Key result
Meeting VPA links to lower stress and better health but higher depression versus no VPA.
Why the study?
Vigorous physical activity may benefit mental health, but its cross-sectional associations with perceived stress, sleep quality and quantity, and mental health among university students needed investigation.
Does meeting vigorous physical activity recommendations improve perceived stress, sleep, and mental health in university students?
Cross-Sectional (n=15,122)
Yes
Does meeting vigorous physical activity recommendations improve perceived stress, sleep, and mental health in university students?
Vigorous physical activity is associated with lower perceived stress and better subjective health, but also higher reported depression, with no effect on sleep or PTSD among university students in low- and middle-income countries.
Signals mixed mental health associations with VPA in students; hypothesis-generating and requires longitudinal confirmation before guiding recommendations.
Vigorous physical activity(VPA) may be beneficial for mental health.The aim of the study was to investigate cross-sectional associations between VPA, perceived stress, sleep quality and quantity and mental health among university students. In a cross-sectional study, using anonymous questionnaires, data was collected from 15122 (42.1% male and 57.9% female) university students [mean age 20.6, standard deviation (SD) = 2.0] from 23 countries in the Americas,Africa and Asia.They were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (shortversion),and measures of sociodemographic,health status,health behaviour and anthropometrics. Students who met VPA recommendations were less likely to report perceived stress, more likely to report subjective good health and depression than students without VPA. There was no association between VPA and sleep quality and quantity and PTSD symptoms. This study only found partial benefits of VPA in relation to well-being of university students.
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Human Sciences Research Council (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Mental health (n=15,122). Vigorous physical activity (VPA) vs. Students without VPA was evaluated on Perceived stress, sleep quality and quantity, and mental health. Meeting vigorous physical activity recommendations was associated with lower perceived stress and better subjective health, but also higher depression, compared to students without VPA.
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