Associations between Physical Activity, Sitting Time, and Time Spent Outdoors with Mental Health during the First COVID-19 Lock Down in Austria

Sandra Haider, Lee Smith, Lovro Markovic, Felipe B. Schuch, Kabir P. Sadarangani, Guillermo Felipe Lopez Sanchez, Rubén Lopez-Bueno, Alejandro Gil-Salmerón, Anita Rieder, Mark A. Tully, Lena Tschiderer, Lisa Seekircher, Peter Willeit and Igor Grabovac
Additional contact information
Sandra Haider: Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Lee Smith: Centre for Health, Performance and Wellbeing, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK
Lovro Markovic: Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Felipe B. Schuch: Department of Sports Methods and Techniques, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria 97105-900, Brazil
Kabir P. Sadarangani: Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Salud y Odontología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago 8370179, Chile
Guillermo Felipe Lopez Sanchez: Vision and Eye Research Institute, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK
Rubén Lopez-Bueno: Department of Physical Medicine and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Alejandro Gil-Salmerón: International Foundation for Integrated Care, Oxford OX2 6UD, UK
Anita Rieder: Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Mark A. Tully: Institute of Mental Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Ulster University, Newtownabbey BT37 0QB, UK
Lena Tschiderer: Clinical Epidemiology Team, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Lisa Seekircher: Clinical Epidemiology Team, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Peter Willeit: Clinical Epidemiology Team, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Igor Grabovac: Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-12

Abstract: Measures implemented to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 have resulted in a decrease in physical activity (PA) while sedentary behaviour increased. The aim of the present study was to explore associations between PA and mental health in Austria during COVID-19 social restrictions. In this web-based cross-sectional study (April–May 2020) moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sitting time, and time spent outdoors were self-reported before and during self-isolation. Mental well-being was assessed with the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, and the Beck depression and anxiety inventories. The majority of the participants ( n = 652) were female (72.4%), with a mean age of 36.0 years and a standard deviation (SD) of 14.4. Moreover, 76.5% took part in ?30 min/day of MVPA, 53.5% sat ?10 h/day, and 66.1% spent ?60 min/day outdoors during self-isolation. Thirty-eight point five percent reported high mental well-being, 40.5% reported depressive symptoms, and 33.9% anxiety symptoms. Participating in higher levels of MVPA was associated with higher mental well-being (odds ratio = OR: 3.92; 95% confidence interval = 95%CI: 1.51–10.15), less depressive symptoms (OR: 0.44; 95%CI: 0.29–0.66) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 0.62; 95%CI: 0.41–0.94), and less loneliness (OR: 0.46; 95%CI: 0.31–0.69). Participants sitting <10 h/day had higher odds of mental well-being (OR: 3.58; 95%CI: 1.13–11.35). Comparable results were found for spending ?60 min/day outdoors. Maintaining one’s MVPA levels was associated with higher mental well-being (OR = 8.61, 95%CI: 2.68–27.62). In conclusion, results show a positive association between PA, time spent outdoors and mental well-being during COVID-19 social restrictions. Interventions aiming to increase PA might mitigate negative effects of such restrictions.

Keywords: COVID-19; physical activity; mental health; sitting time; Austria (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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