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Healthcare
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Effects of Physical Activity on Physical and Psychological Health
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Effects of Physical Activity on Physical and Psychological Health

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 2 December 2024 | Viewed by 5318

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Weiyun Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Interests: fitness; innovative and technology-enhanced physical activity interventions; wearable technology; determinants of developing physically active habits; impact of physical activities on physical and psychosocial health and brain cognitions; real-time physical activity; fitbits
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Regular physical activity (PA) is essential to improving physical health by reducing the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, cancers, diabetes, and dementia-related diseases, strengthening bone, muscles, and cardiorespiratory endurance to alleviating chronic pains, and reducing and managing body weight. Regular physical activity can help improve psychological health such as a reduced risk of anxiety and depression, enhanced self-efficacy, improved resilience, increased social connection and support, and boosted positive emotions and moods for general and special populations across their lifespans. Despite there being many well-established physical and psychological health benefits of physical activity, the majority of people including school-aged children, adolescents, young adults, adults, and older adults with or without chronic health conditions do not engage in the recommended amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) daily and weekly. In particular, individuals who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, racial and ethnic minorities, and living in rural or urban areas were less likely to engage in the recommended daily/weekly MVPA minutes. Thus, more research studies are needed to examine the effects of PA on physical health and psychological health for people from different racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds with or without chronic health conditions across their lifespans.

This Special Issue invites investigators to examine the effects of PA on physical and psychological health among populations from different backgrounds with or without chronic health conditions across their lifespans by contributing original research and review articles. Investigators will contribute to addressing the following, but not limited to, potential topics:

  • Examining an association of varied types and intensity levels of physical activity with specific physical health and/or psychological health for a targeted population with or without chronic conditions.

  • Identifying the mediators and/or moderators of a relationship between physical activity and physical and/or psychological health for a targeted population.

  • Examining the effects of innovative physical activity interventions on improving and/or maintaining specific physical and/or psychological health among a targeted population.

  • Examining the effects of technology-enhanced/integrated physical activity interventions on improving specific physical and/or psychological health for a targeted population.

  • Exploring a threshold of engaging in a given length of PA for gaining specific physical and/or psychological health benefits for a targeted population.

  • Investigating the effects of a light-intensity PA on specific physical and/or psychological health for a targeted population.

  • Exploring the effects of PA intervention integrating PA into daily living activities on physical and/or psychological health for a targeted population.

Dr. Weiyun Chen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physical activity
  • physical activity intervention
  • physical activity behaviors
  • behavioral health outcomes
  • mental health
  • emotional wellbeing
  • psychological wellbeing
  • functional fitness
  • physical functions
  • cognitive functions

