The association of physical activity against depression among Universiti Putra Malaysia undergraduate medical students-a cross sectional study

The crossroads of mental health and academia particularly in higher education have drawn consider- able attention. Research explores how physical activity impacts depression among medical students in higher educa- tion where mental health challenges are prevalent due to academic stress. Materials...

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Main Authors: Lynncilla, Shakira, Koh, Eugene, Chong, Seng Choi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universiti Putra Malaysia 2024
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114475/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114475/1/114475.pdf
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author Lynncilla, Shakira
Koh, Eugene
Chong, Seng Choi
author_facet Lynncilla, Shakira
Koh, Eugene
Chong, Seng Choi
author_sort Lynncilla, Shakira
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The crossroads of mental health and academia particularly in higher education have drawn consider- able attention. Research explores how physical activity impacts depression among medical students in higher educa- tion where mental health challenges are prevalent due to academic stress. Materials and methods: In an observation- al cross-sectional study, 251 undergraduate medical students participated by completing questionnaires assessing physical activity and depressive symptoms. The study utilized the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form and Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results: In a study of 251 medical students split into pre-clinical and clinical groups, the latter were older (23.2 vs 20.3 years) and generally had lower physical activity levels, especially in transport, domestic and leisure activities. Pre-clinical students showed higher overall activity. Depression levels differed significantly between groups with clinical student scoring higher (20.2 vs 18.7). Rela- tionships were noted between depression and physical activity, particularly in transport-related activities, walking and total physical activity-higher activity linked to lower depression. However, no significant correlation was found for moderate or vigorous physical activity levels. Conclusion: Study suggest promoting activities like walking and transportation to mitigate depression among medical students, offering strategies to enhance the mental well-being of future healthcare professionals.
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spelling upm-1144752025-01-16T08:19:25Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114475/ The association of physical activity against depression among Universiti Putra Malaysia undergraduate medical students-a cross sectional study Lynncilla, Shakira Koh, Eugene Chong, Seng Choi The crossroads of mental health and academia particularly in higher education have drawn consider- able attention. Research explores how physical activity impacts depression among medical students in higher educa- tion where mental health challenges are prevalent due to academic stress. Materials and methods: In an observation- al cross-sectional study, 251 undergraduate medical students participated by completing questionnaires assessing physical activity and depressive symptoms. The study utilized the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form and Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results: In a study of 251 medical students split into pre-clinical and clinical groups, the latter were older (23.2 vs 20.3 years) and generally had lower physical activity levels, especially in transport, domestic and leisure activities. Pre-clinical students showed higher overall activity. Depression levels differed significantly between groups with clinical student scoring higher (20.2 vs 18.7). Rela- tionships were noted between depression and physical activity, particularly in transport-related activities, walking and total physical activity-higher activity linked to lower depression. However, no significant correlation was found for moderate or vigorous physical activity levels. Conclusion: Study suggest promoting activities like walking and transportation to mitigate depression among medical students, offering strategies to enhance the mental well-being of future healthcare professionals. Universiti Putra Malaysia 2024 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114475/1/114475.pdf Lynncilla, Shakira and Koh, Eugene and Chong, Seng Choi (2024) The association of physical activity against depression among Universiti Putra Malaysia undergraduate medical students-a cross sectional study. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 20 (5). pp. 226-236. ISSN 1675-8544; eISSN: 2636-9346 https://medic.upm.edu.my/upload/dokumen/2024093016194828_MJMHS_1491.pdf 10.47836/mjmhs.20.5.29
spellingShingle Lynncilla, Shakira
Koh, Eugene
Chong, Seng Choi
The association of physical activity against depression among Universiti Putra Malaysia undergraduate medical students-a cross sectional study
title The association of physical activity against depression among Universiti Putra Malaysia undergraduate medical students-a cross sectional study
title_full The association of physical activity against depression among Universiti Putra Malaysia undergraduate medical students-a cross sectional study
title_fullStr The association of physical activity against depression among Universiti Putra Malaysia undergraduate medical students-a cross sectional study
title_full_unstemmed The association of physical activity against depression among Universiti Putra Malaysia undergraduate medical students-a cross sectional study
title_short The association of physical activity against depression among Universiti Putra Malaysia undergraduate medical students-a cross sectional study
title_sort association of physical activity against depression among universiti putra malaysia undergraduate medical students-a cross sectional study
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114475/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114475/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114475/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114475/1/114475.pdf