Abstract:

Aims: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a decision to implement distance education became effective in Turkey as of March 22, 2020. The present study aims to investigate the changes in the sleep quality and physical activity habits of university students during distance education. Methods: A total of 634 students from Trakya University Health Services Vocational School, consisting of 463 females and 171 males, participated in the study. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the International Physical Activity Short Form (IPAQ-SF) were applied online to evaluate the sleep quality, physical activity levels and sedentary behavior of the participants. Results:A significant increase was observed in PSQI scores under the restrictions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period (p<0.001). Subjective sleep quality score was found to be higher in females than in males (p<0.001). However, a significant decrease in IPAQ scores was noted in both genders during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the pandemic (p<0.001). Mean daily sitting time was found to increase from 7.5 (4.5-10.5) hours before the pandemic to 12 (7.5-16.5) hours during the pandemic. Conclusion: Students' sleep quality and physical activity habits were negatively affected during the COVID 19 pandemic. In this regard, awareness-raising activities and training should be organized and implemented to improve sleep quality, increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior in students during the repeated lockdowns. Furthermore, the use of mobile applications with social networking features or wearable technologies that support this purpose may help raise awareness and increase motivation for physical activity.

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