Is there an association between physical activity and fear of COVID-19 among teachers?

Resumo

Abstract - Aim To identify the association between physical activity during the pandemic and fear of COVID-19 among teachers in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: This is an epidemiological, cross-sectional, and analytical web survey conducted with teachers. Data collection occurred between August and September 2020 through a digital form. The fear of COVID-19 served as the dependent variable, measured using the COVID-19 Fear Scale validated for Brazil, and linked to independent variables related to physical activity. Poisson regression with robust variance was employed, with severe fear of COVID-19 considered the reference category. Results: A total of 15,641 teachers participated in the study. Among them, 43.7% reported severe fear of COVID-19, and 47.9% were not engaging in physical activity. Teachers categorized as insufficiently active (PR = 0.98) and physically active (PR = 0.96) were found to be less likely to experience severe fear of COVID-19. A lower prevalence of severe fear of COVID-19 was observed among those engaging in physical activity on weekdays, with a decreasing prevalence as the frequency of weekly physical activity and the duration of exercise per day increased. Furthermore, those who practiced weightlifting/Crossfit also showed an inverse association with intense fear of COVID-19. Conclusion: The findings indicate that engaging in physical activity during the pandemic was inversely associated with severe fear of COVID-19. Additionally, a longer duration of physical activity correlated with a reduced prevalence of severe fear of COVID-19.