The Associations Between Physical Activity and Mental Health Problems in Middle-aged Indonesians
- Author:
Sri HANDAYANI
1
;
Siti ISFANDARI
;
Diyan Ermawan EFFENDI
;
Rozana Ika AGUSTIYA
;
Irfan ARDANI
;
Arief Priyo NUGROHO
;
Yunita FITRIANTI
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health 2024;57(4):379-387
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Objectives:Mental health issues have become a growing concern worldwide. Research has shown that regular physical activity (PA) can positively affect mental health. This study investigated the associations between PA and mental health problems (MHPs) in middle-aged Indonesians.
Methods:The study utilized data from the 2018 Indonesian Basic Health Research Survey and used a cross-sectional approach. The participants included individuals aged 40-60 years who completed the 20-question Self-Reporting Questionnaire. A logistic regression was performed to analyze a sample of 263 930 data points.
Results:Nearly 10.4% of the participants suffered from mental health issues. Notably, among those who did not engage in moderate and vigorous PA, a sign of MHPs was found in 12.5% of participants. Those who met World Health Organization standards for PA were less likely to experience MHPs (10.1%). This study found a significant association between PA and mental health. After adjusting for smoking, alcohol consumption, non-communicable diseases, and socio-demographic variables like age, sex, education, occupation, marital status, and residence, the connection between PA and mental health became even stronger (adjusted odds ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.78 to 0.85; p<0.001).
Conclusions:Regular PA has been shown to affect mental health positively. Therefore, it is important to improve health education and efforts to raise awareness among middle-aged Indonesians about the importance of PA in maintaining good mental health.
