The Stress–Burnout Relationship: Examining the Moderating Effect of Physical Activity and Intrinsic Motivation for Off-Job Physical Activity

Current research highlights the need to critically examine the factors that can reduce the relationship between work stress and burnout to improve employee health and well-being, as well as to create healthier workplaces. The objective of this study was to enhance insight into the association between stress and job burnout by testing the moderated moderating effect of off-job physical activity (PA) and intrinsic motivation for off-job PA on this association. A total of 369 university staff (70% females) completed a web survey comprising measures of perceived stress, job burnout, PA, and intrinsic motivation for PA. A three-way conditional process model revealed that the “Stress × PA” interaction was significant for cognitive weariness, and that the three-way interaction between “Stress × PA × Intrinsic Motivation for PA” was significantly related to job burnout, and to cognitive weariness. The results highlight (a) that stress was associated with higher levels of job burnout; (b) that under a high stress condition, PA was negatively linked to cognitive weariness; and (c) that intrinsic motivation for PA reinforced the positive moderating effect of PA on the stress–burnout relationship, especially when stress is high.

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The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Health, and Well-Being

European Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1027/2512-8442/a000070 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 59-70

Author(s):

Kristine Klussman ◽

Julia Langer ◽

Austin Lee Nichols

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Meaning In Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Report ◽

Community Based ◽

Activity Intensity ◽

Different Types ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health And Well Being

Abstract. Background: Most people are comfortable asserting the beneficial effects of physical exercise on mental health and well-being. However, little research has examined how different types of physical activity affect these outcomes. Aims: The current study sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of the differential relationships between different types of physical activity and various aspects of health and well-being. In addition, we sought to understand the role of self-connection in these relationships. Method: One hundred forty-three participants completed a questionnaire designed to measure their current weekly activity as well as their current health and well-being. Specifically, we examined three intensities of activity (walking, moderate, and vigorous) and three types of activity (team-based, community-based, and not team nor community-based) on self-reported health, anxiety, depression, affect, flourishing, job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and meaning in life. In addition, we examined self-connection as a possible moderator of these relationships. Results: Results suggested that physical activity was inconsistently related to health and well-being, and activity intensity and type were important to understanding these relationships. In contrast, self-connection reliably related to health and well-being and moderated the relationship between activity type and the presence of meaning. Limitations: The cross-sectional, self-report nature of the study limits its contribution. In addition, we only examined a subset of all physical activities that people engage in. Conclusion: In all, results suggest that the relationships between physical activity, mental health, and well-being are tenuous, at best. Future research needs to examine these relationships further and continue to examine self-connection to determine how to best increase health and well-being through physical activity.

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204 Changes in Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic Associated with Changes in Sleep

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.203 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A82-A82

Author(s):

Harun Abdi ◽

William Killgore ◽

Chloe Wills ◽

Kathryn Kennedy ◽

Jonathan Charest ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Daytime Sleepiness ◽

Well Being ◽

Online Surveys ◽

Sleep Health ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Falling Asleep ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Age And Sex

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 global pandemic has likely led to changes in physical activity as behavioral patterns were disrupted. This is important because sleep and physical activity are interrelated and promote health, and well-being. This study examined whether changes to physical activity were related to changes to sleep health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A sample of N=419 US adults completed online surveys about sleep and COVID-19 experiences. Participants were asked to estimate the number of minutes per day they engaged in physical activity during the pandemic, as well as before. These were subtracted from each other, and a difference score was computed. Then, responses were categorized as no change (<=15 mins difference), 16-45 minutes more or less activity, or 46+ minutes more or less activity (5 categories total). Outcome variables included the degree to which participants believed that due to the pandemic, they experienced (1) more schedule regularity, (2) better sleep, (3) worse sleep, (4) more difficulty falling asleep, (5) more difficulty maintaining sleep, (6) more sleepiness, and (7) more napping. Ordinal regressions were adjusted for age, and sex. Results Those who increased their activity by over 45 minutes per day reported that they were less likely to experience more daytime sleepiness (oOR=0.28, p<0.02). Those who decreased their activity by over 45 minutes per day reported that they were more likely to experience worse sleep (oOR=2.38, p<0.01) and less likely to experience a more regular schedule (oOR=0.37, p<0.003) than prior to the pandemic. Conclusion Overall, those who increased their physical activity since the beginning of the pandemic reported less daytime sleepiness; and those who decreased their physical activity reported worse sleep experiences and a more irregular schedule. The relationship between physical activity and sleep during the pandemic may be bidirectional. Support (if any) R01MD011600, R01DA051321

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A Scoping Review of How Income Affects Accessing Local Green Space to Engage in Outdoor Physical Activity to Improve Well-Being: Implications for Post-COVID-19

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17249313 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (24) ◽

pp. 9313

Author(s):

Llinos Haf Spencer ◽

Mary Lynch ◽

Catherine L. Lawrence ◽

Rhiannon Tudor Edwards

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Research Question ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Well Being ◽

Green Spaces ◽

The Public ◽

Lower Socioeconomic ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health And Well Being

Background: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has set out guidance for promoting physical activity (PA) in the physical environment to promote health and well-being. The aim of this selective scoping review was to investigate the influence of gross income on accessing local green spaces to engage in PA and the associated health benefits. Methods: A scoping review was conducted of international literature to facilitate the clarification of the research question. Findings: 15 papers were critically appraised under two themes: (1) environments and well-being and (2) PA and income/socioeconomic status and impact on the frequency, duration and opportunity to engage in PA. Interpretation: Income is related to differential use of green and blue spaces for PA, due mainly to access issues. People who live in lower socioeconomic areas tend to be more sedentary and there are also gender differences related to PA in built environments. Conclusion: There is an effect of income in using green spaces for PA, but the relationship is non-linear, and there is still a lack of knowledge about what kind of green spaces are best for health benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of accessing green local spaces to engage in physical exercise to improve well-being among the public.

