PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH PROBLEMS OF STUDENTS IN SOUTHERN SERBIA DURING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY

The COVID-19 pandemic affected practically every country in the world and changed how people lead their daily lives. The purpose of research was to ascertain the relationship between physical activity levels and the incidence of health issues among pupils. This research was conducted using an anonymous online survey that contained selected questions from the World Health Organization's health behaviour in schoolchildren (HBSC questionnaire). The sample of participants consisted of 500 elementary and high school students from the territory of southern Serbia. It was observed that less than 1% of students reported having poor health, while 6% of participants said that they were dissatisfied with their health overall, compared to 94% of students who reported being satisfied with their health. Additionally, a total of 88% of students evaluated their lives with the highest marks, out of which 28% considered their lives to be the greatest they could possibly be. 90% of participants from this sample of students in southern Serbia reported engaging in physical activity three or more times per week, whereas only 3% of students reported engaging in physical activity only once a week or not at all. The key finding of this study proved that students who engaged in greater physical activity had fewer health issues than students who engaged in the least amount of physical activity. There are numerous benefits to being physically active, including how it influences the maintenance of human health and helps children grow and develop properly. Therefore, the importance of this work is reflected in the possibility of gaining knowledge about physical activity during the state of emergency and the connection between physical activity and health problems that emerged among students in southern Serbia during the COVID-19 pandemic.