Efeito do exercício físico no controle à insônia e ansiedade dos acadêmicos de Educação Física na Universidade Pública do Norte do Tocantins no contexto da pandemia de Covid-19

Abstract

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of physical exercise on improving insomnia and symptoms of anxiety in Physical Education students at a public University

in the North of Tocantins in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This is a case- control study (pre- and post-intervention) with students from the Physical Education

Course in Tocantinópolis, TO, divided into two groups: case group (intervention), with

students who practice physical exercise, and a control group, with students non- practitioners of physical exercise. Sociodemographic and self-perceived health variables

were collected, using the insomnia severity index and the Beck anxiety inventory. The students in the case group underwent bodybuilding-type physical exercise sessions for 4 weeks, with an average duration of 1h:30min, from Monday to Friday at a gym in the city. After this period, the groups (case-control) were reevaluated using the evaluation procedures consisting of the same instruments used in the pre-intervention. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed on the data, multivariate analysis of variance for repeated measures and Wilk's Lambda test were applied. The sample consisted of 50 students. Post-intervention, the intervention group showed a significant reduction in insomnia (p<0.001) and anxiety (p<0.001). Therefore, regular physical exercise had a positive effect on improving insomnia and anxiety.