Emotional states and habits in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered severe consequences for the physical and emotional health of the general population. Objective: Describe the emotional profiles and the habits of physical activity, sleep, tobacco, and alcohol consumption in physiotherapy students, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of university physiotherapy students through a Google forms. We used the PANAS scale to assess positive and nega-tive affect, the PSQI questionnaire to assess sleep quality, and the IPAQ-S questionnaire for physical activity. Results: We included 60 students between 17 and 22 years old, primarily female (71.7%). Most participants reported having a low consumption of alcohol (43.3%) and tobacco (96.7%). A higher proportion reported a high level of physical activity (53.3%) and considered it decreased after the COVID-19 pandemic (76.7%). Regarding sleep quality, most students reported poor sleep (66.7%). We identified one emotional profile “positive,” related to positive affect, and three profiles related to negative affects; “upset,” “anxious,” and “guilty.” Conclusions: Based on the description of the emotional response and the physical activity, sleep, alcohol, and tobacco consumption habits of the participants, it is sug-gested to establish psychological support programs, em-phasizing the management of the emotional resources that the students have to face stressful situations caused by the confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.