Impact of physical activities in mental health of physical education and sports students during pandemic COVID-19

BACKGROUND: Pandemic COVID 19 that started in Wuhan, China, began to present itself in Europe rapidly in the early spring of 2020. This new situation impacted the life of students in all Europe. To measure the level impact of the situation created by COVID 19, from an active and dynamic life with many daily physical activities in the gym, to self-isolation, quarantine and social distancing, the main aim of this study was to investigate the level of mental health and its correlation with physical activity among physical education students.METHODS: The survey was conducted online through google forms, using the Goldberg and Hillier’s 28-item scaled version of the general health questionnaire (GHQ-28). The data were gathered in the period when the teaching process were conducted through online platforms and Pandemic COVID 19 were in the process and all the participants were isolated. A total sample consist of 206 students, 40% of the students were female with the mean age M=20.8 and, 60% male with the mean age M=21.2.RESULTS: Results show that their general health total scores, 79.6% of the participants had very low disorder, 17.0% low disorder and 3.4% moderate disorder. Results also shows that GHQ-28 scale and subscale level of Somatic symptoms, Anxiety insomnia, Social dysfunction and Severe Depression had lower values in students who did physical activity for 60 min per day, more than 4 times a week during self-isolation.CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings general health and its subscales show statistical correlation with physical activity.