The Relationship Between the Activity Level, Internet Addiction, and Depressive Symptoms of University Students During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Outbreak Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly disrupted normal activities globally. Social restriction measures were encountered during the pandemic process, which resulted in students staying at home for a long time. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity, internet addiction, and depressive symptoms of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 160 students studying at Aydın Adnan Menderes University Söke Health Services Vocational School between July and August 2020. A Personal Identification Form, Short Form of Young’s Internet Addiction Test, Beck Depression Scale, and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were used to collect the research data. Spearman correlation test and Student’s t-test were used for data analysis. Results: The IPAQ revealed that 28.2% of the students were active. The students’ mean depression scores were 8.8±6.6 (0-37) and the internet addiction mean score was 25.1±7.2 (12-47). A moderately significant positive correlation was found between the mean scores of internet addiction and depressive symptoms (r=0.303; p0.05). Contrarily, a relationship was determined between internet addiction and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Improving the physical and psychological health of university students during the pandemic process is important for public health. Therefore, various multi-sectoral approach developments, such as online physical activity programs, are recommended. Additionally, students should be made aware of how to balance the time spent in front of the computer or the internet.