Mental Health, Physical Activity
Conditions
Keywords
Medical Students, Classroom-Based Exercise, Exercise Snacks, Anxiety, Depression, Psychological Stress
Brief summary
This 16-week, three-group, nonrandomized interventional study evaluated whether the weekly frequency of a brief classroom-based physical exercise program was associated with changes in mental health and physical activity among 105 undergraduate medical students at Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira, Colombia. EG2 (n=35) received two exercise sessions per week, EG1 (n=37) received one session per week, and CG (n=33) received no exercise intervention. Anxiety, depression, stress, and physical activity were assessed at baseline and after 16 weeks.
Detailed description
The three groups were specified prospectively in the ethics-approved protocol. Participation was voluntary, and all participants completed written informed consent. Academic groups were formed independently of the investigators by the university Registration and Academic Control Unit through its routine enrollment process. Both intervention groups received the same approximately 10-minute classroom exercise program and differed only in weekly frequency. Each session comprised a 3-minute warm-up, a 5-minute interval circuit involving large muscle groups, and a 2-minute cool-down with stretching and breathing. Exercises varied across sessions and intensity increased progressively. The target intensity was 5 to 7 on the modified 0-to-10 Borg scale together with a moderate Talk Test response. Attendance was called before each session by the assigned instructor, and withdrawal during a session was recorded. Adherence was defined as attendance at 80% or more of delivered sessions. No adverse events were recorded.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALBrief Classroom-Based Physical Exercise Program
Approximately 10-minute sessions comprising a 3-minute warm-up, a 5-minute interval circuit involving large muscle groups, and a 2-minute cool-down. Exercises varied and intensity increased progressively, targeting 5 to 7 on the modified 0-to-10 Borg scale and a moderate Talk Test response. The program required no exercise equipment.
Sponsors
Dynamical Business and Science Society - DBSS International SAS
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Three pre-existing academic groups were compared. Group formation occurred through the university's routine enrollment process and was not controlled by the investigators.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
16 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Enrollment in the corresponding academic group (EG2, EG1, or CG) at Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira. * Voluntary agreement to participate and completion of written informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
\- Medical conditions that precluded participation in physical exercise.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in anxiety symptom score assessed with the DASS-21 anxiety subscale | Baseline and post-intervention at week 16 | Seven items are summed without doubling to obtain a raw score from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety symptom severity. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in depression symptom score assessed with the DASS-21 depression subscale | Baseline and post-intervention at week 16 | Seven items are summed without doubling to obtain a raw score from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate greater depression symptom severity. |
| Change in psychological stress score assessed with the DASS-21 stress subscale | Baseline and post-intervention at week 16 | Seven items are summed without doubling to obtain a raw score from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate greater stress symptom severity. |
| Change in total physical activity assessed with the short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire | Baseline and post-intervention at week 16 | Total physical activity is expressed as MET-minutes/week by summing walking, moderate-intensity, and vigorous-intensity activity. Higher values indicate a greater physical activity volume. |
Countries
Colombia
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORJhonatan Gonzalez-Santamaria, PhD
Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira
Outcome results
None listed