Regular exercise, anxiety, depression and personality: a population-based study

The impact of moderate-intensity basketball intervention on the physical self-esteem and school adjustment of first-year high school students

Object

This study conducted an 8-week experiment with the basketball sports intervention program to explore the relationship between the basketball sports intervention program and the physical self-esteem and school adjustment of first-year high school students, providing references for first-year high school students' school adjustment and related research.

Methods

Using convenient sampling,88 students in two classes of grade one in a senior high school in Changzhou were selected as the experimental research objects and were randomly divided into experimental groups (basketball) 44 people (20 male and 24 female; control group routine physical education) 44 people (23 male and 21 female). The exercise intervention lasted 8-week, 3-times-a-week with about 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each time. The control group had normal sports activities, and the exercise intensity was not monitored. The Physical Self-esteem Scale and the School Adaptation Scale were used to measure the data in a group manner before and after the experiment. All data were statistically analyzed with SPSS26.0.

Results

(1) After 8 weeks of basketball intervention, the post-test level of school adaptation of first-year high school students was significantly higher than the pre-test (p < 0.01), and the post-test level of physical self-esteem was significantly higher than the pre-test (p < 0.01). (2) Basketball intervention can directly affect the school adaptation of first-year high school students and indirectly affect the school adaptation through physical self-esteem. The direct effect was 86.79%, and the indirect effect was 13.21%.

Conclusion

(1) Intervention of moderate intensity basketball can improve first-year high school students' school adaptation and physical self-esteem. (2) Intervention of moderate intensity basketball can directly improve first-year high school students' and school adaptation by improving individual physical self-esteem. Physical self-esteem plays a partial intermediary role between basketball and school adaptation.

Effects of neuroticism on pre-exam irritable bowel syndrome in female middle school students: mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty and moderating role of exercise duration

Background

China, which is deeply influenced by Confucianism, places special emphasis on students' test scores. Previous studies have shown that neuroticism is associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in adolescents. However, the mechanisms underlying this association before exams in female secondary school students are unknown. The present study sought to ascertain whether IU mediates the association between neuroticism and pre-exam IBS, and to determine whether exercise duration moderates the relationship between neuroticism and pre-exam IBS.

Methods

The sample consisted of 685 Chinese female middle school students (Mage = 14.81, SD = 1.55, range = 11-18) who completed paper questionnaires, including the neuroticism subscale of the Chinese Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Five-Factor Inventory, the IBS Symptom Severity Scale, a simplified version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, and a movement time questionnaire. Independent samples t-test was used to compare differences between groups and Pearson correlation coefficient was used to investigate the bivariate correlation. The SPSS PROCESS 4.1 plug-in was then used to examine the mediating role of IU as well as the moderating role of movement time between neuroticism and pre-exam IBS.

Results

Neuroticism and IU were significantly correlated with pre-exam IBS (r = 0.39, 0.30, respectively; all p < 0.01), and neuroticism was significantly correlated with IU (r = 0.46, p < 0.01). Neuroticism had a direct predictive effect on pre-exam IBS in Chinese female middle school students (β = 0.32, p < 0.001), and IU also had a positive effect on pre-exam IBS (β = 0.15, p < 0.001). The mediating effect value of IU on the total effect was 18.09%. The relationship between neuroticism and pre-exam IBS was moderated by movement time (β = -0.23, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

IU plays a mediating role between neuroticism and pre-exam IBS, and exercise time plays a moderating role between neuroticism and pre-exam IBS. These findings provide an evidence for neuroticism intervention, IU management, and pre-exam IBS improvement in female middle school students.

Searching for the perfect goalkeeping personality. Myth or reality?

Background

Psychological factors such as personality characteristics are influential factors of the goalkeeping performance in football (soccer). Not only for individualized treatment in practice, also from a scientific point of view, profiling goalkeepers is a relevant part of understanding athletes. The aim of this study was to investigate personality traits of goalkeepers of different expertise, age, and sex.

Methods

Using the Five Factor Model of personality we assessed personality traits of 132 male and female football goalkeepers ranging from youth to senior and low to elite level. A series of analysis investigated differences between the groups focusing on expertise, age, and sex.

Results

Significant differences in the personality trait agreeableness between groups of different expertise and sex could be detected. Although a significant difference in neuroticism levels of males and females could be shown.

Conclusion

This study was a first step of profiling football goalkeepers of different expertise, age, and sex. The study calls for more replication in this specific field of football and goalkeeping in general to understand the influence of personality characteristics on sport performance.

Exploration of the Determinants of Subjective Health and Depression Using Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging Data

Aging is an imperative issue in Korean society, and a healthy life is important for a better quality of life for older adults. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to investigate the determinants of subjective health and depression in middle-aged and elderly Korean individuals. This study used three attributes as the determinants of subjective health and depression, including the curve linear effect of medical expenses and eating-out expenses and the linear impact of regular exercise. We utilized the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLOSA) to determine the associations between five attributes: subjective health, depression, medical expenses, eating-out expenses, and regular exercise. Research panel data were employed as the data source. The study period was between 2018 and 2020. This research implemented various multiple linear panel regression econometric analysis instruments: ordinary least squares, random effects, and fixed effects. The mean age of survey participants was 72.10 years, and 35 percent of participants were female. The number of observations for data analysis was 7197. The results revealed that medical and eating-out expenses had a curved linear effect on subjective health and depression. Moreover, regular exercise positively affected subjective health and resulted in less depression. These findings may inform policy decisions that promote regular exercise and manage medical and eating-out expenses, thereby enhancing subjective health and mitigating depression.

Risk Factors Associated With Bullying in Context of a Territory Exposed to Armed Conflict: A Cross-sectional Study

School violence and bullying are current and problematic events during adolescence. They are likely to have a marked presence in places highly exposed to armed conflict and violent environments, representing a double public health problem. The study aims to estimate the prevalence of different types of school violence perpetrated and experienced by school adolescents in a community with a history of exposure to armed conflict. Two thousand one hundred eighty-five school adolescents from a municipality in Colombia (males = 54.1%, 14-16 years = 38.6%) participated in the study. Nine educational institutions were included. A systematic random sampling was designed, with a proportional allocation of 35% within each school year from sixth to eleventh grade. The School Coexistence and Circumstances Affecting it-ECECA survey was applied. The prevalence and risks of bully and bullying were estimated. RRa were calculated with the 95% confidence interval adjusted for the other confounding variables. Analyses were constructed from generalized linear models, under the Poisson family and a logarithmic link function. We found a 9.3% of bullying victimization and a 3.5% prevalence of bully. A higher risk of bully was found among males, persons between 10 and 14 years of age, residents of rural or urban dispersed areas, residents of violent neighborhoods, alcohol consumers at school, and victims of aggression in childhood (RRa > 1.0, p-values <.05). The risk of victimization of bullying was higher in students younger than 15 years old, as residents of urban areas, having a history of childhood aggression, suffering abuse by a close person, and as alcohol users at school. This study provides evidence of risk factors for aggression and bullying that have implications for possible prevention measures in multiple social domains, including the individual, the family, and the school environment.

Effects of physical exercise on adolescent short video addiction: A moderated mediation model

Objective

To discuss the effects of physical exercise (PE) on adolescent short video addiction (SVA) and analyze the mediating effects of self-control (SC) and the moderating effects of the cumulative ecological risk (CER), aiming to provide theoretical support for PE relative to adolescent SVA, investigate the underlying mechanisms of the effects of PE.

Methods

The Physical Activity Rating Scale-3, Problematic TikTok Use Scale, Self-Control Scale, and Cumulative Ecological Risk Scale were used to survey 756 adolescents in Chongqing and Chengdu, China. SPSS was used to construct a research model by conducting reliability, confirmatory factor, common method bias, and AMOS analyses.

Results

PE was significantly and negatively related to adolescent SVA (β = -0.30, p < 0.01). SC served as a partial mediator between PE and adolescent SVA, the direct and indirect effect values are -0.304 and -0.167 respectively, showing that SC negatively predicted the relationship between the two variables. The CER moderated the effect of PE (t = -11.679, p < 0.001) and SC (t = -15.069, p < 0.001) on adolescent SVA.

