scholarly journals Changes in Depression and Physical Activity Among College Students on a Diverse Campus After a COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Order

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Coughenour ◽  
Maxim Gakh ◽  
Jennifer R. Pharr ◽  
Timothy Bungum ◽  
Sharon Jalene
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
College Students ◽  
At Home

scholarly journals Objective and Perceived Neighborhood Greenness of Students Differ in Their Agreement in Home and Study Environments

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 3427
Author(s):  
Alexander Karl Ferdinand Loder ◽  
Josef Gspurning ◽  
Christoph Paier ◽  
Mireille Nicoline Maria van Poppel
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
College Students ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Interrater Reliability ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The City ◽  
At Home

Research has reported the associations between objective or subjective neighborhood greenness and health, with low agreement between the greenness scores. College students are prone to poor health, and data are lacking on home and university environments. We studied the agreement between greenness parameters and the associations of objective greenness with health in different locations. Three hundred and seventy-seven college students were recruited, with a mean age of 24 years, in the city of Graz, Austria. Objective and perceived greenness was assessed at home and at university. Health measures included the WHO-5 questionnaire for mental health, the IPAQ questionnaire (short) for physical activity and sedentariness, and body mass index. Per location, quintile pairs of objective and perceived greenness were classified into underestimates, correct estimates or overestimates. Interrater reliability and correlation analyses revealed agreement between greenness scores at home but not at university. ANOVA models only showed poorer mental health for students underestimating greenness at university (M = 51.38, SD = 2.84) compared to those with correct estimates (M = 61.03, SD = 1.85). Agreement between greenness scores at home but not at university was obtained, and mental health was related to the perception of greenness at university. We conclude that reliable and corresponding methods for greenness scores need to be developed.

scholarly journals The Effects of Social Distancing During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Stress, Eating, Weight, Sleep, and Physical Activity in College Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 210-210
Author(s):  
Mariana Calle ◽  
Jaime Vallejos ◽  
Manuel Cifuentes ◽  
Cheryl Hersperger ◽  
Sue Foo
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
College Students ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Healthy Weight ◽  
Weight Changes ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
At Home

Abstract Objectives Measures implemented due to the CoVID-19 pandemic, may have affected stress-induced sleep disturbances and food cravings. This study aims to evaluate: 1) perceptions on how social distancing due to CoVID-19 affected stress, sleep, dietary habits and physical activity (PA) patterns in female vs. male college students; 2) perceived factors associated with self-reported weight changes during the initial months of social distancing. Methods Cross-sectional. Online anonymous survey administered using a social network site as the main data collection tool in a period from June to August 2020. Questionnaire was framed to retrospectively recall the first phase of social distancing measures. Results College students (n = 575); majority 18-24 y, 80% women, 14% men, 1.3% transgender and 2% non-binary; 76% White, 10% Hispanic/Latino, 7% African American, 5% Asian & 6% Multiracial. Of the 575 participants, 36% reported overeating and 34% an increase in weight. Under exercise was reported in 31% of participants and 40% decreased their sleep during the initial months of social distancing. Regarding mental health, 37% reported having high levels of anxiety, and 61% reported a decreased sense of happiness. Fifty-five reported feeling high levels of stress at home and 64% reported stress due to schoolwork. A higher proportion of women reported higher levels of uncertainty (p = 0.002), anxiety (p = 0.042), stress at home (p = 0.046), changes in mood (p = 0.01) and changes in eating (0.014). There were no differences among gender responses for changes in sleep, weight, loneliness, exercise and school work related stress. Self-reported weight gain was associated with changes in exercise for 54% (P < 0.0001). Changes in mood for 73% (P = 0.002), overall changes in sleep 78% (P = 0.002) and changes in eating for 82% (P = 0.002) of the responders. Weight change was associated with uncertainty (P = 0.023), anxiety (P < 0.001) and stress levels at home (P < 0.0001). Conclusions In this non-representative US sample, most college students reported high levels of stress and decreased happiness, with women affected at higher levels. It can be hypothesized that long term disaster responses using social distancing, should address stress management, PA, sleep and eating habits for age college students to maintain a healthy weight. Funding Sources Worcester State University Advancement Office

scholarly journals Changes in Depression and Physical Activity Among College Students on a Diverse Campus After a COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Order

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Coughenour ◽  
Maxim Gakh ◽  
Jennifer R. Pharr ◽  
Timothy Bungum ◽  
Sharon Jalene
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
College Students ◽  
White Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Predominantly Female ◽  
At Home

Abstract The numerous negative health impacts of COVID-19, which include expected changes to psychiatric illness and physical activity (PA), are disproportionately distributed in the United States. Mental illnesses and physical inactivity are prevalent among U.S. college students. This study examined whether there was a change in minutes of PA and depression scores after a stay-at-home order and examined predictors of these changes. An online survey was sent to all undergraduate and graduate students attending a large, diverse university via an electronic newsletter. The survey requested information about demographic and academic data, cardiorespiratory fitness, and depression symptoms. Paired t-tests and logistic regression were employed. Our sample (n=194) was predominantly female (73%), young (mean age of 25), not a sexual minority (82%), and had a mean 3.4 GPA. Students reported worse depression scores (p<0.01) and fewer minutes of PA (p=0.01) after the stay-at-home order. There was a small but significant (p=0.04) correlation between changes in total minutes of PA and depression scores. Senior (p=0.05) and Hispanic (p=0.03) students were less likely to report worsening depression scores than freshmen and white students, respectively. Asian students were significantly more likely than white students to report decreased PA. This study suggests that COVID-19 and its consequences may be contributing to reduced PA and greater depression symptoms in college students and that sub-groups have been affected differently. Targeted interventions to promote PA and support mental health may bolster the ability for resilience of college students.

