID-19*
Child
Exercise / physiology*
Female
Germany
Humans
Male
Population Density*
Quarantine