Ci a ion: B anquinho, C.;
Guedes, F.B.; Ce quei a, A.;
Ma ques-Pin o, A.; B anco, A.;
Gal ão, C.; Sousa, J.; Goulão, L.F.;
B onze, M.R.; Viegas, W.; e al.
COVID-19 and Lockdown, as Li ed
and Fel by Uni e si y S uden s. In .
J. En i on. Res. Public Heal h 2022,19,
13454. h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/
ije ph192013454
Academic Edi o : Paul B. Tchounwou
Recei ed: 29 Augus 2022
Accep ed: 14 Oc obe 2022
Published: 18 Oc obe 2022
Publishe ’s No e: MDPI s ays neu al
wi h ega d o ju isdic ional claims in
published maps and ins i u ional a il-
ia ions.
Copy igh : © 2022 by he au ho s.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Swi ze land.
This a icle is an open access a icle
dis ibu ed unde he e ms and
condi ions o he C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion (CC BY) license (h ps://
c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/
4.0/).
In e na ional Jou nal o
En i onmen al Resea ch
and Public Heal h
A icle
COVID-19 and Lockdown, as Li ed and Fel by
Uni e si y S uden s
Cá ia B anquinho 1,2,* , Fábio Bo elho Guedes 1,2,3 , Ana Ce quei a 1,2,3 , Alexand a Ma ques-Pin o 4,
Amélia B anco 5, Cecília Gal ão1,6 , Joana Sousa 1,7, Luís F. Goulão8, Ma ia Rosá io B onze 9,10, Wanda Viegas 8
and Ma ga ida Gaspa de Ma os 1,2,11
1Ins i u o de Saúde Ambien al (ISAMB), Faculdade de Medicina, Uni e sidade de Lisboa (FMUL),
1649-028 Lisbon, Po ugal
2Equipa A en u a Social, 1400-185 Lisbon, Po ugal
3Faculdade de Mo icidade Humana, Uni e sidade de Lisboa (FMHUL), 1495-751 Lisbon, Po ugal
4Cen o de In es igação em Ciência Psicológica, Faculdade de Psicologia, Uni e sidade de Lisboa,
1649-013 Lisbon, Po ugal
5GHES Resea ch Cen e —O ice o Economic and Social His o y, ISEG—Lisbon School o Economics &
Managemen o he Uni e si y o Lisbon, 1249-078 Lisbon, Po ugal
6Ins i u o de Educação, Uni e sidade de Lisboa (IEUL), 1649-013 Lisbon, Po ugal
7Labo a ó io de Nu ição, Uni e sidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Po ugal
8
Unidade de In es igação Linking Landscape, En i onmen , Ag icul u e and Food (LEAF), Ins i u o Supe io
de Ag onomia, Uni e sidade de Lisboa (ISAUL), 1349-017 Lisbon, Po ugal
9Faculdade de Fa mácia, Uni e sidade de Lisboa (FFUL), 1649-003 Lisbon, Po ugal
10 Ins i u o de Biologia Expe imen al e Tecnológica (iBET), 2780-157 Lisbon, Po ugal
11 APPSYci, ISPA—Ins i u o Uni e si á io, 1149-041 Lisbon, Po ugal
*Co espondence: [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac :
In he las 2 yea s, he COVID-19 pandemic has sp ead all o e he wo ld, o cing he
closu e o uni e si ies, among o he unusual measu es in ecen his o y. (1) Backg ound: This
wo k is based on he s udy HOUSE-ULisbon, a su ey ca ied ou du ing he second con inemen
(
Ma ch–May 2021
) in Po ugal wi h he collabo a ion o all he Facul ies o he Uni e si y o Lisbon
(UL). The p esen wo k aims o explo e gende di e ences in how i s -yea college s uden s expe i-
enced and el COVID-19 and he second con inemen . (2) Me hods: A ques ionnai e was ca ied
ou . In o al, 976 uni e si y s uden s (19.66 yea s (SD = 4.033); Min = 17 and Max = 65) om he i s
yea o he UL we e included, o which 69.5% (n= 678) we e emale, and 30.5% we e male (n= 298).
SPSS . 26 was used o quan i a i e da a and MAXQDA 2020 o quali a i e da a. (3) Resul s:
O e all, s uden s epo ed a ious symp oms o physical and men al discom o (especially emales).
