Impact of COVID-19 Confinement on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour in Spanish University Students: Role of Gender

Ana Rodríguez-Larrad, Asier Mañas, Idoia Labayen, Marcela González-Gross, Ander Espin, Susana Aznar, José Antonio Serrano-Sánchez, Francisco J. Vera-Garcia, Domingo González-Lamuño, Ignacio Ara, Luis Carrasco-Páez, José Castro-Piñero, Mari Carmen Gómez-Cabrera, Sara Márquez, Josep A. Tur, Narcis Gusi, Pedro J. Benito, Diego Moliner-Urdiales, Jonatan R. Ruiz, Francisco B. Ortega, David Jiménez-Pavón, José Antonio Casajús and Jon Irazusta
Additional contact information
Ana Rodríguez-Larrad: AgeingOn Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
Asier Mañas: GENUD Toledo Research Group, Department of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
Idoia Labayen: Department of Health Sciences, Institute for Innovation & Sustainable Development in Food Chain (IS-FOOD), Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdisNA), Public University of Navarra, Campus de Arrosadía, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
Marcela González-Gross: Department of Health and Human Performance, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Ander Espin: AgeingOn Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
Susana Aznar: PAFS Research Group, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
José Antonio Serrano-Sánchez: Department of Physical Education, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Francisco J. Vera-Garcia: Sports Research Centre, Department of Sport Sciences, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain
Domingo González-Lamuño: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain
Ignacio Ara: GENUD Toledo Research Group, Department of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
Luis Carrasco-Páez: Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Seville, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
José Castro-Piñero: GALENO Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Cadiz, 11519 Puerto Real, Spain
Mari Carmen Gómez-Cabrera: Freshage Research Group, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Sara Márquez: Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), University of León, 24071 León, Spain
Josep A. Tur: Research Group on Community Nutrition and Oxidative Stress, Fundamental Biology and Health Sciences, University of the Balearic Islands, IDISBA & CIBEROBN, 07122 Palma, Spain
Narcis Gusi: Department of Didactics of Musical, Plastic and Body Expression, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
Pedro J. Benito: Department of Health and Human Performance, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Diego Moliner-Urdiales: LIFE Research Group, Department of Education and Specific Didactics, University Jaume I, 12071 Castelló de la Plana, Spain
Jonatan R. Ruiz: PROFITH “PROmoting FITness and Health through Physical Activity” Research Group, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Francisco B. Ortega: PROFITH “PROmoting FITness and Health through Physical Activity” Research Group, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
David Jiménez-Pavón: Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cadiz (INiBICA) Research Unit, 11009 Cádiz, Spain
José Antonio Casajús: Department of Physiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Jon Irazusta: AgeingOn Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, entire populations were instructed to live in home-confinement to prevent the expansion of the disease. Spain was one of the countries with the strictest conditions, as outdoor physical activity was banned for nearly two months. This study aimed to analyse the changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviours in Spanish university students before and during the confinement by COVID-19 with special focus on gender. We also analysed enjoyment, the tools used and motivation and impediments for doing physical activity. An online questionnaire, which included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form and certain “ad hoc” questions, was designed. Students were recruited by distributing an invitation through the administrative channels of 16 universities and a total of 13,754 valid surveys were collected. Overall, university students reduced moderate (−29.5%) and vigorous (−18.3%) physical activity during the confinement and increased sedentary time (+52.7%). However, they spent more time on high intensity interval training (HIIT) (+18.2%) and mind-body activities (e.g., yoga) (+80.0%). Adaptation to the confinement, in terms of physical activity, was handled better by women than by men. These results will help design strategies for each gender to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour during confinement periods.

Keywords: pandemic; international physical activity questionnaire; physical exercise; lockdown (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 (12)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/2/369/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/2/369/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:2:p:369-:d:475388

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().