The role of physical activity and body mass index in the development and prevention of COVID-19

Introduction: Given the high spread and mortality rate of COVID-19, it is of great importance to find solutions to prevent it. In this study, the role of physical activity and body mass index in the development or prevention of COVID-19 was investigated. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, participants included 155 patients with coronavirus selected as the experimental group and 150 age-matched healthy people included in the control group. The participants physical activity levels were assessed using Beck s physical activity questionnaire. Independent t-test and binary logistic regression were run to analyze the data. Results: The findings showed a significant difference between the patient and control groups body mass index (BMI), and total physical activity (P 0.05). On the other hand, total physical activity had a significant effect on COVID-19 prevention (P 0.05), but BMI had a significant increasing effect on the risk of COVID-19 (P 0.05). Conclusion: It seems that physical activity can be effective in the prevention of COVID-19, but a higher body mass index may increase the risk for the development of COVID-19.