Greek Adolescents’ Views And Attitudes On Physical Activity At The End Of COVID-19 Pandemic

Adolescents experienced measurable reductions in physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic era. This reduction was estimated to be below 50% of the levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). PURPOSE: This study investigated the levels of physical activity in Greek students and their knowledge about its health benefits, directly after the lockdown period, with an ultimate goal of creating a flexible educational program to inform and mobilize students to take up exercising regularly. METHODS: 627 students (283 boys, 344 girls) aged 16.1± 0.8 years, in 10, 11 and 12 grades of 20 high schools all over Greece, completed an e-questionnaire from February to May 2022. Student's T-test for independent samples was used for statistical analysis of the data collected. RESULTS: Students found to be sufficiently aware of the benefits of exercise; over 90% of them recognized the contribution of regular physical activity in the development of healthy bodies and more than 80% believed that exercise prevents the occurrence of diseases and develops healthy attitudes. Nevertheless, less than half of the students (46.3%) believe that exercise can help them improve school performance. Girls answered more favorably than boys, with a mean of 87% questionnaire’s positive responses, compared to 85% of boys (p≤0.01). Less than half (44%) of the students report that they were regularly involved in various athletic activities, with an average of 5 days of exercise/week for boys, with the girls being exercising significantly less, i.e., 4.2 days/week (p≤0.01). On average, boys exercised for more than one hour at a moderate to high intensity, for 3.8 days/week, while girls were fallen short in duration, at 3.1 days/week (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed that although girls are better informed about exercise benefits, their physical activity levels are lower than boys. Surprisingly, only 6.2% of these adolescents met the WHO guidelines for at least one hour per day of moderate to vigorous exercise. In contrast, 6.5% of the students reported that they do not exercise for at least hour at any day. Further studies are warranted to widen and confirm these findings in more school units, to characterize the students’ current attitudes for physical exercise and promote adequate school physical activity programs.