S a is ically signi ican di e ences we e ound in he p oblems ha could a ise om he pandemic,
such as he p e alence o highe anxie y and wo ies by emales, and online gaming by males. In
coping s a egies, di e ences we e ound in leisu e and amily ela ionships, wi h g ea e di icul y
on he emale side. Social in e ac ion was pe cei ed as di icul o e y di icul by bo h gende s. As
s a egies o u u e pandemics, hey highligh ed a conce ed e o be ween he go e nmen and
media in he ansmission o messages o he popula ion, acili a ing in o ma ion, knowledge and
adop ion o p o ec i e beha io s. (4) Conclusions: These esul s a e impo an da a o ac i a ing o
main aining esou ces and se ices o i s -yea uni e si y s uden s, who in some uni e si y ins i-
u ions we e suppo ed du ing he pandemic by psychological, ma e ial (e.g., compu e s, in e ne ),
and inancial suppo measu es, which a e now diminished o ex inc . The impac s on hei li es
will ce ainly no be ex inguished pos -pandemic, and heal h, educa ion, and public policy measu es
should be p io i ized o his g oup. These esul s a e impo an da a o ac i a ing esou ces and
se ices o s uden s, in o ming heal h and educa ion p o essionals, and suppo ing public policies.
Keywo ds: Po ugal; pandemic; COVID-19; i s -yea uni e si y s uden s; mixed me hod
In . J. En i on. Res. Public Heal h 2022,19, 13454. h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/ije ph192013454 h ps://www.mdpi.com/jou nal/ije ph
In . J. En i on. Res. Public Heal h 2022,19, 13454 2 o 10
1. In oduc ion
Decla ed a pandemic disease on 11 Ma ch 2020 [
1
], he SARS-CoV-2 co ona i us has
o ced he implemen a ion o nume ous measu es o mi iga e he i us sp ead [
2
]. In
Po ugal, he i s eme gency s a e was decla ed on 18 Ma ch 2020 [
3
], as a esul o a
calami y si ua ion, p omp ing manda o y con inemen o pa ien s o hose in ec ed wi h
SARS-CoV-2; isola ion o isk g oups; and es ic ion o ci cula ion on public oads o o he
ci izens (who mo ed o a elewo k egime, whene e hei du ies allowed). S uden s, who
we e unable o pu sue ace- o- ace educa ion wi h he closu e o educa ional ins i u ions,
expe imen ed wi h an online me hodology adop ed by nume ous coun ies [
4
,
5
]. I s
impac s and me hodology con inue o be he ocus o s udies [6].
Res ic ed o hei homes, wi h manda o y cu ews and closu e o all non-essen ial
se ices, and wi h ew esou ces om he public heal h sys em (a global scena io) [
7
], he
physical and psychological, social, amily, and academic consequences apidly eme ged in
s uden s’ li es [8–15].
Uni e si y s uden s, who had main ained a ull- ime o pa - ime online lea ning
expe ience o a long ime, seem o p esen , along wi h he emale gende , mo e nega i e
e ec s a ising om he pandemic, and a mo e pessimis ic iew [
13
,
16
]. In a s udy conduc ed
in Po ugal in he pos -con inemen pe iod, his g oup also epo ed eeling ha hei
in eg a ion in o uni e si y li e had been cons ained [
13
]. Se e al s udies suppo he
nega i e impac s o he pandemic on uni e si y s uden ’s men al heal h (e.g., [
17
–
19
]),
mainly in he inc ease in dep essi e and anxious symp oma ology [
20
–
22
], ein o cing
au ho s such as Azmi e al. [
23
] he iew ha online educa ion associa ed wi h possible
economic di icul ies, o acul y- ela ed conce ns may con ibu e o his si ua ion [
24
]. A
he p o essional le el, Maqsood e al. also ound a ela ionship be ween a highe le el o
pe cei ed s ess, educed sala y, and emo e wo k [25].
A s udy ocusing on he e ec s o he pandemic on young people’s li es yles, ound
a dec ease in physical ac i i y, an inc ease in seden a y beha io s, and inc eased sc een
ime [
26
]. These indings may be associa ed wi h he highe le els o psychological dis ess
and s ess expe ienced, which a ec beha io al mechanisms, and may ha e led o changes
in sleep pa e ns, ea ing, and p ac ice o physical ac i i y [27].
