Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Satisfaction With Life of University Students in Qatar: Changes During Confinement Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Souhail Hermassi; Lawrence D Hayes; Ahmad Salman; Nilihan E M Sanal-Hayes; Emna Abassi; Lolwa Al-Kuwari; Nada Aldous; Nemah Musa; Amna Alyafei; El Ghali Bouhafs; René Schwesig

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.704562

Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Satisfaction With Life of University Students in Qatar: Changes During Confinement Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Front Psychol. 2021 Sep 30:12:704562. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.704562. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physical Education, College of Education, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
² School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
³ Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom.
⁴ The Movement and Sport Research Center (CeRSM), University of Paris Nanterre, Nanterre, France.
⁵ College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
⁶ Department of Sports Science, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.
⁷ Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.

Abstract

This study explored the effects of home confinement on physical activity (PA) and satisfaction with life (SL) among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 531 subjects participated [male: n=203; female: n=328; age: 33.1±5.2years; mass: 72.1±17.5kg; height: 1.67±0.12m; and body mass index (BMI): 25.7±5.06 kg/m²]. Online survey questions considered "before" and "during" confinement. Confinement reduced all PA intensities (η_p ²=0.09-0.45, p<0.001) and increased daily sitting time (η_p ²=0.58, p<0.001). The largest reduction was in moderate intensity PA [metabolic equivalent of task-minutes/week (MET), η_p ²=0.45, p<0.001]. SQL decreased, with the score for "I am satisfied with my life" (η_p ²=0.42, p<0.001) decreasing from 28.4±5.7 to 20.6±9.7 arbitrary units (AU). Concerning SL, the largest change was detected for "the conditions of my life are excellent" (η_p ²=0.54, p<0.001). Time changes in all variables were demonstrative of large negative changes in both sexes. The difference in change between sexes was largest in terms of magnitude for the variable "the conditions of my life are excellent" (difference between groups, Δd=0.98). In sum, COVID-19 confinement reduced PA, heightened sitting time, and reduced SL in Qatar University students. This investigation could have a significant impact in developing PA guidelines for health maintainance during COVID-19 and successive pandemics in university students.

Keywords: COVID-19; home confinement; life satisfaction; lifestyle and lockdown; physical inactivity; public health; sedentary behavior; university student.