Keep Moving to Retain the Healthy Self: The Influence of Physical Exercise in Health Anxiety among Chinese Menopausal Women

The impact of physical exercise on adolescent social anxiety: the serial mediating effects of sports self-efficacy and expressive suppression

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the impact of physical exercise on adolescent social anxiety and to elucidate the serial mediating roles of sports self-efficacy and expressive suppression within this context.

METHODS

Utilizing a convenience random cluster sampling technique, this study surveyed 2500 primary and secondary school students across Sichuan, Guangdong, Shandong, Henan, and Jiangxi provinces. The survey utilized validated scales to assess physical exercise, sports self-efficacy, expressive suppression, and social anxiety among adolescents.

RESULTS

The study revealed that: (1) Physical exercise has a significant negative correlation with social anxiety (r = -0.32, p < 0.01); (2) Sports self-efficacy significantly mediated the relationship between physical exercise and social anxiety, with an indirect effect of -0.15 (95% CI [-0.22, -0.09]); (3) Expressive suppression significantly mediated the relationship between physical exercise and social anxiety, with an indirect effect of -0.11 (95% CI [-0.17, -0.06]); (4) Sports self-efficacy and expressive suppression exerted a significant serial mediating effect on the relationship between physical exercise and social anxiety, with an indirect effect of -0.05 (95% CI [-0.08, -0.02]).

CONCLUSION

Physical exercise not only directly alleviates social anxiety in adolescents but also indirectly diminishes social anxiety through the enhancement of sports self-efficacy and the reduction of expressive suppression.

Association between the intake of potentially risky beverages and the occurrence of endometrial polyps: a case-control study

Background

This case-control study aimed to examine the association between the frequency of potentially risky beverage consumption, levels of anxiety, and the prevalence of endometrial polyps.

Methods

A total of 418 participants were enrolled in the study, comprising 206 cases and 212 controls. The case group consisted of patients who visited the gynecological clinic at the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and were diagnosed with endometrial polyps (Eps) based on international diagnostic criteria. The control group consisted of women of childbearing age who visited the gynecological clinic with similar clinical symptoms but did not have EPs. Basic information, consumption of potentially risky beverages (PRB), and anxiety levels for both groups were collected through a questionnaire survey. Finally, the relationship between the frequency of PRB consumption, anxiety levels, and the prevalence of EPs was evaluated.

Results

In this study, we identified a significant positive association between the consumption of PRB and the prevalence of EPs. PRB intake was categorized into three groups based on the cumulative total score: 5-8 for the Low potentially risky beverages (LPRB) intake group, 9-12 for the medium potentially risky beverages (MPRB) intake group, and 13-21 for the high potentially risky beverages (HPRB) intake group. The results revealed that PRB consumption frequency was significantly associated with EPs (OR: 2.348, 95% CI: 1.153-4.78), with higher PRB intake correlating with an increased risk of EPs (p-value: 0.014). However, no significant difference was observed between the LPRB, MPRB, HPRB intake frequency groups and the different levels of anxiety (p-value: 0.793).

Conclusion

Increased consumption of PRB was clearly associated with a greater risk of EPs, and over half of the participants exhibited varying degrees of anxiety. These findings suggest that the risk of EPs can be mitigated by controlling beverage intake and highlight the need for increased attention to women's mental health.

Clinical trial registration

NCT06295510.

Influencing Factors of Women's Sports Participation Based on Self-Determination Theory: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction

The lack of physical exercise is a global health concern, particularly affecting women. However, there is limited research on factors influencing women's sports participation. Recent studies on increasing women's physical activity levels differ in methodologies and conclusions. Motivation, as the cornerstone of most human behaviors, has important effects on female motor participation. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is an important method to study human behavioral motivation and supported by empirical evidence. In the field of women's sports, the SDT is also widely used. This review explores the impact of SDT-related factors on women's sports participation, considering age variations. It aims to guide future empirical research and promote PA across demographics.

Methods

This review, by searching the existing empirical literature in Web of Science, Google Scholar, Elsevier ScienceDirect, CNKI, obtained 32 independent studies, conducted a meta-analysis after coding them, considering 11 influencing factors from the integration of SDT and Basic Psychological Needs Theory.

