Population density predicts youth's physical activity changes during Covid-19 – Results from the MoMo study
Carina Nigg, Doris Oriwol, Kathrin Wunsch, Alexander Burchartz, Simon Kolb, Annette Worth, Alexander Wöll, Claudia Niessner
Abstract
Children in Germany showed positive physical activity changes during the first Covid-19 lockdown in April 2020, but it is unclear how the changes relate to population density, which we investigated in a longitudinal sample of 1711 youth (4–17 years). For each ten citizens more per km2, less positive physical activity changes were observed. For example, a child living in an area with 100 citizens/km2 increased daily life physical activity by 44.50 min/day, whereas a child living in an area with 3000 citizens/km2 only engaged in an additional 9.70 min/day. Policymakers should ensure that youth in densely populated areas have access to physical activity opportunities during the pandemic.