Chest mobility and health-related quality of life in students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background
Over the past ten years, there has been a growing trend in utilizing non-invasive techniques for monitoring respiratory function, with a particular emphasis on assessing chest expansion during both maximum inhalation and exhalation, which have gained popularity as research tools. The existing research conducted unequivocally affirms that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a substantial impact on multiple dimensions of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL).

Aims
This study aimed to assess chest mobility and HRQoL among female students at the Faculty of Physical Rehabilitation, University of Physical Education in Kraków, using an online approach amidst the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material and methods
In a research project that included 40 women with an average age of 22.75 ± 1.51 years and an average BMI of 22.15 ± 3.81 kg/m2, self-reported chest mobility was remotely gauged using a measuring tape, while HRQoL was evaluated utilizing the 15D instrument. In order to perform the survey while maintaining the hygiene rules during the COVID-19 pandemic, an individual interview was conducted with each respondent using Microsoft Teams. The 15D questionnaire was then sent to the female students as a Google form.

Results
The average variance in chest circumference between maximum inspiration and maximum expiration in the women under study was 6.32 ± 2.12 cm. Half of the female students in the study group, totaling twenty individuals, exhibited normal chest mobility, with those who smoked cigarettes displaying reduced chest mobility. Among the dimensions assessed by the 15D questionnaire, sleep received the lowest ratings. No noteworthy correlation was found between the results from the 15D questionnaire and the chest mobility of the women examined.

Conclusions
Measuring chest mobility using a tape measure is feasible in telerehabilitation settings, and it is advisable to establish standardized norms and protocols for conducting this assessment, whether in-person or online. In the future, healthcare providers should pay greater attention to sleep hygiene and advocate for the significance of both the quantity and quality of nightly rest in enhancing HRQoL.