This article aims to describe, explain and compare the changes in Poles’ recreational physical activity (RPA) behaviours that emerged in response to the restrictions introduced by the Covid-19 pandemic. The literature review revealed gaps regarding this subject. Of particular interest is taking into account the comparison of both the national and international context and the comprehensive approach to explaining the mechanism of change. Based on the literature, the theoretical framework was developed, which was then used to design an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was conducted from 20 May to 31 October 2020 and included 533 respondents. To analyse the data, a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis methods was used (descriptive statistics and grounded theory techniques). Research has shown that RPA behaviours changed temporally or permanently. The behaviours were partially differentiated by gender and age. In comparison to other countries, it seems to be a result of the range and strictness of the introduced restrictions and national culture. The novelty of the work consists of the combined data analysis methods, which allow for an explanation of the mechanism of changes and a comparison of results with other countries.

The aim of this article is to describe and explain changes in people’s recreational behaviours caused by the shift to remote work (RW) or work from home (WFH) due to lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. A literature review revealed a cognitive, methodological and applicative gap in this area. This relationship has not been analysed so far, particularly among Poles. The authors developed an electronic questionnaire using a framework designed to study RPA behaviours. A survey based on the questionnaire was conducted from 20 May to 31 Oct. 2020 and included 533 respondents, with 371 people experiencing changes at work, 280 of whom shifted to RW/WFH. A combination of quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods (descriptive statistics and content analysis techniques, affinity diagram, relationship diagram) was used to analyse the survey results. The results of the qualitative analysis allowed a description of changes in the respondents’ lifestyles induced by the transition to RW/WFH. The results of the quantitative data analysis showed unequivocally that taking up RW/WFH had a negative impact on RPA behaviours. The frequency and duration of workouts decreased. The novelty lies in demonstrating the relationship between remote working/work from home and RPA and the inventive methodological approach. The results are universal and can be used to design work-life balance programmes for remote employees.

Post-industrial cities increasingly present science, health and physical activity as engines of sustainable transformation, yet residents’ own expectations are rarely measured before programmes are designed. This study examined how the inhabitants of Katowice (Poland) and people functionally linked with the city view the sciences of physical culture as a resource for the sustainable transformation of a post-industrial city, and modelled their expectations in the fields of physical culture, sport and recreation in the run-up to the city’s designation as European City of Science 2024. A convergent mixed-methods design (November 2022) combined a non-probability, mixed-mode survey of 500 respondents (a broad and diverse, but not representative, sample) with focus groups involving 130 residents, sector representatives and elite athletes. Exploratory principal component analysis identified four dimensions explaining 58.2% of the variance (α = 0.85–0.90): perceived quality of the current offer, demand for development, valuation of physical-culture science and health, and institutional and ambassadorial visibility; a sensitivity analysis using polychoric correlations and oblique rotation reproduced the allocation of 29 of the 30 items, although the structure still requires confirmatory validation. Valuation of science and health was the highest-rated dimension (M = 4.20) and rose with education and age (ε² = 0.13 for both). Self-rated physical activity was the only predictor significant across three of four dimensions in adjusted models, although the explained variance was modest (R² = 0.06–0.17). Only 35.2% of respondents were satisfied with health-promoting classes, whereas 80.6–90.0% rated health-related knowledge and healthy ageing as important, suggesting a possible mismatch between priorities and perceived provision. The findings are translated into five context-specific pillars for health-oriented policy in Katowice and into conditional lessons for other post-industrial cities.

Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego