ATTITUDE AND PERCEPTION TOWARDS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG PHYSIOTHERAPY STUDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN IN INDIA

S. Sheth¹, M. Sheth^2,3

¹Khyati Institute of Physiotherapy, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India, ²SBB College of Physiotherapy, Geriatrics, Ahmedabad, India, ³SBB College of Physiotherapy, Ahmedabad, India

Background: Coronavirus pandemic had caused the Indian government to impose a nation-wide lockdown starting from 24th March 2020 which lasted in various phases till 30th May 2020.This had forced people to stay indoors and led to restricted physical activity. Physiotherapists as professionals are advocates of physical activity. With the pandemic, drastic changes in lifestyle of people took place impacting their physical and mental health. As physiotherapy students they learn importance of physical activity and its promotion.

Purpose: This study was conducted to assess the attitude and perception of students studying physical therapy (PT) towards physical activity during lockdown and their ability to keep up a physically active lifestyle and the hurdles they faced in doing so.

Methods: The observational study included physiotherapy undergraduate and post-graduate students and interns from Gujarat, India by convenience and snowball sampling. A google form was prepared which was validated by subject experts and a statistician. Modifications were made as per their feedback. This google form was circulated via online platforms (WhatsApp, Facebook groups). Descriptive analysis was performed.

Results: Four hundred and forty-two physiotherapy students (mean age of 20土 1.8 years) completed the form. Undergraduate students (85%), post-graduate students (8%) and interns (7%) had participated. Predominantly female students (83%) participated. Majority of students (62%) agreed that they were more physically active before the lockdown. Forty percent of the candidates felt lack of motivation and 34% of the candidates had lack of facility as a reason for being physically inactive during the lockdown in India. The students were asked if they feel physical activity is needed for good health, the majority (94.5%) had agreed to it but only 46% of the students had spent time to work out during the pandemic, the others had spent time reading (65%), cooking (59%), using social media (58%), cleaning (42%). Only 5% of the students did vigorous physical activity such as heavy lifting, aerobics, or fast bicycling on all seven days a week and20% did not indulge in any vigorous physical activity throughout the week. Approximately ten percent of the students spent ten hours, and five percent spent 15 hours sitting or lying, in the entire day during the lockdown.

Conclusions: The perception of majority of the physiotherapy students was that physical activity is essential for good health and they had a positive attitude towards it, but they did not make an effort to indulge in physical activity specially during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Implications: There is a need to increase motivation among physiotherapy students to increase physical activity and find ways to maintain the adherence to the physical activity regime even from home. This study highlights the need for motivating the future promoters and experts of physical activity to maintain a physically active lifestyle which should not get hindered by external and environmental restrictions.

Funding acknowledgements: None taken

Keywords:
Physical activity
Students
Pandemic

Topics:
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
COVID-19
Education

Did this work require ethics approval? No

Reason: The study was conducted according to the principles of Declaration of Helsinki. It was an observational study and no ethics committee of the institute exist.