Associations of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with psychological problems and suicidality in Chinese high school students: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background The body of literature regarding the associations between physical activity and psychological problems lacks consensus. Moreover, the role of gender has been scarcely investigated. The present study sought to fill the gap in the data by examining the associations, if any, between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), psychological problems, and self-harm behaviors based on different biological genders (male–female). Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure MVPA and multiple psychological problems, including depression and anxiety; general emotion, behavior, and social problems; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD); conduct problems; and self-harm behaviors. Participants were a nationally representative sample of Chinese high school students (N = 13, 349). A multiple logistic regression analysis of MVPA, stratified by gender, was conducted on the risk of psychological problems and self-harm behaviors in the total sample. Results For boys, a high frequency of MVPA was associated with a lower risk of depression (OR = 0.68, 95% CI [0.57–0.81]) and anxiety (OR = 0.71, 95% CI [0.53–0.96]) compared to the reference group. The moderate frequency of MVPA was associated with a lower risk of ADHD (OR = 0.73, 95% CI [0.56–0.94]) compared to the reference group. For girls, both MVPA groups were associated with a lower risk of depression (moderate MVPA: OR = 0.81, 95% CI [0.70–0.94]; high MVPA: OR = 0.67, 95% CI [0.54–0.83]) compared to the reference group. High MVPA was associated with a lower risk of ADHD (OR = 0.58, 95% CI [0.37–0.89]) compared to the reference group. Only moderate frequency of MVPA was associated with a lower risk of ODD (OR = 0.79, 95% CI [0.64–0.97]). Conclusion MVPA was associated with a lower risk of depression, anxiety, ADHD, and ODD in a gender-specific and MVPA frequency-specific manner. This implies that for specific psychological issues, PA interventions that are modified based on gender and frequency of MVPA may be more effective than PA interventions without these considerations.

<p>Depression is Associated with Moderate-Intensity Physical Activity Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Differs by Activity Level, Gender and Gender Role</p>

“…More than half of participants were categorized as “low” activity level group in terms of self-reported activity duration and frequency who reported to have a higher level of depression as compared to those in the “high” activity level group. These results were consistent with previous studies investigating the beneficial effects of PA, 23 , 48 , 49 indicating that even under the impact of the COVID-19, PA can also confer protection against increasing levels of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, for the LAL group, moderate MET-m/w showed a robust and significant negative correlation with depressive symptoms regardless of their sedentary time, age, grade, and COVID-19 situations.…”

Fuerza prensil como factor predictor de Ansiedad-Rasgo en estudiantes universitarias

“…Sin embargo, en un estudio realizado por Candel et al, (31) se menciona que la práctica de algún tipo de actividad física tienen puntuaciones superiores en todos los factores de autoconcepto en mujeres, excepto en el emocional. Es así como diversas investigaciones han desarrollado distintos métodos de entrenamiento a través de la actividad física, el ejercicio físico y el deporte, para producir algún tipo de cambio sustancial en los parámetros de salud mental, entre estos métodos, se encuentran programas de baile, definidos dentro de la práctica de actividad física grupal (30,32) , ejercicio físico moderado-vigoroso (33) , técnicas de relajación (34) , entre otros métodos de actividad física.…”

The Mediating Effect of Coping Style on Physical Activity and Negative Affect Caused by Public Health Emergencies: Evidence from Chinese College Students

“…The overwhelming majority of studies support that PA can reduce negative affect and promote mental health. The effect varies with the intensity [42] and frequency [60] of PA, age [46], gender [61], etc. A small number of studies do not support the role of PA, and they believe that both positive affect and negative affect precede rather than follow PA engagement [62].…”