The impact of the pandemic on sports practice: a school-based study

Introduction and Objectives: Sports practice (SP) encourages physical, cognitive, and behavioral growth in children and adolescents. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted SP among children and adolescents, leading to increased screen time and sedentary behavior. We aimed to evaluate the variables that affected SP during lockdown and after its conclusion. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey conducted between April and June 2022 in multiple schools in the districts of Porto, Vila-Real, and Viseu, an SP evaluation questionnaire was given to parents and students enrolled in basic education. Results: 330 children and adolescents aged six to 15 took part, with similar numbers of males and females, of whom 28 had comorbid conditions. A third of their parents practiced sports. 186 (56%) of the participants were engaging in physical activity outside of school, with competition accounting for 43% of that. The SP of the participants was influenced by the parents’ SP (father: p = 0.01; mother: p = 0.01) and the parents’ educational level (father: p = 0.01; mother: p = 0.01). During the lockdown period, 91% of students suspended SP, of whom 23% did not resume said activity. Parental SP (parent p = 0.03; mother p = 0.02) and competitive SP (p = 0.05) accounted for a quicker return to sports activity. Competitive SP (p < 0.01) was the factor that had the most immediate impact on an early return to sport. Discussion: Sport is crucial for fostering children’s and adolescents’ relationships, which have been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. To encourage children and young people to participate in SP and move toward healthy living from a physical, mental, and social perspective, it is crucial to emphasize parents’ role in forming new habits in children and adolescents.