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PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
AND HEALTH ASPECTS
OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
EDITORS:
Damir Knjaz
Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb
Dario Novak
Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb
Branislav Antala
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport,
Comenius University Bratislava
Zagreb, 2021
Publisher:
Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb
Fédération Internationale d´Éducation Physique et Sportive (FIEPS Europe)
Co-publisher:
Department for Natural Sciences and Scientific Council for Anthropological Research of the
Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
For the Publisher:
Assoc. Prof. Tomislav Krističević, PhD, Dean
Editors:
Prof. Damir Knjaz, PhD, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb
Assist. Prof. Dario Novak, PhD, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb
Prof. Branislav Antala, PhD, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport,
Comenius University Bratislava
Book reviewers:
Prof. Pavao Rudan, MD, PhD, Fellow of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (Croatia)
Assoc. Prof. Zvonimir Tomac, PhD (Croatia)
Peer-reviewers:
Prof. Anita Sujoldžić, PhD (Croatia)
Prof. Emer. Antun Tucak, MD, PhD, Corresponding member of the Croatian Academy
of Sciences and Arts (Croatia)
Prof. Mate Mihanović, MD, PhD (Croatia)
Prof. Stevo Popović, PhD (Montenegro)
Prof. Branka Matković, MD, PhD (Croatia)
Prof. Giyasettin Demirham, PhD (Turkey)
Assist. Prof. Vilko Petrić, PhD (Croatia)
Assist. Prof. Hrvoje Podnar, PhD (Croatia)
Editing and proofreading:
Nina Miočević
Layout and technical preparation:
Danijel Šah
Printing:
Recom d.o.o.
Circulation:
500
Zagreb, December 2021
ISBN: 978-953-317-067-1
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the National and University
Library in Zagreb under 001121193.
The Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Commission for Science and
Academic Literature and Publishing, on its session held on November 17, 2021, reached the
decision on approving the publication of this book.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD ............................................................................... 7
CHAPTER 1
PHYSICAL EDUCATION, PHYSICAL INACTIVITY
AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH DURING COVID-19
PANDEMIC.............................................................................. 9
Branislav Antala, Dario Novak, Damir Knjaz
“COVID-19, FORCED INACTIVITY AND INEQUALITY IN SPORT”
REMAPPING SCHOOL SPORT IN CATALONIA:
A REGIONAL EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE........................................ 11
Agustí Castillo Cañiz, Nàdia Pesarrodona Rovira, Maria Usón Virgili
FIEP Catalunya (Associació de la Federació Internacional d’Educació Física a Catalunya)
ONLINE PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF
SCHOOLS IN SLOVAKIA FROM THE PARENTS´ PERSPECTIVE ......... 25
Beáta Ružbarská, Monika Vašková
University of Presov, Faculty of Sports, Department of Sport Educology and Humanistics, Slovakia
THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE POSSIBLE FUTURE.
THE PHYSICAL INACTIVITY OF POLISH STUDENTS DURING
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND ITS IMPACT ON HEALTH ............... 39
Aleksandra Lodzińska1, Magdalena Lelonek2
1Students’ Research Club “Motor”, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland
2Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 LOCKDOWN ON MALAYSIAN TRAINEE
TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES AND PARTICIPATION MOTIVATION
TOWARDS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ................................................... 47
Ngien Siong Chin1, Eng Hoe Wee2, Ting Pei Yi3, Lim Ting Len3
1Institute of Teacher Education Batu Lintang Campus, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
2Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
3School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
IMPACTS OF COVID-19 LOCKDOWN ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES
BEHAVIOUR AND ANXIETY AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS.............. 65
Eng Hoe Wee1, Hee An Mak1, Hui Yin Ler1, Wei Fong Cheng1, Ngien Siong Chin2
1Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2Institute of Teacher Education Batu Lintang Campus, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND TEACHER TRAINING IN ITALY
DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ............................................. 83
Dario Colella, Cristina d’Arando
Department of Humanities, Cultural Heritage, Education Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
EXPERIENCES OF TEACHING PHYSICAL EDUCATION
DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN FINLAND ........................... 97
Kasper Salin
University of Jyväskylä, Faculty of Sport & Health Sciences, Finland
EXPLORING SOCIAL AND SCHOOL SUPPORT FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN IN YOUTH.................. 109
Marie-Maude Dubuc1,2, Maurine Remacle3, Marylène Goudreault4, Félix Berrigan2,5,
Sylvie Beaudoin2,5, Sylvain Turcotte2,5, Alexandre Mouton3
1Department of Exercise Science, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
