PreprintArticleVersion 1Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Physical Activity, Mental Health and Wellbeing of Irish Adolescents during Covid-19 Restrictions. A Re-Issue of the Physical Activity and Wellbeing Study (PAWS)
Version 1
: Received: 22 July 2021 / Approved: 26 July 2021 / Online: 26 July 2021 (14:24:29 CEST)
How to cite:
Murphy, J.; McGrane, B.; Sweeney, M.R. Physical Activity, Mental Health and Wellbeing of Irish Adolescents during Covid-19 Restrictions. A Re-Issue of the Physical Activity and Wellbeing Study (PAWS). Preprints2021, 2021070580. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202107.0580.v1
Murphy, J.; McGrane, B.; Sweeney, M.R. Physical Activity, Mental Health and Wellbeing of Irish Adolescents during Covid-19 Restrictions. A Re-Issue of the Physical Activity and Wellbeing Study (PAWS). Preprints 2021, 2021070580. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202107.0580.v1
Murphy, J.; McGrane, B.; Sweeney, M.R. Physical Activity, Mental Health and Wellbeing of Irish Adolescents during Covid-19 Restrictions. A Re-Issue of the Physical Activity and Wellbeing Study (PAWS). Preprints2021, 2021070580. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202107.0580.v1
APA Style
Murphy, J., McGrane, B., & Sweeney, M.R. (2021). Physical Activity, Mental Health and Wellbeing of Irish Adolescents during Covid-19 Restrictions. A Re-Issue of the Physical Activity and Wellbeing Study (PAWS). Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202107.0580.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Murphy, J., Bronagh McGrane and Mary Rose Sweeney. 2021 "Physical Activity, Mental Health and Wellbeing of Irish Adolescents during Covid-19 Restrictions. A Re-Issue of the Physical Activity and Wellbeing Study (PAWS)" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202107.0580.v1
Abstract
Covid-19 restrictions impacted many people’s daily lives through infection, fear of infection and the implementation of restrictions on movement. Restrictions and fear of contamination impacted physical activity patterns activity and increased mental health issues globally across a variety of ages. This re-issue of a questionnaire sought to examine the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on frequency of physical activity, participation in sports, wellbeing and symptoms of anxiety and depression in Irish adolescents. 3,021 adolescents from 61 post-primary schools in the Republic of Ireland completed questionnaires. Consistent with a previous issue of the questionnaire, a minority of adolescents were found to meet the WHO’s physical activity guidelines (11.6% of males and 5.2% of females) although there were large decreases in 1st year males and females. Adolescents reporting elevated symptoms of depression increased from 39% to 46% with almost 3 in 5 females reporting symptoms of depression ranging from mild to extreme. Highest levels of wellbeing were found in adolescents who participated in 3 or more sports, although there was an 8% reduction in the amount of adolescents who participated in 3 or more sports. There were no changes in physical activity levels overall, despite changes within sub-groups and patterns of physical activity. There was a clear increase in symptoms of depression, with females impacted more than males. Previously active individuals were more likely to increase activity and therefore report higher levels of mental health while those who were less active were more likely to decrease activity and report lower mental health.
Keywords
Exercise; Sport; Team Sport; Resilience; Identity; Health; School
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