When acing changes in beha io al pa e ns and psychological dis ess, mo i a ed by
unce ain ies, inc eased con lic s wi h amily, isola ion om iends, o inc eased lea ning
wo kload, s uden s ha e an u gen need o adop posi i e coping s a egies, such as
accep ance, planning, o seeking emo ional o psychological suppo [
28
], a he han
nega i e ones, such as subs ance use (e.g., obacco) [16] o excessi e online gaming [29].
A p e ious s udy, also including Po uguese uni e si y s uden s, du ing he i s
wa e o he pandemic [
9
] iden i ied i e messages o u u e pandemics: (i) o ollow
he guidelines o he Di ec o a e-Gene al o Heal h; (ii) o imp o e he p epa a ion o
he Na ional Heal h Sys em o deal wi h pandemics; (iii) o be e p epa e eache s o
online eaching, wi h app op ia e me hodologies; (i ) o s imula e he ul illmen o daily
ou ines (e.g., nu i ion and physical ac i i y) wi h he suppo o ele ision; ( ) and gaining
awa eness o he alue o eedom.
In an unp eceden ed scena io wi h s ill unp edic able medium and long- e m e ec s,
namely in he de elopmen p ocess, his s udy aims o in es iga e gende di e ences in
how i s -yea college s uden s expe ienced and el COVID-19 and he second con inemen .
2. Ma e ials and Me hods
2.1. Design and Pa icipan s
In he amewo k o P ojec HOUSE-Colégio F3 [
30
] ULisboa, a s udy on he heal h
and li es yle p o ile o i s -yea s uden s a he Uni e si y o Lisbon, Po ugal, was ca ied
ou be ween Ma ch and May 2021 ( accina ion and phased de-con inemen ). Focusing on
he cha ac e iza ion o he uni e si y popula ion, in he dimensions o heal h and well-
being, psycho opic and po en ially addic i e subs ances, physical ac i i y, ea ing habi s,
physical and emo ional issues, li e acy and knowledge, he p esen s udy only includes
In . J. En i on. Res. Public Heal h 2022,19, 13454 3 o 10
he ques ions ela ed o he pandemic COVID-19. The a e age esponse ime o he ull
ins umen was 30
0
–40
0
. The ques ionnai e was ca ied ou online and anonymously, sp ead
ia email by s uden s in each acul y.
A o al o 976 pa icipan s (M = 19.66 yea s old
±
4.033; Min = 17 and Max = 65)
om 17 acul ies o ins i u es o he Uni e si y o Lisbon we e conside ed, whe e 89% had
en e ed he 1s yea in he academic yea 2020/2021 and 10.9% in p e ious academic yea s.
In addi ion, 69.5% we e emale; 93.3% we e Po uguese and 6.7% om o he na ionali ies;
and 90.8% had exclusi e s uden s a us (6.3% pa - ime and 3% ull- ime wo ke s).
When ques ioned abou he educa ional le el o hei pa en s, 42.2% o he a he s
and 56.1% o he mo he s had a uni e si y educa ion, 30% o he a he s and 25.9% o he
mo he s had comple ed seconda y educa ion and 19.7% o he a he s and 13.4% o he
mo he s had comple ed he 2nd/3 d cycle o basic educa ion.
This s udy was app o ed by he E hics Commi ee o he Cen o Académico de
Medicina de Lisboa, Cen o Hospi ala de Lisboa No e, EPE.
2.2. Measu es
An online su ey conduc ed h ough he Google Fo ms pla o m was designed based
on he ollowing ques ionnai es: Nu i ion [
31
], Heal h Beha iou in School-aged Chil-
d en/Wo ld Heal h O ganiza ion [32,33], and Heal h Li e acy [34].
The ques ions conside ed in he p esen wo k ega ded he uni e si y s uden s’ pe spec-
i es abou (1) how COVID-19 had a ec ed hei well-being (open-ended ques ion); (2) wha
p oblems had come up, in a eas such as seden a y beha io , poo nu i ion, sleep quan i y,
sleep quali y, subs ance use, dep ession, anxie y, wo y, online gaming, excessi e sc een use,
amily con lic s (Yes o No ques ions), and o he (open-ended ques ion); (3) wha s a egies
had helped hem o cope wi h he COVID-19, whe he he amily bonds, ha ing mo e ime,
eeling less a igue (Yes o No) o o he (open-ended ques ion); (4) how easy/di icul was i
o cope wi h daily ou ines and o balance wo k/s udy and leisu e ime, amily in e ac ions,
socializing (Like scale wi h 5 poin s whe e 1 = e y easy and 5 = e y di icul ); (5) wha
we e he ele an messages o u u e pandemics (open-ended ques ion).
