Physical activity improves mental health

Influencing factors of quality of life among front-line nurses who collected nucleic acid samples during COVID-19: a path analysis

Aim

The aim of this study is to investigate the quality of life of nurses who collected nucleic acid samples throughout the COVID-19 epidemic's routine management, as well as the factors that may have influenced it.

Background

After the outbreak of COVID-19, normalized epidemic prevention and control throughout China were implemented. Nucleic acid testing has become an effective measure for the early detection of virus-infected individuals. Nurses collecting nucleic acid samples undertake important tasks. Their quality of life is significant to maintaining team stability and containing the epidemic. However, research on their quality of life is still limited.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1,292 nurses who collected nucleic acid samples from five tertiary general hospitals in Xi'an through self-reported electronic questionnaires (including general demographic information, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Social Support Rating Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Scale). Descriptive, one-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression were performed using SPSS 26.0. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the influencing factors.

Results

The nurses collecting nucleic acid samples had a modest level of quality of life. Age, marital status, average daily sleep duration, frequency of exercise, psychological resilience, and social support were all influencing factors of quality of life, according to multiple linear regression analysis. Quality of life was found to be significantly related to psychological resilience and social support.

Conclusion

Demographic characteristics, psychological resilience, and social support are the factors affecting the quality of life of nurses who collect nucleic acid samples. Nursing managers should focus more on these factors to improve the quality of life for nurses.

Relevance to clinical practice

Nursing managers should realize the importance of the quality of life of nurses who collect nucleic acid samples in maintaining a vigorous nursing team and ensuring optimized epidemic control. Social support should also be provided to nurses to improve their psychological resilience, thereby improving their quality of life.

Mental Simulation to Promote Exercise Intentions and Behaviors

Mental simulation, which employs specific patterns of imagery, can increase the intention to exercise as well as actual engagement in exercise. The present studies explored the effects of mental simulation on the intention to engage in exercise while regulating emotions. The first study confirmed that mental simulation did promote intentions of participants. The second found that video-primed mental simulation was a more effective method of exercise intention promotion than semantic-primed and image-primed mental simulation. In the third study, it was found that combining process-based and outcome-based mental simulations increased exercise intentions. Positive emotions mediated imagery ability and intention to exercise. The final study found that the mental simulation interventions most effective for exercise adherence were those that balanced the valence of process and outcome components in such a way that a challenging process results in a positive outcome, or a smooth process results in a negative outcome. Each of these results has practical implications for exercise interventions that will be discussed.

The influence of core affect on cyclo-ergometer endurance performance: Effects on performance outcomes and perceived exertion

BACKGROUND

Core affect is defined as the most general affective construct consciously accessible that is experienced constantly. It can be experienced as free-floating (mood) or related to prototypical emotional episodes. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of pleasant and unpleasant core affect on cyclo-ergometer endurance performance. Specifically, we considered the influence of pleasant and unpleasant core affect on performance outcomes (i.e., time to task completion) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE; Borg Scale, category ratio-10) collected during the task.

METHODS

Thirty-one participants aged 20-28 years were recruited. Core affect was randomly elicited by 2 sets of pleasant and unpleasant pictures chosen from the international affective picture system. Pictures were displayed to participants during a cyclo-ergometer performance in 2 days in a counterbalanced order. RPE was collected every minute to detect volunteers' exhaustion.

RESULTS

The study sample was split into 2 groups. Group 1 comprised participants who performed better with pleasant core affect, whereas Group 2 included participants who performed better with unpleasant core affect. Mixed between-within subjects analysis of variance revealed a significant 2 (group) × 2 (condition) × 5 (isotime) interaction (p = 0.002, η_p² = 0.158). Post hoc comparisons showed that participants who obtained better performance with pleasant core affect (pleasant pictures; Group 1) reported lower RPE values at 75% of time to exhaustion in a pleasant core affect condition compared to an unpleasant core affect condition. On the other hand, participants who obtained better performance with unpleasant core affect (unpleasant pictures; Group 2) reported lower RPE values at 75% and 100% of time to exhaustion in an unpleasant core affect condition.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest differential effects of pleasant and unpleasant core affect on performance. Moreover, core affect was found to influence perceived exertion and performance according to participants' preferences for pleasant or unpleasant core affect.

