scholarly journals Relationships between Depression, Daily Physical Activity, Physical Fitness, and Daytime Sleepiness among Japanese University Students

Author(s):  
Hideki Shimamoto ◽  
Masataka Suwa ◽  
Koh Mizuno

In Japan and other developed countries, the lifestyles of many—particularly the younger generation—have been disrupted in recent years. This disruption may manifest as a decrease in physical activity and deterioration in the quality and quantity of sleep. Depressive tendencies are also increasing among university students. This study examined the relationship between mental health, physical activity, physical fitness, and daytime sleepiness. Eighty-five undergraduate students participated in this study (52 men and 33 women, aged 18.9 (±1.4) years). Physical activity levels were measured using an accelerometer (Lifecorder, Kenz, Nagoya, Japan) for two weeks. To evaluate their level of physical fitness, maximal oxygen uptake (V˙O2max) was calculated by an indirect method using a cycle ergometer. Depressive tendencies and daytime sleepiness were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 score was positively correlated with sleepiness (r = 0.35, p = 0.001) and total steps per day (r = 0.39, p < 0.001). Moreover, the PHQ-9 score was positively correlated with V˙O2max (r = 0.25, p = 0.019). The PHQ-9 score was higher in students with good exercise habits or part-time jobs. An important finding was the positive correlation between depression and variables related to physical activity levels. These results suggest that vigorous physical activity, such as exercise and part-time jobs, might be positively associated with depressive tendencies among university students.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro López-Valenciano ◽  
David Suárez-Iglesias ◽  
Miguel A. Sanchez-Lastra ◽  
Carlos Ayán

Purpose: This systematic review aimed to analyze the impact that the COVID-19 lockdown had on the amount of physical activity performed by university students.Materials and Methods: A systematic electronic search for studies providing information regarding physical activity levels pre and during COVID-19 pandemic in university students was performed up to 20th October 2020 in the databases Cochrane Library, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science. The risk of bias of external validity quality of included studies was assessed by means of those the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The quality of the evidence for main outcomes was graded using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.Results and Conclusions: A total of 10 studies were selected. Physical activity levels were assessed by means of questionnaires (10 studies) and accelerometer (1 study). Risk of bias was regarded as low and high in six and four investigations, respectively. The quality of evidence was downgraded to low. A significant reduction of physical activity levels were observed in 9 studies. Compared to pre-lockdown values, five studies showed a reduction of light/mild physical activity (walking) between 32.5 and 365.5%, while seven studies revealed a reduction of high/vigorous physical activity between 2.9 and 52.8%. Walking, moderate, vigorous, and total physical activity levels have been reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic confinements in university students of different countries. Despite of the reductions, those who met the current minimum PA recommendations before the lockdown generally met the recommendations also during the confinements.


Author(s):  
Dena Sadeghi Bahmani ◽  
Roman Gonzenbach ◽  
Robert W. Motl ◽  
Jens Bansi ◽  
Oliver Rothen ◽  
...  

Persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) often complain about sleep problems. There is less known about objective sleep-electroencephalography (EEG) dimensions within naturalistic conditions (i.e., home and/or familiar setting). The present cross-sectional study examined the associations between objective and subjective sleep, depression, physical activity scores, and MS-related information among PwMS in their familiar setting. The sample consisted of 16 PwMS (mean age: 50.3 years; median Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS): 5.5) who completed questionnaires covering subjective sleep (symptoms of insomnia, restless legs syndrome (RLS) and sleep-disordered breathing), as well as daytime sleepiness, subjective physical activity, depression, and MS-related information (fatigue, EDSS; disease-modifying treatments). Objective sleep was assessed with a mobile sleep-EEG device under naturalist conditions within the home. Descriptively, better objective sleep patterns were associated with lower sleep complaints (rs = −0.51) and daytime sleepiness (rs = −0.43), and with lower symptoms of RLS (rs = −0.35), but not with sleep-disordered breathing (rs = −0.17). More deep sleep was associated with higher moderate physical activity levels (rs = 0.56). Objective sleep parameters were not associated with vigorous physical activity levels (rs < 0.25). Descriptively, moderate and vigorous physical activity scores were associated with lower symptoms of RLS (rs = −0.43 to −0.47). Results from this small study carried out under naturalistic conditions suggest that among PwMS, better objective sleep correlated with better subjective sleep and higher moderate physical activity levels.


