Universitários durante o período pandêmico: o papel da satisfação com a vida na relação entre atividade física e sofrimento psicológico

Abstract

Objective: To test the association between physical activity and psychological distress among university students during the pandemic period, and the potential mediating effect of life satisfaction in this relationship. Methods: We assessed 195 undergraduate students (68.7% women; 44.6% aged between 21 and 25 years; 65.8% enrolled in health science programs; 24.5% enrolled in the first to third semester). Data were collected during the first half of 2021 in Imperatriz, Maranhão, Brazil. Subjective measures were collected online using validated instruments: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), and the Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18). Physical activity levels (via IPAQ, in daily minutes) were examined as the exposure, life satisfaction score (via SWLS) as the mediator, and psychological distress score (via BSI-18) as the outcome. Multilevel linear regression was used to test the associations, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the potential mediating effect. Results: We found a negative association between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (β = -0.03; 95% CI: -0.06 to -0.01) and life satisfaction (β = -0.82; 95% CI: -1.12 to -0.51) with psychological distress, which remained significant after adjusting for age and biological sex. Although the direct effect was significant (β = -0.03; 95% CI: -0.05 to -0.01), the indirect effect, considering life satisfaction as a mediator, was not statistically significant (β = -0.01; 95% CI: -0.01 to 0.01). Conclusion: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with lower psychological distress among university students; however, life satisfaction did not mediate this association during the pandemic period.