COVID-19: EFFECTS OF LOCKDOWN ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND ITS IMPACTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND ANXIETY IN INDIVIDUALS FROM DRESDEN, GERMANY

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed the daily lives of the population, especially during lockdown periods. This study aimed to analyze the effects of the first lockdown on anxiety, physical activity, and quality of life in the population of Dresden, Germany. The study design was observational, retrospective, and longitudinal, based on secondary data from 337 participants. The results showed a reduction in perceived activity and physical activity in 67.7% of individuals, while only 13.5% increased and 18.8% maintained their physical activity levels. The analyses revealed significant differences between the groups. Participants who reduced their physical activity had an average quality of life score of 4.99, while the groups that maintained or increased their activity both had averages close to 6.22. Anxiety followed a similar pattern, showing a higher average (4.91) in the group with lower physical activity compared to the groups that maintained (3.28) or increased (3.42) it. These findings reinforce that the reduction in physical activity during the isolation period was associated, with reservations, with a decline in quality of life indicators and a worsening of mental health issues, such as anxiety, converging with other research conducted in different countries. This highlights the need for public policies and interventions that promote the maintenance of physical and mental health, especially in the contexts of social restriction and pandemics.