A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study on the Level of Depression and Physical Activity among Students in Poland and Portugal in the Second Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The aim of the study was to make a preliminary assessment of depression rates and levels of physical activity and the association between physical activity and depression among Polish and Portuguese students in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A web-based online survey was conducted among s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical medicine 2023-03, Vol.12 (7), p.2541
Main Authors: Zalewska, Anna, Gałczyk, Monika, Sobolewski, Marek, Fernandes, Hélder
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clinical medicine
College students
Consent
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Cross-sectional studies
Depression, Mental
Epidemics
Exercise
Gender
Health aspects
Learning
Medical research
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Mental health
Pandemics
Personal information
Poland
Portugal
Psychological aspects
Questionnaires
Risk factors
Social networks
Software
Students
Surveys
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Summary:The aim of the study was to make a preliminary assessment of depression rates and levels of physical activity and the association between physical activity and depression among Polish and Portuguese students in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A web-based online survey was conducted among students in Poland and Portugal (398 respondents-229 from Poland and 169 from Portugal) aged between 17 and 26 in October 2022. The level of depression was assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in Polish and in Portuguese. The level of physical activity was measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) in Polish and in Portuguese. Overall, 20-35% of respondents suffered from moderate depression, with a lower proportion among men. There were no differences in the percentage distribution of depression classification between Polish and Portuguese students. A decrease in the severity of depression was observed with increasing physical activity. In both countries, walking more often had the strongest effect on reducing depression scores. The continued and alarming prevalence of depressive disorders among university students in the year after the pandemic began had a significant impact on this population-further research on the impact of physical activity on mental health in different populations should be conducted to adjust the optimal level of physical activity for alleviating negative psychiatric symptoms.
ISSN:2077-0383
2077-0383
DOI:10.3390/jcm12072541