Assessing College Student Knowledge and Health-Related Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess college students’ knowledge and awareness of COVID-19 risk factors for severe illness and to identify if students were changing their eating and physical activity behaviors. METHODS: A 43-question retrospective survey was developed to examine knowledge and health habits before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Undergraduate students from one small private school, one large public university, and one large community college completed the online survey. Demographic and knowledge variables were analyzed using frequencies while change in nutrition and physical activity habits were assessed using Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests through Jamovi 2.2.5 software. RESULTS: A total of 368 students (mean age = 23.9 ± 7.4 years, 68.8% female, 80.7% white) completed the survey. Results show that 97.3% of students were aware of the health consequences of poor nutrition and lack of physical activity during the pandemic. The majority of students (82.6%) were aware of increased risk of severe illness due to co-morbidities (i.e., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension) during the pandemic, yet 67.8% reported making no changes to their daily activities to reduce that risk. There were significant reductions in light physical activity (n = 368, W = 9376, p < 0.001, effect size 0.47) and a significant increase in sedentary activity (n = 368, W = 3756, p < 0.001, effect size 0.53). When asked to reflect on their healthy eating habits during the pandemic, 35.7% of students reported no change, while 31.6% reported an increase and 32.7% reported a decrease. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that students are aware that having poor nutrition and lack of physical activity will increase their risk of developing a more severe case of COVID-19. Regardless, students report making no changes even with this awareness and knowledge. Time spent engaged in physical activity has declined during the pandemic, and sedentary behavior has increased. These findings may help inform future planning and care practices for college students as the pandemic continues. FUNDING SOURCES: Stonehill College's student undergraduate research (S.U.R.E) program funded this research.