The effect of social isolation on physical activity and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic

The aim of this study is to examine the physical activity and quality of life levels of students studying at the Faculty of Sports Sciences of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to gender, age, class and department variables. In addition, the relationship between students' physical activity and quality of life levels and the effect of quality of life levels on physical activity levels were examined. The research group consisted of 125 (49.6%) students selected by convenience sampling method, who were studying at Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Sport Sciences in the 2020-2021 academic year) women and 127 (50.4%) men, 252 university students. IBM SPSS Statistics 24 package program was used in the analysis of the data. Relational screening model was used in the research. The data in this study were collected by the survey method. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire and The Quality of Life Scale created by the World Health Organization were used in the study. As a result, in this study, it was observed that students' physical activity levels and quality of life were high during the COVID-19 epidemic period. Similarly, it was determined that female students were more physically active than males. It has been determined that the students studying in the Department of Coaching Education are more physically active than the students studying in the Department of Physical Education and Sports Teaching and Recreation. It was determined that the physical activity levels of the 2nd grade students were lower than the 3rd and 4th grade students. There was no significant difference in the physical activity scores of the students according to the age variable. In addition, female students' general health and social relations scores were higher than men's scores; that the average scores of the students in the physical health, psychological and environmental sub-dimensions are lower than the students aged 26>, 18<, 21-23 and 24-26; In the social relations sub-dimension, it was determined that the average scores of the students aged 26> were lower than the students aged 24-26. The general health, physical health, psychological, social relations and environmental scores of the students studying in the Department of Physical Education and Sports Education are higher than the scores of the students studying in the Department of Coaching Education and Recreation; It was determined that the quality of life levels of the students studying in the 4th grade were lower than the students studying in the 1st and 2nd grades. In addition, it was determined that as the physical activity levels of the students increased, their quality of life increased and there was a positive and significant relationship between physical activity and physical health and psychological well-being. As a suggestion, individual physical activity programs should be developed according to the students' fitness level.