Authors: Shaiza Ijaz , Shafaq Ismail , Laiba Fayyaz , Arfa Ashraf , Yumnah Razzaq , Muhammad Ashraf Chaudhry

Abstract

Background and Objective:  The current COVID-19 situation has restrained the movement of individuals along with instilling fear in them. COVIDThis study assesses the level of physical activity, screen time and emotional status of the individuals during the current COVID-19 situation in the population of Pakistan.

Methods:  The study was carried out in May 2020. The sample size was 385 and the snowball sampling technique was employed. The data was collected through a self-administered online questionnaire and included subjects from all provinces of Pakistan. The form comprised of four parts including socio-demographic details, self-reported screen time as well as SPANE and IPAQ-short form questionnaires. The data was analysed using SPSS version 25.

Results:  Out of 385 individuals, 89.6% reported inadequate physical activity. Among these, the majority comprised of females (92.3% vs. 80% in males). It was determined that there were higher positive affective scores in males (28.6 ± 8.1) compared to those in females (27.5 ± 7.7). The average sedentary screen time was 7.24 ± 3.76 hours that was maximally reported in the younger age group (19 years and lesser). Moreover, a downward trend of negative affective scores, from vigorous to light physical activity level, was noted.

Keywords: Physical activity, Emotional well-being, COVID-19, IPAQ, SPANE, Affective scores