The Influence of Physical Activity on the Level of Anxiety in Female Students

Volume 14, Issue 2 (2024)

The Influence of Physical Activity on the Level of Anxiety in Female Students
Dušan Stupar, Igor Beretić, Milan Nešić
Apstrakt: 
To examine the impact of physical activity (FA) on students’ mental health, primarily on the manifestation of anxiety symptoms (DAS), a study was conducted on 116 females, aged, 21,37 ± 5.70 years. All respondents are undergraduate students of the Faculty of Sport and Psychology, TIMS, from Novi Sad, Serbia. For the purposes of this research, two measuring instruments were used, (DASS-21) and (GSLTPAK). The first of them is a shortened version of the scale of Depression, Anxiety and Stress, and the second is a short form of Godin’s free time exercises. Analyzing the obtained results, it was possible to determine a significant negative correlation of light physical activity with the level of anxiety (r = -0.379, p = 0.000), but intense physical activity also showed a statistically significant correlation (r = -0.257, p = 0.024). Unlike them, moderate physical activity did not exhibit a statistically significant correlation (r=-0.122, p=0.121). Using multiple regression analysis, it was determined that light physical activity is a statistically significant predictor of anxiety level (Unstd.Beta=-0623, p=0.000), and in that case the model explains 22.1% (R2adjust=0.221). The obtained results coincide with previous research that confirms the positive effects of physical activity on mental health. In this sense, the application of light physical activity can contribute to reducing anxiety among students.
Ključne riječi: 
physical activity, mental health, anxiety, female students
Puni tekst: 
PDF
Reference: 
Anderson, E., & Shivakumar, G. (2013). Effects of exercise and physical activity on anxiety. Frontiers in psychiatry, 4, 27. https://doi.
org/10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00027
Aira, T., Vasankari, T., Heinonen, O. J., Korpelainen, R., Kotkajuuri, J., Parkkari, J., ... & Kokko, S. P. (2021). Physical activity from adolescence
to young adulthood: patterns of change, and their associations with activity domains and sedentary time. International Journalof Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 18(1), 85.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric
Publishing.
American College Health Association. (2021). National College Health Assessment III: Undergraduate Student Reference Group Executive
Summary Spring 2021. American College Health Association.
Atalay, A. A., & Gençöz, T. (2008). Critical factors of social physique anxiety: Exercising and body image satisfaction. Behaviour change,
25(3), 178-188.
Bayram, N., & Bilgel, N. (2008). The prevalence and socio-demographic correlations of depression, anxiety and stress among a group of university
students. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 43(8), 667–672. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0345-x
Craft, L. L., & Perna, F. M. (2004). The Benefits of Exercise for the Clinically Depressed. Primary care companion to the Journal of clinical
psychiatry, 6(3), 104–111. https://doi.org/10.4088/pcc.v06n0301
Godin, G. (2011). The Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire. The Health & Fitness Journal of Canada, 4(1), 18–22.
Grim, M., Hortz, B., & Petosa, R. (2011). Impact evaluation of a pilot web-based intervention to increase physical activity. American journal
of health promotion: AJHP, 25(4), 227–230. https://doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.081216-ARB-307
Kandola, A., & Stubbs, B. (2020). Exercise and Anxiety. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 1228, 345–352. https://doi.
org/10.1007/978-981-15-1792-1_23
Kwan, M. Y., Cairney, J., Faulkner, G. E., & Pullenayegum, E. E. (2012). Physical activity and other health-risk behaviours during the transition
into early adulthood: a longitudinal cohort study. American journal of preventive medicine, 42(1), 14–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
amepre.2011.08.026
Liu, M., & Shi, B. (2023). The effect of physical exercise on the anxiety of college students in the post-pandemic era: The mediating role of
social support and proactive personality. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1128748.
Liu, M., Liu, H., Qin, Z., Tao, Y., Ye, W., & Liu, R. (2024). Effects of physical activity on depression, anxiety, and stress in college students:
the chain-based mediating role of psychological resilience and coping styles. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1396795.
Lovibond, P. F., & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales
(DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour research and therapy, 33(3), 335-343.
Meyer, J., McDowell, C., Lansing, J., Brower, C., Smith, L., & Tully, M. (2020). Changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviour in
response to COVID-19 and their associations with mental health in 3052 US adults. International Journal of Environmental Research
and Public Health, 17(18), 6469.
McMaster University. (2011, December 19). Young adults drop exercise with move to college or university. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 24,
National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Anxiety disorders. Retrieved July 23, 2024, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxietydisorders/
index.shtml
Schuch, F. B., Stubbs, B., Meyer, J., Heissel, A., Zech, P., Vancampfort, D., ... & Hiles, S. A. (2019). Physical activity protects from incident
anxiety: A meta‐analysis of prospective cohort studies. Depression and anxiety, 36(9), 846-858.
Singh, B., Olds, T., Curtis, R., Dumuid, D., Virgara, R., Watson, A., ... & Maher, C. (2023). Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for
improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. British journal of sports medicine, 57(18), 1203-1209.
Stubbs, B., Vancampfort, D., Smith, L., Rosenbaum, S., Schuch, F., Firth, J., … & Hallgren, M. (2017). Physical activity and anxiety: A systematic
review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 53(2), 157-168. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.amepre.2017.01.033
Stupar, D., Beretić, I., & Međedović, B. (2023). Physical Activity of Students. SPORTS SCIENCE AND HEALTH, 25(1), 98-103.
Višnjić, A., Kök, K., Višnjić, J., Jovanović, T., & Marković, R. (2023). A longitudinal study of the association between depression, anxiety and
stress symptoms of university students in Serbia with excessive social media use before and during COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in
Public Health, 11, 1140961.
Vancampfort, D., Stubbs, B., & Koyanagi, A. (2017). Physical activity correlates in people with anxiety: Data from 46 low- and middle-income
countries. General hospital psychiatry, 49, 26–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2017.04.007