Stress and physical activity level during COVID-19 pandemic in medical students from Medical University in Katowice.

INTRODUCTION: Students of medical faculties are exposed to greater stress than students of other faculties. In addition, remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way and quality of life for most people.

AIM: The aim of the study was to assess the level of stress among medical students during and before the COVID-19 pandemic. The second purpose was to find out if the level of physical activity had an impact on the stress level of students.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: 248 students of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice participated in the study. The research tool was the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10).

RESULTS: The stress level was significantly higher during the pandemic (p <0.001) than before (17.07 vs 23.17, respectively). Before the pandemic, students with higher levels of physical activity were characterized by lower levels of stress (p <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic caused an increase in stress among medical students. In light of the spread of the virus, it makes sense to continue research with a wider group to investigate the specific relationship between physical activity and stress, and other methods and strategies of coping with stress which could serve as guidelines and recommendations for students.