•  
  •  
 

Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

12-1-2024

Abstract

Purpose: This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the association between physical fitness levels and state-trait anxiety psychology among Chinese college students through quantitative data analysis.

Methods: With the approval and consent of the Ethics Committee of Soochow University, 4,500 undergraduate students at Soochow University in the age range of 18 to 22 years old were recruited through simple random sampling to participate in the questionnaire survey in November 2020. Physical fitness was reflected by the results of the National Physical Fitness Test for college students, and their state-trait anxiety status was reflected by the scores of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Pearson's correlation analysis, multivariate linear regression analysis, restrictive cubic spline analysis, and independent samples t-tests were used to explore the interrelationships between college students' physical fitness and their psychological anxiety.

Results: There proved to be a negative association between college students' physical fitness and state-trait anxiety. The multidimensional structure of anxiety was closely related to this negative association, with the combined category of state anxiety and trait anxiety measured simultaneously ("Both") particularly reflecting this negative association (male: p < 0.001, female: p = 0.001). Restrictive cubic spline analyses showed that this association was also non-linear (p < 0.001). Among the physical fitness test indicators, vital capacity and running ability responded most significantly to this negative predictive relationship.

Conclusions: The findings suggested that higher levels of physical fitness are associated with lower state-trait anxiety among Chinese college students, and that effective psychological interventions to reduce the anxiety levels of test-anxious students (especially those who test for both state and trait anxiety) can be the key to improving the physical fitness of Chinese college students.

Download

Share

COinS