Analysis of the intervention effect and self-satisfaction of sports dance exercise on the psychological stress of college students

Effectiveness of physical activity interventions on undergraduate students' mental health: systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effectiveness of physical activity interventions on undergraduate students' mental health. Seven databases were searched and a total of 59 studies were included. Studies with a comparable control group were meta-analysed, and remaining studies were narratively synthesized. The included studies scored very low GRADE and had a high risk of bias. Meta-analyses indicated physical activity interventions are effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety (n = 20, standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.88, 95% CI [-1.23, -0.52]), depression (n = 14, SMD = -0.73, 95% CI [-1.00, -0.47]) and stress (n = 10, SMD = -0.61, 95% CI [-0.94, -0.28]); however, there was considerable heterogeneity (anxiety, I2 = 90.29%; depression I2 = 49.66%; stress I2 = 86.97%). The narrative synthesis had mixed findings. Only five studies reported being informed by a behavioural change theory and only 30 reported intervention fidelity. Our review provides evidence supporting the potential of physical activity interventions in enhancing the mental health of undergraduate students. More robust intervention design and implementation are required to better understand the effectiveness of PA interventions on mental health outcomes.

The effectiveness of physical activity interventions in improving higher education students' mental health: A systematic review

Traditional interventions aiming to improve students' mental health and quality of life include meditation or canine therapy. The development of physical activity-related interventions has increased over the past decade. We aimed to review all studies using physical activity for improving the mental health and quality of life in higher education students whilst describing the interventions, measurements and effectiveness. A systematic search of six electronic databases including: ProQuest, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus and CENTRAL, was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Randomized or non-randomized controlled trial physical activity-related interventions involving higher education students aiming to improve their mental health and quality of life were included. Searches yielded 58 articles with interventions involving martial arts, sport, mind-body exercises and anaerobic exercises. Psychological measures varied across studies including the State Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory and the Perceived Stress Scale. Over half of the studies included in this review (n = 36) were effective in improving students' mental health or quality of life. Findings from our review suggest that interventions aiming to be effective in improving students' mental health quality of life should aim to deliver moderate-vigorous intensity exercises such as dance or Pilates. This systematic review was based on a published protocol in PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42022325975).

The Mediating Effect of Stress between Extracurricular Activities and Suicidal Ideation in Chinese College Students

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between extracurricular activities, stress, and suicidal ideation and to examine the mediating effect of stress between extracurricular activities and suicidal ideation in Chinese college students.

METHOD

A total of 6446 college students were surveyed with a web-based online data collection system using the self-made demographic questionnaire, Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), and the 21-Item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). SPSS 24.0 was used for descriptive statistics and correlation analysis, and the bootstrap method in the process procedure for SPSS Version 3.4.1 was used to construct the mediating effect model.

RESULTS

Gender, school grades, living area, and family income status were influencing factors for suicidal ideation, stress, and extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities were negatively correlated with stress (r = -0.083, p < 0.001) and suicidal ideation (r = -0.039, p < 0.01). Extracurricular activities had no direct predictive effect on college students' suicidal ideation (c = -0.198, CI: -0.418, 0.023), while stress had a mediating effect between extracurricular activities and suicidal ideation; the indirect mediating effect was 0.159.

CONCLUSIONS

Extracurricular activities indirectly predict college students' suicidal ideation through stress. A variety of extracurricular activities can decrease the stress and suicidal ideation of college students and benefit their mental health.