Physical activity did not show significant associations with psychological symptoms or sleep quality, and higher depression and stress scores predicted poorer sleep quality.
Abstract
Background: Physical activity, mental health, and sleep are interconnected factors influencing well-being in young adults. This study investigated the relationships among physical activity, psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, stress), sleep quality, and body composition in a sample of Turkish university students.Methods: A cross-sectional study included 572 university students, with 50.5% female participants and a mean age of 20.79±2.71 years. Physical activity was measured using the Physical Activity Scale–2 (PAS-2), psychological symptoms using the DASS-21, and sleep quality using the Basic Scale for Insomnia Complaints and Sleep Quality, Body composition was assessed with the InBody 120 (BIA). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analyses, and multiple regressions were conducted to examine the relationships between the study variables.Results: Physical activity did not show significant associations with psychological symptoms or sleep quality (p>.05). Higher depression and stress scores predicted poorer sleep quality (β=.175 and β=.246, respectively p
In this online convenience sample of adults aged ≥50 years, sleep quality, anxiety symptoms, and total physical activity showed consistent cross-sectional associations and require confirmation in representative longitudinal studies.
Hammad S. Alhasan, M. Alshehri· Journal of Clinical Medicine· 0 citations
Fatigue is a frequent problem that disrupts academic and social functioning in young adults. High levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among university students further exacerbate this issue. While physical activity helps reduce psychological symptoms, its effect on fatigue remains uncertain. Biological factors such as muscle mass and metabolic rate may provide partial protection against physical fatigue. This study explored the relationships between fatigue, depression, anxiety, and stress in university students, alongside the role of physical activity and body composition. A cross-sectional design was applied with 578 university students in Türkiye. Fatigue was assessed with the Chalder Fatigue Scale, psychological symptoms with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, and physical activity with the Physical Activity Scale-2. Data were collected face to face using a standardized protocol. Analyses included Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and independent samples t-tests. Findings showed that despite relatively high activity levels, students reported moderate fatigue. Fatigue was positively correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress, together explaining 36.3% of the variance, with depression showing the strongest association. Physical activity showed no direct association with fatigue, whereas skeletal muscle mass and basal metabolic rate were negatively related to physical fatigue. Female students reported higher fatigue, anxiety, and stress, while males were more active. In conclusion, fatigue in university students is primarily linked to psychological factors. No significant relationship was found between physical activity levels and fatigue, whereas fatigue was strongly associated with psychological symptoms and biological indicators. These results highlight the importance of integrating psychological support with biological health strategies to improve student well-being.
Cite this article as: Akıl, M., Güngör, M. G., & Tokay, B. (2026). Depression as a predictor of fatigue: A psychological model within the framework of physical activity and body composition. Research in Sports Science, 16, 0107, 2026. doi: 10.5152/rss.2026.25107.
M. Akıl, Melek Gülem Güngör, Bekir Tokay· Research in Sports Science· 0 citations
: Background: Physical activity, sleep quality, and psychological resilience are closely associated with the mental health of junior high school students. However, the relative contributions of these factors and their combined patterns in this population remain insufficiently understood. Methods: A total of 2018 junior high school students completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Adolescent Psychological Resilience Scale, and the Mental Health Scale for Secondary School Students. Pearson correlation analysis, multiple linear regression, random forest analysis, network analysis, and latent profile analysis were conducted. Results: Mental health was positively associated with physical activity and psychological resilience, whereas it was negatively associated with most dimensions of sleep problems. Multiple linear regression showed that physical activity, goal orientation, emotional control, positive cognition, and interpersonal support were positive correlates of mental health, while subjective sleep quality and daytime dysfunction were negative correlates. Random forest analysis further indicated that goal orientation, emotional control, physical activity, positive cognition, and daytime dysfunction had relatively high predictive importance. Consistently, network analysis revealed stronger conditional associations between mental health and emotional control, goal orientation, physical activity, interpersonal support, and positive cognition. Latent profile analysis identified three resource and risk profiles: a high protection group, a general group, and a high risk group. These groups differed significantly in mental health. Conclusions: The mental health of junior high school students is associated with a combination of behavioral factors, sleep factors, and psychological resilience factors. Goal orientation, emotional control, physical activity, positive cognition, and daytime dysfunction emerged as key correlates of mental health in this population. The identification of distinct resource and risk profiles may help schools develop more targeted support strategies for students with different needs.
