ABSTRACT
Background: The abrupt change to distance learning due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic imposed great challenges on tertiary education. While aspects such as mental health and stress exposure have been investigated, little research has been conducted regarding the impact of distance learning on students' health behaviors. This article investigates the influence of the teaching mode (in situ vs. distance) on students' physical activity and nutrition. Methods: A retrospective questionnaire study was conducted comparing two student cohorts who had attended the same course in two subsequent years. One group had participated in situ before the pandemic, while the other one participated via distance learning during the pandemic. A total of 79 questionnaires were submitted by students belonging to the latter and 51 by students of the former group. Data were compared regarding differences in students' health behavior. Results: Findings indicate that online classes facilitated the pursuit of physical activities and healthy eating. Students with in situ teaching felt restricted in their exercise activities. Findings for healthy nutrition are similar. Conclusion: Students in distance learning found themselves in a more flexible learning environment and in a position to allocate their time resources more autonomously. Student health promotion in face-to-face teaching settings should be improved and the opportunities presented by distance learning utilized. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Der/die Autor(en), exklusiv lizenziert an Springer-Verlag GmbH Deutschland, ein Teil von Springer Nature.