Gender as a determinant of physical activity levels and mental health of medical students from Poland and Belarus in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unfavourable changes regarding both physical activity (PA) levels and patterns of behaviour associated with mental health. The study sought to assess PA levels and kinesiophobia in medical students from Poland and Belarus taking account of gender. Methods: A total of 779 students (405 students from University of Grodno (UG), Belarus, and 374 students from John Paul II University of Applied Sciences (ABNS) in Biala Podlaska, Poland) took part in the study. Women constituted 74.2% of the study population. A diagnostic survey as well as two research tools, i.e., the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)-short form, and the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TAMPA) were employed in the study. Results: Students from ABNS manifested significantly higher levels of PA. Taking into account gender, male respondents displayed significantly higher levels of MET-min/week (MET-metabolic equivalent of task). As for kinesiophobia, significantly higher levels were demonstrated by students from UG. Its higher levels were also noted among women. Conclusion: The findings of the study did not reveal strong correlations between kinesiophobia and PA levels in students from Poland and Belarus in the context of different approaches to the pandemic that both countries adopted. Students from ABNS proved to be more physically active. In turn, participants from UG exhibited significantly higher levels of kinesiophobia. Gender was the factor that significantly differentiated levels of kinesiophobia, with women displaying its higher levels.

Physical Activity and Mental Health of Medical Students from Poland and Belarus-Countries with Different Restrictive Approaches during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic has struck all of us suddenly and unexpectedly; it deprived the society of a sense of control over their lives on different levels. In a short period of time, it led to a number of changes in everyday life of people all over the world. In particular, these changes affected medical staff, who, all of a sudden, were burdened with new work-related responsibilities and duties. This situation may have had a detrimental effect on their mental health. Due to the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic, we attempted to assess its consequences in terms of mental health and physical fitness of university students from countries in which different approaches to these issues were adopted. METHODS: A total of 779 medical students (374 students from John Paul II University of Applied Sciences (ABNS) in Biala Podlaska, Poland, and 405 students from Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno (YKSUG), Belarus) took part in the survey. Three standardised psychometric tools were used in the study: The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and Stress Coping Inventory (Mini-COPE). In addition, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was applied. RESULTS: The vast majority of students both from Poland and Belarus demonstrated high levels of physical activity. However, students from ABNS manifested significantly higher levels of physical activity compared to their counterparts from YKSUG. Students from Biala Podlaska had greater satisfaction with life during the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas their peers from Grodno exhibited higher levels of mental distress. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant exacerbation of mental health issues among medical students. In order to alleviate negative effects of the pandemic, it seems necessary for universities to monitor the physical and mental health state of students and to implement prevention programmes.