Conclusion

PE mitigates and moderates adolescent SVA through the mediating effect of SC and the moderating effect of CER.

Eating Behaviors and Physical Activity versus the Big Five Personality Traits in Women with a Hereditary Predisposition to Breast or Ovarian Cancer

The Big Five personality traits-neuroticism, extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness-represent continuous, individual features that affect a number of vital health aspects, including morbidity, self-reported health status, or lifestyle. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between the eating behaviors and engagement in physical activity of women with a hereditary predisposition to breast or ovarian cancer and the Big Five personality traits. A total of 357 women, participants of 'The National Program for Families With Genetic/Familial High Risk for Cancer', were included in the study. In the healthy group, the following statistically significant predictors were found in variables: agreeableness-meal frequency (β = 0.151; p = 0.030); neuroticism-consumption of fruits and vegetables (β = -0.177; p = 0.016) and cereal products (β = -0.223; p = 0.002); openness to experience-consumption of plant-based fats (β = 0.141; p = 0.034) and physical activity (β = 0.153; p = 0.021). In the cancer group, the frequency of dairy consumption (β = 0.286; p = 0.003) and physical activity (β = 0.370; p = 0.000) were found to be statistically significant predictors for the openness to experience variable. Neuroticism is associated with less frequent consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as cereal products. Openness to experience was more often linked with a higher frequency of dairy consumption, plant-based fats, and physical activity. Women with breast or ovarian cancer and a higher openness to experience consumed dairy and engaged in physical activity more often than their peers with the remaining personality traits.

Lessons and Untapped Potential of Smartphone-Based Physical Activity Interventions for Mental Health: Narrative Review

BACKGROUND

Physical activity has well-known and broad health benefits, including antidepressive and anxiolytic effects. However, only approximately half of Americans meet even the minimum exercise recommendations. Individuals with anxiety, depression, or related conditions are even less likely to do so. With the advent of mobile sensors and phones, experts have quickly noted the utility of technology for the enhanced measurement of and intervention for physical activity. In addition to being more accessible than in-person approaches, technology-driven interventions may uniquely engage key mechanisms of behavior change such as self-awareness.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to provide a narrative overview and specific recommendations for future research on smartphone-based physical activity interventions for psychological disorders or concerns.

METHODS

In this paper, we summarized early efforts to adapt and test smartphone-based or smartphone-supported physical activity interventions for mental health. The included articles described or reported smartphone-delivered or smartphone-supported interventions intended to increase physical activity or reduce sedentary behavior and included an emotional disorder, concern, or symptom as an outcome measure. We attempted to extract details regarding the intervention designs, trial designs, study populations, outcome measures, and inclusion of adaptations specifically for mental health. In taking a narrative lens, we drew attention to the type of work that has been done and used these exemplars to discuss key directions to build on.

RESULTS

To date, most studies have examined mental health outcomes as secondary or exploratory variables largely in the context of managing medical concerns (eg, cancer and diabetes). Few trials have recruited psychiatric populations or explicitly aimed to target psychiatric concerns. Consequently, although there are encouraging signals that smartphone-based physical activity interventions could be feasible, acceptable, and efficacious for individuals with mental illnesses, this remains an underexplored area.

CONCLUSIONS

Promising avenues for tailoring validated smartphone-based interventions include adding psychoeducation (eg, the relationship between depression, physical activity, and inactivity), offering psychosocial treatment in parallel (eg, cognitive restructuring), and adding personalized coaching. To conclude, we offer specific recommendations for future research, treatment development, and implementation in this area, which remains open and promising for flexible, highly scalable support.

Effects of elevated emotional symptoms on metabolic disease development: a 10-year follow-up study

Background

In recent decades, the relationship between emotional disorders (i.e., depression and anxiety) and alterations in physiological functions (i.e., inflammation or metabolism) have been well supported. However, studies on a symptom-based approach have provided mixed results. Our study aims to gain insight into how subclinical statuses, featured by elevated depressive and/or anxious symptoms, may influence immunometabolic alterations in the concurrent relationship; and the development of metabolic diseases at 10-year follow-up: diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.

Methods

Data from 758 Greek adults [394 men (aged 41 ± 10 years) and 364 women (aged 37 ± 12 years)] were used. Four groups were created according to the levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms: (1) control group (CG), (2) depressive group (DG), (3) anxiety group (AG) and (4) depressive and anxiety group (DAG). Multi-indicator multi-causes (MIMIC) modeling was used to estimate metabolic function and inflammatory response scores, on a wide selection of blood biomarkers. Finally, a binary logistic regression was carried out to study the influence of symptoms on the development of the aforementioned metabolic diseases on a 10-year follow-up.

Results

Group membership was not associated with metabolic function score. Conversely, DAG membership was related with higher inflammatory response score (B = 0.20, CI95 = 0.01, 0.40), with respect to the CG (p < 0.05). Both age and sex were significant variables in the calculation of both scores. Regarding disease at 10-year follow-up effect, risk of developing diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia was associated with age and socioeconomic status. Moreover, DG membership was significant for diabetes risk (OR = 2.08, CI95 = 1.00, 4.22) and DAG for hypercholesterolemia (OR = 1.68, CI95 = 1.16, 2.43).

Limitations

Data on anti-inflammatory drugs and psychopharmacological medication were not collected in this study.

Conclusions

Elevated symptoms of depression and anxiety accounts for inflammatory alterations at concurrent relationship and a higher risk of 10-year follow-up metabolic diseases.

Heterogeneity in the trajectories of psychological distress among late adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has constrained opportunities in social, educational and professional domains, leading to developmental challenges for adolescents initiating their transition to adulthood. Meta-analysis indicated that there was a small increase in psychological distress during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, significant heterogeneity in the psychological response to the COVID-19 pandemic was noted. Developmental antecedents as well as social processes may account for such heterogeneity. The goal of this study was to characterize trajectories of psychological distress in late adolescence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

5014 late adolescents born between 2000 and 2002 from the UK Millennium Cohort Study completed online self-reported assessments at three occasions during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (May 2020, September/October 2020 and February/March 2021). These surveys assessed psychological distress, loneliness, social support, family conflict, as well as other pandemic stressors. Information on developmental antecedents were obtained when cohort members were 17 years of age.

Results

Four distinct trajectories class were identified. Normative class (52.13%) experienced low and decreasing levels of psychological distress, while moderately increasing class (31.84%) experienced a small, but significant increase in distress over time and increasing class (8.75%) exhibited a larger increase in distress after the first wave of the pandemic. Inverted U-shaped class (7.29%) experienced elevated psychological distress during the first wave of the pandemic, followed by a decrease in distress in subsequent waves of the pandemic. Larger longitudinal increases in loneliness were noted among individuals in the elevated distress trajectory, compared to other trajectories. Pre-pandemic psychopathology was associated with elevated distress early in the pandemic.

Conclusions

The largest trajectory showed low and declining psychological distress, highlighting the resilience of the majority of late adolescents. However, a subgroup of adolescents experienced large increases in psychological distress, identifying a group of individuals more vulnerable to pandemic-related stress.

Impact of Physical Activity on the Association Between Unhealthy Adolescent Behaviors and Anxiety Among Korean Adolescents: A Cross-sectional Study

OBJECTIVES

Adolescents who engage in unhealthy behaviors are particularly vulnerable to anxiety. We hypothesized that participation in physical activity could influence the relationship between anxiety and unhealthy behaviors in adolescents. These behaviors include smoking, alcohol consumption, and unsafe sexual activity.

METHODS

This study included 50 301 students from the first year of middle school to the third year of high school, all from Korea. The unhealthy adolescent behaviors examined included current alcohol consumption, current smoking, and unsafe sexual behavior. Anxiety levels were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaire (GAD-7).

