The Effect Of Moderate-intensity Physical Activity On Biopsychosocial Factors Among Veterans With Symptoms Of Ptsd

Physical activity has been shown to have a positive impact on biopsychosocial variables among individuals who may be experiencing symptoms related to PTSD. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a moderate-intensity physical activity regimen on aerobic endurance, barriers to accessing health care, and symptom severity of PTSD among military veterans. METHODS: Participants of this study (n=4) engaged in a 4-week physical activity regimen that met two times per week. The dependent variables were aerobic endurance, measured with the Cooper 12 Minute Walk test, barriers to accessing health care, measured with the BACE, and symptoms of PTSD, measured with the PCL-5. RESULTS: Descriptive statistics and a paired samples t-test were utilized to analyze data. There were statistically significant differences for all dependent variables at the post-assessment level, indicating statistically significant improvements in the PCL-total score (p=.032), BACE-total score (p=.043), BACE-stigma score (p=.032), VO2max (p=.014), and METS (p=.014). CONCLUSION: Researchers concluded that a moderate-intensity physical activity regimen may be effective at improving aerobic endurance, perceived barriers to accessing health care, and symptom severity of PTSD among military veterans. Future studies should aim to increase sample size and utilize a laboratory grade assessment for capturing changes in VO2max and METS. Additionally, future research should aim to investigate the dose-response effect on dependent variables based on varying physical activity intensity levels, duration of intervention, and the duration of acute bouts of physical activity.