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Gehris ◽  
Elizabeth Myers ◽  
Robert Whitaker

Adventure-physical education has been proposed to promote adolescents’ physical development, but little is known about physical activity levels during such lessons. Using the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time, we observed students’ (ages 11–14 years) physical activity levels in co-educational classes during 43 adventure-physical education lessons at seven public schools. The mean percentage (±SD) of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was 28.3% (±16.3%). The greatest percentage of lesson time was spent in two activities—high elements (24.1% ± 36.5%) and initiatives (22.3% ± 32.4%). When data were aggregated across all lessons, 40.0% of the time in high elements and 13.7% of the time in initiatives was spent in MVPA. Of all MVPA time, 31.5% occurred in high elements and another 12.6% in initiatives. Compared with traditional physical education lessons, less time is spent in MVPA during adventure lessons. Efforts to increase MVPA should target high elements and initiative activities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Issad Baddou ◽  
Asmaa El Hamdouchi ◽  
Imane El Harchaoui ◽  
Kaoutar Benjeddou ◽  
Naima Saeid ◽  
...  

Background. Regular physical activity in childhood and adolescent plays an important role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular health diseases, diabetes, and obesity in adulthood. However, little is known about physical activity levels (PA) and sedentary time among children and adolescents in Morocco. Objective. To examine gender, type of day, and age grade differences in objectively measured sedentary time, physical activity levels, and physical activity guideline attainment among children and adolescents in Morocco. Method. 172 children/adolescents (mean age = 10.92 ± 1.55 years, 49.4% are boys) were recruited for this study and wore a tri-axial accelerometer (GT3X+) for 7 consecutive days. Time spent in sedentary, PA levels, and daily steps were measured and compared according to gender, age grade, and the type of day (weekdays/weekends). Results. In weekdays children/adolescents spent more time in sedentary than weekends (p < 0.001). Boys were eight times more likely to meet the recommendation for at least 60 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day than girls (OR: 8.569; 95% [CI]: 4.23–17.32), p < 0.001. Conclusion. These findings highlight the need for effective and sustainable strategies and programs aiming to promote physical activity and to reduce sedentary behavior among children and adolescents in Morocco.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (21_suppl) ◽  
pp. 38-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Hai Deng ◽  
Per Morten Fredriksen

Aims: The objective was to investigate moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels (MVPA) of primary school children at baseline of the Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP), Norway. Methods: Data on 2123 children aged 6–12 years were included for analysis (75% participation rate). Average minutes per day in MVPA was objectively measured using accelerometry based on seven-day averages. The sample was analysed for age-, sex-, socioeconomic-, and season-related patterns. A linear regression investigated the moderating effect of these factors as well as body mass index and waist circumference. Results: Some 86.5% of the sample had at least 60 min/day MVPA, averaging 90.7 min/day. The main differences in daily averages were between age groups 6½–9 and 10–12 ( p < .05). Boys (95.8 min/day, 95% CI: 94.1–97.5) were more active than girls (85.6 min/day, 95% CI: 83.9–87.2) in all age groups ( p < .0001). MVPA was lower by 3.5 min ( p < .0001) per additional year of age in the linear regression (R2 = 0.176) and was reduced by 20 min less per day in MVPA in the winter months compared with the summer months ( p < .0001). Conclusions: Physical activity levels are already in decline from 6–7 years old and are likely to continue to decline into adolescence. Interventions must therefore focus on primary school children.


PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Xu ◽  
Minghui Quan ◽  
Hanbin Zhang ◽  
Chenglin Zhou ◽  
PeiJie Chen

Purpose This study examined the associations of physical activity levels between parents and their pre-school children based on gender and weekday/weekend. Method A total of 247 parent-preschool child triads from Shanghai, China were analyzed. The children had a mean age of 57.5 ± 5.2 months. Both sedentary behavior and physical activity were measured in all participants using an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer over seven consecutive days from Monday through the following Sunday. A multivariate regression model was derived to identify significant relationships between parental and child physical activity according to gender and weekday/weekend. Results There was a significant correlation between mothers’ and girls’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total physical activity (TPA) on weekdays. Fathers’ MPVA levels correlated significantly with those of boys and girls, with paternal influence appearing to be stronger than maternal influence. However, there was not a significant correlation between fathers’ and children’s TPA. TPA levels of both mothers and fathers correlated with those of girls, but not with those of boys. Parental sedentary levels on the weekend correlated significantly with girls’ levels, but not with boys’ levels. Children’s physical activity levels on weekends were influenced more by fathers’ activity levels than by mothers’, while the opposite was observed on weekdays. Conclusion Sedentary behavior and physical activity levels of parents can strongly influence those of their preschool children, with maternal influence stronger during the weekdays and paternal influence stronger on the weekends. Parents’ activity levels influence girls’ levels more strongly than they influence boys’ levels.


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