2.3. Da a Analysis
A mixed me hodology was used in his s udy, based on he na u e o he da a. Quan i-
a i e da a we e anspo ed o SPSS . 26 so wa e and analyzed using he Chi-squa e es .
A signi icance alue o p< 0.05 was es ablished.
The quali a i e da a, a e a i s con en analysis, we e s udied using MAXQDA 2020,
h ough he ule o humb p inciple (line-by-line p ocedu e). The hema ic ca ego ies
c ea ed had hei o igin in he impac s on well-being (Ca ego y 1), he p oblems ha
appea ed (Ca ego y 2), he s a egies ha helped (Ca ego y 3), and messages o u u e
pandemics (Ca ego y 4).
3. Resul s
3.1. Quan i a i e Analysis
As ega ds he p oblems ha had a isen, 87.7% o s uden s con i med ha he pan-
demic had nega i e impac s on hei le el o seden a y beha io ; 58.3% e e ed o poo
nu i ion, 57.4% quan i y and 69.6% quali y o sleep; 25% subs ance abuse; 74.8% dep es-
sion; 84.5% anxie y; 76.2% wo ies; 39% online gaming; 90% excessi e sc een use and
61.8% amily con lic s.
The analysis o gende di e ences in he p oblems ha eme ged wi h he COVID-
19 pandemic, e ealed s a is ically signi ican di e ences in anxie y, X
2
(1, 976) = 44.979,
p≤0.001;
wo ies, X
2
(1, 976) = 34.865, p
≤
0.001; online gaming, X
2
(1, 976) = 16.685,
p≤0.001;
and amily con lic s, X
2
(1, 976) = 25.224, p
≤
0.001. These p oblems we e p e-
dominan in he emale gende , excep he online gaming, in which he male gende s ood
ou (See Table 1).
In . J. En i on. Res. Public Heal h 2022,19, 13454 4 o 10
Table 1. Gende di e ences in p oblems ha could eme ge wi h he pandemic COVID-19.
Wha P oblems Can A ise?
F (%)
N= 678
M (%)
N= 298 Nχ2d p
Yes No Yes No
Seden a y beha io 86.9 13.1 89.6 10.4 976
0.001
1 n.s.
Poo nu i ion 58.3 41.7 58.4 41.6 976
0.001
1 n.s.
Quan i y o sleep 59.1 40.9 53.4 46.6 976
2.837
1 n.s.
Quali y o sleep 71.2 28.8 65.8 34.2 976
2.923
1 n.s.
Subs ance abuse 24.5 75.5 26.2 73.8 976
0.316
1 n.s.
Dep ession 74.2 25.8 76.2 23.8 976
0.433
1 n.s.
Anxie y 89.7 10.3 72.8 27.2 976
44.979
1<0.001
Wo ies 81.6 18.4 64.1 35.9 976
34.865
1<0.001
Online gaming 34.8 65.2 48.7 51.3 976
16.685
1<0.001
Excessi e sc een usage 91 9 87.6 12.4 976
2.679
1 n.s.
Family con lic s 67 33 50 50 976
25.224
1<0.001
No es: bold = s a is ically signi ican di e ences and highe pe cen ages o “Yes”; n.s. = no signi ican .
No s a is ically signi ican di e ences we e obse ed o gende in seden a y beha io ,
poo nu i ion, sleep quan i y and quali y, subs ance use, dep ession, and sc een o e use.
The analysis o wha helped he uni e si y s uden s o deal wi h he COVID-19
pandemic showed ha 75.5% o hem e e ed o amily bonds, 39.7% e e ed o ha ing
mo e ime, and 50.2% no ed eeling less a igue. No s a is ically signi ican di e ences we e
ound in amily bonds, mo e ime o less a igue, in he gende compa isons (Table 2).
Table 2. Gende di e ences in coping s a egies.
Wha Can Help o Deal
wi h This Si ua ion?
F (%)
N= 590
M (%)
N= 268 Nχ2d p
Yes No Yes No
Family bonds 75.9 24.1 74.6 25.4 858
0.170
1 n.s.
Mo e ime 39.5 60.5 40.3 59.7 858
0.050
1 n.s.
Less a igue 50.8 49.2 48.9 51.1 858
0.285
1 n.s.
No e: n.s. = no signi ican .