Results/Conclusion

The study found a significant positive correlation between autonomous motivation and women's sports participation, with identified regulation having the strongest influence. Controlled motivation showed no significant impact on women's exercise, while amotivation had an inhibitory effect. Enhancing women's perception of autonomy, competence, and relatedness significantly promotes sports participation. Age differences were observed in the relationship between autonomous motivation, basic psychological needs, and sports participation, with the strongest effects on women aged 25-40, while the impact was relatively weaker in older women. The correlation between basic psychological needs and female sports participation also has a significant age difference. Thus, different measures should be taken to improve exercise participation in women of different age groups.

Exploring the Nexus between Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity, Self-Disclosure, Social Anxiety, and Adolescent Social Avoidance: Insights from a Cross-Sectional Study in Central China

Objectives: Psychological issues among adolescents represent a prevalent challenge in today's society. The purpose of this study is to explore the associations among moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, self-disclosure, social anxiety, and social avoidance in adolescents. Methods: This study collected cross-sectional data from 427 students in eight provincial key junior and senior high schools in the central China region of three provinces using snowball sampling and convenience sampling from July to August 2023. A structural equation model was employed to investigate the relationship between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and social avoidance among adolescents. Results: The findings indicate that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is negatively correlated with social anxiety (standardized coefficient = -0.219, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with self-disclosure (standardized coefficient = 0.454, p < 0.001). Social anxiety is negatively correlated with self-disclosure (standardized coefficient = -0.220, p < 0.001). Social avoidance is positively correlated with social anxiety (standardized coefficient = 0.461, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with self-disclosure (standardized coefficient = -0.331, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The chain-mediated dual-path model between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and social avoidance is facilitated by social anxiety and self-disclosure. In other words, adolescents who engage in more moderate to high-intensity physical activities exhibit lower levels of social anxiety, and those who have a stronger inclination for self-disclosure tend to demonstrate lower levels of social avoidance. In light of these findings, it is recommended that the government, society, schools, and families collaborate synergistically to promote the holistic well-being of adolescents and advance the development of a healthier China.

The Impact of Sustainable Exercise on Self-Efficacy and Life Satisfaction in Women before and after Menopause

The study aims at elucidating the association between sustainable exercise and its influence on self-efficacy and life satisfaction in women during their premenopausal and postmenopausal stages. A relational screening model was employed on a sample of 422 women, with 215 premenopausal and 207 postmenopausal participants, utilizing convenience sampling. Participants' regularity of exercise and its duration was taken into consideration. Evaluation tools included the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Data were analyzed using a statistical software package with significance set at 0.05. Sustainable exercise demonstrated no significant difference in SWLS or GSES subdimensions among premenopausal women. However, postmenopausal women engaging in regular exercise reported significantly higher scores in SWLS and all GSES subdimensions. Moreover, positive correlations between age and SWLS scores, as well as between age and certain GSES subdimensions, were found in both pre- and postmenopausal periods. While sustainable exercise does not evidently impact the life satisfaction and self-efficacy of premenopausal women, it significantly enhances these parameters in postmenopausal women. Additionally, age appears to influence life satisfaction and specific self-efficacy subdimensions across both phases.

Active for Life after Cancer: Association of Physical Activity with Cancer Patients' Interpersonal Competence, Quality of Life, and Survival Beliefs

This study aimed to examine the relationship between physical activity and cancer patients' survival beliefs and constructed a mediation model involving the mediating effects of interpersonal competence and quality of life. We conducted 252 questionnaire surveys on multiple chat groups for cancer patients using the WeChat software, and assessed physical activity, survival beliefs, interpersonal competence, and quality of life using standard scales. Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. There were positive correlations between physical activity and quality of life (β = 0.393, p < 0.001), physical activity and interpersonal competence (β = 0.385, p < 0.001), interpersonal competence and quality of life (β = 0.455, p < 0.001), and quality of life and survival beliefs (β = 0.478, p < 0.001). In addition, a significant mediating effect between physical activity and survival beliefs was observed between interpersonal competence and quality of life (standardized indirect effect = 0.384, p < 0.001). The study revealed that effective physical activity led to higher interpersonal competence, more excellent quality of life, and improved survival beliefs in cancer patients, and that the association of physical activity with improved survival beliefs was fully mediated through interpersonal competence and quality of life. The findings suggest that the relevant government should increase policy support and publicity to improve cancer patients' participation in physical activity.