Mental Health and Psychological Well-Being, Fatigue, Sleep Quality
Conditions
Keywords
Exercise modality, mental health, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, young women
Brief summary
This study compared the effects of swimming and tennis on mental health, fatigue, and sleep quality in young women who were not regularly physically active. A total of 34 women aged 18-25 years were randomly assigned to either a swimming group or a tennis group. Both groups participated in supervised exercise sessions lasting 45 minutes, three times per week, for eight weeks. Participants completed questionnaires before and after the exercise programs to assess anxiety, depressive symptoms, psychological well-being, perceived stress, fatigue, and sleep quality. Thirty participants completed the study and were included in the final analysis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether swimming and tennis had different effects on psychological health, fatigue, and sleep quality in physically inactive young women.
Detailed description
This study was conducted as a two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of swimming and tennis exercise on psychological health, fatigue, and sleep quality in physically inactive young women. Women aged 18-25 years who had not regularly participated in structured exercise during the preceding six months were eligible for inclusion. Participants were required to have low physical activity levels, defined as less than 600 MET-min/week according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and to be capable of safely performing both swimming and tennis activities. Following baseline assessments, 34 participants were randomly allocated to swimming or tennis in a 1:1 ratio (17 participants per group), using a computer-generated randomization sequence. Group assignments were concealed until completion of baseline assessments. Both intervention groups completed an eight-week supervised exercise program consisting of three 45-minute sessions per week. Each session included a five-minute warm-up, a 35-minute main exercise phase, and a five-minute cool-down. The swimming program primarily involved freestyle swimming with progressive changes in swimming distance and recovery intervals. The tennis program included forehand and backhand exercises, footwork drills, and controlled rallies with progressively increasing difficulty. Exercise intensity was monitored using the Borg CR10 Rating of Perceived Exertion scale. Psychological health and related outcomes were assessed using six validated questionnaires: the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Baseline assessments were conducted two days before the first exercise session, and post-intervention assessments were completed 48 hours after the final session. Four participants withdrew during the study, leaving 30 participants (15 per group) in the final analysis. The study was designed to examine whether the two exercise modalities produced different changes in psychological health, fatigue, and sleep quality when exercise frequency, session duration, and progression of perceived exertion were comparable.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALSwimming Exercise
Supervised swimming exercise, three sessions per week for eight weeks, with 45 minutes per session and progressively increasing exercise difficulty.
BEHAVIORALTennis Exercise
Supervised tennis exercise, three sessions per week for eight weeks, with 45 minutes per session and progressively increasing exercise difficulty.
Sponsors
Fahri Safa Çınarlı
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 25 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Female participants aged 18-25 years. * No regular participation in structured exercise during the preceding six months. * Low physical activity level, defined as less than 600 MET-min/week according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF). * Ability to safely participate in swimming and tennis exercise, including basic swimming skills. * Provision of written informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
* Diagnosed cardiovascular, neurological, musculoskeletal, or other medical conditions that could contraindicate exercise participation. * Diagnosed psychiatric disorders or ongoing psychiatric treatment that could substantially influence the study outcomes. * Regular use of medications known to affect sleep or psychological status. * Pregnancy. * Any other condition that could prevent regular participation in the intervention programs.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Sleep Quality Measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) | Baseline and Week 8 | Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which evaluates seven components of sleep over the preceding month. The global score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality. Change was calculated as the post-intervention score minus the baseline score; negative values indicate improvement. |
| Change in Depressive Symptoms Measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) | Baseline and Week 8 | Depressive symptoms were assessed using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Each item is scored from 0 to 3, giving a total score ranging from 0 to 27. Higher scores indicate greater depressive symptom severity. Change was calculated as the post-intervention score minus the baseline score; negative values indicate improvement. |
| Change in Perceived Stress Measured by the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) | Baseline and Week 8 | Perceived stress was assessed using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Each item is scored from 0 to 4, with four positively worded items reverse-scored. Total scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress. Change was calculated as the post-intervention score minus the baseline score; negative values indicate improvement. |
| Change in Anxiety Symptoms Measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) | Baseline and Week 8 | Anxiety symptoms were assessed using the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Each item is scored from 0 to 3, producing a total score ranging from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety symptom severity. Change was calculated as the post-intervention score minus the baseline score; negative values indicate improvement. |
| Change in Psychological Well-Being Measured by the WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) | Baseline and Week 8 | Psychological well-being was assessed using the WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5). The five items are scored from 0 to 5. The raw total score (0-25) is multiplied by four to obtain a score ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate better psychological well-being. Change was calculated as the post-intervention score minus the baseline score; positive values indicate improvement. |
| Change in Fatigue Measured by the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS) | Baseline and Week 8 | Fatigue was assessed using the 11-item Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS), covering physical and mental fatigue. Each item was scored from 0 to 3, producing a total score ranging from 0 to 33. Higher scores indicate greater fatigue severity. Change was calculated as the post-intervention score minus the baseline score; negative values indicate improvement. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Outcome results
None listed