Bidirectional Associations of Physical Activity, Sleep, and Self-reported Mental Health in Young Adults Participating in an Online Wellness Intervention During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Overview

Journal Front Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2023 Jun 16

PMID 37325310

Authors

Ryan D Burns

Anna Bilic

Yang Bai

Timothy A Brusseau

Julie E Lucero

Jessica L King Jensen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the bidirectional associations of physical activity (PA), sleep, and mental health in young adults participating in an online wellness intervention from October 2021 to April 2022.

Methods: Participants were a sample of undergraduate students from one US university ( = 89; 28.0% freshman; 73.0% female). The intervention was a 1-h health coaching session that was delivered either once or twice by peer health coaches on Zoom during COVID-19. The number of coaching sessions was determined by random allocation of participants to experimental groups. Lifestyle and mental health assessments were collected at two separate assessment timepoints after each session. PA was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form. Weekday and weekend sleep were assessed by two one-item questionnaires and mental health was calculated from five items. Cross-lagged panel models (CLPMs) examined the crude bidirectional associations of PA, sleep, and mental health across four-time waves (i.e., T1 through T4). To control for individual unit effects and time-invariant covariates, linear dynamic panel-data estimation using maximum likelihood and structural equation modeling (ML-SEM) was also employed.

Results: ML-SEMs showed that mental health predicted future weekday sleep ( = 0.46, < 0.001) and weekend sleep predicted future mental health ( = 0.11, = 0.028). Although CLPMs showed significant associations between T2 PA and T3 mental health ( = 0.27, = 0.002), no associations were observed when unit effects and time-invariant covariates were accounted for.

Conclusion: Self-reported mental health was a positive predictor of weekday sleep and weekend sleep positively predicted mental health during the online wellness intervention.

Citing Articles

Associations of an Online Health Coaching Intervention with Movement Behaviors and Perceived Health: A Mediation Analysis.

Fu L, Burns R, Xie Y, Lucero J, Brusseau T, Bai Y J Healthy Eat Act Living. 2024; 4(1):19-31.

PMID: 39371377 PMC: 11448901.

Psychological distress and sleep quality among Sri Lankan medical students during an economic crisis.

Liyanage G, Rajapakshe D, Wijayaratna D, Jayakody J, Gunaratne K, Alagiyawanna A PLoS One. 2024; 19(6):e0304338.

PMID: 38917140 PMC: 11198848. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304338.

References

Strohle A, Hofler M, Pfister H, Muller A, Hoyer J, Wittchen H . Physical activity and prevalence and incidence of mental disorders in adolescents and young adults. Psychol Med. 2007; 37(11):1657-66. DOI: 10.1017/S003329170700089X. View

Hosker D, Elkins R, Potter M . Promoting Mental Health and Wellness in Youth Through Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Sleep. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2019; 28(2):171-193. DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2018.11.010. View

Barbayannis G, Bandari M, Zheng X, Baquerizo H, Pecor K, Ming X . Academic Stress and Mental Well-Being in College Students: Correlations, Affected Groups, and COVID-19. Front Psychol. 2022; 13:886344. PMC: 9169886. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.886344. View

Brown D, Kwan M . Movement Behaviors and Mental Wellbeing: A Cross-Sectional Isotemporal Substitution Analysis of Canadian Adolescents. Front Behav Neurosci. 2021; 15:736587. PMC: 8523680. DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.736587. View

Brazier J, Harper R, Jones N, OCathain A, Thomas K, Usherwood T . Validating the SF-36 health survey questionnaire: new outcome measure for primary care. BMJ. 1992; 305(6846):160-4. PMC: 1883187. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.305.6846.160. View

Sampasa-Kanyinga H, Colman I, Goldfield G, Janssen I, Wang J, Tremblay M . 24-Hour Movement Behaviors and Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors Among Youth. J Adolesc Health. 2020; 68(5):969-977. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.09.003. View

Wickham S, Amarasekara N, Bartonicek A, Conner T . The Big Three Health Behaviors and Mental Health and Well-Being Among Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Investigation of Sleep, Exercise, and Diet. Front Psychol. 2020; 11:579205. PMC: 7758199. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.579205. View

Bourke M, Patten R, Dash S, Pascoe M, Craike M, Firth J . The Effect of Interventions That Target Multiple Modifiable Health Behaviors on Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Young People: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Adolesc Health. 2021; 70(2):208-219. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.08.005. View

Pilar Matud M, Diaz A, Bethencourt J, Ibanez I . Stress and Psychological Distress in Emerging Adulthood: A Gender Analysis. J Clin Med. 2020; 9(9). PMC: 7564698. DOI: 10.3390/jcm9092859. View

10.

Divine A, Blanchard C, Benoit C, Downs D, Rhodes R . The influence of sleep and movement on mental health and life satisfaction during the transition to parenthood. Sleep Health. 2022; 8(5):475-483. DOI: 10.1016/j.sleh.2022.06.013. View

11.

McKercher C, Schmidt M, Sanderson K, Patton G, Dwyer T, Venn A . Physical activity and depression in young adults. Am J Prev Med. 2008; 36(2):161-4. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2008.09.036. View

12.

VanKim N, Nelson T . Vigorous physical activity, mental health, perceived stress, and socializing among college students. Am J Health Promot. 2013; 28(1):7-15. PMC: 3758412. DOI: 10.4278/ajhp.111101-QUAN-395. View

13.

Goldstein A, Walker M . The role of sleep in emotional brain function. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2014; 10:679-708. PMC: 4286245. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032813-153716. View

14.

Fan L, Hao Z, Gao L, Qi M, Feng S, Zhou G . Non-linear relationship between sleep duration and metabolic syndrome: A population-based study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020; 99(2):e18753. PMC: 6959870. DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000018753. View

15.

Rollo S, Antsygina O, Tremblay M . The whole day matters: Understanding 24-hour movement guideline adherence and relationships with health indicators across the lifespan. J Sport Health Sci. 2020; 9(6):493-510. PMC: 7749249. DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2020.07.004. View

16.

Okano K, Kaczmarzyk J, Dave N, Gabrieli J, Grossman J . Sleep quality, duration, and consistency are associated with better academic performance in college students. NPJ Sci Learn. 2019; 4:16. PMC: 6773696. DOI: 10.1038/s41539-019-0055-z. View

17.

Minian N, Gayapersad A, Saiva A, Dragonetti R, Kidd S, Strudwick G . An e-Mental Health Resource for COVID-19-Associated Stress Reduction: Mixed Methods Study of Reach, Usability, and User Perceptions. JMIR Ment Health. 2022; 9(8):e39885. PMC: 9422265. DOI: 10.2196/39885. View

18.

Baghurst T, Kelley B . An examination of stress in college students over the course of a semester. Health Promot Pract. 2013; 15(3):438-47. DOI: 10.1177/1524839913510316. View

19.

Bjorvatn B, Gronli J, Hamre F, Sorensen E, Fiske E, Bjorkum A . Effects of sleep deprivation on extracellular serotonin in hippocampus and frontal cortex of the rat. Neuroscience. 2002; 113(2):323-30. DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(02)00181-1. View

20.

Taylor D, Gardner C, Bramoweth A, Williams J, Roane B, Grieser E . Insomnia and mental health in college students. Behav Sleep Med. 2011; 9(2):107-16. DOI: 10.1080/15402002.2011.557992. View