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 556 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Relationships between Physical Activity, a Healthy Life, and Personal Happiness in European Union Countries
by Gabriel Ioan Mangra, Mădălina Giorgiana Mangra, Claudiu George Bocean and Anca Antoaneta Vărzaru
Healthcare 2024, 12(19), 1941; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12191941 - 27 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1092
Abstract
Background: Maintaining a physically active lifestyle is a determinant factor of a healthy life and personal happiness. Meanwhile, physical inactivity remains a significant issue, resulting in negative consequences for public health. Objectives: This paper investigates the relationships between physical activity, physical inactivity, a [...] Read more.
Background: Maintaining a physically active lifestyle is a determinant factor of a healthy life and personal happiness. Meanwhile, physical inactivity remains a significant issue, resulting in negative consequences for public health. Objectives: This paper investigates the relationships between physical activity, physical inactivity, a healthy life, life expectancy, and personal happiness in European Union (EU) countries. Methods: This empirical study uses an artificial neural network and cluster analysis to analyze and interpret data from 27 EU countries. Artificial neural network analysis enables the assessment of the relationships between physical activity and inactivity, a healthy life, and personal happiness, while cluster analysis identifies groups of EU countries based on physical activity, healthy life, and personal happiness indicators. Results: The results show significant positive links between physical activity and improvements in healthy living and personal happiness. Conclusions: This study highlights considerable variations among EU countries regarding the levels of physical activity, healthy living, and personal happiness, emphasizing the importance of promoting physical activity to enhance public health and overall well-being. The findings suggest the need to develop customized policies that address country-specific factors and promote an active lifestyle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Physical Activity on Physical and Psychological Health)
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14 pages, 2142 KiB  
Article
The Relationship between Lifestyle, Mental Health, and Loneliness in the Elderly during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Daiana Meregalli Schütz, Tainá Rossi, Nathalia Saraiva de Albuquerque, Dalton Breno Costa, Jéssica Santos Machado, Larissa Fritsch, Natacha Gosmann, Raul Costa Mastrascusa, Natália Sessegolo, Vitória Rodrigues Bottega, Luis Eduardo Wearick-Silva, Carmen Moret-Tatay, Francesco Della Gatta and Tatiana Quarti Irigaray
Healthcare 2024, 12(9), 876; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12090876 - 23 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1423
Abstract
The study focused on examining the relationship between well-being and various psychological factors such as loneliness, anxiety, depression, and stress, whilst also considering changes in lifestyle. A total of 108 elderly participants, with an average age of 70.38 years, were enrolled in this [...] Read more.
The study focused on examining the relationship between well-being and various psychological factors such as loneliness, anxiety, depression, and stress, whilst also considering changes in lifestyle. A total of 108 elderly participants, with an average age of 70.38 years, were enrolled in this quantitative cross-sectional study. The research employed a battery of assessment tools including a Sociodemographic Data Questionnaire, Mini-Mental State Examination, Positive Mental Health Scale, Stress Perception Scale, Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, Geriatric Depression Scale (reduced version), Loneliness Scale, and International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was conducted in order to understand the distribution of scores across these variables, followed by the categorization of participants based on the reported alterations in eating and physical activity behaviors. Correlations between variables were assessed using Spearman correlation and an EBIC-LASSO network analysis. The findings indicated a potential detriment to the well-being of elderly individuals practicing social distancing, evidenced by heightened symptoms of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and stress, alongside the reported changes in dietary patterns and physical activity. The study underscores the importance of understanding the pandemic’s impact on the well-being of older adults and advocates for longitudinal investigations to delineate the evolving effects of social distancing measures across different phases of the pandemic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Physical Activity on Physical and Psychological Health)
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15 pages, 552 KiB  
Article
Reducing Anxiety and Enhancing Mindfulness in College Students during COVID-19 through WeActive and WeMindful Interventions
by Logan T. Harrison, Michele W. Marenus and Weiyun Chen
Healthcare 2024, 12(3), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12030374 - 1 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1930
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the immediate and short-term, sustained effects of two virtual interventions, WeActive, an aerobic and resistance training program, and WeMindful, a mindful exercise, in reducing anxiety and improving mindfulness among college students during the COVID-19 [...] Read more.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the immediate and short-term, sustained effects of two virtual interventions, WeActive, an aerobic and resistance training program, and WeMindful, a mindful exercise, in reducing anxiety and improving mindfulness among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Participants were 60 students from a large Midwestern university who were randomly assigned to either the WeActive group (n = 36) or the WeMindful group (n = 24). The WeActive group participated in two virtual 30 min aerobic and resistance training sessions per week (WeActive) and the WeMindful group participated in two virtual 30 min mindful exercise sessions per week for eight weeks. All participants completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire through Qualtrics at three time points: one week prior to (pre-test), one week after (post-test), and six weeks after (follow-up) the intervention. Results: A repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of time on anxiety (F = 7.51, η2 = 0.036, p = 0.001) in both groups. WeActive significantly decreased anxiety scores between the pre-test and follow-up (t = 2.7, p = 0.027) and post-test and follow-up (t = 3.1, p = 0.007), and WeMindful significantly decreased anxiety scores between the post-test and follow-up (t = 0.641, p = 0.028). For mindfulness, there was a significant main effect of time in both groups (F = 3.91, η2 = 0.009, p = 0.025), where only WeMindful significantly increased mindfulness from the pre-test to follow-up (t = −2.7, p = 0.025). Conclusions: Anxiety decreased significantly in both the WeActive and WeMindful groups and mindfulness increased significantly in the WeMindful group. Furthermore, the decrease in anxiety was sustained in a short-term period following the end of the intervention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Physical Activity on Physical and Psychological Health)
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