Examining the Social and Mental Health Benefits of Virtual and In-Person Physical Activity Intervention Among Postsecondary Students: Quasi-Experimental Study

Background Physical activity (PA) is a promising prevention approach for supporting mental health and enhancing social inclusion among postsecondary students. However, it is unclear whether similar outcomes are realized when PA programming is delivered in-person versus virtually. Objective Using data from a multiphase research project, the purpose of the study was to examine the influence of on-campus PA programming (virtual and in-person delivery) on mental ill health symptoms (ie, anxiety and depression), social inclusion indices (ie, social connectedness, emotional ties, and social relationship quality), and well-being. Three objectives were addressed: (1) to assess pre-post change in symptoms, social inclusion indices, and well-being for virtual and in-person delivery; (2) to evaluate whether outcome change over time differed by delivery mode; and (3) to examine whether change in symptoms and social inclusion indices predicted change in well-being for both delivery modes. Methods Physically inactive postsecondary students experiencing mental ill health participated in a 6-week structured and supervised PA program. Pre-post intervention data were collected across 3 phases, and the analytical samples included: 1. In-person delivery (n=87; 82%, 69/84 young adults; 86%, 86 women; 38%, 86 White; 20%, 86 Chinese; 86%, 87 with mental illness; 2. Virtual delivery (n=62; 69%, 61 young adults; 95%, 62 women; 34%, 62 White; 21%, 62 South Asian; 55%, 62 with mental illness), and 3. Data from students who received in-person or virtual delivery: (n=92; 67%, 91 young adults; 90%, 92 women; 32%, 92 White; 20%, 92 South Asian; 59%, 92 with mental illness). Data were analyzed using 2-tailed paired samples t tests to address objective 1, a 2 (delivery mode) × 2 (time: pre-post) repeated-measures ANOVA to address objective 2, and hierarchical regression analyses to address objective 3. Results Both virtual and in-person PA delivery were effective for symptom reduction and social inclusion improvements across all outcomes ( P <.001), with moderate-to-large effects. There was no significant time × delivery mode ( F 5,84 =0.72, ηp ²=0.04, P =.60) interaction effect. Change in social inclusion indices explained unique variance in well-being, beyond covariates (gender, mental illness, and ethno-racial identity), and symptom reduction for virtual ( R 2 adj = 0.75, ΔR 2 = 0 . 08 , P<. 001) and in-person ( R 2 adj = 0.72, ΔR 2 =0.16, P <.001) PA delivery. Conclusions Online distance learning is increasing across postsecondary settings worldwide, underscoring the need for accessible, technology-enabled mental health prevention interventions. The results provide support for the effectiveness of virtual and in-person PA programming for reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, while also enhancing social inclusion indices and overall well-being. Social inclusion indices were also a key contributor to improved well-being, emphasizing the relevance of social factors in both virtual and in-person PA-based mental health prevention strategies for postsecondary students.