INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE SOCIAL ISOLATION PROCESS ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS OF ACADEMICIANS

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the extent to which the level of physical activity of academics working in different universities in Turkey is affected by COVID-19, how the type of physical activity they regularly performed before the epidemic changed after the epidemic and during the normalization process, and their thoughts about physical activity after the end of the epidemic. The data collection phase of the study was conducted by sharing the online form created via Google forms with the academics through their email accounts and groups on their social media accounts. 51 of the 445 academics who volunteered to participate in the study were not included because most had health problems caused by a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, 193 women and 201 men with a mean age of 44.5±21.5 years were included in our study. Our study data shows that the rate of physical inactivity of academics working in different universities of our country is alarmingly low before COVID-19, during the COVID-19 process, and during the normalization process. It is seen that academicians are adapting to a sedentary life due to the intensity of their lectures and academic work. After the pandemic, it is observed that an increasingly sedentary lifestyle has entered the lives of academics. Considering the negative consequences of living without physical activity in the future, it is suspected that academics in our country may experience health problems later in their lives. In our study, we tried to suggest more physical activity to prevent the development of this negative image and lead a healthier life.