Pensar Enfermagem / v.29 n.01 / March 2025
DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v29i1.407 /e00407
Quantitative Original Article)
How to cite this article: Macêdo T, Nascimento M, Palmeira C, Lordello G, Gama G. Physical activity
among university students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pensar Enf [Internet]. 2025 Mar;
29(1): e00407. Available from: https://doi.org/10.71861/pensarenf.v29i1.407
Physical activity among university students before
and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic affected daily life worldwide, with university students being
particularly impacted. Changes in teaching modalities significantly influenced students’
lifestyles, leading to alterations in regular physical activity participation.
Objective
To compare the physical activity patterns of university students before and during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional study with 185 students from a private university in
Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Data collection took place in 2022 using an electronic survey hosted
on the RedCap® platform. We sent a unique survey link via email to enrolled students.
The data encompassed sociodemographic and academic characteristics, as well as lifestyle
habits, including physical activity. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed using
SPSS software.
Results
The majority of participants were women (78.9%), identified as White (44.9%), with a mean
age of 23.4 years (SD ± 6.31). Most students were in their first to fourth semester (53.6%),
and the most common degree program was medicine (27.0%). The students maintained an
average of four days per week of physical activity both before and during the pandemic.
However, the mean duration of physical activity decreased from 76 minutes pre-pandemic
to 65 minutes during the pandemic. Strength training and gym workouts were the most
common activities before the pandemic, whereas strength training, running, and home
exercises predominated during the pandemic. Physiotherapy students were the least active
group during the pandemic.
Conclusion
Despite efforts to diversify exercise modalities to sustain regular physical activity, university
students experienced a reduction in the average duration of physical activity during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords
Physical activity; COVID-19; University students; Lifestyle.
Tássia Teles Santana de Macêdo1
orcid.org/0000-0003-2423-9844
Marla Vitória Santos Nascimento2
orcid.org/0009-0009-1136-2465
Cátia Suely Palmeira3
orcid.org/0000-0001-6328-8118
Gleide Glícia Gama Lordello4
orcid.org/0000-0002-9915-8961
Glícia Gleide Gonçalves Gama5
orcid.org/0000-0002-0221-0453
1 PhD. Enfermeira do Centre Hospitalier Universitaire
de Québec - Université de Laval e Professora Adjunta
da Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública
(EBMSP), Salvador, Brasil.
2Undergraduate Student in Nursing, Escola Bahiana de
Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP), Salvador, Brasil.
3PhD. Professora Adjunta da Escola Bahiana de
Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP), Salvador, Brasil.
4Master. Professora Adjunta da União Metropolitana
de Educação e Cultura (UNIME) e da Escola Bahiana
de Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP), Salvador,
Brasil.
5PhD. Chefe da Unidade de Clínica Médica COM-
HUPES da Universidade Federal da Bahia e Professora
Adjunta da Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde
Pública (EBMSP), Salvador, Brasil.
Corresponding author:
Tassia Macedo
E-mail: tassiamacedo@bahiana.edu.br
Received: 16 Dec 2024
Accepted: 07 Mar 2025
Editor: Paulo Seabra
Macêdo, T.