Leisure-time physical activity and life expectancy in people with cardiometabolic multimorbidity and depression

BACKGROUND

Whether and to what extent leisure-time physical activity at the recommended levels of 150-min moderate activity is associated with survival in people with cardiometabolic multimorbidity and depression is unknown.

METHODS

UK Biobank participants were classified into groups: (i) no disease; (ii) diabetes; (iii) cardiovascular disease (CVD); (iv) depression; (v) diabetes and CVD; (vi) diabetes and depression; (vii) CVD and depression; (viii) diabetes, CVD and depression. Leisure-time physical activity was categorized as active (meeting recommendations) or inactive. Survival models were applied to estimate life expectancy.

RESULTS

A total of 480 940 participants were included (median age, 58 years; 46% men; 95% white), of whom 74% with cardiometabolic multimorbidity and depression were inactive. During a mean follow-up of 7 years, 11 006 deaths occurred. At age of 45 years, being physically active was associated with 2.34 (95% confidence interval: 0.93, 3.54) additional years of life compared with being inactive in participants with diabetes; corresponding estimates were 2.28 (1.40, 3.16) for CVD; 2.15 (0.05, 4.26) for diabetes and CVD; and 1.58 (1.27, 1.89) for no disease. Participants with a combination of diabetes, CVD and depression, being active was associated with 6.81 (-1.50, 15.31) additional years compared with being inactive; corresponding estimates were 3.07 (-2.46, 8.59) for diabetes and depression; 2.34 (-1.24, 5.91) for CVD and depression; and 0.80 (-0.46, 2.05) for depression. A similar pattern was found at 65 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Meeting the recommended level of physical activity was associated with a longer life expectancy in people with cardiometabolic multimorbidity but not in those with depression.

Gamification in Healthcare: Motivating South Africans to Exercise

Studies have shown that daily exercise has a positive effect on the prevention of heart disease. However, many South Africans do not have a healthy lifestyle. Some forms of gamification have been applied in health-related programmes in South Africa such as Multiply’s Active Dayz™ and Discovery’s Active rewards. This study looks at the motivational aspects of gamification in healthcare. It investigates the impact of gamification on clients’ use of activity rewards programmes, and aims to identify the core motivational factors that would drive people in South Africa to improve their health through exercise. We use Yu-Kai Chou’s Octalysis framework of motivation in gamification as guide. The results show that time is a barrier for engaging in exercise, rewards programmes lead to more health check-ups, knowing the benefits of exercise not enough motivation to engage in exercise, and members of rewards programmes have different motivational factors for their behaviour than non-members.

Measuring Positive Health Behaviors and Outcomes with Low Scores on MMPI-2-RF Somatic Scales

Previous empirical studies have established that poor mental and physical health often cooccur. However, positive health behaviors and outcomes have been demonstrated to buffer against psychological dysfunction. Thus, the ability to assess for positive health behaviors and outcomes with instruments commonly used in practice, such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF), is important. However, no study has examined the ability of MMPI-2-RF somatic scale scores to predict positive health behaviors among a healthy population. As such, in this study, we conducted correlational analyses and difference tests with 406 undergraduate students from a Midwestern university to examine whether scores on MMPI-2-RF scales assessing somatic complaints were meaningfully related to measures of health behaviors and outcomes. Results indicated high scores on the Restructured Clinical Somatic Complaints (RC1) scale and associated Specific Problems (SP) scales were meaningfully related to symptom reporting and energy level, and the SP Malaise (MLS) scale was also related to sleep quality and exercise. Additionally, low scores on RC1 and MLS were related to lack of somatic complaints and good sleep quality respectively. Overall, these findings suggest that low scores on MMPI-2-RF scales might be useful for predicting specific resilient health behaviors.

Expanding the Scope of Universal Design: Implications for Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

This article encourages postsecondary educators to expand the scope of applications of universal design and universal instructional design by exploring how principles of UD and UID can be applied to other social identities, and specifically to gender identity and sexual orientation. There are many parallels that can be drawn between students who are excluded because of their disability and students who are marginalized on the basis of nonconforming gender identity or sexual orientation. It is important that faculty and staff understand intersectionality and interdependence among social identities and consider what steps they can take to apply UID principles in ways that consider multiple aspects of identity in order to provide inclusive educational experiences for all students. Scenarios for further discussion are provided.

