Association between Covid-19 infection experience and physical activity levels in post-recovery college students
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22076587 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Zhiyang Guan (0000-0002-2407-4835, Jiangxi Normal University, corresponding author), Yiting Wu (0000-0001-7979-7072, School of Physical Education, School of Soochow University), Y H Wu (0000-0002-1119-4221, Soochow University), Gaojie Liu (0000-0003-2546-6213, Jiangxi Normal University), Maolin You (0000-0003-2725-7036, Jiangxi Normal University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1756698 |
| OpenAlex | W7167270233 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 24 |
Objective This study aimed to assess the level of physical activity in college students after recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods The Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3) and the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey (WURSS-21) questionnaire were used to conduct a survey on 1,633 college students. Results (1) The experience of COVID-19 was negatively correlated with the level of physical activity after recovery ( r = −0.230, p 0.05). The Spearman correlation coefficients for female students indicated a significant negative correlation with the intensity of physical activity ( r = −0.081, small effect size, p 0.05) and frequency ( r = 0.076, p > 0.05) were not significant. (4) The level of physical activity was lower with increased severity of COVID-19 experience. The overall decrease was 3.20 points for each level of increase in severity, with the individual decreases in male and female students being 5.98 and 2.79 points, respectively. Given the small effect sizes ( R 2 = 0.015–0.035), these differences, while statistically significant, may have limited practical significance. Conclusion The experience of COVID-19 was associated with lower levels of physical activity among Chinese college students in the post-recovery phase, with a stronger negative correlation observed in male students. Notably, the duration and frequency of physical activity were higher among female students after recovery from COVID-19. These results are consistent with the importance of physical activity awareness during a pandemic, though causal inferences are precluded by the cross-sectional design. Additionally, the development of efficient fitness programs may be considered to support participation and address post-pandemic health needs
Canonical correlation · Correlation · Physical activity · Physical activity level · Rating scale · Spearman's rank correlation coefficient · Statistical significance · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 · Physical Activity and Health
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |