Physical Activity, Stress, Depression, Emotional Intelligence, Logical Thinking, and Overall Health in a Large Lithuanian from October 2019 to June 2020: Age and Gender Differences Adult Sample

Abstract

This study aimed to examine relationships and group differences among adult people’s (aged 18–74) physical activity (PA), expression of stress, depression, emotional intelligence (EI), logical thinking (LT), and overall health assessment. Two hypotheses were formulated before the study. The first hypothesis is that overweight and obesity in young adults (18 to 34 years) females and males, in particular, should increase sharply and this should be associated with decreased PA, abruptly deteriorating subject health, increased stress, depression, and poorer emotion management and EI. Second hypothesis: We further thought that the better people’s reflective thinking, the more they should live a healthier life (e.g., exercise more and eat healthier), their overweight and obesity should be small or none. We aimed to confirm or reject these two hypotheses. We applied a quantitative cross-sectional study design. The study results revealed that during the lifespan of 18–24 and 25–34 years (young adults) there was a sharp increase in overweight and obesity, a decrease in PA (and especially vigorous physical activity (VPA)) (and this was particularly evident in the male), while research participants felt less stress and depression, subjective assessment of health did not change, and EI increased steadily with age (18–24 to 65–74 years). The higher the EI of the research participants from 18–24 to 65–74 years of age the higher their moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), the less stress and depression they felt. Based on the results, it can be said that both females and males prefer PA “with a hot heart rather than a cold mind.” We base this conclusion on the fact that females and males who have the highest EI also have the highest MVPA while LT is not associated with MVPA.

The Spirit of Adventure: A Driver of Attractiveness of the Hospitality Industry for Young People during a Pandemic Crisis

“…Our findings agree with the research of Skurvydas et al [ 97 ] that recommended the future strategies be focused on product adjustment and transformation of business structures, seeking governmental guidance and policies in restoring market confidence in the HI.…”

Do Physical Activity, BMI, and Wellbeing Affect Logical Thinking?

“…Thus, by eliminating them (for example, by increasing PA), LT can be improved. Our previous studies have shown clearly that PA improves EI especially [ 9 ]. It coincides with the previous meta-analyses which confirm that EI improves mental health and reduces stress [ 65 , 73 ].…”

“…There is growing evidence that various forms and intensities of physical activity (PA) are effective in combating many chronic diseases [ 1 , 2 ] and improving wellbeing and mental health [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. The health benefits of PA depend on age, gender, health status, and body mass index (BMI) [ 2 , 6 , 10 , 11 ].…”

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“…It is well-accepted that healthy activity patterns and increased levels of PA, sports, and exercise result in higher cardiorespiratory fitness, and consequently, an improved level of health [ 4 ]. Regular exercise may be responsible for several benefits in all dimensions of health, including an increase in cognition even in the presence of neurodegeneration [ 5 ], prevention of stress and depression [ 6 , 7 ], maintenance of a good health profile even in adverse situations [ 8 ], and lower risk of developing discomforts in individuals who sit for prolonged amounts of time [ 9 ]. PA can be carried out in different ways and is categorized mostly as leisure recreational exercise (independent of commercial suppliers such as sports units, clubs, federations) or by participating in sports activities at a professional or amateur level (usually through membership in sports clubs).…”