Physical activity and perceived well-being in university students: implications for mental health
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v83.119602Keywords:
physical activity, well-being, environments, mental health, university studentsAbstract
Introduction: Mental health in university students represents an impact on well-being, academic performance and quality of life, and physical activity is also recognized as protective, however, there is a lack of knowledge about the impact of the use of university environments on it
Objective: To analyze the association between physical activity and perceived well-being in university students, considering the use of green spaces as a contextual variable and its implications for mental health.
Methodology: A quantitative, observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study was conducted with 626 university students. Sociodemographic variables, use of green spaces, physical activity (derived from the short version of the IPAQ), and perceived well-being (based on the WHO-5) were evaluated. Descriptive analyses, normality tests, Spearman's correlation, group comparisons using Kruskal-Wallis, linear regression, and exploratory logistic regression for risk of low well-being were performed. Results: Perceived well-being was found to have a mean of 65.8 ± 16.1, the green space use index a mean of 45.7 ± 22.4, and a low level of physical activity predominated (81.3%). Physical activity showed a positive association with perceived well-being (rho = .312; p < .001), while green space use did not show a significant association in the adjusted model.
Discussion: Reports indicate that physical activity is a predictor that influences the mental health and well-being of university students, where university environments foster social interaction.
Conclusion: The population has low levels of physical activity, which induces a vulnerability in mental health, with implications for their perceived well-being, where the use of university environments is important.
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