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Effects of Physical Activity and Circadian Rhythm Differences on the Mental Health of College Students in Schools Closed by COVID-19

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  • Huimin Li

    (Physical Education Institute, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu 241000, China)

  • Yong Zhang

    (Physical Education Institute, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu 241000, China)

Abstract

Purpose: Since the prolonged sequestration management that was implemented in order to achieve lower infection and mortality rates, there has been a surge in depression worldwide. The correlation between the physical activity level and the detection rate of a depressed mood in college students should be of wide concern. A large number of studies have focused on the association between physical activity levels and a negative mood, but circadian rhythm differences seem to be strongly associated with both physical activity levels and mental illness. Therefore, this paper will examine the correlation between physical activity levels, circadian rhythm differences, and mental health levels in college students. METHODS: Data were collected through a web-based cross-sectional survey. In June and December 2022, questionnaires were administered to college students from three universities in Anhui, China. In addition to socio-demographic information, measures included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), Morning and Evening Questionnaire-5 Items (MEQ-5), and Symptom Check List90 (SCL-90) scales. Correlation analysis was used to understand the relationship between physical activity and circadian rhythm differences in the three aspects of college student’s mental health. RESULTS: The analysis of the data led to the conclusion that 28.4% of the 1241 college students in this survey had psychological disorders. The physical activity level of male students was higher than that of female students, but the risk of having depressive tendencies was higher in female students than in male students. There was a significant negative correlation between the physical activity level and scl-90 scores ( p < 0.01), which indicates that higher physical activity levels are associated with higher mental health. Circadian rhythm differences and scl-90 scores were significantly positively correlated among college students ( p < 0.01), and night-type people had a higher risk of mental illness than intermediate-type and early-morning-type people. CONCLUSIONS: During the period of closed administration due to COVID-19, school college students experienced large and high levels of negative emotional phenomena due to reduced physical activity and public health emergencies. This study showed significant correlations between both physical activity levels and circadian rhythmicity differences and the degree of mental health of college students.

Suggested Citation

  • Huimin Li & Yong Zhang, 2022. "Effects of Physical Activity and Circadian Rhythm Differences on the Mental Health of College Students in Schools Closed by COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2022:i:1:p:95-:d:1010637
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Clément Ginoux & Sandrine Isoard-Gautheur & Claudia Teran-Escobar & Cyril Forestier & Aïna Chalabaev & Anna Clavel & Philippe Sarrazin, 2021. "Being Active during the Lockdown: The Recovery Potential of Physical Activity for Well-Being," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-14, February.
    2. Samuel E Jones & Jessica Tyrrell & Andrew R Wood & Robin N Beaumont & Katherine S Ruth & Marcus A Tuke & Hanieh Yaghootkar & Youna Hu & Maris Teder-Laving & Caroline Hayward & Till Roenneberg & James , 2016. "Genome-Wide Association Analyses in 128,266 Individuals Identifies New Morningness and Sleep Duration Loci," PLOS Genetics, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(8), pages 1-19, August.
    3. Jacob Meyer & Cillian McDowell & Jeni Lansing & Cassandra Brower & Lee Smith & Mark Tully & Matthew Herring, 2020. "Changes in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Response to COVID-19 and Their Associations with Mental Health in 3052 US Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-13, September.
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