Quantitative Original Article
Introduction
Entering university requires students to adapt to various
routines and activities related to the demands of higher
education, which may necessitate a reorganization of daily
life.1 This new dynamic can lead to a series of changes,
including financial adjustments, modifications in
interpersonal relationships, and challenges in time
management.2 Balancing the distribution of daily academic
tasks with leisure activities, such as engaging in physical
activity, can help prevent the mental and physical strain
experienced by many young individuals during this stage of
life.3
According to the World Health Organization (WHO),
physical activity is any bodily movement produced by
skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure, varying
in intensity and duration.4,5 The recommended amount of
regular moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity per
week is at least 150 to 300 minutes.4,5 The primary difference
between intensity levels lies in the duration and effort
required for execution, which determines the level of energy
expenditure.6
However, global statistics indicate that one in four adults
does not engage in the level of physical activity
recommended by international guidelines,7,8 and among the
countries with the lowest global rates of physical activity,
Brazil ranks first.9
However, alarming data show that nearly half of the
Brazilian adult population—48.2%—does not engage in
regular physical activity at the recommended level.10
This percentage was even higher during the pandemic
period. Due to the need for social isolation to prevent the
transmission of COVID-19, physical activity levels declined
further when compared to the pre-pandemic period.11,12
To contain the spread of the novel subtype of severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in humans,
several public health measures were implemented, such as
the use of face masks and the closure of public parks, sports
centers, and gyms to prevent possible gatherings.13,14 These
measures altered the population’s physical activity routines,
as various programs were interrupted and/or reduced,13
leading to a more sedentary lifestyle.15
During the pandemic, social isolation also influenced
changes in family routines, requiring the completion of
other activities at home, including remote work, distance
learning, and leisure and religious practices.16 With the
suspension of in-person educational activities, most
institutions began implementing distance learning, which
significantly impacted university students as they adapted to
this new academic routine.17 This transition contributed to
increased sedentary behavior, extended screen time, and
greater use of electronic devices.18
Since insufficient physical activity is recognized as a health
risk behavior among university students,19 preventive
measures against sedentary behavior should be implemented
during their professional training. Considering the reality of
higher education institutions during the pandemic—which
resulted in increased screen time and reduced physical
activity levels due to the necessity of social isolation, thereby
exacerbating the harmful effects of sedentarism on health—
this study aims to compare the physical activity patterns of
university students before and during the COVID-19
pandemic.
Method
This is a cross-sectional, analytical study conducted with
university students from a private higher education
institution (HEI) in Salvador, in the state of Bahia, Brazil.
The data analyzed in this study are part of the parent project
entitled “Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle and
cardiovascular risk of university students,” carried out in 2022.
We invited all university students over 18 years of age, who
were actively enrolled during the data collection period in
one of the seven undergraduate programs offered by the
institution, to voluntarily participate in the study. Thus, we
used convenience sampling to select participants.
Data collection lasted six months, and we conducted it
using an electronic instrument developed on the RedCap®
(Research Electronic Data Capture) platform. Using the
RedCap® electronic platform provided significant
advantages regarding the speed of data visualization,
systematic organization of research findings, and cost
savings related to research resources.20
We generated a unique online link to ensure participant
anonymity. After receiving approval from the ethics
committee, we sent the survey link to students via their
institutional email. The email provided information about
the study’s objectives, expected outcomes, risks, and
benefits, as well as the Informed Consent Form (ICF),
which students signed electronically to confirm
their participation.
The online questionnaire collected sociodemographic,
academic, and clinical data, along with lifestyle habits,
including physical activity before and during the COVID-
19 pandemic. The variables analyzed in this study regarding
physical activity included the weekly frequency of physical
activity and the time spent engaging in such activity.
We exported the responses from RedCap® to SPSS and R
software for processing and generating results through
simple and descriptive statistical analyses. Categorical
variables were expressed as absolute and relative
frequencies—n (%), while continuous variables with
normal distribution were presented as means and standard
deviations (±SD).
Considering a significance level of 5%, we applied the
nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test to analyze differences in
the number of days and time spent on physical activity
before and during the pandemic across sociodemographic
and academic subgroups.
We used the Kruskal-Wallis test to compare the means of
days and duration (continuous variables) across different
student groups.21
This study was conducted in accordance with Resolution
No. 466/2012 of the National Health Council (CNS).
It also adhered to Circular Letter 2/2021, which guides
virtual research. The project received approval from the
Ethics Committee on October 1, 2022, under the opinion
number 5.677.887.
Pensar Enfermagem / v.29 n.01 / March 2025
DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v29i1.407 /e00407
Results
This study included 185 undergraduate health sciences
students, the majority of whom were female (78.9%, n =
146), identified as White (44.9%, n = 83), and were between
18 and 23 years old (73.5%, n = 136), with a mean age of
23.4 years (SD ± 6.3). Regarding academic variables, the
highest concentration of students was in the first and third
semesters (14.1%, n = 26). The most represented degree
programs were medicine (27%, n = 50), followed by
nursing (23.2%, n = 43) and biomedical sciences (14.5%,
n = 27), as shown in Table 1.
