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Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic spurred unprecedented public health measures to curb its spread. Such measures might have negatively impacted adolescents’ participation in physical activity and health-related quality of life. However, the evidence is unclear in Nigerian adolescents. This study assessed the physical activity domains, levels, and health-related quality of life in Nigerian adolescents during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Methods: The sample consisted of 430 students in public secondary schools in Nsukka, Enugu State. The students were randomly selected to participate in the cross-sectional study between November 2020 and April 2021. The Demographic Profile Form, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Short Form-36 Health Survey, and Perceived Susceptibility to coronavirus disease 2019 Infection Questionnaire were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, independent-samples t -test, univariate ANOVA, and multiple linear regressions were conducted using SPSS version 25. Results: The mean score of total physical activity (MET-min/week) was 1651.3 ( SD = 842.18). The mean overall score of health-related quality of life was 78.30 ( SD = 16.43). The mental health component of health-related quality of life showed that adolescents had poor mental health status. Female adolescents had higher mean scores in physical component summary ( M = 83.03; SD = 27.36) and mental component summary ( M = 51.19; SD = 8.69) than the male adolescents, physical component summary ( M = 69.0; SD = 21.65) and mental component summary ( M = 46.15; SD = 10.71). Conclusion: The findings showed a significant positive association among gender, class of study, parental type, perceived susceptibility to coronavirus disease 2019, and physical activity domains, levels, and health-related quality of life. In addition, boys had a higher mean score of total physical activity (MET-min/week) than the girls. More girls were less active than the boys. However, concerning the health-related quality of life, girls had higher mean scores in physical component summary and mental component summary than boys. Physical activity interventions that specifically target female adolescents’ physical activity participation are needed. Also, mental health interventions are needed to improve the mental health status of adolescents, especially boys in the post–coronavirus disease 2019 era.

This study aimed to evaluate the associations between physical activity (PA) and psychological well-being (PWB) among male university students. An institutionally based cross-sectional study was completed by 243 young men aged 18–30 years in a Nigerian public university. PA was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and PWB was measured by Ryff’s Scale of Psychological Well-being (PWB). The mean age of the participants was 24.9 ( SD = 7.61) and majority (39.1%) of the participants was aged 18–22 years. Regarding PA, 16.0%, 64.2%, and 19.8% of the participants had low, moderate, and high PA levels, respectively. The mean total PWB score was 119.9 ( SD = 23.64). For the domains of PWB, male students had mean scores of 25.73 ( SD = 6.05), 19.42 ( SD = 6.82), 25.75 (6.10), 14.12 ( SD = 3.89), 13.70 ( SD = 4.04) and 21.12 (4.92) for self-acceptance, autonomy, positive relations, environmental mastery, purpose in life and personal growth, respectively. Total PA (total MET min/week) was associated with the total PWB scores ( β = 0.13, p < .05). The total PA METs was significantly associated with self-acceptance ( β = 0.13, p < .05). positive relations ( β = 0.16, p < .05), purpose in life ( β = 0.39, p < .05). Vigorous PA METs showed significantly negative effect on personal growth (β = −0.28, p < .05) and accounted for 2.0% of the variance of personal growth. PA accounted for 2.5% and 1.2% of the variance of positive relations and purpose in life, respectively., Most of the young men had moderate levels of PA and PWB. PA was significantly associated with PWB among the young men. Male sensitive evidence-based health promotion interventions should aim at promoting PA and PWB among male university students.