The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical Activity among Employees and Students at a Midsize University

Lukman Tata^1, , Brent M. Peterson² and Trista Olson³

¹Department of Kinesiology, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN, USA

²Department of Kinesiology and Public Health, Biola University, La Mirada, CA, USA

³College of Saint Benedict, Saint John’s University, St. Joseph, MN, USA

Cite this paper:
Lukman Tata, Brent M. Peterson and Trista Olson. The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical Activity among Employees and Students at a Midsize University. Journal of Physical Activity Research. 2023; 8(1):9-13. doi: 10.12691/jpar-8-1-2

Abstract

Background: At the outset of the pandemic in January 2020, statewide confinement measures were imposed to varying degrees to limit viral spread. Evidence suggests that imposed measures may have negatively impacted physical activity (PA), specifically, in communities such as colleges or universities that generally maintain higher than average levels of PA. Purpose: To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on PA and recreational facility use on students, faculty, and staff at a midsize university. Methods: A sample of 128 participants completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), which assessed PA in March 2020 and March 2021. Results: March 2021 PA levels were significantly lower than PA reported from March 2020 (2902 ± 2990 vs. 2266 ± 2343 MET-hours per week; p < 0.001). Conclusion: PA and attendance at recreational and gym facilities significantly decreased in March 2020 as compared to March 2021. Public health restrictions implemented to address COVID-19, may have influenced the reductions of PA observed among employees and students. Considering the benefits to immunity and the long-term health benefits that PA provides, public health experts should consider the short-and long-term negative health impacts that may result from closure of PA-focused recreational facilities when implementing public health restrictions.

Keywords:
COVID-19 pandemic public health restrictions activity

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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