RESULTS

The participants had a mean age of 15.19 years and an average GAD-7 score of 4.23. No significant differences were observed in GAD-7 score among exercising participants when categorized by smoking status (p=0.835) or unsafe sexual behavior (p=0.489). In contrast, participants in the non-exercise group who engaged in these behaviors demonstrated significantly higher GAD-7 scores (p<0.001 and 0.016, respectively). The only significant interaction was found between unsafe sexual behavior and exercise (p=0.009). Based on logistic regression analysis, within the non-exercise group, significant positive associations were observed between current smoking and anxiety (odds ratio [OR], 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18 to 1.57), as well as between unsafe sexual behavior and anxiety (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.73). However, within the exercise group, no significant association was found between anxiety and either smoking or unsafe sexual behavior. Furthermore, no significant interaction was observed between unhealthy behaviors and exercise.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings are insufficient to conclude that physical activity influences the relationship between unhealthy behaviors and anxiety.

Relationship between Anxiety and Problematic Smartphone Use in First-Year Junior High School Students: Moderated Mediation Effects of Physical Activity and School Adjustment

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Despite previous research identifying anxiety as a risk factor for problematic smartphone use among students, the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying the relationship between the two aforementioned variables are poorly understood. This study aims to explore the relationship between anxiety and problematic smartphone use among first-year junior high school students, together with the mediating effects of school adjustment and the moderating effects of physical activity on the mentioned relationship.

METHOD

This study was conducted using a Web-based self-report questionnaire survey with data collected from 445 first-year junior high school students in Jinan City, Shandong Province. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed using the PROCESS macro in SPSS.

RESULTS

The results showed that anxiety predicted problematic smartphone use not only directly but also indirectly via school adjustment. School adjustment played a partial mediating role in the relationship between anxiety and problematic smartphone use. Physical activity also played a moderating role in the relationship between anxiety and school adjustment.

CONCLUSION

school adjustment and physical activity may be important variables in the relationship between anxiety and problematic smartphone use.

Sex-specific effects of voluntary wheel running on behavior and the gut microbiota-immune-brain axis in mice

Physical exercise has been positioned as a promising strategy to prevent and/or alleviate anxiety and depression, but the biological processes associated with its effects on mental health have yet to be entirely determined. Although the prevalence of depression and anxiety in women is about twice that of men, very few studies have examined whether physical exercise could affect mental health differently according to sex. This study examined, in singly-housed mice, the sex-specific effects of voluntary exercise on depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors as well as on different markers along the gut microbiota-immune-brain axis. Male and female C57BL/6N mice had voluntary access to running wheels in their home-cages for 24 days or were left undisturbed in identical home-cages without running wheels. Behaviors were then examined in the open field, splash, elevated plus maze, and tail suspension tests. Gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, microglia activation-related genes, and tight junction proteins was determined in the jejunum and the hippocampus, while microbiota composition and predicted function were verified in cecum contents. Voluntary exercise reduced anxiety-like behaviors and altered grooming patterns in males exclusively. Although the exercise intervention resulted in changes to brain inflammatory activity and to cecal microbiota composition and inferred function in both sexes, reductions in the jejunal expression of pro-inflammatory markers were observed in females only. These findings support the view that voluntary exercise, even when performed during a short period, is beneficial for mental and intestinal health and that its sex-specific effects on behavior could be, at least in part, related to some components of the gut microbiota-immune-brain axis.

Optimal Physical Activity Is Associated with the Reduction of Depressive Symptoms via Neuroticism and Resilience

BACKGROUND

Personality traits, such as neuroticism, that results in vulnerability to stress, and resilience, a measure of stress coping, are closely associated with the onset of depressive symptoms, whereas regular physical activity habits have been shown to reduce depressive symptoms. In this study, the mediating effects of neuroticism and resilience between physical activity duration and depressive symptoms were investigated by a covariance structure analysis.

METHODS

Between April 2017 and April 2018, 526 adult volunteers were surveyed using self-administered questionnaires. Demographic information, habitual physical activity duration (PAD), neuroticism, and resilience were investigated. The effects of these factors on depressive symptoms were analyzed by a covariance structure analysis. This study was conducted with the approval of the Medical Ethics Committee of Tokyo Medical University.

RESULTS

The dose-response curves of physical activity duration and depression scores were U-shaped: the optimal physical activity duration for the lowest depression score was 25.7 h/week. We found that the greater the difference from the optimal PAD, the higher the neuroticism and the lower the resilience, and the more severe the depressive symptoms. Covariance structure analysis demonstrated that neuroticism and resilience significantly and completely mediated the effects of the difference from the optimal PAD on depressive symptoms (coefficient of determination R² = 0.349).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that there is an optimal PAD that reduces depressive symptoms, and that a greater difference from the optimal PAD increases depressive symptoms through neuroticism and resilience.

Association between Musculoskeletal Injuries and Depressive Symptoms among Athletes: A Systematic Review

Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries have a significant physical and psychological influence on an athlete's life. A systematic review of prospective cohort, cross-sectional, and case-control studies was undertaken in this study to analyze the association between MSK injuries with depressive symptoms in athletes. We searched on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, with data inception to 15 February 2023. The methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Of the 3677 potential studies only nine were included. These studies showed a bidirectional association between MSK injuries and depressive symptoms. Athletes with MSK injuries had higher levels of depressive symptoms, which raises the likelihood of experiencing depression in the future. Women athletes had higher levels of depressive symptoms compared with men. The presence of depressive symptoms is a significant predictor of disability in athletes. Our findings suggest that coaches should be more aware of depressive symptoms, in order to prevent MSK injuries, and to monitor athletes following an MSK injury.

Cardiorespiratory fitness, regular physical activity, and autonomic nervous system reactivity to laboratory and daily life stress

The cross-stressor adaptation hypothesis-which posits that adjustment to physical stress as a result of regular physical activity and its effects on fitness crosses over to psychological stress reactivity-has been around for over four decades. However, the literature has been plagued by heterogeneities preventing definitive conclusions. We address these heterogeneity issues in a combined laboratory and daily life study of 116 young adults (M = 22.48 SD = 3.56, 57.76% female). The exposure, i.e., the potential driver of adaptation, was defined in three ways. First, a submaximal test was performed to obtain aerobic fitness measured as the VO₂ max (kg/ml/min). Second, leisure time exercise behavior, and third, overall moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), were obtained from a structured interview. Outcomes were autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity and affective responsiveness to stressors. ANS activity was measured continuously and expressed as inter-beat-interval (IBI), pre-ejection-period (PEP), respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA), and non-specific Skin Conductance Responses (ns.SCR). Negative and positive affect were recorded after each experimental condition in the laboratory and hourly in daily life with a nine-item digital questionnaire. Linear regressions were performed between the three exposure measures as predictors and the various laboratory and daily life stress measurements as outcomes. Our results support the resting heart rate reducing effect of aerobic fitness and total MVPA in both the laboratory and daily life. We did not find evidence for the cross-stressor adaptation hypothesis, irrespective of ANS or affective outcome measure or whether the exposure was defined as exercise/MVPA or aerobic fitness.

Mediating Effects of Trait Anxiety and State Anxiety on the Effects of Physical Activity on Depressive Symptoms

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have reported that physical activity can prevent the onset of depression and reduces anxiety. In the present study, the hypothesis that total physical activity time influences depressive symptoms via state and trait anxiety was tested by a path analysis.

METHODS

Self-administered questionnaires were used to survey 526 general adult volunteers from April 2017 to April 2018. Demographic information, physical activity, and state and trait anxiety were investigated.

RESULTS

The association between physical activity time and depressive symptoms was expressed as a U-shape curve. The results of the covariance structure analysis showed that differences from the optimal physical activity time (DOT) had direct positive effects on state and trait anxiety. DOT affected depressive symptoms only via trait anxiety, and this was a complete mediation model.

CONCLUSION

The present study suggests that an optimal physical activity time exists for depressive symptoms. The path model demonstrated an association between the three factors of optimal physical activity time, trait anxiety, and depressive symptoms, and the effect was fully mediated by trait anxiety.

Investigating pathways from anxiety sensitivity to impairment in a treatment-seeking sample

BACKGROUND

Previous research suggests that high anxiety sensitivity (AS) - a fear of arousal-related body sensations - may have implications not only for mental health symptoms but also for functional impairment. The aim of the present study was to examine whether elevated AS is associated with functional impairment by way of heightened anxiety symptoms and resultant depressive symptoms or unhealthy coping behaviours (i.e., alcohol use, exercise avoidance, sleep problems) in a chained mediation model.