The Practice of Hatha Yoga for the Treatment of Pain Associated with Endometriosis

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to compare chronic pelvic pain, menstrual patterns, and quality of life (QoL) in two groups of women with endometriosis: those who did and those who did not participate in a specific 8-week yoga intervention.

METHOD

This was a randomized controlled trial. It was conducted at the University of Campinas Medical School, Campinas, SP, Brazil. Forty women were randomly divided into two groups: an intervention group of women who practiced yoga (n = 28), and a control group of women who did not practice yoga (n = 12). Participants attended 90-min scheduled yoga sessions twice a week for 8 weeks. Additionally, an Endometriosis Health Profile (EHP)-30 questionnaire was applied to evaluate women's QoL at admission and 2 months later upon completion of the yoga program. Menstrual and daily pain patterns were evaluated through a daily calendar (visual analog scale).

RESULTS

The degree of daily pain was significantly lower among the women who practiced yoga compared with the non-yoga group (p = 0.0007). There was an improvement of QoL in both groups between baseline and the end of the study evaluation. In relation to EHP-30 domains, pain (p = 0.0046), impotence (p = 0.0006), well-being (p = 0.0009), and image (p = 0.0087) from the central questionnaire, and work (p = 0.0027) and treatment (p = 0.0245) from the modular questionnaire were significantly different between the study groups over time. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the diary of menstrual patterns (p = 0.96).

CONCLUSIONS

Yoga practice was associated with a reduction in levels of chronic pelvic pain and an improvement in QoL in women with endometriosis.

A Qualitative Study on the Practice of Yoga for Women with Pain-Associated Endometriosis

OBJECTIVES

To understand the meaning women with pain-associated endometriosis attribute to yoga practice regarding their physical and emotional state at the beginning of the practice; pain management by integrating body and mind; secondary benefits of the practice of yoga, such as self-knowledge, self-care, and autonomy; and the role of the yoga group as psychosocial support.

DESIGN

Qualitative study conducted simultaneously with a randomized clinical trial.

SETTING

Public university hospital in southeastern Brazil between August 2013 and December 2014.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifteen women with pain-associated endometriosis who practiced yoga for 8 weeks.

INTERVENTION

After completing the twice-a-week program, all women participated in a single, semi-structured interview. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and thematic analyses were performed.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The main themes of analysis were women's expectations regarding the practice of yoga, physical and emotional state of women at the beginning of yoga practice, control and pain management through the integration of body and mind, secondary benefits, acquisition of self-knowledge and autonomy, and the role of yoga group as psychosocial support.

RESULTS

All participants reported that yoga was beneficial to control pelvic pain. They related that they were aware of the integration of body and psyche during yoga practice and that this helped in the management of pain. Women said they had identified a relationship between pain management and breathing techniques (pranayama) learned in yoga and that breathing increased their ability to be introspective, which relieved pain. The participants have developed greater self-knowledge, autonomy, and self-care and have reduced the use of pain and psychiatric medications. They created ties among themselves, suggesting that the yoga group allowed psychosocial support.

CONCLUSIONS

Bodily and psychosocial mechanisms to control pain were identified in women with endometriosis. To reach such control, it is crucial that mind and body integrative techniques are learned.

Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Depressive Symptoms Among Latinos: Does Use of Community Resources for Physical Activity Matter?

BACKGROUND

Greater neighborhood social cohesion is linked to fewer depressive symptoms and greater physical activity, but the role of physical activity on the relationship between neighborhood social cohesion and depression is poorly understood. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of physical activity on the association between neighborhood social cohesion and depressive symptoms.

METHODS

Multivariate logistic regression tested the moderation of self-reported leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (LTMVPA) and active use of parks or recreational facilities on the association between neighborhood social cohesion and depressive symptoms among 295 randomly selected Latino adults who completed a face-to-face interview.

