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The Impact of Physical Activity on Mental Health during COVID-19 Pandemic in China: A Systematic Review

Author

Listed:
  • Mengfei Li

    (Department of Physical Education, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), No. 29, Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Qianhui Wang

    (Department of Physical Education, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), No. 29, Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Jing Shen

    (Department of Physical Education, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), No. 29, Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China)

Abstract

The outbreak and spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in 2019 was a public health emergency of global concern. As an important health behavior, physical activity (PA) and its impact on mental health have been increasingly explored during the epidemic period. The keywords and references were searched on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, and CNKI since the inception of an electronic bibliographic database until October 2021. A total of 2979 articles were identified, of which 23 were eligible for inclusion to examine the relationship between PA and mental health during the COVID-19 epidemic. Residents with regular PA, high-intensity PA, and PA duration of 30–60 min or more per day were associated with a lower risk of anxiety, depression, and negative emotions. In contrast, residents with no exercise and physical inactivity were more likely to have anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and lower subjective well-being. In addition, the dose–response curve between PA and negative emotions indicated a U-shaped relationship, and there were urban–rural differences in the relationship between emotional status and the levels of PA in adolescents. The findings have significant implications for addressing mental health issues during the current pandemic and future pandemics. Future studies adopting an experimental study design, conducting objective PA measures, and focusing on the vulnerable subpopulations are warranted to further explore the association of PA on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Mengfei Li & Qianhui Wang & Jing Shen, 2022. "The Impact of Physical Activity on Mental Health during COVID-19 Pandemic in China: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-17, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:11:p:6584-:d:826536
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Meiling Qi & Ping Li & Wendy Moyle & Benjamin Weeks & Cindy Jones, 2020. "Physical Activity, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Stress among the Chinese Adult Population during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-10, September.
    2. Fei Qin & Yiqing Song & George P Nassis & Lina Zhao & Yanan Dong & Cuicui Zhao & Yiwei Feng & Jiexiu Zhao, 2020. "Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Emotional Well-Being during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-16, July.
    3. Yao Zhang & Haoyu Zhang & Xindong Ma & Qian Di, 2020. "Mental Health Problems during the COVID-19 Pandemics and the Mitigation Effects of Exercise: A Longitudinal Study of College Students in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-16, May.
    4. Verónica Violant-Holz & M. Gloria Gallego-Jiménez & Carina S. González-González & Sarah Muñoz-Violant & Manuel José Rodríguez & Oriol Sansano-Nadal & Myriam Guerra-Balic, 2020. "Psychological Health and Physical Activity Levels during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-19, December.
    5. Xinxin Zhang & Wenfei Zhu & Sifan Kang & Longkun Qiu & Zijun Lu & Yuliang Sun, 2020. "Association between Physical Activity and Mood States of Children and Adolescents in Social Isolation during the COVID-19 Epidemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-12, October.
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    2. Qingyuan Luo & Peng Zhang & Yijia Liu & Xiujie Ma & George Jennings, 2022. "Intervention of Physical Activity for University Students with Anxiety and Depression during the COVID-19 Pandemic Prevention and Control Period: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-20, November.
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    4. Sandra Silva-Santos & António M. Monteiro & Tiago M. Barbosa & José E. Teixeira & Luís Branquinho & Ricardo Ferraz & Pedro Forte, 2023. "Associations between Coronavirus and Immune Response, Cardiorespiratory Fitness Rehabilitation and Physical Activity: A Brief Report," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-11, March.
    5. Stefan Kaltschik & Christoph Pieh & Rachel Dale & Thomas Probst & Barbara Pammer & Elke Humer, 2022. "Assessment of the Long-Term Mental Health Effects on Austrian Students after COVID-19 Restrictions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-13, October.

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