Finally, he esul s on how easy/di icul was i o cope wi h daily ou ines and o
balance wo k/s udy and leisu e ime, 51.7% o he s uden s conside ed i di icul o e y
di icul o s udy/wo k, 43.8% o leisu e, 33.8% o amily in e ac ion, and 66.1% o social
in e ac ion (See Table 3).
Table 3. Ease/di icul y o cope wi h daily ou ines.
How Easy/Di icul Is I o Cope wi h
Daily Rou ines and
Wo k/S udy/Leisu e Time Balance?
1234 5
Fo s udy/wo k 3 16.1 29.3 39.4 12.3
Fo leisu e 7.8 24.7 23.7 33.1 10.7
Fo amily in e ac ion 5.6 31.8 28.9 24.1 9.7
Fo social in e ac ion 2.7 13.5 17.6 36.5 29.6
No es: 1 = Ve y easy, 2 = Easy; 3 = Nei he easy no di icul , 4 = Di icul , 5 = Ve y di icul ; bold = s a is ically
signi ican di e ences and highe pe cen ages.
S a is ically signi ican di e ences we e ound o gende , in leisu e,
X2(4, 950) = 19.931
,
p=
≤
0.001; amily in e ac ion, X
2
(4, 951) = 13.378, p=
≤
0.01; and social in e ac ion,
X2(4, 947) = 9.946
,p
≤
0.05. In leisu e and amily in e ac ion, emale pa icipan s showed
mo e di icul ies, in con as o he easiness epo ed by he male pa icipan s. Rega ding
In . J. En i on. Res. Public Heal h 2022,19, 13454 5 o 10
social in e ac ion, bo h gende s ag eed ha i had become di icul o e y di icul . A
wo k, no s a is ically signi ican di e ences we e obse ed. Table 4shows he de ailed da a.
Table 4. Ease/di icul y o cope wi h daily ou ines by gende .
How Easy/Di icul Is I o Cope wi h
Daily Rou ines and Wo k/S udy/Leisu e
Time Balance?
F (%)
N= 656
M (%)
N= 294 Nχ2d p
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Fo s udy/wo k 2.3 15.6 29.5 38.7 13.9 4.5 17.1 28.8 40.8 8.9 940 7.679 4 n.s.
Fo leisu e 5.8 23.6 23 35.4 12.2 12.2 27.2 25.2 27.9 7.5 950 19.931 4 ≤0.001
Fo amily in e ac ion 5.5 29.7 28 25 11.7 5.8 36.3 30.8 22 5.1 951 13.378 4 ≤0.01
Fo social in e ac ion 2.5 12.3 16 37.9 31.4 3.4 16.3 21.4 33.6 25.4 947 9.946 4 <0.05
No es: 1 = Ve y easy, 2 = Easy; 3 = Nei he easy no di icul , 4 = Di icul , 5 = Ve y di icul ; bold = highe
pe cen ages; n.s. = no signi ican .
3.2. Quali a i e Analysis
Wi h ega d o he open-ended ques ions on how COVID-19 a ec ed he well-being
o i s -yea uni e si y s uden s, wha p oblems appea ed, wha helped hem, and which
we e hei messages o u u e pandemics, he quali a i e da a analysis pe o med e ealed
ha he answe s we e homogeneous.
When asked abou how he COVID-19 pandemic a ec ed hei well-being, i s -yea
uni e si y s uden s’ answe s we e cong uen , and highligh ed nega i e impac s, mainly
on he men al, physical (inac i i y), social (isola ion, inabili y o mee new colleagues
and o be wi h iends), and academic (demo i a ion, a igue due o o e wo k) le els.
Female pa icipan s s essed he psychological consequences o he pandemic, iden i ying
symp oms o sadness, anxie y, dep ession, and i i abili y, as well as an inc ease in amily
con lic s. In he w i en s a emen s, he ollowing ideas s ood ou :
“In physical e ms by mo ing less, and in psychological e ms by alking less o people
and going ou less. I also se iously a ec ed, due o hese and o he ac o s, my school
pe o mance.” (Female)
“
. . .
When I spend all day in college wea ing a mask, I ge much mo e i ed and ha e
equen mig aines
. . .
