Physical Activity as a Predictor of the Level of Stress and Quality of Sleep during COVID-19 Lockdown.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus pandemic and the government restrictions significantly disturbed the daily functioning of people, thereby influencing healthy behaviors, such as physical activity-the core indicator of well-being. This study evaluates the associations between physical activity (PA), the level of stress and quality of sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. METHODS: An online survey was distributed during the governmental lockdown in April 2020 and included measures for assessing physical activity, stress and sleep. The surveyed participants included all adults aged 18 years and over. The final data were collected from the 1959 respondents using: International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). FINDINGS: Almost half of the respondents indicated a low level of PA, performing only 60 min of PA daily. Most of the participants reported a moderate or high level of stress (57% and 29%, respectively) and 64% of them reported poor quality of sleep. People with low levels of stress performed on average 85.1 min/day of walking (WPA), 40.9 min/day of moderate PA (MPA) or 52.6 min/day of vigorous PA (VPA). People with good quality of sleep performed 82.9 min/day of WPA, 43.6 min/day MPA and 40.5 min/day VPA. INTERPRETATION: The results from the study indicate that the volume of daily PA may be a predictor of the level of stress and sleep quality in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. To retain a low level of stress and good quality of sleep, a lifestyle that allows to achieve a moderate level of physical activity should be maintained. The optimal daily dose of PA is at least 70 min per day, involving different intensities.

Working Mode and Physical Activity as Factors Determining Stress and Sleep Quality during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Poland.

The coronavirus pandemic and related government restrictions have a significant impact on peoples' everyday functioning and working, which influences their physical and mental health. The aim of the study was to examine the associations between stress and sleep quality of people of different working modes: working in the workplace (WP), working remotely (RW), and nonworking (NW) in relation to their physical activity (PA) during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Poland. It was an online survey performed during governmental lockdown in April 2020. The data were collected form 1959 adults using International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The conducted analysis included t-Student test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and mediation analysis (MANOVA). A moderate level of stress was reported in 57% of participants, and 34% of them reported a high stress level. Poor sleep quality was reported in 64% of participants. Total PA performed daily was, on average, 184.8 ± 170.5 min/day for WP, 120.6 ± 124.4 min/day for RW, and 124.6 ± 114.7 min/day for NW (p < 0.001). There was a relationship observed between the stress and sleep quality vs. PA habit and working mode, with p < 0.05. Being physically active can be beneficial to perceive less stress and sleep disturbances influencing sleep quality, especially in remotely or nonworking people. Planning future pandemic restrictions, the policymakers should be aware of the appropriate guidelines of work planning and PA recommendations for people of different working modes.