Impact of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease Pandemic on Health-Related Quality of Life and Psychological Status: The Role of Physical Activity.

Hosam Alzahrani,Marwa M Eid,Fahad Alshehri,Kabir P Sadarangani,Kabir P Sadarangani,Hatem H Allam,Rania Almeheyawi,Marwa M Eid,Muhsen Alsufiany

doi:10.3390/ijerph18083992

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological status among Saudi adults, and whether physical activity modifies this association. The participants were 518 adults aged ≥18 years (67.4% men). Using an online survey, data regarding demographic information, the impact of COVID-19 (assessed by the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5), HRQoL (Short Form-8), psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale), and physical activity behavior (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form) were collected. The results demonstrate that adults reporting moderate or high levels of impact of COVID-19 had a lower HRQoL and higher psychological distress than adults reporting a low impact. HRQoL was higher for adults reporting any level impact (low, moderate, or high) of COVID-19 when they participated in recommended levels of physical activity (≥600 metabolic equivalent (MET)-min/week of total physical activity). Psychological distress was lower for adults reporting a high level of impact when they participated in recommended physical activity. Moderate or high levels of impact of COVID-19 were associated with a significantly lower HRQoL and higher psychological distress than the low impact of COVID-19. However, these associations were moderated by the recommended levels of physical activity.

Highlights

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a serious threat to public health, reported as the biggest outbreak of atypical pneumonia since the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 [1]
The results demonstrate that adults reporting moderate or high levels of impact had a significantly lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL)
The results demonstrate that adults reporting moderate or high levels of impact had a significantly higher level of psychological distress

Summary

Introduction

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a serious threat to public health, reported as the biggest outbreak of atypical pneumonia since the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 [1]. The overall number of cases and deaths within a few weeks at the beginning of the outbreak surpassed SARS [2,3]. COVID-19 has become a pandemic, spreading rapidly outside China. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries worldwide have adopted numerous safety measures to prevent its spread [5]. In Saudi Arabia, these strategies include the closure of educational institutions and malls, restrictions on travel and sporting activities, prevention of social gatherings, and imposing a partial or complete lockdown [6]. The partial (usually from 3 pm to 6 am) or complete (24 h) lockdown lasted for around three

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