When we a e in a con inemen , being wi h he amily 24 h a day
wi hou being wi h anyone else c ea es mo e con lic s and is no heal hy. Jus being a
home and always wi h he same ou ine and no being able o do he same as be o e messes
wi h he psychological and inc eases he eeling o sadness.” (Female)
“I a ec ed e e yday li e, changing ou ines, inc easing isola ion and c ea ing a sense
o cons an ension in a ious li e domains (wo k, amily ela ionship, lea ning, and
physical well-being).” (Male)
“I’m sick o being a home, and I’m s a ing o lose pa ience mo e easily wi h my amily. I also
eel mo e bo ed, which leads o o he emo ions es lessness, impa ience, and sadness.” (Male)
Conce ning he p oblems ha may ha e appea ed, he numbe o answe s was small,
hus no allowing a gende analysis o da a explo a ion. Excessi e a igue and psychological
s ess due o he wo kload we e he main p oblems men ioned wi h ega d o his ques ion.
When asked abou wha helped o cope wi h he pandemic si ua ion, young people
ag eed on he need o adop coping s a egies, o be able o hold ou un il he e u n o
no mali y, s essing he impo ance o enjoying eedom and leisu e ac i i ies, he p ac ice
o physical ac i i y, he con ac wi h iends and amily, and he suppo om he uni e si y
(e.g., e u n o ace- o- ace eaching, educ ion in lea ning wo kload, heal h p omo ion
ac i i ies, socializa ion). In addi ion, emale s uden s added he need o psychological
suppo . Thei w i en answe s abou hese issues a e illus a ed below:
“Con ac wi h heal h p o essionals such as psychologis s, he apis s, and physicians.” (Female)
“Connec ing (online) wi h iends, ying o keep social li e as much as possible.” (Female)

In . J. En i on. Res. Public Heal h 2022,19, 13454 6 o 10
“Mo e comp ehension om highe educa ion ins i u ions ha we also need ee ime o
ou sel es. I ’s no because we a e mo e ime a home ha we should ha e mo e wo k. I
need ime o do no hing. Jus being.” (Male)
“Main aining and c ea ing new goals, spending ime wi h amily, main aining com-
munica ion wi h iends and colleagues, enjoying he ee ime and aking ime o
esponsibili ies.” (Male)
Ce ain ha he si ua ion will las o a long ime, young people s essed he impo ance
o seize li e and he oppo uni y o become a be e pe son, complying wi h he no ms
es ablished by he Wo ld Heal h O ganiza ion, lea ning wi h he p esen , and hoping no o
expe ience ano he pandemic again. I on he one hand, he emale pa icipan s exp essed
g ea e hope o a e u n o no mali y, once again s essing he impo ance o psychological
suppo in he sho e m, he male gende highligh ed he impo ance o he Go e nmen ’s
ole in igh ing he pandemic, in adop ing e ec i e and cohe en s a egies, and o he
media, in p o iding he popula ion wi h ue in o ma ion. Thei messages o a be e
u u e a e illus a ed below:
“
. . .
Remembe ha we all ha e bad days. The impo an hing is o ne e gi e up and
igh e e y day o be happy. And don’ be a aid o ask o p o essional help!” (Female)
“Main ain hygiene habi s always and build heal hy ela ionships wi h o he s, keep in
ouch wi h e e yone ( ia online), don’ isola e ou sel es.” (Female)
“
. . .
We’ e all ained ou pa ience, solida i y, and e sa ili y, wi h his pandemic. I
hink ha many people ook he oppo uni y o hink a bi abou how hei li es we e
going and eo de ed hei p io i ies. I hope ha many people ha e changed o he be e
. . . ” (Male)
“Remembe ing he mis akes and wha we ha e lea ned wi h his pandemic o minimize
he impac o he nex one(s).” (Male)
4. Discussion
The indings o his s udy a e in line wi h o he s udies, especially in he nega i e
impac s on he psychological le el, wi h an inc ease in dep essi e and anxious symp-
oma ology and wo ies [
20
–
22
]; physical le el, wi h he adop ion o seden a y beha io s
(e.g., [
10
,
35
]); and excessi e sc een ime [
26
,
36
]. O he nega i e e ec s epo ed by s uden s
included poo nu i ion, wo se sleep quan i y and quali y, inc eased amily con lic s; and
in a smalle p opo ion, subs ance use and online gaming. These impac s can be easily
unde s ood conside ing ha he con inemen s had epe cussions no only on wo k bu also
on pe sonal li e [
37
], o cing a eo ganiza ion o daily li e, and compelling he whole amily
o deal wi h s ess [
38
], which can a ec beha io al mechanisms, leading o changes in he
pa e ns o ea ing, physical ac i i y and sleep [27].
