Nine Months into the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study Showing Mental Health and Movement Behaviours Are Impaired in UK Students

Matthew J. Savage, Philip J. Hennis, Daniele Magistro, James Donaldson, Laura C. Healy and Ruth M. James
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Matthew J. Savage: SHAPE Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
Philip J. Hennis: SHAPE Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
Daniele Magistro: SHAPE Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
James Donaldson: SHAPE Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
Laura C. Healy: SHAPE Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
Ruth M. James: SHAPE Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 6, 1-10

Abstract: Initial studies indicated that student mental health was impaired during the early stages of the pandemic and that maintaining/improving physical activity gave some protection from mental illness. However, as the pandemic persists, these data may not reflect current circumstances and may have been confounded by exam stress. Methods: This study used an online survey to assess the changes in, and associations between, mental health and movement behaviours in 255 UK university students from before the COVID-19 pandemic (October 2019) to 9 months following the UK’s first confirmed case (October 2020). Changes in and associations between mental wellbeing, perceived stress, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour were assessed using a mixed model ANOVA; a multiple linear regression model determined the predictive value of variables associated with ? mental wellbeing. Results: Mental wellbeing and physical activity decreased (45.2 to 42.3 ( p < 0.001); 223 to 173 min/week ( p < 0.001)), whereas perceived stress and time spent sedentary increased (19.8 to 22.8 ( p < 0.001); 66.0 to 71.2 h/week ( p = 0.036)). ? perceived stress, ? sedentary behaviour and university year accounted for 64.7%, 12.9%, and 10.1% of the variance in ? mental wellbeing ( p < 0.001; p = 0.006; p = 0.035). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic is having a sustained negative impact on student mental health and movement behaviour.

Keywords: student; mental health; physical activity; sedentary behaviour; COVID-19; pandemic (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 (10)

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