Investigating the relationship between physical activity, impulsivity and stress, anxiety, and depression in college students

Abstract Background College students go through a plethora of challenges. These can have deleterious consequences on their mental health. Literature also suggests that regular physical activity (PA) can be a protective factor against mental ill health. However, the role of impulsivity remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of age, year of study (YoS), PA and impulsivity on stress, anxiety and depression. Method A total of N = 593 young adults (421 males, 171 females, 1 chose not to disclose gender information) with a mean age M = 19.65 (SD = 2.712) were recruited for the study. They were administered a battery of questionnaires consisting of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale—Short Form (DASS 21) and the Impulsive Behaviour Scale (UPPS). Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship. Results Preliminary analysis suggested that physical activity were not associated with depression, anxiety and stress (DASS facets). However, Sensation Seeking (SS) and Negative Urgency (NU) components of impulsivity had a significant negative relationship with DASS facets, while a significant positive relationship was found between Positive Urgency (PU) and stress. Regression analysis revealed that PU, NU, and SS are significantly associated with Stress and Depression. However, in the case of Anxiety, only PU and SS were found to be significantly associated. Along with this, YoS was significantly associated with anxiety. Discussions The results indicated that the emotional component of impulsivity is significantly associated with DASS facets. This highlights the need to incorporate emotion-focused interventional programs at the college level to help students develop skills to regulate their impulses.