2Kino-Québec Research Chair on the Adoption of a Physically Active Lifestyle in School Contexts,
Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
3Sport Sciences Department, URISS - Unité de Recherche Interfacultaire Santé & Société,
University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
4Direction régionale de santé publique du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’île-de-Montréal, Montréal, Canada
5Faculty of Exercise Science, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
THE IMPACT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON MENTAL HEALTH
DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON YOUTHS IN UKRAINE ........ 125
Sergii Ivashchenko
Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Kyiv, Ukraine
CHAPTER 2
THE INFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL INACTIVITY ON PHYSICAL
HEALTH DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC ............................. 133
Damir Knjaz, Dario Novak, Branislav Antala
SINGAPORE’S LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND ASPECTS OF
HEALTH DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC........................................ 134
Govindasamy Balasekaran, Ng Yew Cheo, Peggy Boey
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
JUMP ROPE - A TOOL USED IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AT SCHOOLS
IN MEXICO TO CONTINUE THE GROWTH OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
DURING PERIODS OF CONFINEMENT DUE TO THE ONGOING
GLOBAL PANDEMIC.................................................................... 147
Giovanni Hernández
Secretaría de Educación del Estado de Veracruz (Secretary of Education of the State of Veracruz), Mexico
THE EFFECT OF COVID-19 CONFINEMENT ON FUNDAMENTAL
MOTOR SKILLS AMONG MALAYSIAN RURAL PRIMARY SCHOOL
CHILDREN ................................................................................. 154
Jeswenny Fresshila1, Ngien Siong Chin2, Garry Kuan1
1School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
2Institute of Teacher Education Batu Lintang Campus, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
HEALTH-RELATED PHYSICAL FITNESS OF MALAYSIAN SECONDARY
SCHOOL STUDENTS AFTER COVID-19 CONFINEMENT .................. 166
Ngien Siong Chin1, Teo Boon Sian1, Eng Hoe Wee2, Arthur Ling Wei1, Nguang Ung Siong3
1Institute of Teacher Education Batu Lintang Campus, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
2Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
3Institute of Teacher Education Tun Abdul Razak Campus, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
THE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON DIFFERENT HEALTH
OUTCOMES AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN CROATIA ............. 177
Marko Čule¹, Ivan Milinović¹, Nikolina Anić2
¹Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, Croatia
2Lucijan Vranjanin High School Zagreb, Croatia
CHANGES IN MOTOR, MORPHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL
STATUS AFTER PARTICIPATION IN NORDIC WALKING TRAINING
DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.............................................. 185
Damir Knjaz, Ivan Bon, Vedran Dukarić, Mateja Očić, Tomislav Rupčić
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Kinesiology, Zagreb, Croatia
CHAPTER 3
THE INFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL INACTIVITY ON OVERALL
WELL-BEING DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC...................... 205
Dario Novak, Damir Knjaz, Branislav Antala
OUT OF THE DARKNESS, A NEW COMMUNITY EMERGES............... 206
Ulana Lysniak
Bronx Community College, City University of New York, United States of America
THE EFFECTS OF QUARANTINE ON HEALTHY LIFESTYLE HABITS
IN MEXICO................................................................................. 221
José René Tapia Martínez1, Brenda Rocío Rodríguez Vela1, Marco Antonio Rodríguez Vela2
1 Facultad de Ciencias de la Cultura Física y Deporte, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Mexico
2 Medicina de la Actividad Física y el Deporte, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Mexico
AN ASSESSMENT ON THE MOTOR ACTIVITIES AND HEALTH
OF PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 65 DURING THE PANDEMIC:
A STRATEGY ADOPTED IN SOUTHERN ITALY................................. 234
Sannicandro Italo1, Rosa Rosa Anna2, D’Elia Francesca3
1Department of Humanities, Literature, Cultural Heritage, Education Sciences, University of Foggia, Italy
2Master’s Degree of Preventive and Adapted Physical Activity, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery,
University of Foggia, Italy
3 University of Salerno, Italy
SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ARISING FROM COVID-19:
A DESK STUDY AND CONCEPT-CENTRIC MATRIX .......................... 247
Siobhán O’Neill1, Fiona C. Chambers2, Manolis Adamakis2, Catherine M. Carty3
1 School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Ireland
2 Sports Studies and Physical Education, School of Education, University College Cork, Ireland
3 UNESCO Chair “Transforming the Lives of People with Disabilities, their Families and Communities,
Through Physical Education, Sport, Recreation and Fitness” Munster Technological University, Tralee, Co.
