Associations Between Gaming and Physical Activity Among Finnish Adolescents During and After the Spring 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown

This study examines the associations between video gaming and physical activity among Finnish high-school students during and after the Spring 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. The primary objective was to understand how gaming habits and physical activity levels evolved as restrictions were implemented and subsequently eased. Data were collected from 2,459 students during the spring lockdown and 4,781 students in the autumn of 2020, providing insights into trends across these two distinct periods.

A key finding indicates that while overall physical activity levels remained relatively stable between the spring lockdown and the autumn, gaming activity across nearly all genres increased significantly among Finnish adolescents. Esports, in particular, saw a notable rise. The research highlights a nuanced relationship between gaming genres and physical activity. Playing sports video games consistently showed a positive association with increased physical activity (OR=1.86 in spring, OR=2.14 in autumn), suggesting a potential motivational link.

Conversely, certain gaming genres were negatively associated with physical activity. Role-playing and strategy games exhibited a negative correlation with higher physical activity during the lockdown period. More significantly, esports play in the autumn was negatively associated with daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (OR=0.65), raising concerns about its impact on meeting national physical activity recommendations for adolescents. The study's scope is limited to Finnish high-school students during the specified 2020 timeframe, focusing on the immediate effects of the pandemic and associated restrictions.