Mental status and Physical Activity during COVID 19 Pandemic Confinement: A Study on Adult Kuwaiti

Abstract

Background: Due to the novel COVID 19 pandemic and its associated social distancing and confinement procedures, the lifestyle of the individuals and their daily routine were affected and hence, their health. This study aims to find if physical activity level of the Kuwaiti adults during COVID 19 pandemic confinement have an influence on their mental status. Moreover, this study is investigating whether there are significant differences in the lifestyle behaviors, health and mental status attributed to the gender variable. Methods: in this study, a self-reported across-sectional survey was distributed online on a sample of (357) Kuwaiti adults. The demographic data were collected through a self-completed DCI. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from self-reported weight (kg) and height (cm). Mental status was assessed by WHO-5 and the Physical Activity (PA) level was assessed using IPAQ. The variables were presented in the form of means, frequencies and percentages. One –way Chi-square test was used to compare between the groups and Chi-Square test for categorical variables. Moreover, the relationships between physical activity and mental status were examined using Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The results of this study revealed on a low level of physical activity (62.5%), excellent health status (79.3%), weak sleep quality (68.9%) and good mental status (64.4%). The results showed also that the previous variables are different according to the gender variable. Conclusion: This study found that there is a significant relationship between the mental status and the level of daily physical activity, and it was found that the mental status scores better the higher the level of physical activity.