Kerry, Ireland
CZECH PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS DURING THE SPRING 2020
COVID-19 PANDEMIC: RESULTS OF AN ONLINE SURVEY ............... 262
Jana Vašíčková1, Petr Vlček2, Marie Valová3
1Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacký University in Olomouc, the Czech Republic
2Faculty of Education, Masaryk University in Brno, the Czech Republic
3VSB – Technical University of Ostrava, the Czech Republic
QUALITY OF LIFE ASSESSMENT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
BY USING THE WHOQOL-BREF QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE,
DURING AND AFTER THE LOCKDOWN ......................................... 273
Damir Knjaz, Mateja Očić, Vedran Dukarić, Ivan Bon, Dario Novak
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Kinesiology, Zagreb, Croatia
A LOOK AT THE PEDAGOGICAL PROCESSES OF
PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN TIMES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
AND ITS INCIDENCE TODAY ........................................................ 287
José Francisco Mora Núñez1,2, Manuel Guerrero Zainos3
1 Student at the University of the Atlantic / Bachelor’s Degree Program in Physical Education,
Barranquilla, Colombia
2 International Exchange Student / Physical Education Pedagogy Program, Central University of Chile, Chile
3 International Federation of Physical Education, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
FOREWORD
It is a pleasure to introduce to you this scientific book under the title Physical
Activity and Health Aspects of COVID-19 Pandemic. In January 2020, the World
Health Organization (WHO) declared a new COVID-19 outbreak to be a public
health emergency of international concern. Since then, there have been many con-
firmed infections and many human deaths. A highly eective method for slow-
ing the spread and infection of the virus is self-isolation or quarantine. However,
some countries have adopted measures like travel restrictions and school closures.
These extraordinary arrangements have had negative physical and psychological
impacts, with increased physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour.
Before the pandemic, in “normal” conditions, analyses showed that more than 3.2
million people in the world die annually directly due to physical inactivity, while
some analyses speak of as many as 5 million. When we talk about the leading fac-
tors causing mortality and disease development, according to the World Health
Organization, physical inactivity is in the high fourth place and is significantly re-
lated to other factors and equally represented as a cause of mortality regardless of
the level of development of a country.
During the pandemic, other diseases and health risks did not disappear, although
the focus of many systems was on the prevention and treatment of patients suf-
fering from COVID-19 virus. A large number of experts in the field of health, kine-
siology and other sciences point out the importance of preserving prevention pro-
grams in all other segments, regardless of the new pandemic. Physical activity is
an indispensable segment of the prevention of many chronic non-communicable
diseases, some of which are the leading mortality factors in the world. The con-
sequences of increased physical inactivity, even if due to a pandemic, will be felt
by millions of people of all generations. The negative curve of many countries has
been present for decades and there is an objective fear that it could worsen signifi-
cantly during the pandemic period. Mankind will feel the consequences for many
years to come in many segments and it is important to point out the importance of
physical activity in all the forms available to us.
The topic of this scientific book is related to the COVID-19 disease that is consid-
ered the worst pandemic in modern times. It covers some aspects of the pandemic,
8 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH ASPECTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
and the reader can find three very interesting chapters that cover important topics
as the influence of COVID-19 pandemic on physical education and psychological
health, as well as the influence of COVID-19 pandemic on overall well-being.
The authors of the book chapters come from a large number of countries, and they
certainly are well-respected and experienced researchers. We firmly believe that
this scientific book will be a valuable assistance to a variety of scientists, practi-
tioners and, of course, students to better understand the events and problems that
arose during the pandemic and to help solve them.
