Active Students Are Healthier and Happier Than Their Inactive Peers: The Results of a Large Representative Cross-Sectional Study of University Students in Ireland

Murphy, Marie; Carlin, Angela; Woods, Catherine; Nevill, Alan M.; MacDonncha, Ciarán; Ferguson, Kyle; Murphy, Niamh

doi:10.1123/jpah.2017-0432

Cited by 65 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…For moderate, sub‐clinical stress students may be encouraged to participate in enjoyable forms of exercise that do not require an admission of vulnerability to stress, and offer additional benefits including enhanced physical health and social interaction. Cross‐sectional studies confirm that physical activity correlates with students’ well‐being (Murphy et al., ). However, a decline in physical activity typically accompanies the transition to adulthood (Kwan, Cairney, Faulkner, & Pullenayegum, ), and around 40–50 per cent of college students are physically inactive (Keating, Guan, Piñero, & Bridges, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

A Comparison of the Effects of 45‐minute Aerobic Training and Cognitive Task Solving on Transient Mood States in a Female Student Sample

Stolarska

Stolarski

Matthews

2019

Applied Psych Health & Well

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Background: The beneficial effects of moderate-intensity physical exercise on mood are well established. Students in higher education are a group vulnerable to stress who may benefit from aerobic exercise classes. The present study broadens existing findings by testing the impact on mood of a 45-minute-long aerobic training session, conducted in a naturalistic setting. Method: A three-dimensional mood assessment that distinguished hedonic tone (pleasantness of mood) from energetic and tense arousal dimensions was used for assessment of pre-and posttraining mood in a sample of women (n = 120) taking part in a 45-minute aerobic training. A control group (n = 120) performed cognitive tasks. Results: Physical but not cognitive activity elevated mood on all three dimensions, but the effect size was largest for energetic arousal. It was also found that mood improvements in terms of energy and tension change were strongest for individuals initially low in hedonic tone. Conclusions: The finding supports the hypothesis that successful completion of an exercise session in a naturalistic setting may enhance mood in female students. At a practical level, the study suggests that exercise classes may help students cope with the mood impairments resulting from demanding cognitive activities, leading to potential educational benefits.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

A Comparison of the Effects of 45‐minute Aerobic Training and Cognitive Task Solving on Transient Mood States in a Female Student Sample

Stolarska

Stolarski

Matthews

2019

Applied Psych Health & Well

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“…It is clear that the collective benefits of engagement in PA, particularly in young adults, have the potential to positively impact an individual's physical and mental wellbeing 25 . It is therefore important to monitor PA trends in students and to gain a greater understanding about the role it might play in physical and mental wellbeing, attainment, and employability 18 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical activity, mental and personal wellbeing, social isolation, and perceptions of academic attainment and employability in university students: Pooled analysis of the Scottish and British Active Students Surveys

Budzynski-Seymour¹,

Conway²,

Wade³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Background: Achieving sufficient physical activity (PA) promotes health and wellbeing. For students, university represents a transitional period including increased independence over lifestyle behaviors, in addition to new stressors and barriers to engaging in PA. It is therefore important to monitor PA trends in students to gain a greater understanding about the role it might play in physical and mental wellbeing, as well as other factors such as attainment, and employability. Methods: Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2016 in Scottish universities and colleges (SASS) and 2017 in universities and colleges across the UK (BASS) and data were pooled for the present study (n = 11,650). Cumulative ordinal logistic regression was used to model the association between PA levels and mental and personal wellbeing, social isolation, and perceptions of academic attainment and employability. Results: Only 51% of respondents met recommended levels of moderate to vigorous PA per week. There was a linear relationship between PA levels and all outcomes with better scores in more active students. Conclusions: UK university students are insufficiently active compared with the general population of 16-24 year olds. Yet, students with higher PA report better outcomes for mental and personal wellbeing, social isolation, and perceptions of academic attainment and employability.

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“…The results obtained herein also help to clarify the role of an affective type of variable such as vigor in one stage, namely, the university, which entails important changes in different facets [65,66] for young people.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…The level of total PA per week would imply higher levels of vigor in students, while vigor would positively in uence academic results and SWL levels and negatively in uence the deterioration of MH. With few exceptions [61], the PA-vigor positive relationship (mainly the physical aspect of vigor) has been veri ed in different studies [62][63][64][65][66]. Vigor in university students derived from performing PA is characterized by a combination of moderate amounts of arousal and pleasure [67,68], affective experiences that have also been associated with physical exercise [69].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Shirom-Melamed Vigor Measure for students and how vigor relates to academic performance, mental health and satisfaction with life: Factorial analysis and construct validity in Spanish undergraduate university students

Pulido-Martos

Cortés-Denia

Rosa-Blanca

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background Students suffer from a decrease in physical activity during their education period. This lower level of activity could affect, through various paths, their academic performance, mental health and satisfaction with life. In this study, we assume that vigor, a positive affect variable, would act as a mediating variable in the above relationship, and thus, we propose an instrument for evaluating vigor in academic contexts. To attain this aim, the factorial validity and reliability of the proposed vigor scale for students is tested (Study 1), along with its construct validity (Study 2). Methods In Study 1, 707 undergraduates (59.7% women) responded to the vigor scale adapted for students to test factorial validation (through confirmatory factor analysis) and obtain reliability indicators. In Study 2, 309 undergraduates (55.3% women) completed a questionnaire measuring physical activity, mental health, satisfaction with life, vigor and academic performance to test a structural model of the relationships between the variables to obtain construct validity. Results A measurement model with three related factors, each representing one dimension of vigor, optimally fit the data (S-Bχ2 = 231.54; df = 50; CFI = 0.95; NNFI = 0.93; SRMR = 0.07; RMSEA = 0.07 [0.06–0.08]), and the reliability indices were adequate (Study 1). In Study 2, the mediational model confirmed a complete influence of physical activity on satisfaction with life, academic performance and mental health levels through the levels of vigor of the students, with optimal adjusting values (S-Bχ2 = 108.82; df = 62; p < 0.001; CFI = 0.92; NNFI = 0.90; SRMR = 0.05; RMSEA = 0.05 [0.03–0.06]). Conclusions Proposing an instrument such as the Shirom-Melamed Vigor Measure for students allows the opening of a research venue that is focused on the study of positive affects in academic contexts, as well as the testing of the physical activity pathways of action in obtaining positive results.

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Active Students Are Healthier and Happier Than Their Inactive Peers: The Results of a Large Representative Cross-Sectional Study of University Students in Ireland

Abstract: Active students enjoy better health (overall and mental) and are happier than their inactive peers. This provides a clear rationale for providing students with opportunities to be active at university. The data provide a baseline to monitor changes in physical activity patterns.

Cited by 65 publications

References 44 publications

A Comparison of the Effects of 45‐minute Aerobic Training and Cognitive Task Solving on Transient Mood States in a Female Student Sample

A Comparison of the Effects of 45‐minute Aerobic Training and Cognitive Task Solving on Transient Mood States in a Female Student Sample

Physical activity, mental and personal wellbeing, social isolation, and perceptions of academic attainment and employability in university students: Pooled analysis of the Scottish and British Active Students Surveys

The Shirom-Melamed Vigor Measure for students and how vigor relates to academic performance, mental health and satisfaction with life: Factorial analysis and construct validity in Spanish undergraduate university students

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