A longitudinal study to COVID-19 infection among university students: Physical fitness changes and psychological responses

Background: The impact of COVID-19 infection on physical and mental health of young adults remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the changes in the physical fitness three months after recovering from acute COVID-19 infection, and examine if the infection could also influence the mental health of university students. Methods: A total of 460 university students (mean age 18.9 ± 1.3 years, with 30 males and 27 females uninfected with COVID-19) volunteered for the study. Participants underwent a fitness test initially, followed by another physical fitness test and a mental health assessment three months after the infection of COVID-19. Physical fitness tests included body composition, flexibility, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and muscular endurance. Mental health was assessed using the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Self-Assessment Scale (DASS-21), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI), and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Self-Assessment Scale (PTSD). Results: Three months after acute COVID-19 infection, the physical performance of university students had decreased compared to pre-infection levels by approximate 3–15 % (p