Damir Knjaz
Dario Novak
Branislav Antala
CHAPTER 1
PHYSICAL EDUCATION,
PHYSICAL INACTIVITY AND
PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH DURING
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Branislav Antala, Dario Novak, Damir Knjaz
The prevalence of psychological disorders among people has been rising world-
wide. According to many studies conducted among young and elderly people
during the COVID-19 pandemic, physical symptoms may lead to more psycho-
logical distress and anxiety. A long stay at home and social isolation have strong
psychosocial consequences, especially for the mental health of the general and
more vulnerable populations. Studies have reported loneliness, anxiety, boredom,
anger, denial, depression, insomnia, and suicides in quarantined people. Reduced
physical inactivity is another consequential outcome of social isolation at home
or quarantine. It is well known that physical inactivity is a major cause of disease,
disability, and serious mental problems worldwide. On the other hand, physical
activity has a positive eect not only on physical health but is also an indispens-
able factor in improving the mental health of an individual. Thus, for example,
physical activity and exercise are used in the treatment of people suering from
mental disorders and have been shown to be particularly eective in people suf-
fering from anxiety and depression. Furthermore, physical activity, in addition to
having a positive eect on neurotransmitter systems, endorphins and hormones
(such as coping with stress and treatment of psychotic disorders and dementia),
also significantly aects self-esteem and self-confidence, cognitive functions and
socialization. Recommendations for physical activity for people with mental dis-
orders include daily exercise for at least 30 minutes or at least three times a week
for one hour. It is important to identify risk factors and protective factors to pre-
vent psychological diculties during COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the link
between the COVID-19 pandemic and psychological health, including mental pain,
10 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH ASPECTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
could contribute to improving the eectiveness of existing preventive approaches.
Also, early identification of serious mental problems is critical for interventions to
be successful. This chapter provides the latest evidence on the physical education,
physical inactivity and psychological health during COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID-19, FORCED INACTIVITY AND
INEQUALITY IN SPORT” REMAPPING
SCHOOL SPORT IN CATALONIA:
A REGIONAL EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE
Agustí Castillo Cañiz, Nàdia Pesarrodona Rovira, Maria Usón Virgili
FIEP Catalunya (Associació de la Federació Internacional d’Educació Física a Catalunya)
Corresponding author:
Agustí Castillo Cañiz
e-mail: agusticc@blanquerna.url.edu
ABSTRACT
Particularly focused in Catalonia region, this article draws from a study carried out
in order to show the impact of COVID-19 pandemic measures for sport schools in
the region. The article also wants to highlight the enormous challenges that sport
schools have faced and is going to face due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic emer-
gency measures. Following government calls for general public isolation, school
sporting associations, sport for all and other amateur organisations have gone
through the longest period of inactivity since the re-establishment of democracy.
Having the potential participants locked down at home, it has forced profession-
als to explore new ways to connect with them. Public sector has joint in, raising
awareness on the risk of inactivity and imposing a range of restrictive measures
that have impacted sport, especially the one related to schools and grassroots lev-
els. The situation has obliged one of the major School Sport organisations in Cat-
alonia (UCEC) to reinvent strategies in order to survive and keep providing sport
initiatives to more than 200.000 scholars and young adults across the region.
Keywords: COVID-19, Sport School, sporting opportunities, sport equity, Physical
Activity, Sport for All, Personal & Social Values
12 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH ASPECTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
INTRODUCTION
Catalonia, a sports country
In Catalonia, sport has always been related to modernity and a civil society
self-organisation. In the late 19th century, new vision of sport had a considerable
impact in Catalan society, alongside more traditional games such as skittles, tip-
cat, tug-of-war, and certain ball games, along with footraces, nautical races with
small boats and animal races, thanks to the role played by clubs in consolidating
sports as both exercise and entertainment (Santacana, 2014). A number of sport-
ing clubs and associations were created during that period of time, following the
need of institutionalisation. Some of them responded to Catalan historical relation
to their own natural landscape (hiking, cycling, running, horseback riding) and
other were imported thanks to British connection due to a growing commercial
and trade agreements (football, tennis, boxing, gymnastics). The will to promote
organised physical activity linked with Catalanism political movement, propelled
Barcelona’s candidacy to host the 1924 Olympic games (Santacana, 2014). Howev-
er, from the early 40’s, Franco’s dictatorship progressively eliminated democratic
meaning of sporting organisation and their links to Catalanism. Therefore, many
clubs changed their icons and symbology, and sport personalities were prosecuted
and sentenced to prison. With the return of democracy in the early 80´s, all sport
manifestations relinked with their original pursuit and were reborn under the ba-
sis of “sports for everyone” and the international recognition of the 1992 Barcelo-
na Olympics (Santacana, 2014).
Nowadays, Catalonia is a world renamed sport cluster due to the international-
isation of some of its clubs in many sport manifestations (FC Barcelona, FIATC
Joventut de Badalona, Club Natació Sabadell) as well as the irruption of sportsmen
and women, such as Lionel Messi, Kilian Jornet, Pau Gasol or Mireia Belmonte.
