Impacto de la pandemia COVID-19 sobre la actividad física en escolares. Unidad Educativa Hermano Miguel de la Salle Cuenca. Noviembre –Diciembre 2022

Abstract

Background: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, physical activity among schoolchildren has declined sharply, displaced by sedentary practices, which lead to an early start of chronic diseases in the long run. Principal Objective: To determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical activity of schoolchildren at the Hermano Miguel de la Salle Educational Institution, Cuenca. Methodology: The research design of the present study is quantitative, observational, descriptive, non-experimental cross-sectional, which seeks to characterize the physical activity of schoolchildren during the current COVID-19 pandemic based on sociodemographic and behavioral parameters. The sample calculation resulted in 250 students selected by random sampling. Results: The population consisted of 65.2% children, 75.6% aged between 5 and 9 years, most of them in first grade with 21.2%, and with a socio-economic level predominantly in stratum 2 with 72.8%. The impact of the pandemic on schoolchildren showed that, of the total, 222 are sedentary, representing 88.8%. Conclusions and relevance: Girls spend more time sitting down, and boys spend more time playing sports, which could explain the higher proportion of sedentary women; it can be noted that more time spent walking, playing outdoors, or practicing sports can prevent sedentary lifestyles. The results of this study can be extrapolated to populations with similar characteristics.