ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2023
Physically Inactive Undergraduate Students Exhibit More Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Poor Quality of Life than Physically Active Students.
Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of high-intensity interval training for mental health and executive function in university students.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Time-of-Day-Specific High-Intensity Interval Training (Chrono-HIIT) in Chinese College Students with Low Physical Activity Levels: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Feasibility Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Effects of Supervised Physiotherapy-Based Exercise on Ovarian Reserve and Spontaneous Pregnancy in Women with Diminished Ovarian Reserve: A Controlled Pilot Study.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Academic discipline and university students' well-being: a comparative analysis with implications for physical and psychological health promotion strategies.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Associations of nutritional habits, lifestyle, and demographic factors with mental health outcomes among university students in Lebanon: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Electronic Cigarette Exposure Induces Adverse Cellular Alterations in Skeletal Muscle in Male Mice Subjected to a High-Fat Diet.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Sleep Quality and Sex-Specific Physical Activity Benefits Predict Mental Health in Romanian Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Positive ADHD Scores are Associated With Higher Screen Time and Anxiety Symptoms in Medical Students: Cross-sectional Study.Actas espanolas de psiquiatria · 2025Article
- Hierarchical clustering of the pre-exam anxiety levels in physically inactive and active adolescent students from 56 countries: an observational study using PISA program data.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Article
- Article
- Emotional and Behavioural Problems in Spanish University Students: Association with Lifestyle Habits and Mental Well-Being.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- The impact of health promotion training on university students' health perceptions, healthy lifestyle behaviors, and risky behaviors.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150 min of moderate or vigorous activity (MVPA) per week for health benefits. However, meeting WHO guidelines for physical activity has been shown to be a great challenge for general populations and it may be even more difficult for undergraduate students due to elevated academic demand, thus negatively affecting general health status. Thus, this study investigated whether undergraduate students meeting WHO guidelines for physical activity show greater scores for symptoms of anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life than their counterparts not meeting guideline recommendations. Additionally, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life among academic areas were compared.
methodsThis is a cross-sectional study. The participants were recruited through messaging apps or institutional e-mail. The participants filled out an online consent form, questionnaires to assess demographic and academic characteristics, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Beck depression and anxiety inventory, and the short-form 36-item health survey questionnaire. The participants were classified as physically active (MVPA > 150 min/week) or inactive (MVPA < 150 min/week) according to WHO Guidelines.
resultsA total of 371 individuals were included in the analysis. Physically inactive students demonstrated higher scores of depression (17.96 vs. 14.62; 95% CI: -5.81 to -0.86;
conclusionsThe findings suggest that undergraduate students who do not meet WHO guidelines for physical activity display higher scores of anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life in comparison with their counterparts meeting physical activity guidelines. Collectively, these data suggest the need for academic institutions and policy makers to monitor and promote in-campus interventions to encourage physical activity.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.