Besides, there is a growing interest for organising top sporting events (Barcelo-
na World Race, Barcelona Zurich Marathon, F1 and Moto Gp Grand Prix). None
of these events were possible without excellent sport infrastructure (Camp Nou,
Montmeló, Palau Sant Jordi). With 35,424 sports areas, Catalonia has more sports
facilities than any other region in Spain, which allows the Catalan population to
enjoy more than 300 dierent sports activities, oered by both public and private
sectors (Indescat, 2014).
Catalonia has world-class facilities for hosting, playing, doing, or training in any
kind of sport, ranging from motorsports to sailing, skiing, cycling or golf. Hav-
ing worldwide sport recognition, international events have attracted a number of
“COVID-19, FORCED INACTIVITY AND INEQUALITY IN SPORT” REMAPPING SCHOOL SPORT IN CATALONIA 13
major foreign sport companies that have established their headquarters in recent
years. Catalonia is the territory with the greatest concentration of sports business-
es in Europe. It has more than 500 companies linked to sport which can be grouped
into 3 dierent sports segments (facilities, events, and consumer goods), and rep-
resents more than 70% of Spanish production, with a turnover exceeding 4 billion
euros and more than 22,000 employees. This growing sector includes a wide vari-
ety of industries and accounts for 2.1% of the Catalan GDP (Indescat, 2014).
Catalonia has also developed a solid sport tourism sector thanks to being in an ex-
ceptional location and having a miscellaneous outdoors environment which allows
the realisation of wide range of sporting disciplines. Together with winter sports,
this mountainous country, full of valleys carved out by rivers, glaciers, natural
parks, and protected areas, is especially suitable for activities such as hiking, with
a network of footpaths over 5,000 km long. Climbing, cycling, horse-trekking and
a wide range of activities are also possible in this diverse and charming landscape.
Finally, there is a set of international sport events that attracts tourists, ranging
from spectators to those willing to take an active part (Indescat, 2014).
Regional sport system
Catalonia sport system is organised under a number of sport institutions which
act as governing bodies responsible for managing and revising sport strategies.
The main public institution is “Secretaria General de l’Esport i de l’Activitat Físi-
ca” (SGEAF) and is entitled to develop Catalan regional government sport com-
petencies based on the increasing level of citizens’ sport practice collaborating
with other private and public organisations through another public institution
called “Consell Català de l’Esport” (CCE). Among its duties we can find supporting
schooling, medic, technical and legal areas of sport; increasing and supervising
regional sport facilities; helping Catalan sport federations competing at interna-
tional level and promoting sport as a cultural identity sign of Catalan society.
On the private side of sport, there are three main sport organisations: “Unió de
Federacions Esportives de Catalunya” (UFEC) which is the cluster of all Catalan
sport federations; “Esport Català Universitari” (ECU) integrated by all the Catalan
universities which is responsible for organising Catalan university sport champi-
onships and “Unió de Consell Esportius de Catalunya” (UCEC), the organisation in
charge of managing sport schools across the region.
14 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH ASPECTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
UCEC, sport school management in Catalonia
The UCEC (Unió de Consells Esportius de Catalunya) is a private sport organisation
granted with public support in order to promote school sport and sport for all ser-
vices across the region. The organisation was founded in 1994 in order to promote
Physical Activity and Sport for All principles in Catalonia, focusing on supporting
children, adolescents and youth participants and basing its policies on equality,
equity and reinforcing personal values, social responsibility, and health habits.
The organisation is currently formed by up to 45 county divisions that cover the
whole region and allow over 200.000 school students to interact with a wide range
of sport disciplines.
Figure 1. UCEC county division in Catalonia region and number of participants
According to a recent study (Itik Consultoria, 2019), the county divisions can be or-
ganised under 4 dierent categories according to their size and development level:
◼ 1
st
Category: A small county division with 1 or 2 employees, with a big dependen-
cy on public funding (90% or more), sporting services oer based on youth and
children’s championships and without website or social media communication.
◼ 2
nd
Category: A small-medium size county division with 3-5 employees, with still
big dependency on public funding (60-90%), limited sporting services oer, apart
from championships and basic website with no social media communication.
