Changes in Physical Health-Related Indexes of Chinese College Students before and after COVID-19 Lockdown.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused negative impacts on people's lifestyles, as well as considerable indirect social impacts, which has even overshadowed the direct impact of virus infection itself. This study is aimed at examining the changes in physical health-related indexes of Chinese college students before and after the COVID-19 lockdown. The data of this study are from the National Physical Health Testing Program, covering 43 college students (male: 22) from a class of a Chinese university. Paired t-tests were performed on the physical health test data separately collected in November 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic and October 2020 after the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted. As shown by the test results, compared to the prelockdown data, college students had an increased body mass index (BMI) (0.43 (SD 0.94) P = 0.004), decreased vital capacity (VC) (-128.98 (SD 310.13) ml P = 0.009), and lowered performance in the 800/1000 m endurance (-6.21 (SD 8.81) points P < 0.001) and standing long jump tests (-2.44 (SD 7.37) points P = 0.036) after the lockdown, and the differences in these regards all were significant. In addition, for the students in the overweight/obese group, their pre- and postlockdown physical fitness test results were found to have no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05), but the students in the control group showed a significantly increased BMI, as well as significantly decreased vital capacity and performance in the 800/1000 m endurance and standing long jump tests (P < 0.05). The findings of this study are expected to help government departments and policymakers better understand the impacts of school closures and online learning on the physical health of adolescents, while providing a basis for the formulation of measures that are aimed at reversing adolescents' physical health decline.

The effects of the measures against COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity among school-aged children and adolescents (6-17 years) in 2020: A protocol for systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has greatly changed people's daily lives, forcing countries to take actions, such as school shutdown, lockdown, isolation, and social distancing measures. It remains unclear how the closures, cancellations, and restrictions of schools and courses as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic affect the engagement of school-aged children and adolescents in relation to physical activity (PA). METHODS: The articles in the databases of EBSCO (including AMED, CINAHL Plus, Health Business, Health Source MEDLINE with Full Text, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus) published during the period from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020 will be retrieved, and the data in the selected articles are extracted, including research methods, demographics, and key results. Search outcomes were reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) will be used to evaluate research quality. Two reviewers are responsible for completing the three tasks, namely selecting the articles that meet the inclusion criteria, extracting data in the articles selected, and evaluating their research quality. All findings, and especially primary outcomes will be summarized in a table format of findings. The results will provide a high-quality synthesis of current evidence for researchers in this subject area. AIM: The objective of this systematic review is to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on PA in children and adolescents aged 6-17 years during 2020. 1). What impact has the COVID-19 pandemic had on PA levels in school-aged children and adolescents? 2). Investigating changes in the locations of school-aged children's and adolescents' PA between the pre-COVID-19 period (January 2020) and the COVID-19 period (December 2020). RESULTS: We hope that this study will provide government authorities and health professionals with the necessary information in guiding actions and allocating resources, so that the situation of physical inactivity in school-aged children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic can be improved, thereby enhancing their physical health. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION NUMBER: This review was submitted and registered under CRD42020225976 in PROSPERO.

Factors That Influence Participation in Physical Activity in School-Aged Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review from the Social Ecological Model Perspective.

High prevalence of physical inactivity and obesity in children and adolescents has become a global problem. This systematic review aimed to examine the existing literature regarding the factors that influence participation in physical activity (PA) in children and adolescents with reference to the social ecological model (SEM) proposed by McLeroy et al. (1988). The SEM provides a framework under which the influencing factors are categorized into five levels: intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy. A systematic search of relevant literature published before July 2020 was conducted through Ebsco, ProQuest, PubMed Central, Scopus, and Web of Science. A total of fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The selected articles were all of high quality as assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (2018). The results indicated that gender, age, ethnicity, and self-concept were the most common influencing factors at the intrapersonal level. At the interpersonal and organization levels, supports from friends, parents, and teachers were positive predictors of students' PA participation. Accessibility of facilities and safe neighborhoods was a crucial factor that influenced children and adolescents' participation in PA at the community level. Future studies on the effective types of policies or practices that could successfully promote facilities' accessibility and improve neighborhood safety are required. The outcomes of this systematic review are expected to inform practice and support the development and implementation of sound policies for the promotion of PA participation in children or adolescents from a comprehensive social ecological viewpoint.