ArticlePloS one2024
Examining recovery experiences as a mediator between physical activity and study-related stress and well-being during prolonged exam preparation at university.
Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Negative emotion dynamics during exam weeks mediate the link between parental emotional socialization and psychological symptoms in Chinese late adolescents.Journal of research on adolescence : the official journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence · 2026Article
- Relationship Between Sedentary Lifestyle, Physical Activity and Stress in University Students and Their Life Habits: A Scoping Review with PRISMA Checklist (PRISMA-ScR).Brain sciences · 2025Review
- Perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, and continuance intention as predictors of medical students' well-being in hybrid learning: an extended TAM approach.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Prolonged study periods such as preparing for comprehensive exams pose a significant source of chronic stress for university students. According to the Conservation of Resources Theory, the replenishment of resources during leisure time is essential to a successful stress recovery process. This study examined the role of recovery experiences as a mediator of the relationship between physical activity as one specific recovery activity and both study-related stress and well-being. We applied a longitudinal design and approached students on three measurement occasions over seven months. The sample consisted of N = 56 advanced law students enrolled at one large German university who were all in their exam preparation to take their final exams. Students gave self-reports on their respective levels of physical activity (predictor), and recovery experiences (mediator), as well as on their study-related stress and well-being (outcomes). Results showed a negative trend in recovery-related variables and the outcomes as exam preparation progressed. There were mostly small correlations between physical activity and both stress and well-being at each measurement occasion. Recovery experiences partially mediated the relationship between physical activity and the outcomes on some measurement occasions. Our results suggest that the positive effects of recovery experiences related to physical activity become more sustained as exam preparation progresses and have a particularly positive impact on well-being. Future research can build on these findings by further examining recovery as an important means to help students better cope with long-lasting and stressful study periods.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.