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Student Attitudes toward Sports and Fitness Activities after Graduation

Recreational Sports Journal ◽

10.1123/rsj.30.2.87 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 87-99 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Scott Forrester ◽

Christopher Arterberry ◽

Bob Barcelona

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Colleges And Universities ◽

Predictor Variables ◽

Outcome Variable ◽

Recreational Sports ◽

Sports Involvement ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health And Well Being

Colleges and universities have generally been seen as environments where physical activity can be facilitated and promoted. Most colleges and universities offer programs and facilities that promote participation in recreational sports, physical activity, and overall physical health. This study was designed to examine the relationship between recreational sports involvement, satisfaction, interpersonal and group, physical health and well-being, and academic benefits of involvement and the importance of sports and fitness activities after graduation. Surveys were randomly distributed to students ( N = 718) participating in a variety of recreational sports programs. Multiple regression was used to analyze the relationship between the predictor variables (involvement, satisfaction, and benefits of involvement) and the outcome variable (importance of sports and fitness activities after graduation). Only physical health and well-being benefits and the combined measure of recreational sports involvement were significant predictor variables in the regression equation. Understanding the impact of campus programs devoted to influencing positive health behavior, including physical activity, is a critical component in understanding the benefits of recreational sports involvement. Suggestions for future research are made in the context of the limitations of the study.

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Exercise and Depression: Considering Variability and Contextuality

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology ◽

10.1123/jsep.26.1.3 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 3-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Guy Faulkner ◽

Stuart J.H. Biddle

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Well Being ◽

Clinical Population ◽

Adjunctive Treatment ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Barriers To Exercise ◽

Critical Insight ◽

The Relationship ◽

Insight Into

Research continues to support the consideration of exercise as an adjunctive treatment for depression. Adopting a qualitative approach, the aim of this study was to extend our understanding of the motives and barriers to exercise faced by this clinical population, and to explore the role of physical activity in promoting psychological well-being, in a way that encompasses the variability and contextuality of the lives of individuals. Marking a departure from standard content analyses reported in the literature, instrumental case studies are developed that offer a different format for representing qualitative data. Given its longitudinal nature, this study demonstrates the fundamental importance of considering the wider context of participants’ lives in order to understand the relationship between physical activity and psychological well-being. This association is likely to be complex and highly idiosyncratic. Such an understanding may inform a more critical insight into the potential of exercise as an antidepressant in terms of process and effectiveness.

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Physical Fitness as Part of the Health and Well-Being of Students Participating in Physical Education Lessons Indoors and Outdoors

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17010309 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 309 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marcin Pasek ◽

Mirosława Szark-Eckardt ◽

Barbara Wilk ◽

Jolanta Zuzda ◽

Hanna Żukowska ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Education ◽

Physical Fitness ◽

Well Being ◽

Control Group ◽

Natural Environments ◽

Open Spaces ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Experimental Group

The analysis of existing information on physical activity and fitness as elements of health and well-being reveals that they are achieved particularly effectively in contact with nature. Physical education lessons outdoors, as a form of healthy training, have been performed in numerous countries for years, providing a response to the traditional indoor model of this kind of education. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between the participation of students in outdoor and indoor lesson activities and the change in their physical fitness. 220 students participated in an experimental study. The experimental group, which did exercise usually in open spaces, included 49 boys and 54 girls. The control group, which exercised inside school, consisted of 63 boys and 54 girls. The study period lasted two years and involved the fifth and sixth form of primary school. Experimental group subjects were 11.26 years old (±0.32) during the initial test, and the control group individuals were 11.28 years (±0.32). During the final test, the average ages of experimental group subjects was 12.96 years (±0.32), and 12.98 years (±0.32) in the control group. The International Physical Activity Test was applied in the study. The differences between the levels of particular components of physical fitness were not statistically significant during the initial measurement (p-values ranged from p = 0.340 to p = 0.884). After two years of outdoor physical education lessons, there was revealed a considerable increase in the speed, jumping ability, and aerobic endurance of the students. Statistically significant differences were observed in these three tests, including running speed (p = 0.001), legs power (p = 0.001), and endurance (p = 0.000). The findings encourage one to continue pedagogical experiments regarding physical activity in outdoor natural environments.

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Linking Emotional Intelligence, Physical Activity and Aggression among Undergraduates

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182312477 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (23) ◽

pp. 12477

Author(s):

José Luis Ubago-Jiménez ◽

Mar Cepero-González ◽

Asunción Martínez-Martínez ◽

Fátima Chacón-Borrego

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Experimental Study ◽

Emotional Intelligence ◽

University Students ◽

Well Being ◽

Violent Behaviour ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Aggressive Behaviours ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health And Well Being

Several indicators are strongly related to health and well-being in university students, such as emotional intelligence and physical activity. At the same time, some qualities threaten it and are incompatible with students’ adaptation to society in general, such as aggressive behaviours. The aim of this research is to analyse the relationship established between emotional intelligence using TMMS-24, physical activity, using IPAQ, and aggression behaviours in university students. For this purpose, a descriptive, cross-sectional and non-experimental study was developed with 932 undergraduates (M = 20.55; SD = 3.673). The findings highlight how emotional intelligence and physical activity practice decrease violent behaviour in university students. In addition, men tend to have more aggressive behaviours than women as well as the relation between physical activity and emotional intelligence is stronger in all its dimensions. Results highlight the importance of including emotional intelligence programs in order to enable undergraduate well-being.

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