Conside ing well-being models, such as Ross e al. [
39
]’s, which encompass he do-
mains o (i) good heal h and op imal nu i ion; (ii) connec edness, posi i e alues, and
con ibu ion o socie y; (iii) sa e y and suppo i e en i onmen ; (i ) lea ning, compe ence,
educa ion, ools, and employabili y; ( ) agency and esilience, we easily unde s and ha
he COVID-19 pandemic and i s consequences con ibu ed o a dec ease in well-being and
li e sa is ac ion among his popula ion [40].
In gende analysis, ou indings e ealed di e ences in anxie y, wo ies, online gaming,
and amily con lic s, wi h emale pa icipan s showing highe sco es in all hese a iables
excep o online gaming. I was also he emale s uden s ha s and ou in e balizing
dep essi e symp oms, g ea e sadness, and i i abili y. In a s udy by Wang e al. [
41
], he
emale gende was also associa ed wi h g ea e psychological symp oms. The consequences
a he social le el we e exp essed by bo h emale and male pa icipan s, and a ibu ed o
isola ion and o he inabili y o be wi h iends. O ben e al. [
42
] a gued ha adolescen s
and young adul s may be he mos a ec ed by he social dep i a ion o in e ac ion wi h
pee s, an essen ial componen in hei de elopmen . Al hough emales we e mo e p one o
In . J. En i on. Res. Public Heal h 2022,19, 13454 7 o 10
a highe isk o expe iencing men al heal h p oblems, he e we e no s a is ically signi ican
di e ences in he gende compa ison in dep ession, as well as in sleep, seden a y beha io ,
excessi e sc een ime, subs ance use and nu i ion.
Addi ionally, he epe cussions in he academic sphe e we e highligh ed [
43
], wi h an
inc ease in he eelings o demo i a ion and a igue associa ed wi h an excessi e amoun o
asks. The closu e o educa ional es ablishmen s and he online lea ning me hodologies
adop ed du ing he pe iods o con inemen we e associa ed wi h less ime de o ed o
lea ning, g ea e s ess, changes in ela ionship pa e ns, and lowe mo i a ion [43].
Rega ding he ease in coping wi h he s udy/wo k ou ines, uni e si y s uden s
e ealed g ea e di icul y in he s udy/wo k and social a eas and less di icul y in leisu e
and in e ac ion wi h he amily. I was he emale pa icipan s ha e ealed g ea e di icul y
in amily, social and leisu e dynamics, which may explain hei p edominance in exp essing
anxious and dep essi e symp oma ology, gi en ha social suppo and coping s a egies
we e comp omised. No gende di e ences we e ound wi h ega d o s udy/wo k.
Family connec ions a e assumed as an impo an coping s a egy o deal wi h he
impac s o he pandemic on bo h gende s, al hough he e a e no s a ically signi ican
gende di e ences (as well as in g ea e ime o less a igue). The need o enjoy eedom
and leisu e ac i i ies, p ac ice physical ac i i y and main ain con ac wi h iends was also
highligh ed, in line wi h p e ious s udies conduc ed in Po ugal [
9
,
13
,
14
]. As ega ds he
uni e si y, s uden s poin ed ou ha hey needed suppo in he educ ion in he wo kload,
in socializa ion o esis un il he e u n o no mali y and in he eadop ion o he ace- o-
ace lea ning me hodology. The emale s uden s also s essed he necessi y o psychological
suppo a acul ies.
Conce ning he messages o he u u e, ou indings sugges ha he messages o
young people du ing he i s wa e [
9
] we e no ully lis ened o o we e no gi en ade-
qua e esponses and ha mos p oblems emain unsol ed. S ill unsu e abou he e u n
o no mali y, he uni e si y s uden s ha pa icipa ed in he p esen s udy s essed he
impo ance o enjoying li e and he oppo uni y o become be e people and complying
wi h he s anda ds and ules o he Wo ld Heal h O ganiza ion. Females ea i med he
need o men al heal h suppo , e en hough he p o ision o ee psychological suppo
was he measu e mos implemen ed by highe educa ion ins i u ions a a na ional le el
du ing he i s wa e o he pandemic [
44
,
45
]; on he o he hand, men add essed he need
o he adop ion o e ec i e and cohe en s a egies by he Go e nmen , and o he media
o con ey eliable messages.
