HIGHER MODIFIED BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY SCORES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH BODY, EATING, AND EXERCISE COMPARISONS BUT DECREASED EXERCISE AMOUNTS

Self-appreciation is not enough: exercise identity mediates body appreciation and physical activity and the role of perceived stress

Introduction

This study explores the relationship between body appreciation and physical activity, focusing on the mediating role of exercise identity and the moderating effect of perceived stress. While individuals with positive body image are generally thought to engage in proactive physical activity, it remains unclear whether this positive attitude necessarily promotes exercise.

Methods

We conducted a short-term longitudinal survey, recruiting 345 college students 28 (100 females, 245 males; M age = 22.94, SD = 5.99) who completed questionnaires at two-week intervals for a total of three times within four weeks. Body appreciation, exercise identity, perceived stress, and physical activity were measured for the participants separately.

Results

The results demonstrated that body appreciation positively predicted physical activity, exercise identity partially mediated the positive effect of body appreciation on physical activity, and perceived stress played a moderating role in body appreciation and exercise identity.

Discussion

These results highlight the significant role of body appreciation in influencing physical activity through exercise identity, with perceived stress further moderating this relationship. The study underscores the importance of promoting body appreciation and regulating stress to enhance physical activity engagement among college students.

Relationship of physical activity and sleep with depression in college students

Objectives: This study examined the relationship between physical activity, sleep and depression among college students and gender differences in physical activity, sleep and depression. Methods: Participants were 1143 students from a large public university in Beijing and completed three questionnaires to measure their physical activity habits, sleep patterns, and depression levels. Data from were analyzed using descriptive statistics, stepwise regression, and an independent t test. Results: Results indicated that vigorous physical activity and sleep variables significantly predicted depression levels for the overall sample (F = 77.286, p = .000). When examined by gender, vigorous and moderate physical activity variables significantly predicted depression for males (t = -2.772, p = .006; t = -2.622, p = .009), whereas no level of physical activity had a significant relationship with depression for females. Conclusions: Rigorous physical activity and quality sleep may be beneficial to helping college students reduce and regulate depressive symptoms, however may vary by gender.