As also presented in Table 1, regarding clinical variables,
most students reported no history of hypertension (95.7%,
n = 117) or diabetes mellitus (99.5%, n = 184). As for body
mass index (BMI) classification, although most students
had a normal weight (55.7%, n = 103), more than one-third
were classified as overweight (21.1%, n = 39) or as having
varying degrees of obesity: obesity class I (8.7%, n = 18),
obesity class II (1.6%, n = 3), and obesity class III (1.1%, n
= 2).
Table 1 – Sociodemographic, academic, and clinical data of students from a private higher education institution (HEI),
Salvador, Brazil. 2022 (n = 185)
Variables
N
%
Sex
Female
146
78.9
Male
39
21.1
Age
18–23 years
136
73.5
≥ 24 years
49
26.5
Race/Color
White
83
44.9
Black
31
16.8
Brown
69
37.3
Yellow
2
1.1
Current semester
1st semester
26
14.1
2nd semester
23
12.4
3rd semester
26
14.1
4th semester
24
13.0
5th semester
25
13.5
6th semester
21
11.4
7th semester
11
5.9
8th semester
13
7.0
9th semester
8
4.3
10th semester
3
1.6
11th semester
1
0.5
12th semester
4
2.2
University program
Medicine
50
27.0
Nursing
43
23.2
Physiotherapy
21
11.4
Biomedical sciences
27
14.6
Psychology
16
8.6
Sports science
14
7.6
Dentistry
14
7.6
BMI classification
Underweight
20
10.8
Normal weight
103
55.7
Overweight
39
21.1
Obesity type 1
18
9.7
Obesity type 2
3
1.6
Obesity type 3
2
1.1
Hypertension diagnosis
Yes
8
4.3
No
177
95.7
Diabetes mellitus diagnosis
Yes
1
0.5
No
184
99.5
Source: Author’s data
Macêdo, T.
Quantitative Original Article
Regarding physical activity, among the 185 participants in
this study, 114 (61.6%) reported engaging in physical
activity before the pandemic, while 97 (52.4%) continued
practicing during the pandemic emergency period. The
mean number of days per week and the time dedicated to
physical activity decreased during the pandemic compared
to the pre-pandemic period (Table 2).
In other words, during the pandemic, students engaged in
physical activity an average of 4.0 days per week, with a
mean duration of 65 minutes per day. In contrast, before
the pandemic, the average was 4.7 days per week and 76
minutes per day (Table 2).
Table 2 – Mean number of days and time spent on physical activity before and during the pandemic at a private higher
education institution (HEI), Salvador, Brazil. 2022 (n = 185)
Physical activity practice
Variable
Before the pandemic
Mean (SD)
During the pandemic
Mean (SD)
Days of practice
4.07 (1.443)
4.03 (1.365)
Time spent on physical activity
76.18 (28.954)
65.05 (42.644)
Source: Author’s data
Legend: * Number of students before the pandemic (114), number of students during the pandemic (97).
As for physical activity stratified by degree program,
students in sports science, followed by those in dentistry
and nursing, had the highest mean number of days and time
per week dedicated to physical activity before the
pandemic, compared to students in other programs.
However, when analyzing this practice during the
pandemic, we observed a reduction in exercise duration and
a slight increase in the mean number of days per week.
Notably, dentistry and nursing students maintained the
highest averages (Table 3).
We found a statistically significant difference only in the
pre-pandemic period in the university programs’ mean
number of days dedicated to physical activity (Table 3).
