EVELLIN PEREIRA DOURADO
Abstract:
Undergraduate students go through an important process of changes and exposure to stressing events, which can directly affect the health and lifestyle of this population. These changes can trigger psychological problems, such as mood disorders, anxiety and stress. On the other hand, regular physical activity can promote positive effects on mood and a decrease in anxiety and stress. Objective: To compare the aerobic fitness, physical activity level, total mood profile and perceived stress of university students, considering sex and anxiety symptoms. Materials and methods: We evaluated 180 university students, of both sexes, with ages between 18 and 30 years. Participants were initially submitted to anamnesis and completed the questionnaires that assessed the habitual level of physical activity, anxiety symptoms, mood profile and perceived stress. Subsequently, they were submitted to anthropometric and aerobic fitness assessments. Results: Males with mild anxiety symptoms had a higher maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) when compared to students with moderate/severe symptoms, while women did not present differences between groups. Regarding mood, an interaction was identified in the rabies-hostility, fatigue and total mood disorders domains, showing that there were differences in the amplitude in relation to the symptoms, however the behavior of the variables were similar in both sexes, with women presenting a lower difference of amplitude when compared to anxiety symptoms. Conclusion: Individuals with moderate/severe anxiety symptoms have greater physiological and psychological impairment when compared to individuals with mild symptoms. As regards aerobic fitness, the harm to the symptoms was present in male students. In the psychological variables, there were differences in the amplitude of the responses in relation to the symptoms, however, the behavior of the variables was similar in both sexes.
