Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescents during Quarantines Due to COVID-19 Pandemic: The Effect of Physical Activity and Gender

Abstract

Given that deterioration of adolescents’ health status during pandemic is well documented, health related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment is very important, as it contributes in adolescents’ development and maturation into healthy adults. The main purpose of the study was to assess adolescents’ HRQoL during the two strict lockdowns due to COVID-19. Secondary aims were to examine differences in HRQoL with regard to gender, and physical activity/sport participation before and during lockdowns. It was a cross-sectional study and conducted during first and second strict lockdowns. Three hundred and sixty-three adolescents (Ν=363) from secondary schools, in the Greek territory (108 boys and 255 girls) filled in the TNO-AZL Questionnaire for Children’s Health-Related Quality of Life Children’s Form, online, once. Also, demographic and anthropometric data were collected. For all TACQOL-CF subscales results showed that scores were lower, than the maximum subscales scores. Also, adolescents’ responses to open questions supported further the low subscales scores. In addition, adolescents who participated in sport before lockdowns reported better scores in motor functioning/performance during lockdowns than their non-physically active peers (p<0.05). Moreover, girls reported significantly lower scores compared to boys in general physical functioning/complaints subscale (p<0.05). The findings of this study highlighted that during the two strict quarantines adolescents’ HRQoL was deteriorated. Sport participation before the pandemic influenced positive HRQoL during quarantines and also quarantines affected differently adolescents by gender. Thus, the results should give information in adopting preventive strategies by policy makers to alleviate long-term negative consequences, in order adolescents to gain pre-pandemic HRQoL levels, in the transitional post-COVID-19 era.