How Students Sport Participation Before and During the Corona Pandemic Determines Their Mental Health State?

Considering the physical, mental and social benefits of physical activities, the study aims to explore the role of student’ sport participation before and during the Corona Pandemic on their mental health state.For the purpose of the research, two researcher-made mental health and physical activity questionnaires were used and based on the Cochran s formula, the sample of ۴۴۴ students of universities in Tehran were asked to fill the questionnaires. Students were divided into four groups based on their level of sports participation before and during the pandemic: A. Active before and during the pandemic; B. Inactive before and active during the pandemic; C. Active before and inactive during the pandemic; and D. Inactive before and during the pandemic.Study has shown that students active before and during the pandemic (Group A) had the highest level of mental health and students inactive before and during the pandemic (Group D), showed the lowest level of mental health. The data shows that students who engaged in sport and physical activities during the pandemic, even they have not been involved before the pandemic (Group C), showed a better state of mental health (comparing to group D). A notable finding has been the long-term effects of student’ sport participation before the pandemic that have maintained their mental health at an acceptable level even if they did not exercise during the pandemic (Group B).As results showed, physical activities have a long-term positive impact on student’ mental health which will help them during hard times like the pandemic, although the maintenance and improvement of mental health are related to the intensity and frequency of physical activity backgrounds. On the other hand, regardless the environment in which they exercise (indoor sport clubs, outdoor environments (urban or rural) and home activities) and even if a student has no sport background, involvement in physical activities during the pandemic considerably elevates their mental health state.

کلیدواژه ها:

Pandemic ، mental health ، Sport Participation ، students