METHOD

Participants were 128 treatment-seeking individuals with high AS who qualified for an anxiety, depression, or posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis. They completed self-report measures of AS, anxiety, depression, and unhealthy coping behaviours as part of a pre-treatment assessment battery for a larger study examining the efficacy of a cognitive behavioural intervention for AS. Data were analyzed using path analysis.

RESULTS

Results revealed a direct association between AS and functional impairment that was partially mediated through a chained indirect pathway from AS to anxiety symptoms to depression symptoms to functional impairment. Unhealthy coping behaviours did not serve as mediators.

LIMITATIONS

Results are limited by the cross-sectional nature of the data.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings have clinical implications insofar as supporting the relevance of reducing AS and focusing on depressive symptoms when seeking to improve clients' functioning.

Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Continuous Aerobic Training on Health-Fitness, Health Related Quality of Life, and Psychological Measures in College-Aged Smokers

The study examined the effects of exercise on health-fitness, health related quality of life (HRQOL), and psychological measures in college-aged smokers. Outcomes included HRQOL, hemodynamic, anthropometric, lung function, and cardiorespiratory endurance. Sixty physically inactive college-aged male smokers (18-30 years) were randomly assigned into three groups: high-intensity interval training (HIIT), continuous aerobic training (CAT), and a control (CON). Both HIIT and CAT groups completed 8 weeks of non-consecutive cycling sessions thrice weekly. The CON group were not subjected to the exercise intervention. Sixty participants met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 48 (HIIT: n = 18, CAT: n = 16, CON: n = 14) participants completed the study and were included in the final analysis. Compared to CON, HIIT significantly (p = 0.01) improved forced expiratory flow (FEF_75%) more than the CAT group (p = 0.29). HIIT provided a significant (p = 0.04) improvement in FEF_75% compared to CAT. Recovery heart rate (RHR) was significantly improved in participants assigned to HIIT (p = 0.00) and CAT (p = 0.002) groups compared with the CON. A significant difference in RHR was found in HIIT compared to CAT. The study findings indicate that both HIIT and CAT exercise interventions significantly improve markers of lung function and cardiorespiratory endurance, respectively. However, findings suggested that HIIT should be the preferred form of exercise regime among college-aged smokers for more significant, healthier benefits.

Physical Activity During the Perinatal Period: Guidelines for Interventions During the Perinatal Period from the French National College of Midwives

The aim of this review is to provide an update on the beneficial effects of regular physical activity and/or less sedentary behavior before, during, and after pregnancy, based on data from the scientific literature and the recommendations of expert committees. In the preconception period, it is recommended that women perform 30 minutes to 1 hour of moderate-to-high intensity physical activity per day, at least 5 days a week, and avoid the absence of any physical activity for 2 consecutive days. Pregnant women should: i) start or continue to perform moderate-intensity physical activity (up to 150 min/wk with at least 3 sessions longer than 30 min), ii) start or continue to do muscle strengthening activity involving the large muscle groups (once or twice a week). In the absence of medical contraindications, it is recommended that they continue physical activity (at least 30 min/d) during the postpartum period. Sedentary time must be limited, if possible, to less than 7 hours a day, regardless of the period.

"All Hands on Deck": Psychological Characteristics of Women with Experience of Oncological Disease Participating in Sailing Cruise-A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

In addition to searching for effective methods of treatment, interventions are sought to support well-being, quality of life, mental health, and recovery. Sailing has its specific features, including task orientation, challenges, contact with people, and nature. This specificity may be treated as a potential therapeutic factor, but it is also likely that people with certain psychological characteristics are involved in it. Therefore, the study aimed to assess some psychological features of women with cancer experience who decided to take part in the Onco-Cruise (Polish: Onko-Rejs).

METHODS

Participants were 56 women (M = 46.73; SD = 9.21). We used NEO-FFI, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, and The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale.

RESULTS

Onco-Cruises participants were characterized by a high level of extraversion (M = 32.48; SD = 7.02; sten score M = 7.21; Mo = 7), openness (M = 31.50; SD = 6.31; sten score M = 7.41; Mo = 8), low neuroticism (M = 21.62; SD = 9.33; sten score M = 4.96), predominance of present hedonistic (M = 12.55, SD = 1.46) and future time perspective (M = 11.39; SD = 2.67), and the internal health locus of control (M = 23.25, SD = 5.43).

CONCLUSION

Group sailing can be favorable for broadly understood health and cancer recovery, but people who choose this activity have certain psychological predispositions, especially indicating high needs for stimulation. Permanent features should be taken into account when proposing various interventions for oncology patients to best suit them to their natural possibilities and preferences and, thus, make them most effective.

Investigation of gender differences in multivariate associations between physical activity and psychological distress

ObjectiveThe study examined gender differences in the relationship between physical activity (PA) and psychological distress in college students. Participants: The participants were recruited at a university in the U.S. (91 subjects) and another university in South Korea (164 subjects) in November 2016. Methods: The subjects participated in an online survey. Results: PA had a significant association with a decrease of Psychological Distress only in women (β = -.27). Moreover, Social Support for PA (β = -.11) and PA Self-Efficacy (β = -.08) had an indirect effect on Psychological Distress only in Women. Conclusions: Only women showed a significant association between PA and psychological distress. PA Self-Efficacy and Social Support for PA were indirectly associated with Psychological Distress only in women. Moreover, women could be motivated to be physically active by both Social Support for PA and PA Self-Efficacy, whereas men could be motivated to exercise by PA Self-Efficacy.

Relationship between Physical Activity and Emotional Regulation Strategies in Early Adulthood: Mediating Effects of Cortical Thickness

We investigated the relationship between physical activity (PA) and emotional regulation strategies among college students to establish the mediating role of cortical thickness. A total of 60 university students (18−20 years old) were enrolled in this study. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-L) was used to estimate PA levels. Based on the International Physical Activity Working Group standards, PA levels were divided into low, medium, and high PA groups; emotional regulation strategies were determined by the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), including the Cognitive Reappraisal Scale (CR) and the Expressive Suppression Scale (ES). Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure cortical thickness. Differences in use of the ES strategy among high, medium, and low PA groups were not marked. However, compared to the low PA group, the CR strategy was frequently used in the high PA group, with a thicker right hemisphere rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rrACC). PA levels were positively correlated with thickness of the rrACC cortex (r = 0.398, p = 0.002 < 0.05) and CR strategy (r = 0.398, p = 0.002 < 0.05), and negatively correlated with the ES strategy (r = −0.348, p = 0.007 < 0.05). The rrACC cortical thickness played a partial mediating role in the relationship between PA and CR strategy, accounting for 33.1% of total effect values. These findings indicate that although the negative correlation between PA and ES was not significant, the positive correlation between PA with CR was significant, and rrACC thickness played a partial mediating role in the relationship between PA and CR, providing new evidence toward comprehensively revealing the relationship between PA, rrACC cortical thickness, and emotion regulation strategies.

A Cross-Sectional Study on the Associations between Physical Activity Level, Depression, and Anxiety in Smokers and Ex-Smokers

Introduction: depression and anxiety is one of the most relevant public health problems. The link between smoking and depression has been demonstrated. Regular physical activity (PA) could act as a protector against mental health diseases. Objectives: (1) to explore the prevalence of depression and anxiety in relation to sex and to the condition of smoker and ex-smoker, (2) to study the differences in prevalence proportions according to the frequency and level of PA, and (3) to calculate the probability of presenting depression or anxiety according to the frequency and level of PA. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted, based on data extracted from the 2014 and 2020 Spanish European Health Survey and the 2017 Spanish National Health Survey. The sample included 9524, 7813, and 9079 participants, respectively. Descriptive analysis was performed (comparisons using a Chi-square test and z-test for independent proportions). Probability odds ratios of anxiety and depression were calculated according to PA. Results: women had a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety than men (p < 0.001−0.003). Higher levels of prevalence were observed in inactive people versus very active or active people (p < 0.001). Inactive people had a higher risk of depression and anxiety compared to very active people. Conclusion: inactive smokers and ex-smokers had higher levels of prevalence of depression and anxiety than active and very active people. Physical inactivity could increase the risk of suffering these mental disorders in this population. This could affect women more than men.

