Physical activity avoidance as a predictor of anxiety and sleep quality in women

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between women's attitudes toward intense physical exertion and subjectively perceived feelings of helplessness and symptoms of premature waking. Special attention was paid to the relationship between physical activity avoidance, anxiety and sleep quality. Material and methods: The study included 75 randomly selected women from Poland, aged 34-61 years (M = 53.11 ± 5.38), mostly married women with higher education. The STAI to assess anxiety, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were used. Cluster analysis, stepwise regression and Spearman correlation analysis were used for statistical evaluation. Statistical significance was taken at p < 0.05. Results: Significant differences were found between clusters in terms of physical activity levels, with no significant differences in anxiety levels. Avoidance of intense physical activity was a significant predictor of higher state anxiety (B = 0.568; p < 0.001). Wakefulness frequency and body mass showed no significant association with anxiety levels. Sleep disturbances were associated with higher levels of anxiety, and correlations suggested associations between anxiety, lifestyle and education. Conclusions: Avoidance of intense exercise is significantly associated with higher levels of state anxiety in women, independent of other variables. Subjective attitudes toward exercise are more important for psychological well-being than activity level alone. The results indicate the need to consider psychological factors - such as anxiety and sense of efficacy - in promoting women's mental and physical health.