RESULTS

After adjusting for age, gender, and income, neighborhood social cohesion and depressive symptoms were inversely related (OR = 0.8; 95% CI: 0.5-1.2). Active use of parks or recreational facilities moderated the association between neighborhood social cohesion and depressive symptoms but meeting the recommendations for LTMVPA did not. Latinos who reported active use of parks or recreational facilities and higher levels of neighborhood social cohesion had fewer depressive symptoms than peers who did not use these spaces.

CONCLUSIONS

Future studies are needed to test strategies for promoting active use of parks or recreational facilities to address depression in Latinos.

The psychological benefits of recreational running: a field study

Running yields positive changes in affect, but the external validity of controlled studies has received little attention in the literature. In this inquiry, 50 recreational runners completed the Exercise-Induced Feeling Inventory (Gauvin & Rejeskí, 1993) before and after a bout of self-planned running on an urban running path. Positive changes were seen in all four measures of affect (p < .001). Multivariate regressions were performed to examine the contribution of four exercise characteristics (i.e., duration of the current run, weekly running time, weekly running distance, and running experience) to the observed changes in affect. The results have revealed that exercise characteristics accounted for only 14-30% of the variance in the recreational runners' affect, in both directions. It is concluded that psychological benefits of recreational running may be linked to placebo (conditioning and/or expectancy) effects.

Effect of aging on the perceptions of physical and mental health in an Australian population

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of age on the perceptions of mental and physical health in an Australian population. A cross-sectional study of the Queensland population was conducted via telephone interviews (n = 1165). The Short Form-12 Health Survey was used to measure the population's perceived physical and mental health and additional demographic information was collected. Groups with participants who were aged 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and > 65 years were compared. The results suggested that the participants' perceptions of mental health gradually increased with age, as the 55-64 and > 65 years old age groups scored significantly higher than did the younger age groups. Conversely, the older participants scored significantly lower than the younger participants on the physical health scale. Further research is warranted to consider the factors that might influence the perceptions of mental health across the life span.

Physical activity and mental health in a student population

BACKGROUND

A growing body of literature indicates that physical activity can have beneficial effects on mental health. However, previous research has mainly focussed on clinical populations, and little is known about the psychological effects of physical activity in those without clinically defined disorders.

AIMS

The present study investigates the association between physical activity and mental health in an undergraduate university population based in the United Kingdom.

METHOD

One hundred students completed questionnaires measuring their levels of anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and their physical activity regime using the Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ).

RESULTS

Significant differences were observed between the low, medium and high exercise groups on the mental health scales, indicating better mental health for those who engage in more exercise.

CONCLUSIONS

Engagement in physical activity can be an important contributory factor in the mental health of undergraduate students.

Physical activity and PDE5 inhibitors in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: results of a randomized controlled study

INTRODUCTION

Physical activity (PhA) has proven to be a protective factor for normal erectile function in numerous epidemiological studies.

AIM

The aim of this study was to establish if PhA could have a therapeutic role in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED).

METHODS

This was a randomized, open-label study. A total of 60 patients complaining of ED were studied. Patients were assessed at baseline and after 3 months of study treatment. At baseline, patients were randomized to receive phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) alone (group A) or PDE5i plus regular (≥3 hours/week), aerobic, non-agonistic PhA (group B).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

All subjects completed the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15) questionnaire and performed total testosterone (TT).

RESULTS

Mean PhA was 3.4 hours/week in group B vs. 0.43 in group A; mean energy expenditure in group B was 1,868 kcal/ week or 22.8 metabolic equivalent (MET)/week. IIEF restoration of ED occurred in 77.8% (intervention group) vs. 39.3% (control) (P < 0.004). The IIEF-15 score resulted in statistical improvement in intervention group in all the domains but one (orgasm): erectile function 24.7 vs. 26.8 (P = 0.003); confidence (Q15) 3.53 vs. 4.07 (P = 0.006); sexual desire 6.46 vs. 7.18 (P = 0.028); intercourse satisfaction 9.85 vs. 11.25 (P = 0.001); total satisfaction 7.17 vs. 8.07 (P = 0.009); total score 56.2 vs. 61.07 (P = 0.007). TT was statistically similar in the two groups; separate analysis in each group showed statistical increase in group B 4.24 vs. 4.55 (P = 0.012). At multivariate logistic regression analysis, PhA was the only independent variable for normal erection (P = 0.010) (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.036-0.643), higher sexual satisfaction (P = 0.022) (95% CI 0.084-0.821) and normal total IIEF-15 score (P = 0.023) (95% CI 0.85-0.837).

