Prática de atividades físicas em estudantes de educação física em períodos de distanciamento social

Abstract

Social detachment as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in behavioral changes in society. The practice of physical activities acts positively in improving the immune response, being a preventive measure against the SARS-COV- 2 virus. The aim of the study was to analyze how changes in the practice of physical activities in Physical Education students during the period of social withdrawal. It is characterized as a descriptive case study with cross-sectional design. Physical education university students from a public university participated in the study (n = 34). The practice of physical activities was assessed before and during the period of social distance using a questionnaire developed for this form using other instruments used in research. Information was raised such as satisfaction with weight, food, use of alcoholic beverages, social support from family and friends and as the main activities carried out in times of social distance. The data are as averages, deviations, absolute and relative frequencies, medians and amplitudes according to the distribution of each variable. The prevalence of physical activity before and after was tested by Chi-square test, adopting a significance level of 5%. Statistical analyzes were performed using the SPSS statistical program, version 25.0. The results obtained that university students sufficiently active before the implementation of the period of social detachment, remain active during the period of social contingency. Still, there were no significant differences between the sexes when comparing the prevalence of physical activity and the students’ physical activity level compared between periods. This evidence can positively contribute to future functions related to the period of social detachment by the pandemic of COVID-19, helping in the analysis and evaluation of the changes caused in society’s routine, especially that of university students of physical education.