Relationship between physical activity and mental health in a national representative cross-section study: Its variations according to obesity and comorbidity

BACKGROUND

Physical activity is positively associated with mental health in obese people with chronic comorbidities. However, how physical activity types (PATs), physical activity frequency (PAF), and physical activity duration (PAD) are associated with mental health need to be further clarified. The current study investigated and compared the effectiveness of PATs, physical activity frequency PAF and PAD for mental health in obese people with various chronic comorbid conditions.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 871,919 adults who participated in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). They were divided into four groups: healthy people, obese people with 0, 1, and 2+ chronic comorbid conditions. The zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression model and the generalized additive model were used to explore the association between physical activity and mental health burden in the four groups, respectively.

RESULTS

Jogging (30.00%), hiking (28.36%) and bicycling (28.32%) have greater improvement in mental health of healthy people; jogging (19.25%), golf (19.95%) and bicycling machine exercise (19.13%) showed a greater improvement in mental health of obese people with no chronic comorbid condition; and aerobic exercise videos or class showed a greater improvement in mental health of obese people with one chronic comorbid condition (22.14%) and obese people with two or more chronic comorbid conditions (19.60%). Non-linear relationships were observed between PAF, PAD, and energy expenditure and mental health. The healthy participants who exercised about 10-15 times a month and 40-50 min per session or about 400-600 METs-min per week had greater benefits for mental health. However, the lowest point of the smooth curve moved to the left with an increasing number of chronic comorbid conditions in obese people.

CONCLUSIONS

Almost all PATs were associated with better mental health, but their benefits decreased with increasing number of chronic comorbid conditions in obese people. There were U-shaped relationships between mental health and weekly physical activity frequency, duration, and METs-min.

The effects of exercise and diet on mental status, insulin signaling pathway, and microbiome in obese mice

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise and diet on mental status, insulin signaling pathway, serotonin synthesis, and microbiome in high-fat-induced obesity mice. Before the start of this experiment, obesity groups made obese mice by administering a high-fat diet containing 60% fat for 12 weeks. In the obesity with exercise group, after a high-fat diet for 12 weeks, exercise was performed with high-fat diet for 8 weeks. In the obesity with diet group, a high-fat diet for 12 weeks followed by a normal diet for 8 weeks. Depression and anxiety were determined by open field test and elevated plus maze test. Immunohistochemistry for tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) in the dorsal raphe, western blot analysis for phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-ATK), total AKT (t-AKT), phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (p-PI3K), and total PI3K (t-PI3K) in the hippocampus were performed. Analysis of microbiome was also conducted. Obesity-induced depression and anxiety status, suppressed ratio of p-AKT/t-AKT and p-PI3K/t-PI3K, and inhibited TPH synthesis. Exercise and diet improved depression and anxiety status, activated p-AKT/t-AKT and p-PI3K/t-PI3K, and increased TPH synthesis. Exercise and diet improved depression and anxiety status by increasing the insulin signaling pathway and promoting serotonin production. These effects of exercise and diet were almost similar. In addition, exercise and diet regulated the composition of gut microbiota.

The effect of low-intensity exercise on emotional and cognitive engagement in the classroom

This study examined whether engaging in physical exercise during a university class would have beneficial effect on students' learning motivation. One hundred and forty-nine participants took part in a psychology class over nine weeks (one lesson per week); for each lesson, participants engaged in a three-minute physical activity (low-intensity aerobic exercise) or control activity (watching a video), about 20 min after the lesson started. Participants reported higher vigour and lower fatigue during the class when they exercised than when they engaged in control activities. These findings suggest the utility of incorporating a short exercise activity in university settings to enhance students' classroom motivation.

Regular physical exercise and its association with depression: A population-based study short title: Exercise and depression

This study is to estimate the relation between regular physical exercise and the risk of depressive disorder and depressive symptoms. Data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) from 2008 to 2018 were used, and 3,070 research samples were included at baseline at 2008. To analyze the relation between physical exercise and risk of depression, a generalized estimating equation (GEE) model and chi-square test were used. The estimate of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD) in those with "< 3 h" of exercise per week was 0.033 higher (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.001 - 0.065 p-value: 0.046) compared to those with "5 h or more" of exercise per week. In terms of exercise duration, the estimates for CESD was 0.153 higher (95% CI: 0.111 - 0.195 p-value: <0.0001) in "< 1 year" and 0.143 higher (95% CI: 0.109-0.178 p-value: <0.0001) in "1-2 year", compared to "5 years or more" of exercise duration. This study showed a negative relationship between regular exercise and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling adults aged 45 years and above. To develop the habit of regular physical exercise and to reinforce self-esteem, simple and practical strategies of effective exercise may become important but effective exercise interventions.

Compulsive exercise among college students: 5-year time trends in prevalence and demographic, substance use, and mental health correlates

PURPOSE

To provide 5-year time trends in prevalence and demographic, substance use, and mental health correlates of compulsive exercise among a national sample of college men and women.

METHODS

We analyzed 4 academic survey years (2016-2020; N = 8251) of the national (USA) Healthy Minds Study. Compulsive exercise was measured by self-report of any occurrence of "compulsive" exercise in the past 4 weeks. Unadjusted prevalence of compulsive exercise in the past 4 weeks was estimated across the 4 survey years by sex. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted among the pooled sample and stratified by sex to estimate the associations between compulsive exercise in the past 4 weeks and demographic, substance use, and mental health correlates.

RESULTS

Among the pooled sample, 11% (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.60-12.42%) of men and 17% (95% CI 15.86-18.24%) of women reported compulsive exercise in the past 4 weeks. Prevalence across the 4 survey years remained stable among men and women. Higher body mass index was associated with greater odds of any compulsive exercise in the past 4 weeks among men, while any sports participation was associated with greater odds of any compulsive exercise in the past 4 weeks among women. Compulsive exercise in the past 4 weeks was associated with greater odds of all mental health symptoms and illicit drug use among men and women, and higher odds of alcohol use among women.

CONCLUSION

Compulsive exercise is relatively common among college men and women and is associated with substance use behaviors and poor mental health symptoms.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Acute Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognitive and Psychological Functioning in College Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

We sought to elucidate the acute effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) among college students with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants were age- and sex-matched across ADHD (n = 18) and non-ADHD groups (n = 18) and both groups completed baseline (non-HIIT) and experimental sessions (HIIT). We examined within- and between-subject effects on a continuous performance task (CPT) and self-reported ADHD and internalizing symptomatology. We found that the degree of improvement on ADHD and depressive symptomatology, as well as processing speed and response variability following HIIT was significantly greater for the ADHD group than the comparison group. Further investigations such as randomized controlled trials focusing on the chronic effects of sustained HIIT interventions are needed to substantiate the potential feasibility and efficacy of HIIT as an intervention. HIIT may be a useful adjunct to psychosocial and/or pharmacological treatments for college students with ADHD because it: (a) yields immediate, acute improvements in executive functioning, ADHD, and mood; (b) promotes improved physical and mental health; (c) poses a relatively low risk of deleterious effects in apparently healthy college students. Even with the need for additional research, current data suggest a single, brief, high-intensity bout of aerobic exercise can yield immediate significant short-term improvements. These improvements may enhance functioning and improve outcomes for college students with ADHD.

Reductions in the Frequency of Going Out Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Negatively Affect Patients with Spinal Disorders

Introduction

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has greatly changed the lifestyles of individuals due to the need to prevent disease spread. Globally, governments have enforced various policies, including travel bans, quarantine, home confinement, and lockdowns, as safety measures. Consequently, the frequency of individuals going out has decreased. This survey aimed to assess how decreasing the frequency of going out due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacts patients with spinal disorders.

Methods

This multicenter cross-sectional questionnaire survey included patients who visited four private spine clinics for any symptoms. Participants completed questionnaires pre- and post-pandemic that assessed the following topics: frequency of leaving home, exercise habits, locomotive syndrome, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Patients were divided into decreased and non-decreased frequency of going out groups, according to observed changes in their frequencies of leaving home. Both groups were statistically compared using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with the frequency of going out.

