Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, and mental well-being-A longitudinal study of nursing students at Wroclaw Medical University in Poland.

Introduction: From the moment the first cases of coronavirus disease were detected in December 2019 until the announcement and duration of the pandemic, it was a negative experience for people around the world in various spheres of life. In connection with it, there have been many changes in our daily lives related to lifestyle, physical activity, or the mental sphere. The aim of the following paper is to determine the correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and alcohol drinking, smoking, physical exercise, and lifestyle among nursing students in Poland. Methods: The study was conducted among nursing students at Wroclaw Medical University before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey consisted of completing the same anonymous online questionnaires five times by the same research group. The majority of respondents were women in the age between 18 and 30 years old and the significance level of data analysis was set at p < 0.05. Results and discussion: In October 2020, we recorded a large number of respondents experiencing anxiety/fear or being more stressed. Between the measurements, the highest average level of alcohol addiction (p < 0.001) was in October 2021 (8.71). Moreover, the percentage of respondents who felt as before increased (p = 0.021). As the pandemic continued, there was a systematic decline in the physical activity level (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic had a serious impact on the daily lives of the students.

Physical Activity, Alcohol, and Cigarette Use in Urological Cancer Patients over Time since Diagnosis.

Urological cancers represent a substantial global public health concern, exerting far-reaching effects on both individuals and their families. There is an urgent need to comprehensively understand the transformations in patients' lifestyles and behaviors, given their critical role in the treatment process and overall well-being. This study, involving 128 urological cancer patients, aims to investigate changes in physical activity levels, problematic drinking behaviors assessed through the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and smoking habits assessed using the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) over four distinct time intervals over the subsequent three years from the time of diagnosis and among individuals diagnosed more than three years ago. The results reveal a significant decrease in physical activity levels between study intervals (p < 0.0001), declining from 69% to 45% between the first and second post-diagnosis assessments. Furthermore, the highest levels of problematic substance use, indicated by mean scores, were noted in the first year following diagnosis (AUDIT: 4.20, p = 0.01; FTND: 4.83, p = 0.08). Given the significant impact of physical activity on the prospects of recovery, it is imperative to delve more deeply into the factors contributing to this decline and devise targeted interventions for its improvement. In the context of substance use, it is essential to ascertain whether the initially high levels are a result of coping with the cancer diagnosis or represent a turning point at which patients modify their behaviors and cease their addiction. A more thorough understanding of this phenomenon would enhance the effectiveness of precisely focused interventions.