The COVID-19 pandemic has forced social isolation affecting all areas of life. It also affected the functioning of schools and universities. Many countries have introduced full or partial distance learning. The aim of the study was to assess the level of physical activity and student mood of the Faculty of Physiotherapy of the Academy of Physical Education in Wrocław (Poland) and students of the Faculty of Health of the ODISSE University in Brussels (Belgium) after a year of the study conducted in a mixed mode due to contact restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and checking which of the analyzed factors increases the risk of depression to the greatest extent. Material and methods: 297 students from the 2nd to 4th year of full-time studies took part in the observation. The academic year 2020/2021 was assessed. Physical activity was assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) recommended for this type of analysis by WHO. The GPAQ questionnaire enables the assessment of activity performed at work, movement, and leisure time and assesses the time of sitting or resting in a supine position. The Beck Depression Inventory was used to assess mental health. The subjects also completed a questionnaire concerning selected somatic features and describing their living conditions in the previous year. Results: In the group of Polish students, classes conducted in a completely remote mode accounted for about 50%, while in the group of Belgian students, about 75%. In the described period, 19% of students from Poland and 22% of students from Belgium were infected with COVID-19. The median of the results of the Beck Depression Scale in both groups was lower than 12 points (7 points in the AWF group and 8 points in the ODISSE group, respectively). A detailed analysis showed that in both study groups, more than 30% of students received results showing a depressed mood. A total of 19% of the surveyed students of the University of Physical Education and 27% of the ODISSE students were characterized by a result indicating mild depression. The results of the GPAQ questionnaire show that the total physical activity, including work/study, recreation, and mobility was 16.5 h a week for students from Poland and 7.4 h a week for students from Belgium. Conclusions: Both groups of subjects reached all the thresholds recommended by the WHO as a sufficient level of weekly physical activity. A group of students of the Faculty of Physiotherapy of the University of Physical Education in Wrocław was characterized by more than twice as high (statistically significant) level of weekly physical activity as compared to the group of participants from the ODISSE University in Brussels. In both study groups, more than 30% of students experienced a lowered mood of varying intensity. It is necessary to monitor the mental state of students and, in the event of obtaining control results at a similar level, to implement psychological assistance for willing participants.
Mixed methods to measure movement and sleep in the elderly Movement and sleep are both crucial for the elderly in terms of healthy ageing. Staying physically active as people age is positively associated with better sleep and health outcomes. But despite the growing attention to healthy ageing, the elderly don’t always keep up with the applicable guidelines in terms of movement. Furthermore, health workers don’t always know how to measure movement and sleep in elderly in order to advise and help them to better adhere to guidelines. Literature lacks a summary of accessible objective and subjective ways to measure movement and sleep in the elderly. This study combines both objective and subjective measuring methods and elaborates on the practical aspects of their use. This paper highlights the advantages of mixed methods when measuring movement and sleep in elderly people and aims to inform health workers who want to evaluate their patients’ movement and sleep in order to guide them towards a healthier lifestyle.
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