TY  - EJOU
AU  - Wang, Meng 
AU  - Lei, Onkei 
AU  - Wong, Frankie U Kei 
AU  - Wong, Water Soi Po 
AU  - Hui, Walter Heung Chin 
AU  - Leong, Gasper Chi Hong 
AU  - Fang, Wenze 
AU  - Kong, Zhaowei 

TI  - Physical Fitness and Mental Health Three Months after COVID-19 Infection in Young and Elderly Women
T2  - International Journal of Mental Health Promotion

PY  - 2025
VL  - 27
IS  - 3
SN  - 2049-8543

AB  -  <b>Background:</b> 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. <b>Methods:</b> 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). <b>Results:</b> 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, <i>p</i> = 0.027; +10% in elderly participants, <i>p</i> = 0.005). The elderly scored significantly higher in sleep quality than the young (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Age, previous infection, and PTSD were significant predictors of sleep quality, explaining 60.6% of the variance in PSQI scores. <b>Conclusions:</b> 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.
KW  - Physical fitness; sleep disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder; long COVID; cross-sectional study

DO  - 10.32604/ijmhp.2025.060875