Impact of digital-based online physical education on undergraduate students’ physical and psycho-emotional wellbeing

Background The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has forced higher education institutions in frontline regions to transition to long-term remote learning, significantly increasing the risk of sedentary behavior and psychological stress among undergraduate students. Consequently, traditional physical education programs face critical organizational and pedagogical challenges within this exclusively online format. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 15-week comprehensive online physical education course integrating digital platforms and interactive tools on the physical activity levels and psycho-emotional wellbeing of undergraduate students at a frontline university. Methods A single-group pretest-posttest design was employed with 735 first-year volunteers (361 males, 374 females). The intervention utilized a multimodal approach via Zoom and Moodle, incorporating digital quizzes, social media challenges, and diverse practical modalities (e.g., Tabata, Pilates). Assessments included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF), Body Mass Index (BMI), and the “Well-being, Activity, and Mood” (WAM) questionnaire. Results After 15 weeks, students showed a statistically significant increase in physical activity: females by 20.15 MET-min/week ( p = 0.030) and males by 18.15 MET-min/week ( p = 0.050). BMI values remained stable for the group. The most pronounced improvements were observed in the psycho-emotional sphere; notably, female students’ mood scores increased significantly by 1.2 points ( p = 0.001). Overall, the group demonstrated positive dynamics across all WAM scales: wellbeing (+0.92%), activity (+1.33%), and mood (+1.56%). Conclusion The integration of synchronous and asynchronous digital tools into physical education is associated with positive trends in counteracting hypodynamia and supporting mental health during periods of social isolation and conflict. This adaptive pedagogical approach could be recommended for universities and secondary educational institutions operating in distance or blended formats under crisis conditions.