Effects of home confinement on the intensity of physical activity during the COVID-19 outbreak in team handball according to country, gender, competition level. and playing position: a worldwide study

Souhail Hermassi*, El Ghali Bouhafs, Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, Shiro Ichimura, Khaled E. Alsharji, Lawrence D. Hayes, René Schwesig

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)
107 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Abstract: This study investigated effects of home confinement on physical activity (PA) in Team Handball during the COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 1359 handball players participated (age: 23 ± 6 years). Participants from Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa answered an online version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) considering “before” and “during” confinement. COVID-19 home confinement has had a negative effect on PA (vigorous, moderate, walking,and overall). The largest decrease was in the sum parameter “all PA” (MET (metabolic equivalent of task)-minutes/week, ηp2 = 0.903; minutes/week, ηp2 = 0.861). Daily sitting time increased from 2.7 to 5.0 h per weekday (p < .001, ηp2 = 0.669). For gender, continent, country, level of handball league, and playing position, no significant differences (group and interaction effects) were observed. The largest change in PA behavior was in walking (minutes per day: ηp2 = 0.755), with males displaying the greatest decrease (from 62 ± 11 to 30 ± 14 min per weekday; d = 2.67). In terms of magnitude, difference between genders was greatest for sitting time (difference in d = 1.20). In conclusion, while COVID-19 measures were essential to preserve public health, PA was compromised and sedentary behavior increased because of these public health measures regardless of gender, playing position, and competition level.
Original languageEnglish
Article number4050
Number of pages21
JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume18
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Apr 2021

Keywords

  • covid-19
  • home confinement
  • team handball
  • physical activity
  • stress
  • lockdown

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