Physical Activity Levels and Psychological Well-Being: A Case Study of University Students

The aim of this study was to compare psychological well-being according to gender and physical activity levels of university students. The sampling of the study consisted of 400 female and 300 male students. Their ages ranged from 18 to 34 years (Mean=20.80 +/- 1.97). The short form of International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Scales of Psychological Well-being were used to collect data. A two-way contingency analysis was used to test differences in the physical activity levels between female and males. A one-way MANOVA was performed to investigate differences of psychological well-being mean scores between gender and physical activity levels. In conclusion male students were more likely to participate in high active levels of physical activity than females (p<0.05). There was significant difference between psychological well-being according to physical activity levels and gender. The test revealed significant difference by gender only in Self-acceptance subscale and by physical activity levels in Environmental Mastery and Self-acceptance subscales. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.