Open Access

ARTICLE

Physical Fitness and Mental Health Three Months after COVID-19 Infection in Young and Elderly Women

Meng Wang¹, Onkei Lei^1,2, Frankie U Kei Wong¹, Water Soi Po Wong¹, Walter Heung Chin Hui¹, Gasper Chi Hong Leong¹, Wenze Fang^1,3, Zhaowei Kong^1,*

1 Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Macao, 999078, China
2 UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
3 Whole Person Education Centre, Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, Zhuhai, 519087, China

* Corresponding Author: Zhaowei Kong. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Determinants and Subsequences of Subjective Well-being as a Microcosm of Social Change)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2025, 27(3), 363-378. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2025.060875

Received 12 November 2024; Accepted 18 February 2025; Issue published 31 March 2025

Abstract

Background: This study evaluated physical fitness and mental health in young and elderly women 3 months after mild COVID-19 infection, and examined the impact of infection and age on long COVID occurrence and trajectory. Methods: There were 213 eligible female volunteers (107 young, 106 elderly) recruited approximately three months after the significant outbreak of COVID-19 in China. Participants completed a fitness test and mental health assessment using the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Self-Assessment Scale (PTSD) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI). Results: Despite no significant difference in physical fitness, infected young and elderly females experienced poorer sleep quality related to mental health compared to their uninfected peers (+22% in young participants, p = 0.027; +10% in elderly participants, p = 0.005). The elderly scored significantly higher in sleep quality than the young (p < 0.05). Age, previous infection, and PTSD were significant predictors of sleep quality, explaining 60.6% of the variance in PSQI scores. Conclusions: Three months following COVID-19 infection, infected women experienced poorer sleep quality compared to their uninfected peers. Irrespective of being infected, older individuals exhibited higher rates of sleep disorders compared to younger women, suggesting the importance of addressing post-COVID-19 sleep issues among at-risk individuals.

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Keywords

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