Results

Among 855 patients, 160 (18.7%; the decreased group) reported that they went out less frequently, and 695 (81.3%; the non-decreased group) reported that they left home equally frequently post- versus pre-pandemic. Multivariate analyses showed that exercise habits significantly decreased (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.67, p = 0.004), the incidence of locomotive syndrome significantly increased (aOR = 2.86, p = 0.012), and HRQOL significantly deteriorated (aOR = 4.14, p < 0.001) in the decreased group compared to the non-decreased group.

Conclusions

Restrictions regarding leaving home due to the COVID-19 pandemic significantly decreased exercise frequency, increased the occurrence of locomotive syndrome, and were associated with deterioration of HRQOL in patients with spine disorders. It may be beneficial for spine surgeons to encourage patients with spinal disorders to leave home at a frequency similar to what they did pre-pandemic while avoiding crowded areas, despite the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Short-Term Relocation Stress-Induced Hematological and Immunological Changes in Saimiri boliviensis boliviensis

Nonhuman primates are frequently transported to a new location or temporarily relocated within their colony. Both transportation and relocation expose animals to new environments, causing them to undergo a stress response (before adapting). In our NHP colony, the mentioned situations are not infrequent for many reasons, including maintenance. The objective of this study was to determine whether abrupt changes consisting of relocation, housing, separation, and grouping could influence hematological and immunological parameters and thereby functional activity. The current study used squirrel monkeys as a model to investigate the stress-inducing effects of relocation within a facility, while animals acclimated to new situations (physical, housing). A detailed blood analysis revealed significant changes in lymphocytes, triglycerides, total protein, creatinine, and ALT. Flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood showed reduction in CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells and monocytes, while B cells and natural killer (NK) cells changed with relocation. Simultaneously, changes in functional activity of immune cells altered proliferative responses and as shown by ELISpot (IFN γ). Though the parameters studied are not affected as severely as those in animals transported by road or air, stress responses induced by intrafacility relocation are significant and worth consideration. Our findings indicate that squirrel monkeys mimic the features seen in humans exposed to social stressors and may serve an important model for understanding the mechanisms of stress-induced immune dysfunction in humans.

Associations between Physical Activity and Mental Health in Iranian Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Accelerometer-Based Study

Using self-reported questionnaires, several studies found that social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the level of physical activity (PA) in children and adolescents. Since the objectivity of self-reported PA is limited in several ways, we used modern accelerometers in this study to assess the PA levels of male and female adolescents during the pandemic-related lockdown. Moreover, the association of PA with mental health of the adolescents were analyzed. A total of 136 students (76 girls, mean age of 16.28 ± 0.97 years) from various schools in Iran wore the accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X-BT) for seven consecutive days. Mental health was measured through the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 of Lovibond and Lovibond (1995). Descriptive statistics and independent t-tests were used to analyze the PA levels of male and female students, and linear regressions were computed to examine whether PA predicts mental health status. On average, the daily time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was 18.47 min, which is clearly below the WHO guideline of at least 60 min of MVPA per day. Only 4% of adolescents showed MVPA for more than 30 min per day. Male students were significantly more active than their female peers (p = 0.015). As expected, MVPA was negatively associated with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress. However, the majority of adolescents reported symptoms of mild-to-moderate mental health disorders. These results emphasize the need for targeted strategies and offerings geared to young people's needs and preferences to promote an adequate level of PA and good mental health during and after the ongoing pandemic.

The health-related quality of life of patients with musculoskeletal disorders after the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose

To verify changes in the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with musculoskeletal disorders after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to assess the relationship between the patients’ change in several activities of daily living and in the HRQOL to discover factors related to the deterioration in HRQOL.

Methods

A multi-centre cross-sectional questionnaire survey was administered between November 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, in Japan. The participants included those who visited the orthopaedics clinic within the survey period and had experienced the first and second waves of COVID-19 in Japan and the first stay-at-home order issued by the government. Patients’ HRQOL at the two different time points (pre-outbreak and post-second wave of COVID-19) was assessed with the EuroQoL-5 dimensions 5-level (EQ-5D).

Results

The survey was completed by 1254 patients (average age: 52.5 ± 21.9 years; 644 women). Among them, 431 patients (34.3%) reported a decrease in the EQ-5D index after the pandemic. The largest decrease was in the pain domain followed by the mobility domain. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the patients with decreased regular exercise habits were significantly related to deterioration in HRQOL compared with those with stable regular exercise (adjusted odds ratio = 1.76, p < 0.001) independently from age, sex, and change of symptoms.

Conclusions

Up to 35% of patients with musculoskeletal disorders reported deterioration of HRQOL after the COVID-19 pandemic. Pain and mobility rather than anxiety were the two leading factors of the HRQOL decrease. The decrease in regular exercise was related to the HRQOL decrease.

Psychosocial Health and Physical Activity in People With Major Depression in the Context of COVID-19

Introduction: Major depression is a psychiatric disease associated with physical inactivity, which in turn affects mental and physical health. A randomized controlled trial is being implemented to facilitate physical activity in people with major depression. In March 2020, Swiss state authorities temporarily legislated a lockdown to contain the Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), which influenced health, behavior and research. The aim of this study was to find out whether data gathered before and during/after the lockdown among in-patients with major depression differ with regard to psychosocial health, physical activity and related attitudes and to establish whether baseline data have been affected by the lockdown. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis within a randomized controlled trial. Physically inactive, adult in-patients diagnosed with major depression were recruited from four Swiss psychiatric clinics between January 2019 and December 2020. Psychosocial health was measured with questionnaires pertaining to stress, sleep and health-related quality of life. Physical activity was measured with the Simple Physical Activity Questionnaire. Explicit attitudes were measured with seven questionnaires pertaining to physical activity-related motivation and volition. Implicit attitudes toward physical activity were captured with a single target implicit association test. Results: The sample consisted of 165 participants (n = 119 before lockdown, n = 46 during/after lockdown). No statistically significant differences were found between in-patients with major depression assessed before and during/after the COVID-19 lockdown with regard to psychosocial health (stress, p = 0.51; sleep, p = 0.70; physical component of health-related quality of life, p = 0.55; mental component of health-related quality of life, p = 0.64), self-reported physical activity (p = 0.16) and explicit as well as implicit attitudes toward physical activity (p = 0.94). Hence, the COVID-19-induced lockdown seems not to have led to group differences. Conclusion: Baseline data gathered in in-patients suffering from major depression who are physically inactive upon admission to in-patient treatment in Switzerland seem to be unaffected by the COVID-19-induced lockdown. To assess changes in said population regarding psychosocial health and physical activity patterns over time, longitudinal data are needed.

Impact of Long-Rope Jumping on Monoamine and Attention in Young Adults

Previous research has shown that rope jumping improves physical health; however, little is known about its impact on brain-derived monoamine neurotransmitters associated with cognitive regulation. To address these gaps in the literature, the present study compared outcomes between 15 healthy participants (mean age, 23.1 years) after a long-rope jumping exercise and a control condition. Long-rope jumping also requires co-operation between people, attention, spatial cognition, and rhythm sensation. Psychological questionnaires were administered to both conditions, and Stroop task performance and monoamine metabolite levels in the saliva and urine were evaluated. Participants performing the exercise exhibited lower anxiety levels than those in the control condition. Saliva analyses showed higher 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (a norepinephrine metabolite) levels, and urine analyses revealed higher 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (a serotonin metabolite) levels in the exercise condition than in the control. Importantly, urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid level correlated with salivary and urinary 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol levels in the exercise condition. Furthermore, cognitive results revealed higher Stroop performance in the exercise condition than in the control condition; this performance correlated with salivary 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol levels. These results indicate an association between increased 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol and attention in long-rope jumping. We suggest that long-rope jumping predicts central norepinephrinergic activation and related attention maintenance.