◼ 3rd Category: A medium-large size county division with up to 5 employees, with
a balanced dependency on public funding (40-59%), with sporting services of-
“COVID-19, FORCED INACTIVITY AND INEQUALITY IN SPORT” REMAPPING SCHOOL SPORT IN CATALONIA 15
fer aiming at a larger population scale and active website as well as active social
media communication.
◼ 4th Category: A large size county division with more than 5 employees, with a
low level of dependency on public funding, with a sports company view on gen-
erating services for a big scale of population and more advanced website as well
as active social media communication.
However, and following the present research, we can assume that there are other
multiple subcategories to be added to this classification, due to the lack of territo-
rial private and governmental sporting programs and facilities, that force certain
county divisions to develop a number of sporting services that would not be pro-
vided by any other public or private organisation.
Sport provision for children and adolescents in school ages
Although over the years more services have been added to the initial oer, UCEC
county division’s main objective is to provide sport initiatives to children and ad-
olescents in school ages by organising championships of several sports across the
region. In Catalonia, school ages are those included between the age of 6 (1st grade
of primary education) and 16 (4th grade of secondary education), this grouping has
a direct correlation with mandatory education school years. If we have a look at the
big picture, we can see that there is about 70% of sport practise during this period.
We observe a peak in the 5th and the 6th grade of primary with up to 80,5% of par-
ticipation and the lowest level in the 3rd and the 4th grade of secondary education
with 67,7% (Itik Consultoria, 2019).
Figure 2. Percentage of participation during school ages in Catalonia
16 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH ASPECTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The whole level of practice is not only related to school sport, as from the 3rd grade
of primary to the 4th grade of secondary education the irruption of club sport de-
pending on sport federations increases from 34% to up to 72% of the total par-
ticipation. This progression balances the decrease of school sport participation
but cannot match the best of the 5th and the 6th grade of primary (Itik Consultoria,
2019).
Figure 3. Sport activity distribution among facilitators
Following COVID-19 restrictive measures that have stopped school sport partici-
pation and according to the percentages of participation shown above, we can as-
sume that between 30% and 40% of school participants in school ages, have been
deprived from engaging in sport activities for several months. Besides, consider-
ing that sport club expenses for families are commonly higher than those of school
sport, the situation provides a clear example of the social impact of these measures
for lower income families across the region and the increment of social inequality.
COVID-19, an unexpected visitor
In March 2020, the whole world was paralysed due to a pandemic situation, many
economic sectors were forced to close their businesses and general mobility was
reserved to emergency and other basic services. The restrictions had a substantial
impact on sport sector from the very beginning at dierent levels. The first emer-
gency action was taken on 13 March 2020 and stated a lockdown initially planned
for 15 days, but this first action lasted for over three months.
On 23 April 2020, UCEC released a press statement informing about the termina-
tion of school sport Games (JEEC) due to the pandemic impact in Catalonia. Along-
side regional government ocials, UCEC steering committee decided to seek out
“COVID-19, FORCED INACTIVITY AND INEQUALITY IN SPORT” REMAPPING SCHOOL SPORT IN CATALONIA 17
for a specific procedure to be able to resume school sport games in 2020-2021
season. Regarding other specific sporting activities, UCEC allowed all county divi-
sion members to autonomously plan de-escalation following the specific sanitary
guidelines.
On 9 September, once the 2020 summer season ended and according to all the
adapted activities organised during that period, UCEC General Assembly approved
a protocol to resume activities and school competitions. The importance of pro-
moting physical activity, social inclusion, social cohesion, and equity, were some
of the key points of the protocol based on three main ideas: managing sanitary
protocols, security checks for individuals and the importance of facing the eco-
nomic crisis. A specific document was also released on 17 September in order to
stretch the social measures created to face discrimination, urging social services
to secure enough funding provision for vulnerable families in every city across the
region and UCEC.
Although all the protocols were ready to be deployed, on 10 October the government
declared the closure of sport facilities and ceasing all training and sport competi-
tions. Only school groups’ social bubbles were allowed to carry on doing physical
activity within school boundaries and avoiding any contact with other children or
adults. On 30 October, UCEC formally asked Catalan Government to consider phys-
ical activity as an essential activity in order to guarantee future athletes’ personal
development and to be able to confront sports sector economic crisis.
