COPING MECHANISMS OF GRADE 10 JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL LEARNERS TO SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE IN THE POST- COVID 19 PANDEMIC: BASIS FOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY PLAN

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to pose profound challenges to society even its post effects. Its spread has been mitigated through strategies including social distancing; however, this may result in the adoption of a sedentary lifestyle. This study aimed to investigate: physical activity (PA) levels, sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep in young adults during the COVID-19 epidemic, and the change in these behaviors after the pandemic. A total of 192 Grade 10 Learners participated in the cross-sectional study and completed a one-off online survey relating to general information, PA, SB, and sleep. For the longitudinal study, PA, SB, and sleep data, obtained from 192 participants after the COVID-19 pandemic, were analyzed. Participants engaged in low PA, high SB, and long sleep duration after the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, a significant decline in PA while an increase in time spent in both SB and sleep was observed after the COVID-19 outbreak. The results of this study demonstrated a sedentary lifestyle in Grade 10 learners after the COVID-19 pandemic, which will assist health policymakers and practitioners in the development of population specific health education and behavior interventions during this pandemic and for other future events and serve as a basis for recreational activity plan.