Physical activity and sedentary lifestyle in Colombian and Mexican university students: A cross-sectional descriptive study

The restrictions associated with COVID-19 limited individuals' opportunities for physical activity and increased sedentary behavior. Previous evidence suggests an association between physical activity and mental health in university students; however, data from Latin America are currently limited. The objective of this study was to describe physical activity and sedentary behavior in a sample of Colombian and Mexican university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted between August and November 2020. The Spanish version of the Simple Physical Activity Questionnaire (SIMPAQ) in ArcGIS Survey123 was used, and data were collected from n=781 university students. An average of 11 hours of sedentary time, 9 hours in bed and 3 hours of physical activity during the day was found. SIMPAQ is an easy-to-use questionnaire that has been used in European countries and allows for rapid assessment of physical activity levels and sedentary time. This research is one of the first carried out in Latin-America with this questionnaire and specifically in university students. The analysis of the results allows the creation of programs for the prevention of cardiovascular and mental diseases.