Baole Tao, Zhenwu Li, Hao Chen et al.· International Journal of Men...· 0 citations
Background Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among university students is associated with behavioral, psychological, and lifestyle factors. Although physical activity is widely recognized as beneficial for health, the associations of mental health symptoms and sleep quality with HRQoL remain insufficiently explored, particularly among physical education teacher education students. This study aimed to examine the associations between physical activity, mental health symptoms, sleep quality, and HRQoL among physical education teacher education students, accounting for sex and academic cohort. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 168 university students in Chile. Physical activity was assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, mental health symptoms with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and HRQoL with the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey version 2. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine associations with the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores. Results Participants reported high levels of physical activity and a mean PSQI score of 9.71 ± 2.77, indicating poor overall sleep quality according to established PSQI criteria. Depressive symptoms were negatively associated with both PCS and MCS, with stronger associations observed for MCS. Physical activity was positively associated with MCS, but not with PCS. The model explained substantially more variance in MCS than in PCS (R2 = 0.61 vs. R2 = 0.06). Academic cohort was also significantly associated with MCS in the adjusted model. Conclusion In this sample of physically active teacher education students, HRQoL showed stronger associations with mental health indicators than with the physical activity measure included in the models.These findings should be interpreted in the context of a young and physically active sample, in which variability in physical activity and perceived physical health may have been limited. Given the cross-sectional design, the observed associations should not be interpreted as evidence of longitudinal change or causal relationships.
Eugenio Merellano-Navarro, Paula Loyola-Arriagada, Antonia Morán-Toloza et al.· Frontiers in Public Health· 0 citations
Introduction. Current evidence highlights the significant cognitive and physiological benefits of regular sports engagement, with well-established positive impact on both sleep quality and executive functions (EF).
Objective. The present study aimed to compare sleep quality parameters between young adults practicing individual and team sports, as well as to examine the direct and indirect structural relationships among sports participation indicators, sleep quality, and executive functioning.
Method. The sample consisted of 132 young adults aged 18 to 40 years (M = 23.89, SD = 4.93). A sociodemographic and sports questionnaire was employed, along with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI). Data analysis included Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Pearson’s r correlation analyses, MANCOVA, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Bootstrapping with 5000 resamples was used to test mediation effects.
Results. The CFA supported the two-factor structure of the ADEXI —working memory and inhibition— with acceptable fit. Sports participation was associated with distinct sleep quality profiles. Specifically, individual sports practitioners reported better sleep quality and shorter sleep latency, team sports practitioners exhibited higher sleep efficiency. Structural equation modeling indicated that sleep quality statistically mediated the relationship between sports participation indicators (current sports practice, weekly hours, and total years of practice) and EF. Additionally, an earlier age of initiation into sports directly predicted fewer EF difficulties, independent of sleep quality, suggesting that early sports participation may contribute to the development of a resilient cognitive reserve.
Conclusion. Regular sports engagement, especially when it begins early in life, is associated with better subjective sleep quality and executive functioning. These findings highlight the potential protective role of sports in promoting cognitive health among and support the incorporation of regular sports participation into public health and health promotion strategies aimed at preserving executive functioning.
Josué Díaz Saint Pere, Vanessa Arán Filippetti· Revista de Investigación e I...· 0 citations
Targeting insomnia may yield the greatest improvements in sleep quality in this population of community-dwelling older adults in Jordan and is driven primarily by insomnia severity rather than demographic or health factors.