In December 2020, UCEC started the campaign “Esport Segur” (Safe Sport) to
highlight sport values and beneficial outcomes of doing physical activity. The
campaign was one of the many initiatives taken by the sport sector in order to dis-
seminate the safety measures released to fight COVID-19 and show all the social
initiatives undertaken to secure sport and physical activity for vulnerable families
in Catalonia. Although the campaign reached the general public, the government
continued to stop school sport activities from taking place, arguing the impor-
tance of keeping children safe.
On 22 February 2021, PROCICAT, the government bureau in charge of policing
COVID-19 measures, equalled school sport with federated sport and allowed UCEC
county divisions to finally resume their activities acknowledging the inconsistence
of stopping the normal functioning of school sport.
18 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH ASPECTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY
Setting and participants
The study was carried out between January and April 2021 with comprehensive
news and literature review, and the participation of 44 UCEC county divisions in
order to provide a clear view of the situation and 9 interviews to school sport pro-
fessionals. Special attention to these leading figures was crucial in order to make a
reasonable prospection on what is likely to be the situation in years to come.
Aims and hypothesis
The main aim was to analyse school sport situation after COVID-19 pandemic
measures focusing on UCEC organisation as a main provider of this type of services
across the region. The following dimensions were set in order to classify research
findings:
1. County division‛s objectives and shared vision within the UCEC organisation.
2. Level of maintained activity during the pandemic period.
3. Restrictions‛ impact on daily basis activity and future provisions.
4. County divisions visibility, level of territorial impact within participants and
general public.
5. Public administration relationship according to restrictions and perceived
treatment.
The following hypotheses were established in order to examine the above research
dimensions:
1. COVID-19 restrictive measures have reduced within 25% and 50% of School
Sport activity.
2. COVID-19 restrictive measures have shown the need of reorganizing School
Sport activity.
3. COVID-19 restrictive measures have shown the need of emphasizing UCEC at-
tributions within Catalan Sports system.
“COVID-19, FORCED INACTIVITY AND INEQUALITY IN SPORT” REMAPPING SCHOOL SPORT IN CATALONIA 19
METHODS
The data collection was set using a mixed method of both qualitative and quantita-
tive instruments (Balcells et al., 2013). On one hand, a validated questionnaire us-
ing a representative sample, demonstrating adequate reliability and validity, was
facilitated to all county divisions managers in order to collect data related to the
second and third dimensions and with the will to provide a quantitative measure-
ment of COVID-19 impact on county divisions. On the other hand, and after ana-
lysing the quantitative data provided, a prospective research was conducted under
the form of 9 qualitative interviews administered to relevant leading professionals
in order to recap more information about the particular situation of some county
divisions and have a better understanding of their dissemination across the region.
OUTCOMES
The real impact of COVID-19
All county divisions members take part in school sport competition JEEC (Jocs
Esportius Escolars de Catalunya) and the Catalan program for engaging sport in
school placements called PCEE (Pla Català de l’Esport a l’Escola). If we look at the
number of young athletes they provide to the school competition, we find that the
majority (66% of all county divisions) provide less than 5.000 participants into the
competition and only 34% have a significant impact of more than 5.000 partici-
pants during a school year. Due to the pandemic situation, we find that 36 out of
42 county divisions had more than 25% decrease in number of participants, being
more than 50% in 14 of them. Only 6 county divisions had an impact below 25%.
Most of the county divisions that had a lesser impact are those with lower partic-
ipants in a regular season. This fact increases the overall decline of activity across
the board.
The unknown, worrying insecurity and fear of not being able to continue with
the planned activities after the pandemic measures taken were the most common
feelings once the news about the lockdown arose in early March 2019. County divi-
sion members struggled to oer activities back in that period as seen in the graphic
below. Nine county divisions (more than 21% of the participants) stopped all the
activities and did not provide any initiative, five other members provided activ-
ities reducing the number of participants (12% of the total participants). Social
20 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH ASPECTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
media was one of the most recurrent tools used during the peak of the pandemic
stage as over 22 county division members (over 50% of the ones who answered the
questionnaire) engaged in this type of channel to reach participants. The proposed
activities ranged from virtual physical challenges to fitness sessions, and from
physical activity routines to the need of emphasizing the aims of county division
objectives. Online training for technical members and general population was an-
other option chosen during the lockdown period. Two county divisions used this
type of activity alongside 9 others.