Looking o a e u n o new no mali y (an icipa ed in he new 2022/2023 academic
yea ), which is in ended o be mo e posi i e and heal hie , he e is an u gen need o main-
ain/adop ins i u ional measu es, s a egies, and policies ha minimize he consequences
on he well-being and physical and psychological heal h o uni e si y s uden s; s udies ha
in es iga e he new p o ile and needs o pos -pandemic uni e si y s uden s; and conce ed
na ional s a egies and policies o sol e he p oblems c ea ed o highligh ed by COVID-19
in his popula ion.
5. Conclusions
In conclusion, his s udy highligh ed he inc ease in psychological symp oms (anx-
ie y, dep ession, and wo ies) and excessi e sc een ime. The emale s uden s exp essed
symp oms o anxie y and wo ies, as well as g ea e di icul y in amily ela ionships, e en
hough hey we e mo e posi i e compa ed wi h he opposi e gende a he pandemic’s end.
A e he i s wa e o he pandemic in which p oblems a he academic and psycho-
logical le els we e iden i ied [
9
], li le change was po ayed by his s udy o he second
wa e. Online classes, di icul ies in socializa ion and high wo kloads a e s ill poin ed ou
by uni e si y s uden s as majo p oblems.
In addi ion, psychological suppo emains insu icien , as he esou ces o he Na ional
Heal h Se ice and suppo c ea ed in highe educa ion ins i u ions [
44
,
45
] ha e no always
been able o mee s uden s’ needs, such as psychological suppo .
In . J. En i on. Res. Public Heal h 2022,19, 13454 8 o 10
Fo u u e pandemics (o any majo global change), a conce ed e o be ween he
Go e nmen and he media is c ucial in ansmi ing messages o he popula ion, acili a ing
hei in o ma ion, unde s anding, and applica ion o p o ec i e beha io s; i may also
con ibu e o heal h p omo ion and he educ ion in psychological symp oms.
6. S eng hs and Limi a ions
Conce ning he limi a ions o he s udy, as i was conduc ed du ing a pandemic
pe iod, i s me hodology was exclusi ely online, no allowing a ho ough explo a ion o
he esponses o he egis a ion o non- e bal in o ma ion. A second limi a ion ega ds
he p edominance o he emale gende in he sample, an inc easingly no mal ac in
he psychosocial li e a u e. This is some hing ha we hink may cons i u e a bias in he
esul s, which bene i ed om he quali a i e componen . Ano he limi a ion conce ns
he popula ion being excluded om one uni e si y (e en hough om di e en acul ies),
which makes a compa ison wi h o he uni e si ies in he coun y un easible.
Howe e , we highligh also se e al s eng hs o ou s udy such as he mixed me hod-
ology used, as a way o u he unde s and he uni e si y s uden s’ pe spec i es; he
possibili y o compa e hese s udy indings wi h indings om o he s udies wi h he same
popula ion, conduc ed a an in e na ional le el (e.g., [
20
–
22
,
35
,
46
]), and he use o he
compu e -assis ed analysis o quali a i e da a in he sea ch o mo e anspa en [
47
] and
eliable esul s [48].
Au ho Con ibu ions:
Concep ualiza ion, C.B. and M.G.d.M.; me hodology, C.B. and M.G.d.M.;
so wa e, C.B.; alida ion, F.B.G., A.C., A.M.-P., A.B., C.G., J.S., L.F.G., M.R.B., W.V. and M.G.d.M.;
o mal analysis, M.G.d.M.; in es iga ion, F.B.G., A.C., A.M.-P., A.B., C.G., J.S., L.F.G., M.R.B., W.V.
and M.G.d.M.; w i ing—o iginal d a p epa a ion, C.B.; w i ing— e iew and edi ing, F.B.G., A.M.-P.
and M.G.d.M.; supe ision, M.G.d.M. All au ho s ha e ead and ag eed o he published e sion o
he manusc ip .
Funding:
Ana Ce quei a—Founda ion o Science and Technology (FCT) PhD G an (SFRH/BD/148403
/2019); Fábio Bo elho Guedes—Founda ion o Science and Technology (FCT) PhD G an (SFRH/BD
/148299/2019).
Ins i u ional Re iew Boa d S a emen :
This s udy was app o ed by he E hics Commi ee o he
Cen o Académico de Medicina de Lisboa, Cen o Hospi ala de Lisboa No e, EPE.
In o med Consen S a emen : Pa icipa ion equi ed he accep ance o ee and in o med consen .
Da a A ailabili y S a emen : No applicable.
Con lic s o In e es : The au ho s decla e no con lic o in e es .
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