Table 3 – Mean number of days and time spent on physical activity before and during the pandemic at a private higher education
institution, by university program, Salvador, Brazil. 2022 (N = 185)
Variable
Before the pandemic
(N = 114)
During the pandemic
(N = 97)
University
program
Mean
number of
days
(SD)
p-
value
Mean time (minutes)
(SD)
p-value
Mean
number of
days (DP)
p-
value
Mean time
(minutes) (SD)
p-
value
Sports science
4.9(1.1)
0.25
96.9(32.7)a.b.c.d
0.04**
4.1(1.3)
0.65
79.2(56.3)
0.23
Dentistry
4.3(1.9)
88.8(30.9)
4.6(1.3)
85.0(87.9)
Nursing
4.3(1.3)
67.9(25.4) a
4.3(1.3)
65.7(39.6)
Physiotherapy
4.0(1.0)
70.0(24.9) c
4.1(1.0)
47.3(20.9)
Medicine
4.0(1.3)
71.5(25.6) b
3.8(1.5)
56.2(24.2)
Biomedical sciences
3.8(1.8)
83.9(38.0)
4.2(1.1)
73.5(33.5)
Psychology
3.5(1.6)
70.8(19.3) d
3.4(1.7)
72.1(48.2)
Source: Author’s data
Legend: Kruskal-Wallis test with statistical significance <0.05. Identical letters indicate a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05).
Discussion
This study aimed to compare the physical activity patterns
of university students before and during the COVID-19
pandemic. Regarding demographic data, there was a
predominance of young students, most of whom were
female, a profile observed in previous studies conducted
with university populations.22 The concept of race is
complex, as it also involves color and ethnicity, yet it
remains a relevant factor in the context of this study. In the
present research, most students self-identified as White,
with a higher proportion in the medicine program, despite
the 2022 Census conducted by the Brazilian Institute of
Geography and Statistics (IBGE) indicating that Salvador
has the highest concentration of Afro-descendants in
Brazil.23 Another study with medical students aligns with
the present study’s findings.24 The predominance of White
students in this study may, in part, be attributed to the
historical advantage of White individuals in accessing
private higher education institutions. This phenomenon
reflects socioeconomic and structural inequalities that
affect access to higher education in Bahia and Brazil. In
contrast, in 2012, the federal government implemented an
Pensar Enfermagem / v.29 n.01 / March 2025
DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v29i1.407 /e00407
affirmative action policy for Black students to promote
greater democratization of access to public universities.25
Regarding university routines, students are required to
complete both curricular and extracurricular activities at
various times throughout their education. The heavy course
load, combined with study schedules, may influence the
time available for engaging in physical activity.26 Physical
inactivity, characterized by the absence of bodily
movement, is a major predisposing factor for excess
weight.5 Although most students in this study had a normal
weight, research on university students indicates a high
prevalence of overweight individuals among undergraduate
students.15,26
During the pandemic, students engaged in physical activity
for an average of 65 minutes per day, whereas before the
pandemic, the mean duration was 76 minutes per day,
aligning with WHO recommendations.4,5,27 However, this
trend differed in other populations. For instance, data from
the Canadian Community Health Survey revealed a
significant impact of the pandemic on physical activity
levels among Canadians, with a 14-percentage-point
decrease in the proportion of young individuals meeting
physical activity recommendations—from 51% in 2018
(pre-pandemic) to 37% in 2020 (during the pandemic).28
Another population-based study found that the average
step count during the pandemic was significantly lower
across all 200 participating countries and territories than in
the same pre-pandemic period (p < 0.001).29
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic also affected the
routines of university students worldwide.1,30 Students
faced challenges related to physical health, including weight
gain and reduced physical fitness, as well as mental health
issues, such as increased stress and anxiety while adapting
to distance learning.3,15 Leitão et al.31 found in their study
involving 115 Brazilian university students that the amount
of time dedicated to daily exercise decreased during the
pandemic, with a preference for shorter workout sessions.31
Another study with 320 medical students reported that
46.6% developed or worsened symptoms of anxiety
disorders, including excessive worry, difficulty
concentrating, and high levels of stress during the
pandemic. Additionally, 24% increased their consumption
of psychoactive substances, such as alcohol, drugs, and
tobacco, while 20% reduced the frequency of
physical activity.32
Regarding the recommended weekly amount of physical
activity, the university students in this study reported
engaging in and maintaining the minimum recommended
levels, averaging 4.0 days per week and 65 minutes per day,
both before and during the pandemic. One possible
explanation for this finding is the students’ field of study.
