Health Reports
A Canadian peer-reviewed journal of population health and health services research
October 2023
The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and screen time among Canadian youth
by Rachel C. Colley and Travis J. Saunders
Lockdowns and closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic altered the exercise and screen time habits of Canadians. A previous analysis reported that physical activity decreased by 14 percentage points among Canadian youth from the fall of 2018 to the fall of 2020. Other surveys of Canadian children and youth also reported decreased physical activity and increased screen time during the first year of the pandemic. These findings are especially concerning given that only a minority of Canadian youth were meeting screen time and physical activity recommendations before the pandemic, with boys typically reporting higher levels of physical activity and screen time. These results are important given that physical activity is a key determinant of health, and youth who engaged in more physical activity and sleep while reducing screen time during the pandemic had lower depression scores, less severe emotional dysregulation, and better subjective well-being. Certain youth may have been more affected, as evidenced in a recent report noting that 10% of 6- to 12-year-old girls have not returned to sports since the onset of the pandemic, and one in three girls aged 13 to 18 years currently engaged in sports is unsure if she will continue to participate in sports. It is unknown whether the initial decline in physical activity observed in 2020 continued, stabilized, or improved in 2021 and early 2022.
Full article PDF versionRelated articles
The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and screen time among Canadian youth
- Colley RC, Watt J. The unequal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical activity habits of Canadians. Health Reports. 2022; 33(5): DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.25318/82-003-x202200500003-eng
- Colley RC, Carson V, Garriguet D, Janssen I, Roberts KC, Tremblay MS. Physical activity of Canadian children and youth, 2007 to 2015. Health Reports. 2017; 28(10).
- Colley RC, Garriguet D, Janssen I, Craig CL, Clarke J, Tremblay MS. Physical activity of Canadian children and youth: Results from the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Health Reports. 2011; 22(1).
- Colley RC, Carson V, Garriguet D, Janssen I, Roberts KC, Tremblay MS. Physical activity of Canadian children and youth, 2007 to 2015. Health Reports. 2017; 28(10).
The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and screen time among Canadian adults
by Rachel C. Colley and Travis J. Saunders
Lockdowns and closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic reduced opportunities for many forms of organized sport and recreation. In addition, stay-at-home orders caused a shift to remote work and led to an increased reliance on screens. Few data sources tracked health behaviours both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A previous analysis reported that physical activity decreased among youth but remained stable among Canadian adults and increased slightly among older adults from the fall of 2018 to the fall of 2020. A study using data from the Canadian Perspectives Survey Series (CPSS) reported that outdoor exercise increased among adults aged 25 and older across three time points from March 29, 2020, to July 26, 2020. Another survey using CPSS data reported that 60% of adults aged 25 and older reported increasing their screen time, a finding similar to a small study of Canadian women that reported increased recreational screen time during the 2020 and 2021 pandemic years. A U.S.-based study compared physical activity and sedentary behaviour between the fall of 2019 and fall of 2020 and reported a similar stability in these behaviours among American adults. Adults with young children at home were identified as more likely to decrease their physical activity and increase their screen time during the 2020 and 2021 pandemic years in Canada and the United States.
Full article PDF versionRelated articles
The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and screen time among Canadian adults
- Colley RC, Watt J. The unequal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical activity habits of Canadians. Health Reports. 2022; 33(5): DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.25318/82-003-x202200500003-eng
- Andreacchi AT, Yoshida-Montezuma Y, Colley RC, Smith BT, Vanderloo L, Anderson LN. Changes in chronic disease risk factors and current exercise habits among Canadian adults living with and without a child during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Reports 2022; 33(4): DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.25318/82-003-x202200400001-eng
- Colley RC, Bushnik T, Langlois K. Exercise and screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Reports 2020; 31(6): DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.25318/82-003-x202000600001-eng
- Colley RC, Saunders TJ. The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical activity and screen time of Canadian youth. Health Reports 2023; 34(10): DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.25318/82-003-x202200500003-eng
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