[01] Gan Kian Huat, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [02] Saranya Sukumaran, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [03] Don Dillon Anthony Amarasinghe, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [04] Shivaranjaani Letchmun, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia.

Implementation of Movement Control Order (MCO) due to COVID-19 pandemic has led to some major impact on physical activity and quality of life due to homebound restriction. The objectives are to find out the factors associated with physical activity and the the impact of physical activity on the quality of life during COVID-19 pandemic among medical students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students at a private medical college, Manipal University College Malaysia (MUCM) in July 2021. Online questionnaires were distributed and the total responses were 161. The data was then analysed using Epi Info Version 7.2.4. Apart from demographics profile, International Physical Activity Questionnaire- Short Version (IPAQ-SF) was used to assess level of physical activity and WHOQOL-BREF was used to assess quality of life. The analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, unpaired T-test and ANOVA. Study showed that 76.27% of students were active and the rest were inactive during COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed that there is a positive association between the presence of indoor or outdoor spaces and physical activity, it was emphasized with a p-value of <0.001. However, there was no association found between age, ethnicity, BMI with physical activity. Quality of life was assessed by 4 different domains which are physical health, psychological health, social relationship, and environment. Physical activity had a significant impact on many domains which contribute towards the quality of life of MUCM students. There were significant positive associations between physical activity and all the domains except physical health. These associations were proved by the p-values which are physical health (0.067), psychological health (0.012), social relationship (0.005) and environment (0.035). In conclusion, students should lead a healthy and active lifestyle by carrying out different types of physical activities to benefit from its positive impact on the quality of life.

Physical Activity, Quality of Life, Medical Students, Malaysia, COVID-19, Lockdown

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