Association between physical activity status and mental health among higher vocational nursing students from Fuyang City of Anhui Province

Abstract

Objective To analyze the present situation of physical activity,depression,anxiety and other emotional symptoms among higher vocational nursing students,and assess the influence of the school life satisfaction,providing basis for schools adolescent mental health education.Methods Totals of 2 505 nursing students filled in the questionnaire,material were collected regarding adolescents' social demographic characteristics,physical activity,mental health (including depression,anxiety symptoms and school life satisfaction).Results Among them,the rates of enough high strength,adequate moderate intensity physical activity and lack of physical activity respectively were 35％,13.7％ and 58.1％.The positive rate of depression symptom in students with adequate moderate intensity physical activity was significantly lower than students lacking of physical activity (19.7％ vs 23.5％,x2 =7.02,P ＜ 0.05).And the positive rates of depression symptom (19.2％ vs 26.4％),anxiety symptom (29.8％ vs 33.1％),dissatisfaction (21.6％ vs 26.1％) in students with adequate moderate intensity physical activity were significantly lower than those in students under the standard of physical activity (x2 =28.36,1.09,25.04 ; P ＜ 0.05).And in students with enough high strength physical activity,the positive rates of depression symptom (19.8％ vs 26.5％),anxiety symptom (31.2％ vs 43.8％),dissatisfaction (22.9％ vs 25.4％) were significantly lower than those in students under the standard of physical activity (x2 =30.01,4.31,27.41 ;P ＜ 0.05).In the adjustment of gender,grade,the only child,family type,self-assessment family economic,cultural degree,mother father cultural degree,self-assessment size,fruit and vegetable intake and carbonated beverage intake,enough big strength physical activity were protection factors of depressive symptoms (OR =0.76,95％ CI:0.66 ～ 0.88) and dissatisfaction for school life (OR =0.71,95％ CI:0.61 ～0.83).Conclusions The lacking of physical activity can increase the risk of adolescent depression,anxiety symptoms and dissatisfaction for school life. Key words: Higher vocational nursing; Physical activity; Depression; Anxiety; Personal satisfaction