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Physical Activity and Mental Health After COVID-19 Recovery: Age and Sex Differences

Guardado en:
Publicado en:Life vol. 15, no. 4 (2025), p. 531
Autor principal: Stamenković Miloš
Otros Autores: Saša, Pantelić, Bubanj Saša, Petković Emilija, Bjelica Bojan, Aksović Nikola, Lazar, Toskić, Sufaru Constantin, Gabriel-Stănică, Lupu, Daniel-Lucian, Dobreci, Dobrescu Tatiana, Mihai-Adrian, Sava
Publicado:
MDPI AG
Materias:
Gender differences
Exercise
Pathogens
Mental health
Ventilators
Anxiety
Physical activity
Mental depression
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Mental disorders
Questionnaires
Quarantine
Age
Recovery
Statistical significance
Women
COVID-19
Ethics
Statistical analysis
Random sampling
Sexes
Longitudinal studies
Consent
Sex differences
Data analysis
Stress
Sampling methods
Populations
Statistical sampling
Pandemics
Medical research
Hospitals
Parameters
Social
Acceso en línea:Citation/Abstract
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Resumen:(1) Background: The relationship between physical activity (PA) and mental health remains a topic of significant interest, particularly in populations recovering from COVID-19. This study aimed to examine the differences in PA levels and mental health parameters (anxiety, depression, and stress) across sex and age groups following COVID-19 recovery; (2) Methods: The sample of participants (n = 288) was selected using a random sampling method and consisted of participants of different ages and both sexes. Participants’ self-reported PA was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), while the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS) was used to measure negative emotional states. The influence of COVID-19 recovery on PA and mental health (depression, anxiety, stress) was analyzed using MANOVA and follow-up univariate tests by age and sex. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05, with SPSS (v23.0) used for data analysis; (3) Results: A statistically significant difference was observed between the initial and final measurements in PA levels (Wilk’s Lambda = 0.95; p = 0.000) and mental health (Wilk’s Lambda = 0.96; p = 0.000) with older individuals—particularly women—demonstrating improved PA levels and better mental health outcomes. In contrast, younger women exhibited a decline in both domains, with increased anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms. While younger men showed increased PA, their mental health parameters were slightly elevated, though still within normal ranges; (4) Conclusions: Our findings suggest that older individuals were better adapted to post-COVID challenges due to maturity and life experience, while younger populations may require additional support. The study underscored the complexity of the PA–mental health relationship and highlighted the need for further research, particularly among younger individuals recovering from COVID-19.
ISSN:2075-1729
DOI:10.3390/life15040531
Fuente:Biological Science Database