INDICATORS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN THE YOUTH

The rate of physical activity among young people worldwide has changed in recent decades. A sharp change in physical activity is observed in young people after they finish school and start studying at universities. This study showed the main patterns of the physical activity among the medical students in Georgia, as well as the effect of the global events. Incentive and inhibitory factors have also been identified that significantly determine the rate of increase and decrease. The aim of the study was to assess the physical activity rates of students at Tbilisi State Medical University. The physical activity level was studied by using the self-reported assessment by means of the specially developed questionnaire. The questionnaire was based on literary sources and expert opinion, and tested among peers. 34 questions covered demographic information (8), lifestyle and physical activity (16), exercising (5) and impact of COVID-19 (4). The survey through Google Forms was anonymous. Epidata 3.1 was used for data entry. The data were analysed in Stata 14.0. Descriptive statistics was used to generate frequencies, percentages and proportions. Where relevant, the Chi-square test was used to determine any statistical significance. Sampling frame consisted of the students of Tbilisi State Medical University. Respondents were chosen by the cluster random sampling method. Random cluster sampling was used with confidence interval/margin of error 10 and confidence level 95%. A total of 265 students participated in the study (Faculty of Medicine - 63.77%, Faculty of Public Health - 35.4%; first-year students - 41.13%, fourth-year students - 58.11%). More than 57.4% of the respondents consider themselves physically passive. 74.7% of them make less than 10,000 steps per day. 79.5% do not exercise regularly. Students explain their low level of physical activity by various reasons, such as COVID-19 pandemic (65.5%), smartphone use (56.6%), lack of free time (79.2%), lack of finances (40.8%) and motivation (54.3%). On the other hand, a relatively small proportion of respondents (30.6%) answered that they are physically active. They go by foot (26.3%), make 6,000 to 10,000 steps a day (17.4%) and prefer taking stairs (57.5%). They engage in a variety of physical activities, such as: sports, football, basketball, gym and home gym, swimming, aqua aerobics, dancing, cycling and walking. This study is the first on the lifestyle and physical activity of young people in Georgia during the Covid Pandemic. Trends related to the physical activity of students living in Georgia are similar in different countries around the world. Young people have common problems, obstacles or incentives.