Background: The primary aim of this study was to reveal whether the Gendarmerie Coast Guard Academy (GCGA) students caught and went through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) according to their physical activity levels during the COVID-19 pandemic process.
Materials and methods: The research group of the study consisted of 332 volunteer male students studying at the GCGA. International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and personal information form were used as data collection tools in the study. The data obtained from the questionnaires were analysed in the Jamovi 1.8.2 statistical software programme with a 95% confidence interval and a 5% margin of error. In the analysis of data, non-parametric correlation test was used for pairwise comparisons and Multinomial and Binomial Logistic Regression test was used for comparisons of subcategories.
Results: According to students’ body mass index scores, 73.49% of the students were of normal weight. The results of the analysis, showed that 29.82% of the GCGA students had COVID-19, and 70.18% of them did not have COVID-19. It was determined that 91.92% of those who had COVID-19 had mild illness and recovered at home. According to the metabolic equivalence classification of students, a negative and significant relationship between students’ physical activity levels (inactive < minimally active < very active) and the risk of getting the positive results for COVID-19 (yes < no) and the severity of COVID-19 (in intensive care < in the hospital < mildly at home) was found.
Conclusions: It could be said that increasing the physical activity level of students can reduce the possibility of having COVID-19 and also increase the probability of mild illness not requiring hospitalisation in those with positive COVID-19 test result.