Exercise and adrenergic regulation of immunity

Exercise training has a profound impact on immunity, exerting a multitude of positive effects in indications such as immunosenescence, cancer, viral infections and inflammatory diseases. The immune, endocrine and central nervous systems work in a highly synergistic manner and it has become apparent that catecholamine signaling through leukocyte β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) is a key mechanism by which exercise mediates improvements in immune function to help mitigate numerous disease conditions. Central to this is the preferential mobilization and redistribution of effector lymphocytes with potent anti-viral and anti-tumor activity, their interaction with muscle-derived cytokines, and the effects of catecholamine signaling on mitochondrial biogenesis, immunometabolism and the resulting inflammatory response. Here, we review the impact of acute and chronic exercise on adrenergic regulation of immunity in the context of aging, cancer, viral infections and inflammatory disease. We also put forth our contention that exercise interventions designed to improve immunity, prevent disease and reduce inflammation should consider the catecholamine-AR signaling axis as a therapeutic target and ask whether or not the adrenergic signaling machinery can be 'trained' to improve immune responses to stress, disease or during the normal physiological process of aging. Finally, we discuss potential strategies to augment leukocyte catecholamine signaling to boost the effects of exercise on immunity in individuals with desensitized β-ARs or limited exercise tolerance.

Effects of team sports on anxiety, depression, perceived stress, and sleep quality in college students

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of team sports on alleviating depression, anxiety, perceived stress, and poor sleep quality in college students. Participants: Undergraduates (n = 291) from a major public university in China. Methods: A 12-week quasi-experimental study was conducted. Students were enrolled in team sports classes (n = 138, experimental group) and aerobic dance classes (n = 153, comparison group). Data was collected via questionnaires at pre and post-test. Results: Results indicated significant improvement in depression and sleep quality for college students over time (p < .05). Depression levels decreased significantly more for team sports group (p < .05) compared to aerobic dance group. Results showed no significant differences in anxiety or perceived stress between the two groups over time (p > .05). Conclusions: Team sports may help reduce depression and poor sleep quality in college students. However, physical activity alone may not help improve anxiety and perceived stress.

Predictive Strength of Contextual and Personal Variables in Soccer Players' Goal Orientations

Psychological variables, such as perceived motivational climate, goal orientation, self-determined motivation, and personality, have an influence on sports success performance. This study aimed to examine the relationships among a set of psychological variables (perceived motivational climate, goal orientation, self-determined motivation, and personality) in male and female footballers. Participants were 167 footballers (106 male, 61 female), aged 12 to 26, competing with clubs in the Spanish Football League. They all took four questionnaires aimed at evaluating motivational climate, goal orientations, self-determined motivation, and personality. The analyses of correlation and regression showed statistically significant relations among the variables. Neuroticism and psychoticism negatively relate to mastery motivational climate, the best predictor of self-determined motivation. It was concluded that contextual variables carry more weight in predicting goal orientations and self-determined motivation among participant footballers.

When American Adults Do Move, How Do They Do So? Trends in Physical Activity Intensity, Type, and Modality: 1988-2017

BACKGROUND

Few Americans accumulate enough physical activity (PA) to realize its benefits. Understanding how and why individuals use their discretionary time for different forms of PA could help identify and rectify issues that drive individuals away from certain physical activities, and leverage successful strategies to increase participation in others.

METHODS

The authors analyzed approximately 30 years of changes in PA behavior by intensity, type, and mode, using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

RESULTS

Since 1988, the proportions of adults most frequently engaging in exercise, sport, or lifestyle physical activity have changed noticeably. The most apparent changes from 1988 to 2017 were the proportions most frequently engaging in Exercise and Sport. In addition, the proportion of time reportedly spent in vigorous-intensity PA decreased over time, particularly among male respondents. Moreover, the proportion of Americans reporting an "Other" PA mode increased substantially, suggesting a growing need for a greater variety of easily accessible options for adult PA.

CONCLUSIONS

Over time, a smaller proportion of American adults reported participating in sport and exercise modalities and reported engaging more frequently in low-intensity physical activities.

Effects of Exercise Programs on Anxiety in Individuals with Disabilities: A Systematic Review with a Meta-Analysis

Anxiety symptoms are increasingly prevalent in individuals and may affect their quality of life. Physical exercise (PE) has been shown to be an effective method for reducing anxiety symptoms in the general population. The present study aimed to identify if PE programs can be a good method to reduce anxiety symptoms in individuals with disabilities, through the methodology of a systematic review with a meta-analysis. The PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases were used, considering the period from 2001 to 2021. The descriptors used were: “cerebral palsy”, “motor disability”, “physical disability”, “vision impairment”, “visual impairment”, “vision disability”, “intellectual disability”, “mental retardation”, “intellectual disabilities”, “hearing impairment”, “hearing disability”, “multiple disabilities”, “physical activity”, “exercise”, “sport”, “training”, and “anxiety”, with the Boolean operator “AND” or “OR”. The systematic review with a meta-analysis was carried out in the period between May and June 2021. The Z values (Z-values) obtained to test the null hypothesis, according to which the difference between means is zero, demonstrated a Z = 2.957, and a corresponding p-value of 0.003. Thus, we can reject the null hypothesis, and affirm that PE promotes positive effects and can be a good method or methodology for the reduction of anxiety symptoms of individuals with disabilities.

Levels of physical activity and barriers to sport participation in young people with gender dysphoria

OBJECTIVES

To determine the levels of physical activity (PA) in young people with gender dysphoria (GD) and help identify factors which deter participation.

METHODS

Fifty-six young people who attended paediatric endocrinology because of GD, June to October 2019, and were on treatment with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue were approached to participate in a survey.

RESULTS

A total of 55 young people (98%) responded to the survey. Thirty-eight (69%) participated in PA for >1 h/week. Thirty-two (58%) reported high motivation level for exercise. Those had median age of 15.9 years (10.7, 18.7) at the time of survey, and 13.6 years (9.7, 17.6) at start of GnRH analogue compared to 16.7 years (13.9, 18.5) (p, 0.047) and 15.4 years (11.2, 18.0) (p, 0.009) of the 23 (42%) who reported low motivation. Forty-one (74.5%) reported barriers when accessing PA, such as not being as good as others (75%), revealing sports clothing (73%) and not satisfied with body image (47%). Those were older (16.4 years [10.9, 18.7] vs. 14.7 years [10.7, 18.4] [p, 0.011]) at the time of survey and at start of GnRH analogue (14.9 years [9.7, 18.0] vs. 12.5 years [10.6, 15.2] [p, 0.0001]) than those 14 (25.5%) who reported facing no barriers. Twelve (85.7%) of those reporting no barriers stated high motivation levels compared to 20 (48.8%) of those reporting barriers (p, 0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

Strategies aimed at improving participation are twofold: first to improve motivation, especially in post-pubertal young people, and secondly to achieve societal change to help eliminate barriers.

Do personality traits have an impact on anxiety levels of athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic?

BACKGROUND

The sports world is one of the sectors most affected by the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. Athletes from specific sport disciplines have experienced the new situation in different ways. Therefore, understanding their individual experiences and psychological responses may help to design better intervention programs. Accordingly, this study investigated the relationship between athletes' personality traits and anxiety in the light of their individual experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE

The COVID-19 impact questionnaire, Big Five Inventory-35, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered to 321 male and 168 female athletes in Turkey from various sport disciplines. At the time of data collection, training and competitions had been canceled in all sports for two months.

