Experiences and Attitudes of College Students towards Exercise during COVID-19 - Preliminary Results
Abstract
Physical activity and exercise is known to help combat chronic diseases that can affect mental and physical health by boosting the human’s immune system (Jimenez-Pavon et al., 2020; Siordia, 2020). However, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced individuals to quarantine, isolate, social distance, and change their lifestyle, causing a decrease in physical activity by 32% in individuals who had regularly performed exercise before (Meyer et al., 2020). College students are a unique population of study, because most universities converted to virtual format and students were advised to stay away from campus. PURPOSE: To determine the impact COVID-19 has had on college students’ experiences and attitudes towards exercise and the vaccine. METHODS: An invitation email with a link to a Qualtrics survey was sent to all students who were/are enrolled in the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters, excluding student-athletes. The survey included questions regarding the amount of exercise they performed before and during COVID-19, how comfortable they feel exercising in indoor/outdoor spaces (0-10 scale, with 0 being extremely uncomfortable and 10 being extremely comfortable), and if they would get vaccinated when available. The survey will close at the end of the Spring 2021 semester. RESULTS: 458 students (327F/122M, 9 other gender, 28.8 ± 11.2 yrs) completed the survey during the first two weeks of the Spring semester. 79.7% reported that COVID-19 affected their exercise habits. 80% of students stated that COVID-19 had changed their exercise habits. 66% reported a decrease of exercise during the Fall 2020 semester compared to before March 2020, 27% reported an increase, and 7% reported no change of exercise. For the beginning of the Spring semester, 48% recorded a decrease of exercise, 37% recorded an increase and 15% recorded no change compared to before March 2020. Many students felt apprehensive to exercise in indoor public spaces and the campus recreation center (4.2 ± 3.3 and 4.0 ± 3.4, respectively) and more comfortable in outdoor public spaces (7.3 ± 2.7). Nevertheless, 92% claimed that they do some form of exercise on a weekly basis (aerobic, resistance, flexibility, and/or neuromotor exercise). In regards to the COVID-19 vaccination, 38% were extremely likely to get the vaccine, 17% were somewhat likely, 14% were neither likely nor unlikely, 11% were somewhat unlikely, and 21% were extremely unlikely to get the vaccine. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the exercise habits of the majority of college students, some for the better, but more for the worse. It has caused a sense of anxiety in using indoor recreational facilities. However, a third of students currently state that they do not want to get vaccinated.
Recommended Citation
Ramirez, Omar and Bernhardt, Vipa
(2021)
"Experiences and Attitudes of College Students towards Exercise during COVID-19 - Preliminary Results,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2:
Iss.
13, Article 67.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss13/67