Figure 4. Participants decline between pre-COVID-19 season and COVID-19 season
Figure 5. Type of preferred activities facilitated during the pandemic period
If we look at the sport disciplines aected, 37% of county divisions agreed that
team sports were the most aected due to the social interaction involved in the
activity, followed by 20% of UCEC members that saw no dierence among dis-
“COVID-19, FORCED INACTIVITY AND INEQUALITY IN SPORT” REMAPPING SCHOOL SPORT IN CATALONIA 21
ciplines, 14% of the answers recorded a big impact on multisport program, 12%
experienced same level of disruption in team sports and individual sports, 11% in
multisport and team sports, and finally only 6% of the total answers pointed out
individual sports as the most aected discipline.
Figure 6. Most perceived disrupted programs and sport disciplines
When questioned about the perceived motivation of activity decrease after the
COVID-19 restrictive measures, 12 county divisions responded that health fears
were the most relevant reasons that families argued for stopping the sport activity
of their children. Other 7 members believed that the economic situation was the
key reason for not taking part in sport activity, as well as the lack of interest of
families and children due to the restrictive measures in participating in sport com-
petitions. At the end of the list, 2 UCEC members saw families change of priorities
during the lockdown pandemic situation and grouping limitations that made the
activity less appealing and motivating.
School Sport, new challenges and needed meaningful changes
Although UCEC county divisions were created in order to support school sport
competitions in Catalonia, over the years they have adapted their objectives ac-
cording to the managing territory. Therefore, we can find county divisions in small
and less populated territories that have become the unique physical activity and
sport facilitators as there are no other private or public organisations in charge of
doing so. Regardless of size, many county divisions have seen the importance of
promoting sports services outside the specific school sport provision and reaching
more age groups. The need of generating more variated sport activity demands
better sport facilities and specific funding from Catalan government and public
organisations.
22 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH ASPECTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
COVID-19 has forced county divisions to reinvent themselves and generalise the
usage of social media to be close to the usual participants and the general public.
Besides, the pandemic period has changed the perception about sport and physical
activity in many areas of personal and social life, as well as the impact of inactivi-
ty in citizens’ mental, emotional, and physical health. According to professionals,
county divisions need to engage with this renewed interest in sport and increase
the number of participants within the society. Although there is no clear evidence
of the ultimate impact of COVID-19 in school sport in future years, professionals
argue that there is a need of revising age group activities in order to face second-
ary education decline activity in favour of sedentarism and less interest in physi-
cal activity (Mera-Mamián et al., 2020). Asking youngsters about their preferred
physical activities and avoid them from engaging with other social activities that
can have a negative impact is another crucial future action to be taken in order to
develop lifelong healthy habits (Marques et al., 2017).
The majority of the interviewed leading professionals have urged the need of re-
drawing the Catalan Sports System in order to highlight the importance of territo-
rial knowledge and presence of UCEC organisation county divisions and set specif-
ic guidelines for all the other private and public organisations involved. According
to territorial leaders, there is a need for increasing the presence of sport within the
political and institutional debate, as well as providing more funding opportunities
to be able to create a stronger system. There is a need of showing the importance of
investing in sport and physical activity as a tool for preventing illnesses, creating
a healthier society, and reducing the need of using public services such as doctors,
hospitals, and drugs (Rodríguez, 1990).
CONCLUSIONS
Although further quantitative and qualitative research studies would be needed to
incorporate information from Catalan government authorities and other public
and private sport system key subjects such as UCEC, following the results reached
during this research and in relation to the hypothesis raised at the beginning of the
study we conclude that:
1. COVID-19 restrictive measures have reduced between 25% and 50% of School
Sport activity. It is still to be seen if the decrease in school sport activities will be
recovered over the following years. Particular measures will be needed in order
“COVID-19, FORCED INACTIVITY AND INEQUALITY IN SPORT” REMAPPING SCHOOL SPORT IN CATALONIA 23
to tackle the situation of youngsters and adolescents from secondary education
as the ones of major risk of abandoning school sport system.
2. COVID-19 restrictive measures have shown the need of reorganizing school
sport activity. Most of interviewed leading professionals from school sport
UCEC organisation clearly state that the school sport system must be priori-
tised and funded in order to secure its survival. The same professionals ask for a
revision of objectives and strategies linked with territorial needs and demands.
3. COVID-19 restrictive measures have shown the need of emphasizing UCEC at-
tributions within Catalan Sports system in order to protect the social view, the
enhancement of sport values, the protection of equity and providing sport ser-
vices to the most vulnerable citizens in Catalonia.
24 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH ASPECTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
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