The Effect of College Students’ Physical Activity Level on Depression and Personal Relationships

Background: Physical activity greatly affects human physical and mental health. This study investigated the effect of college students’ physical activity levels on depression and personal relationships. Methods: Participants were 525 college students from five Korean cities. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Beck’s Depression Inventory, and Leary’s interpersonal orientation paper test measured physical activity volume, depression, and interpersonal relationships, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson’s correlation analysis. Results: The results revealed significant differences among emotional, cognitive, and synchronous symptoms of depression across activity level groups. Regarding interpersonal relationships according to physical activity, for the sociometric disposition, there were differences between groups in the sympathetic-acceptable and sociable-friendliness factors and, for the expressive disposition, in the competitive-aggressive and rebellious-distrustful factors. Conclusions: There were statistical correlations between the physical activity volume and depression and the physical activity and interpersonal relationships. Subsequent research should examine college students’ physical activities and causal relationships among various psychological variables.