The Relationship Between Chinese College Student Offspring's Physical Activity and Father Physical Activity During COVID-19 Pandemic

Mediterranean diet adherence on self-concept and anxiety as a function of weekly physical activity: an explanatory model in higher education

Introduction

Scientific literature has now demonstrated the benefits of an active lifestyle for people's psychological health. Based on the above statement, the aim was to (a) evaluate and adjust a structural equation model containing the variables anxiety, self-concept, and Mediterranean diet adherence and (b) contrast the proposed theoretical model by studying the differences between the variables according to the level of weekly physical activity in a sample of 558 university students.

Methods

A non-experimental, exploratory, cross-sectional investigation has been proposed. Instruments such as the PREDIMED Questionnaire, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the Form 5 Self-Concept Questionnaire were used to collect data.

Results and discussion

The results illustrate that students showing low adherence to the Mediterranean diet had higher levels of anxiety (M = 0.95) than those showing a high degree of adherence (M = 0.75). It is also observed that young people with a high degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet report higher scores in the different dimensions of self-concept compared to young people with a low degree of adherence. In conclusion, it is affirmed that young people who show a high degree of adherence to this dietary pattern show lower levels of anxiety and greater recognition of the different areas of their self-concept.

The Relationship between Physical Exercise and Negative Emotions in College Students in the Post-Epidemic Era: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation Self-Efficacy

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between physical activity and negative emotions among college students in the post-epidemic era and determine if emotional regulation plays a mediating role between physical activity and negative emotions.

METHODS

479 college students (293 males, 186 females, M = 19.94, SD = 1.25) who were under closed campus management during the epidemic period were surveyed using the physical activity rating scale (PARS-3), the self-assessment scale for anxiety (SAS), the self-esteem scale for depression (SDS), and the emotion regulation self-efficacy scale (RES).

RESULTS

(1) Physical activity, negative emotions, and emotion regulation self-efficacy among college students were significantly different by gender (p < 0.01). (2) Physical exercise was negatively correlated with anxiety and depression (r = -0.236, p < 0.01; r = -0.198, p < 0.01) and positively correlated with emotion regulation self-efficacy (r = 0.256, p < 0.01) in college students. (3) Emotion regulation self-efficacy was negatively correlated with anxiety and depression (r = -0.440, p < 0.01; r = -0.163, p < 0.01). (4) Emotion regulation self-efficacy also partially mediated the relationship between physical activity and negative emotions.

CONCLUSION

(1) Physical activity in the post-epidemic era negatively predicted anxiety and depression in school-isolated college students. (2) Emotion regulation self-efficacy in the post-epidemic era partially mediates the relationship between physical activity and anxiety and depression.