Open AccessExploring the Relationships of Physical Activity, Emotional Intelligence, and Mental Health Among College Students
Author(s) -
Amir Bhochhibhoya,
Paul Branscum,
E. Laurette Taylor,
Craig W. Hofford
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
american journal of health studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1945-4511
pISSN - 1090-0500
DOI - 10.47779/ajhs.2014.215
Subject(s) - mental health , emotional intelligence , psychology , clinical psychology , test (biology) , physical activity , emotional distress , psychological distress , distress , scale (ratio) , mental distress , physical health , developmental psychology , psychiatry , medicine , anxiety , physical therapy , paleontology , physics , quantum mechanics , biology
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship among physical activity (PA), emotionalintelligence (EI), and mental health in a sample of university undergraduate students (n=438). All participants were asked to complete three standardized assessments: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test, and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Results showed that participants who reported higher levels of PA scored significantly higher in Global EI (p = 0.031) and mental health (p = 0.049) compared to participants with moderate and low levels of PA. Results also indicated that whereas Global EI was a significant predictor of PA, it was mediated by the relationship between mental health and PA.