Relationship between musculoskeletal pain, sleep quality and migraine with level of physical activity in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has negative impacts on general health of the population, social isolation can contribute to the emergence of various dysfunctions.Objective: To investigate the association musculoskeletal pain, sleep quality and migraine with the level of physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic in college students.Method: Data were collected through a sociodemographic questionnaire containing questions regarding sample characterization, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ).Results: In the correlation made between the data at the beginning of the pandemic, there was a direct relationship between PSQI and the number of days with pain (p < 0.001), the Initial MIDAS score (p < 0.001) and the initial pain intensity (p < 0.001). There was a direct relationship between PSQI scores and age (p 1/4 0.044), MIDAS (p < 0.001) and pain intensity (p < 0.001). We identified a direct relationship between MIDAS and the number of days with pain (p < 0.001) and pain intensity (p < 0.001).Conclusion: Social isolation, during the COVID-19 pandemic, probably potentiated painful symptoms in various parts of the body, worsening sleep quality and migraine. In addition, there is a strong evidence that the decrease in physical activity during the pandemic is associated with sleep quality, with the number of days with muscu-loskeletal pain and migraine.

Automated summary

This study investigates the association between physical activity level and musculoskeletal pain, sleep quality, and migraine during the COVID-19 pandemic in college students. The results suggest that social isolation may worsen painful symptoms, sleep quality, and migraine. Additionally, there is strong evidence showing that reduced physical activity during the pandemic is associated with sleep quality, musculoskeletal pain, and migraine frequency.