Volume 28, Issue 150, August 2024

Towards understanding the role of physical activity on mental health among university students during COVID-19: Review

Rania N Almeheyawi^♦

Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia

^♦Corresponding Author
Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Several studies in previously published literature have approved the positive role of performing physical activity (PA) on mental health among university students before COVID-19. These studies have investigated the relationship between PA and mental health extensively under normal circumstances and have concluded similar results. Objective: This review examines the association between PA and mental health among university students during COVID-19. Methods: Published literature was searched in PubMed and ScienceDirect using specific keywords, including physical activity, university students, college students, mental health, and COVID-19. This review data synthesis included observational and interventional studies published in English between 2020 and 2024. Results: Seven studies investigated the relationship between PA and mental health among university students during COVID-19, all cross-sectional and published between 2020 and 2022. During COVID-19, decreased PA and increased sedentary times were associated with poorer mental health and higher levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress, in addition to higher negative emotions. However, studies have not examined the impact of increasing PA on mental health among university students during COVID-19. Conclusion: Reducing PA levels among university students during COVID-19 significantly impacted their mental health. However, the effects of performing different levels of PA (low, moderate, vigorous) on students’ mental health during COVID-19 have not been explored yet. Therefore, researchers in future studies are recommended to cover this knowledge gap by exploring this effect among university students.

Keywords: Physical activity, mental health, depression, anxiety, stress, university students, COVID-19

Medical Science, 2024, 28, e106ms3411

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v28i150.e106ms3411

Published: 21 August 2024