CONCLUSION

In this randomized controlled pilot study, PDE5i plus PhA was more effective than PDE5i alone in the treatment of ED.

'I know it is only exercise, but to me it is something that keeps me going': a qualitative approach to understanding mental health service users' experiences of sports therapy

The relationship between exercise and mental health is well documented and has led to the inclusion of exercise into the treatment of people with mental health problems. A qualitative (grounded theory) methodology, using focus groups, investigated the experiences of people with mental health problems, who had successfully participated in exercise as part of their treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of service users who had successfully participated in sports therapy as part of their treatment. One of the researchers is also a service user who has participated in sports therapy and these experiences provided an insight into the research, especially in the design of the interview schedule, data collection (empathy with participants), and in the interpretation of the data. The dual role of service user and researcher is commended in contemporary mental health research and as such makes this study unique. A conceptual model is presented that explains the participants' subjective experiences, opinions, and perceptions of the role exercise has in their treatment, and their perceived outcomes from participation. The findings support sports therapy as an acceptable and beneficial adjunct to usual treatment for some people with mental health problems within the community, but that problems exist regarding knowledge and understanding of the theory underpinning its use.

Effects of a walking intervention on fatigue-related experiences of hospitalized acute myelogenous leukemia patients undergoing chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial

The purpose of this randomized, controlled clinical trial was to preliminarily examine the effects of a three-week walking exercise program (WEP) on fatigue-related experiences of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients receiving chemotherapy. Eligible AML patients were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n=11), which received 12 minutes of WEP per day, five days per week for three consecutive weeks, or to a control group (n=11), which received standard ward care. Effects of the WEP were assessed by seven indicators: worst and average fatigue intensities, fatigue interference with patients' daily life, 12-minute walking distance, overall symptom distress, anxiety, and depressive status. All patients were evaluated four times: before chemotherapy (baseline or Day 1), Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21 of chemotherapy. Data were analyzed by Generalized Estimating Equation and revealed that AML patients in the three-week WEP group had a significantly greater increase in 12-minute walking distance than the control group. Patients in the WEP also had lower levels of fatigue intensity and interference, symptom distress, anxiety, and depressive status than the control group. Although preliminary, our results strongly suggest that three weeks of systematic walking exercise is clinically feasible for AML patients undergoing chemotherapy and can effectively improve their fatigue-related experiences.

Walking back to health: a qualitative investigation into service users' experiences of a walking project

The relationship between physical activity and mental health is well documented and has led to the inclusion of physical activity into the treatment of people with mental health problems within heath care. However, little research has been conducted on the outcomes these programmes have for the people who participate in them. This study investigated the perceived health outcomes of people with mental health problems who had successfully participated in a walking project. The research is a descriptive qualitative study that used individual interviews and the constant comparative method of analysis. Findings conclude that physical activity programmes have a significant part to play in the quality of life of people with mental health problems and have the potential to be an integral part of their health care.

'I feel totally at one, totally alive and totally happy': a psycho-social explanation of the physical activity and mental health relationship

This paper reports findings from a qualitative investigation into the relationship between physical activity and mental health from the experiences of participants on exercise referral schemes. A grounded theory methodology was adopted which used focus groups and semi-structured interviews with participants from three exercise referral schemes in England. Schemes were representative of different types within the UK, and included a local authority leisure centre, a private health club and a local authority leisure centre scheme with organized countryside hikes. Pre- and post-exercise referral intervention focus groups, and interviews with purposively sampled individuals, were undertaken. Eighteen people participated and interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analyzed. A conceptual framework emerged, and provides a psycho-social explanation for the physical activity and mental health relationship from the perspectives of the participants' who experienced it. The explanation of the relationship from this perspective identifies the core category 'self-acceptance', and the importance and interrelationship of context-related factors (such as social support and the physical environment), for the elicitation of positive experiences for people on exercise referral schemes. Investigating participant's experiences within the social contexts of exercise referral schemes provides an understanding about whether schemes have the potential to influence the mental health of referred patients.