Veränderung des Bewegungsverhaltens durch die ersten beiden Coronawellen im Frühling und Winter 2020: Unterschied zwischen sportaffinen und nicht-sportaffinen Personen

BACKGROUND: As physical inactivity is one of the leading risk factors for noncommunicable diseases worldwide, it is of particular interest how the coronavirus pandemic affects physical activity behavior. OBJECTIVES: This study examines coronavirus-related changes in physical activity among German adults and associations of activity change with mental health. Emphasis will be placed on differences between sports enthusiasts and non-sports enthusiasts. METHODS: As part of a quantitative cross-sectional study, data on the activity levels of 329 German adults were collected before and during the first two coronavirus waves using an online questionnaire. RESULTS: On average, the coronavirus pandemic led to a significant decrease in the physical activity level by 56.81 min/week. However, this trend was only seen in sports enthusiasts, whereas the non-sports enthusiast group increased their activity level by approximately 100 min/week. Furthermore, reduced physical activity levels were significantly positively correlated with poorer mental health. CONCLUSIONS: The coronavirus-related decline in physical activity combined with poorer mental health is of concern because of potential long-term public health consequences. However, the increased activity level in the non-sports enthusiast group represents a promising development and should be considered in relation to future health promotion interventions.