![]() However, this might come at the expense of physical activity. Moreover, in a period of social distancing measures and limited opportunities for meeting face-to-face and for organized activities, screen-based activities became increasingly important to young people, both for entertainment purposes and as a valuable arena to stay socially connected ( 13). Playing games on computers and other electronic devices as a leisure-time activity has become more and more popular ( 12). Screen-based activities are an integral part of young people's lives. One major worry relates to the short and long-term effects of increased physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors, such as watching TV, computer use, and gaming ( 1, 8, 10, 11). Emerging evidence indicates that these measures themselves may affect young people's mental health ( 5– 7) and health behaviors ( 8, 9). ![]() However, strong concerns are raised regarding the consequences of the intrusive disease-suppressive measures that have caused substantial changes in the daily lives of youth ( 3, 4). From a public health perspective, children, and adolescents have so far been relatively protected from severe symptoms from the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection ( 1, 2). The COVID-19 outbreak has made a significant impact on young people's everyday life. To counteract the negative long-term impacts of COVID-19 restrictions, public health initiatives should emphasize the facilitation of physical activity in youth and develop effective strategies to prevent problematic gaming. Youth reporting no gaming at t1 had lower odds for inactivity at this time point (OR = 0.67, p < 0.05).Ĭonclusions: Increased gaming among many youths and a relationship with physical inactivity was observed during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants gaming more at t1 followed by a reduction at t2 had higher odds of inactivity at t1 (OR = 1.88, p < 0.01). In fully adjusted analysis, a pattern of increased gaming at t1 followed by an additional increase in gaming reported at t2 was associated with physical inactivity at t1 (OR = 2.10, p < 0.01) and t2 (OR = 2.45, p < 0.001). The corresponding numbers for girls were 14 and 23%, respectively. Results: Among boys, 41% reported gaming a lot more and 35% a little more at t1 compared to before the national lockdown. Age, gender, and socioeconomic status were included as covariates. Gaming behavior and physical activity status were assessed at both time points. Methods: A total of 2940 youth (58% girls) aged 12–19 years participated in an online longitudinal two-wave survey during the first Norwegian national lockdown in April 2020 (t1) and in December 2020 (t2). Objectives: Examine the stability and change in internet and offline gaming and the association with physical inactivity among adolescents in Norway during the pandemic.
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