Physical and cultural activity, internet use and anxiety of Italian university students during the pandemic

The lockdown tends to produce an increase in mental distress such as anxiety through physical and psychological channels, which are correlated with daily life habits such as disturbed eating and sleeping behaviors, as well as variations in physical and cultural activity and Internet use. The aim of this paper is to measure the impact of physical, cultural, and internet-related activities on anxiety. Specifically, we focused on the differences in this relationship between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. To do so, we administered two questionnaires to several students from three different universities belonging to the South, Center, and North of Italy, at the beginning of the pandemic and at one year’s distance. The survey also included a psychological test, the STAI-Y, which measures state and trait anxiety scores.