The Association Among Social Support, Self-Efficacy, Use of Mobile Apps, and Physical Activity: Structural Equation Models With Mediating Effects (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taotao Wang ◽  
Mengyuan Ren ◽  
Ying Shen ◽  
Xiaorou Zhu ◽  
Xing Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Support ◽  
College Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Support Level ◽  
Physical Activity Levels

BACKGROUND Physical inactivity is a risk factor for chronic noncommunicable diseases. Insufficient physical activity has become an important public health problem worldwide. As mobile apps have rapidly developed, physical activity apps have the potential to improve the level of physical activity among populations. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the effect of physical activity apps on levels of physical activity among college students. METHODS A Web-based questionnaire was used to survey college students in Beijing from December 27, 2017, to January 5, 2018. According to a previous survey, 43% of college students using physical activity apps and 36% of those who never used such apps achieved the physical activity recommendations. In this study, the sample size was calculated to be 500. The questionnaire consisted of 5 parts: the use of physical activity apps, sports habits, social support, self-efficacy, and social demographic information. Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationships between the use of physical activity apps, self-efficacy, social support, and level of physical activity. RESULTS Of the 1245 participants, 384 college students (30.8%) used physical activity apps (in the past month). Of these 384 students, 191 (49.7%) gained new friends via the app. College students who were using physical activity apps had a higher level of physical activity and higher scores for social support and self-efficacy (<italic>P</italic>&lt;.001) than those who did not use such apps. The use of physical activity apps significantly affected the mediating effect of physical activity level through social support (beta=.126; <italic>P</italic>&lt;.001) and self-efficacy (beta=.294; <italic>P</italic>&lt;.001). Gender played an important role in app use, self-efficacy, and physical activity in the mediation model: male users spent more time on physical activity and had higher self-efficacy scores (<italic>P</italic>&lt;.001). CONCLUSIONS This study focused on college students in Beijing and found that the use of physical activity apps is associated with higher physical activity levels among these students. This effect is mainly through the mediation effect of social support and self-efficacy, rather than the direct effect of physical activity apps. The use of physical activity apps is associated with a higher social support level and higher self-efficacy score. Furthermore, a high social support level and high self-efficacy score are associated with higher physical activity levels.

scholarly journals Physical Activity Patterns in India Stratified by Zones, Age, Region, BMI and Implications for COVID-19: A Nationwide Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 097275312199850
Author(s):  
Vivek Podder ◽  
Raghuram Nagarathna ◽  
Akshay Anand ◽  
Patil S. Suchitra ◽  
Amit Kumar Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
World Health ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
Home Work ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Physically Inactive ◽  
At Home

Rationale: India has a high prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which can be lowered by regular physical activity. To understand this association, recent population data is required which is representative of all the states and union territories of the country. Objective: We aimed to investigate the patterns of physical activity in India, stratified by zones, body mass index (BMI), urban, rural areas, and gender. Method: We present the analysis of physical activity status from the data collected during the phase 1 of a pan-India study. This ( Niyantrita Madhumeha Bharata 2017) was a multicenter pan-India cluster sampled trial with dual objectives. A survey to identify all individuals at a high risk for diabetes, using a validated instrument called the Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS), was followed by a two-armed randomized yoga-based lifestyle intervention for the primary prevention of diabetes. The physical activity was scored as per IDRS (vigorous exercise or strenuous at work = 0, moderate exercise at home/work = 10, mild exercise at home/work = 20, no exercise = 30). This was done in a selected cluster using a mobile application. A weighted prevalence was calculated based on the nonresponse rate and design weight. Results: We analyzed the data from 2,33,805 individuals; the mean age was 41.4 years (SD 13.4). Of these, 50.6% were females and 49.4% were males; 45.8% were from rural areas and 54% from urban areas. The BMI was 24.7 ± 4.6 kg/m 2 . Briefly, 20% were physically inactive and 57% of the people were either inactive or mildly active. 21.2% of females were found physically inactive, whereas 19.2% of males were inactive. Individuals living in urban localities were proportionately more inactive (21.7% vs. 18.8%) or mildly active (38.9% vs. 34.8%) than the rural people. Individuals from the central (29.6%) and south zones (28.6%) of the country were also relatively inactive, in contrast to those from the northwest zone (14.2%). The known diabetics were found to be physically inactive (28.3% vs. 19.8%) when compared with those unaware of their diabetic status. Conclusion: 20% and 37% of the population in India are not active or mildly active, respectively, and thus 57% of the surveyed population do not meet the physical activity regimen recommended by the World Health Organization. This puts a large Indian population at risk of developing various NCDs, which are being increasingly reported to be vulnerable to COVID-19 infections. India needs to adopt the four strategic objectives recommended by the World Health Organization for reducing the prevalence of physical inactivity.

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