COVID-19 Lockdown: Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Academic Motivation Among Undergraduates University Students in Malaysia

In the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the implementation of social restrictions has disrupted daily life routines, including physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, and academic motivation for undergraduates. The interaction between the changes in PA and academic motivation has not been studied deeply.

The present study aims to determine the PA level and academic motivation during the restriction movement during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the correlation between PA influence and students’ academic motivation.

One hundred and five participants (male, n= 38 and female, n=67) aged between 22-and 26 years old of the Sultan Idris Education University, Malaysia, participated in the study. The PA levels were evaluated using International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and the students’ motivation was evaluated using the eMpowerment, Usefulness, Success, Interest, and Caring (MUSIC) Model of Academic Motivation Inventory.

The findings showed gender differences between males and females with higher mean values for times per week for vigorous, moderate, and light intensity PA. Both genders displayed the highest rates on Caring (female=5.42, male=5.34), followed by Success (female=5.23, male=5.22) and Usefulness (female=3.96, male=3.92). The lowest motivation was rated on eMpowerment (female=3.42, male=3.30) and Interest (female=3.85, male 3.84). A significant difference was found between males and females in their rate of both eMpowerment and Caring subscales. The Pearson test demonstrated a strong correlation between PA (measured by IPAQ-SF) and academic motivation (accessed by MUSIC inventory) among students during the COVID-19 pandemic (r=0.912), suggesting that the reduction of total PA had a profound impact on the academic motivation among undergraduates.

They maintained that PA as routine is a key strategy for physical and mental health, specifically academic motivation during a forced rest period such as the current COVID-19 lockdown.