RESULTS

Most athletes (70.7%) were worried about being infected with SARS-CoV-2 if competitions were to restart soon. The regression analyses revealed that emotional stability, extroversion, and age were negative predictors of state anxiety; emotional stability, extroversion, and conscientiousness were negative predictors of trait anxiety; agreeableness was a positive predictor of state anxiety. Athletes who perceived that their relationships with family or close friends worsened during home confinement (17.2%) had significantly higher state anxiety and trait anxiety scores than those who perceived a positive relationship change (28%) or no relationship change (54.8%). The agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability scores of athletes who perceived a negative relationship change with family or close friends were also significantly lower than for athletes who perceived no change or a positive change.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, personality traits affected athletes' anxiety levels and their relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Strange Days: Adult Physical Activity and Mental Health in the First Two Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: In addition to its physical health benefits, physical activity is increasingly recognized as a means to support mental health. Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with improved mental well-being, reduced likelihood of developing mental illness, and improved symptom management. Despite these benefits, most people fail to achieve minimum recommended levels of MVPA. Population levels of physical activity have further declined since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of public health measures (e.g., shelter-in-place protocols). The potential impact of this decline on mental heath outcomes warrants ongoing investigation. Purpose: To investigate associations between changes in MVPA and mental health (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and life satisfaction) in adults impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Research followed a cross-sectional design. English-speaking adults were invited to complete an online questionnaire. MVPA was assessed retrospectively (before COVID-19) and currently (during COVID-19) with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Mental health was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire, 9-Item (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder, 7-Item (GAD-7), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Regression was used to assess relationships between MVPA and mental health. ANOVA with follow-up tests examined whether participants who differed in mental health status (e.g., no symptoms vs. severe symptoms) differed in their change in MVPA. T-tests were used to examine differences in mental health symptomatology between participants who were sufficiently (i.e., achieving MVPA guidelines of ≥ 150 min/week) vs. insufficiently active. Results: Prior to COVID-19, 68.2% of participants were classified as being sufficiently active, vs. 60.6% during COVID-19. The majority of participants reported experiencing some level of depressive symptoms (62.0%) or anxiety symptoms (53.7%). After controlling for covariates, changes in MVPA accounted for significant variability in the PHQ-9 (7.7%), GAD-7 (2.5%), and SWLS (1.5 %). Participants with clinically significant mental health symptomatology reported greater declines in MVPA than those who reported no symptoms. Conversely, participants who were sufficiently active during COVID-19 reported significantly lower depression and anxiety, and higher life satisfaction. Conclusion: Participants who experienced the greatest declines in MVPA reported relatively greater psychological distress and lower life satisfaction. While preliminary, these findings suggest the importance of maintaining and promoting physical activity during a period of pandemic.

The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic Movement Restrictions on Self-Reported Physical Activity and Health in New Zealand: A Cross-Sectional Survey

This study describes self-reported physical activity (PA), motivation to exercise, physical and mental health and feelings towards PA during the March-May 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand. Adults over the age of 18 years (n = 238; 80.2% female) completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire 3, the Short Form-36 and open-ended questions about PA through an anonymous online survey. Regular exercise was undertaken by 85% of respondents prior to lockdown, but only 49.8% were able to maintain their usual level of PA. Although respondents were considered sufficiently physically active from the IPAQ, 51.5% reported not being able to maintain their usual level of PA primarily due to the closure of their gym facilities. Sixty percent of respondents reported that PA had a positive effect on their overall wellbeing. When asked to specify which aspects of wellbeing were affected, the effect on mental health was reported the most while the effect on body image or fitness was reported the least. Strategies to increase or maintain engagement in physical activity during lockdowns should be encouraged to promote positive mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Intensity of Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Dimensions of Mental Well-Being: A Reciprocal Approach Using Parallel Latent Growth Curve Modeling

BACKGROUND

The examination of the longitudinal effect of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) on mental well-being is important, but previous studies have typically been limited by their use of a cross-sectional approach. This study empirically examined how LTPA intensity was associated with changes in distinct functions of mental well-being (eg, emotional, psychological, social) over time, and vice versa.

METHODS

Parallel latent growth curve modeling in combination with propensity score matching analysis was conducted. Data were derived from a sample of adults from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study.

RESULTS

The results showed that the initial level of moderate LTPA at the baseline was associated with growth in psychological and social functioning over time, and vice versa. However, vigorous LTPA at the baseline was related only to growth in emotional functioning over time.

CONCLUSION

The longitudinal association between LTPA and mental well-being had different matching mechanisms for LTPA intensities and their relation to distinct functioning for mental well-being. The findings contribute to an enhanced understanding of LTPA's longitudinal effect on mental well-being.

Physical Activity Is Associated With Lower Long-Term Incidence of Anxiety in a Population-Based, Large-Scale Study

Physical activity may prevent anxiety, but the importance of exercise intensity, sex-specific mechanisms, and duration of the effects remains largely unknown. We used an observational study design to follow 395,369 individuals for up to 21 years to investigate if participation in an ultralong-distance cross-country ski race (Vasaloppet, up to 90 km) was associated with a lower risk of developing anxiety. Skiers in the race and matched non-skiers from the general population were studied after participation in the race using the Swedish population and patient registries. Skiers (n = 197,685, median age 36 years, 38% women) had a significantly lower risk of developing anxiety during the follow-up compared to non-skiers (adjusted hazard ratio, HR 0.42). However, among women, higher physical performance (measured as the finishing time to complete the race, a proxy for higher exercise dose) was associated with an increased risk of anxiety compared to slower skiing women (HR 2.00). For men, the finishing time of the race did not significantly impact the risk of anxiety. Our results support the recommendations of engaging in physical activity to decrease the risk of anxiety in both men and women. The impact of physical performance level on the risk of anxiety requires further investigations among women.

Physical activity partially mediates associations between "Big" personality traits and incident generalized anxiety disorder: Findings from the irish longitudinal study on ageing

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to examine associations of personality with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and physical activity (PA), PA with GAD, and PA mediates associations between personality and incident GAD.

METHODS

Participants aged ≥50 years completed the 60-item NEO-Five Factor Inventory questionnaire to assess personality and short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire at baseline, and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview - Short Form to clinically assess GAD at baseline and 2, 4, and 6 years later. Participants who had GAD at baseline or reported having ever been told by a doctor that they had anxiety were excluded from analyses. Binary logistic regression quantified associations of the 'Big Five' personality traits with PA and incident GAD, and associations of PA with incident GAD (i.e., GAD at any point during follow-up). The 'counterfactual approach' identified potential mediating effects of PA in the associations between personality traits and incident GAD.

RESULTS

Participants (n = 4582; 53.7% female) were aged 64.38±8.88 years. Incidence of GAD was 2.95% (n = 135). Extraversion (OR=1.160, 95%CI=1.087-1.237), openness (1.113, 1.043-1.188), and conscientiousness (1.083, 1.015-1.155) were positively associated with physical activity. Neuroticism was positively (2.335, 1.945-2.803), and extraversion (0.700, 0.563-0.797), conscientiousness (0.826, 0.693-0.985), and PA (0.655, 0.451-0.952) were inversely, associated with the incident GAD. Approximately 8.7% of the effect of extraversion and 8.8% of the effect of conscientiousness on GAD was due to mediation by PA only.

LIMITATIONS

PA was self-reported Conclusions: Personality screening may help to identify older adults at-risk of anxiety who would benefit from participation in physical activity interventions.

Effects of adolescent experience of food restriction and exercise on spatial learning and open field exploration of female rats

The hippocampus carries out multiple functions: spatial cognition dorsally (DH) and regulation of emotionality-driven behavior ventrally (VH). Previously, we showed that dendrites of DH and VH pyramidal neurons of female rats are still developing robustly during adolescence and are altered by the experience of food restriction and voluntary exercise on a wheel. We tested whether such anatomical changes during adolescence impact anxiety-like behavior and spatial cognition. Four groups of female rats were evaluated for these behaviors: those with wheel access in its cage from postnatal day (P) 36-44 (EX); those with food access restricted to 1 hr per day, from P40 to 44 (FR); those with EX from P36 to 44, combined with FR from P40 to 44, which we will refer to as EX + FR; and controls, CON (no EX, no FR). Open field test for anxiety-like behavior and active place avoidance test for spatial cognition were conducted at P47-49, the age when food restricted animals have restored body weight, or at P54-56, to identify more enduring effects. Anxiety-like behavior was elevated for the EX and FR groups at P47-49 but not for the EX + FR group. By P54-56, the EX + FR and EX groups exhibited less anxiety-like behavior, indicating a beneficial delayed main effect of exercise. There was a beneficial main effect of food restriction upon cognition, as the FR group showed cognition superior to CONs' at P44-46 and P54-56, while the EX + FR animals also showed enhanced spatial learning at P54-56. EX + FR animals with best adaptation to the feeding schedule showed the best spatial learning performance but with a delay. The EX group exhibited only a transient improvement. These findings indicate that FR, EX, and EX + FR in mid-adolescence are all beneficial in reducing anxiety-like behavior and improving spatial cognition but with subtle differences in the timing of their manifestation, possibly reflecting the protracted maturation of the hippocampus.