Publication
Title
Physical activity during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic : investigating the reliance on digital technologies, perceived benefits, barriers and the impact of affect
Author
Abstract
The measures to fight the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have been concentrated on inviting people to stay at home. This has reduced opportunities to exercise while also shedding some light on the importance of physical health. Based on an online survey, this paper investigated physical activity behaviours of a Belgians sample (n = 427) during the lockdown period between the end of May 2020 and the beginning of June 2020 and found that, during this period, the gap between sufficiently and insufficiently active individuals widened even more. This paper analysed important moderators of physical activity behaviours, such as barriers and benefits to exercise, digital support used to exercise, and individuals’ emotional well-being. Descriptive analysis and analyses of variance indicated that, generally, individuals significantly increased their engagement in exercise, especially light- and moderate-intensity activities, mostly accepted the listed benefits but refused the listed barriers, increased their engagement in digital support and did not score high on any affective measures. A comparison between sufficiently active and insufficiently active individuals during the lockdown showed that the former engaged even more in physical activity, whereas the latter exercised equally (i.e., not enough) or even less compared to before the lockdown. By means of a logistic regression, five key factors of belonging to the sufficiently active group were revealed and discussed. Practical implications for government and policies are reviewed.
Language
English
Source (journal)
International journal of environmental research and public health. - Basel, 2004, currens
Publication
Basel : MDPI , 2021
ISSN
1661-7827 [print]
1660-4601 [online]
DOI
10.3390/IJERPH18115555
Volume/pages
18 :11 (2021) , p. 1-23
Article Reference
5555
ISI
000660003700001
Pubmed ID
34067390
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Just in time! Using personal and contextual data to stimulate healthy behavior through adaptive interventions: Theoretical framework, technological building blocks and empirical evidence.
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 31.05.2021
Last edited 11.11.2024
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