What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aims to examine the prevalence of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among university students and the factors influencing it during the COVID-19 pandemic.

February 8, 2026Open Access

Physical Activity Prevalence and Sex-Associated Factors Among University Students During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Key Points

The study aims to examine the prevalence of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among university students and the factors influencing it during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cross-sectional design involving 4059 university students during the pandemic lockdown.
Physical activity was measured using the IPAQ-SF questionnaire.
Independent variables included sociodemographic factors, pre-pandemic activity levels, and sedentary behavior.
56% of students met the MVPA recommendations, with 57.7% of males and 54.3% of females meeting the criteria.
Knowledge to perform physical activity significantly increased the likelihood of meeting MVPA guidelines.
Regular physical activity before the pandemic also positively correlated with meeting MVPA recommendations, while increased sedentary behavior negatively impacted activity levels.

Abstract

The study investigated the prevalence of students meeting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) recommendations and factors associated with MVPA during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 4059 university students (2200 females F) during the lockdown using an electronic form. PA was assessed using the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF). Independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge to perform PA, pre-pandemic PA, sedentary behavior (SB), and health self-reports related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, 56% of students met MVPA recommendations (males M: 57.7%, F: 54.3%; χ2 = 4.703, p = 0.030). Knowledge to perform PA (M: OR = 3.012, 95% CI: 2.413–3.759; F: OR = 2.948, 95% CI: 2.444–3.556) and being physically active before the pandemic (M: OR = 2.651, 95% CI: 2.060–3.412; F: OR = 1.459, 95% CI: 1.079–1.974) increased the likelihood that students attained the MVPA recommendations. In contrast, longer daily exposure to SB was negatively associated with MVPA in both sexes. In this context, the present findings reinforce the relevance of universities as strategic settings for the promotion of PA in middle-income countries, where social and economic vulnerabilities may exacerbate the long-term consequences of physical inactivity.

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Cite This Study

Luz et al. (Fri,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/698827e20fc35cd7a8846ece https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/sports14020070

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