The recent COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has resulted in health officials and governments enforcing social distancing and stay-at-home orders to reduce the spread of the disease. This includes the mandated closure of gyms and fitness facilities, which has prompted increased availability of streaming services providing live or recorded fitness classes using platforms like Zoom, Instagram, and YouTube.
Some people are opting for workouts in their neighborhoods, while others are looking for online workouts, and some are just planning on a break until they can get back to their normal routine, suggesting these changes may affect individuals’ physical activity over time.
COVID-19-related social distancing may also impact mental health due to isolation as well as the lack of or change in the level of physical activity. Physical activity can improve people’s mood in the short-term, so changes in their activity can add to changes in mood and motivation. A new Colorado State University study aims to answer questions about how people are reacting to the pandemic mentally and physically.
Kayla Nuss, M.S. and Jimikaye Courtney, Ph.D., are graduate students in the Lab for the Assessment and Promotion of Physical Activity and Health in the Department of Health and Exercise Science leading the study to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affects physical activity and mood in individuals impacted by the pandemic.
The lab is recruiting participants for this study through mid-May from both within and outside the CSU community. Eligible participants will be asked to respond to two daily surveys about physical activity and mood over the course of four weeks using a free application installed on their smartphone.
Participants will be asked to respond to a number of questions that will be used to assess if they qualify for the study. If they qualify for the study, the APPAH research team will email participants the consent form. If they consent to participate, they will receive an initial set of three surveys to complete and will then start the smartphone surveys. If participants have questions or concerns, please email the research team at appah@colostate.edu.
Am I a candidate?
To be eligible for the study, you must:
- Be 18 years or older
- Be an English speaker
- Live in the United States
- Own and regularly use Android or iPhone smartphone
- Have a smartphone capable of running mobile applications
- Be willing to download and use the Ilumivu app on a personal smartphone
- Be willing to respond to two surveys per day from the app
- Be willing to provide demographics, health history, and log physical activity and motivation level
You will not be eligible for the study if you are:
- Unable to meet the criteria above or participate for all four weeks
- Enrolled in another study related to physical activity behaviors – including studies monitoring physical activity, intervening on physical activity, examining the effects of wearable fitness trackers, etc.
- Have certain health conditions
If you believe you may be eligible and are interested in participating, please access the screening form through this link.
You will be asked to respond to a number of questions that will be used to assess if you are a fit for the study. If you are deemed a good fit for the study, the APPAH research team will email you the initial set of surveys for you to complete. If you have questions or concerns, please email the research team at appah@colostate.edu.
The Department of Health and Exercise Science is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
