Physical Activity among Nursing Students of Tribhuvan University during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background Reduced physical activity is one of the major factors affecting health and has been a serious global problem during COVID-19. Prolonged homestays can lead to increased sedentary behavior and reduced physical activity for nursing students. The objective of this study was to assess the level of physical activity among nursing students. Methodology A cross-sectional study was carried out on nursing campuses of Tribhuvan University in 2020 among undergraduate nursing students using a self-administered structured International Physical Activity questionnaire. Samples of 255 students using proportionate systematic random sampling were included. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 17. The total score of physical activity over the recent last seven days period was calculated by adding the total of duration and the frequency of all the activities which was expressed in terms of MET (Multiples of Resting Metabolic Rate)-minutes /week. The level of physical activity was categorized as low, moderate, and high. Ordinal logistic regression was used to find the association between the level of physical activity and selected demographic variables. Results The study showed that 38.4% of respondents were from the age group 22-24 years and engagement in vigorous physical activity was lower but the median time spent on moderate MET-Minutes/Week was 630 (1620-180). Likewise, 29.4% have low and 49% have a moderate level of Physical Activity. Furthermore, there is an association between the level of physical activity with the place of residence. Conclusions The study concludes that more than one-third of respondents have a low level of physical activity and nearly half have a moderate level. Furthermore, there is an association between the level of physical activity and place of residence. This reflects the need to sensitize nursing students to adopt physical activity in everyday life to improve general health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.