As demonstrated by Saraiva et al.,33 students in
health-related fields were more likely to meet the minimum
weekly physical activity recommendations than those in
other academic disciplines. Thus, acquiring knowledge and
information during health-related training may contribute
to a greater awareness of the benefits of adopting healthy
habits.33
Studies have confirmed a significant change in physical
activity levels among university students before and during
the pandemic.34-36 A study conducted with medical students
in Italy revealed that 90% of students from the first to sixth
years spent an average of more than six hours per day
sitting during lockdown. Additionally, final-year students,
or those in their sixth year, spent an average of eight hours
per day sitting before the lockdown and ten hours per day
during the confinement period. The majority of university
students also reported a reduction in physical activity due
to decreased opportunities for walking and daily movement
(65%), as well as the lack of access to sports facilities or
gym equipment (51%).34 Similar findings were observed in
a study involving 857 university students enrolled in higher
education institutions in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais,
which reported a 56.8% reduction in physical activity
during the pandemic.36
Lifestyle habits, including physical activity, tend to change
in both quality and quantity as university students advance
through their academic programs.19,37 A study conducted
with undergraduate physiotherapy students found that
those in the final years of their program had lower physical
activity levels than first-year students.38
Given that this study was conducted with university
students—future healthcare professionals—health
promotion strategies should be implemented to help them
maintain the minimum recommended level of daily physical
activity, even in periods of epidemic lockdowns and public
health emergencies.
Conclusion
Health sciences university students reduced the amount of
time dedicated to physical activity during the COVID-19
pandemic despite diversifying their exercise modalities in
an effort to maintain regular physical activity. During this
public health emergency, remote work and study became
widespread, increasing screen time—an adaptation that
young students had to incorporate into their daily routines.
In this context, the findings of this study can encourage
universities to implement both collective and individual
strategies that promote students’ physical and mental
well-being, supporting healthy lifestyle changes even during
pandemic-related emergencies. Therefore, further research
in public and mental health focusing on university students
should be conducted to assess the impact of the pandemic
on their willingness to engage in physical activity.
When interpreting the results of the present study, some
limitations should be considered. First, this study relied on
self-reported data with recall-based questions, which may
have been strongly influenced by recall bias. Another
limitation is the use of convenience sampling, as the
selected participants were not representative of the
university student population as a whole. Future studies
should include larger samples and incorporate students
from a broader range of academic disciplines beyond health
sciences.
Despite these limitations, our findings have important
clinical and social implications.
Macêdo, T.
Quantitative Original Article
Authors’ contributions
Macêdo T: Conception and design of the study; Data
collection; Data analysis and interpretation; Obtaining
funding; Writing the manuscript; Critical revision of the
manuscript; Approval of the final version of the manuscript
and taking responsibility for it;
Nascimento M: Conception and design of the study; Data
collection; Data analysis and interpretation; Writing the
manuscript; Critical revision of the manuscript; Approval of
the final version of the manuscript and taking responsibility
for it;
Palmeira C: Conception and design of the study; Data
collection; Data analysis and interpretation; Writing the
manuscript; Critical revision of the manuscript; Approval of
the final version of the manuscript and taking responsibility
for it;
Lordello G: Conception and design of the study; Data
collection; Data analysis and interpretation; Writing the
manuscript; Critical revision of the manuscript; Approval of
the final version of the manuscript and taking responsibility
for it;
Gama G: Conception and design of the study; Data
collection; Data analysis and interpretation; Writing the
manuscript; Critical revision of the manuscript; Approval of
the final version of the manuscript and taking responsibility
for it.
Conflicts of interest and Funding
No conflicts of interest were declared by the authors
Acknowledgments
To the Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública for
providing a scholarship through the Institutional Scientific
Initiation Scholarship Program (PIBIC) to support the
development of this project as well as the availability of the
Red-Cap® tool, essential for the collection and management
of research data.
Sources of support / Financing
This study was supported by a scientific initiation
scholarship from the Institutional Scholarship Program
Scientific Initiation (PIBIC) at the Bahiana School of
Medicine and Public Health.
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