Author(s): BARON, M., HYVÄRINEN M, BEJJANI JOSÉ, YERSIN L, TAWFIK A, WEGRZYK J, Institution: HAUTE ECOLE DE SANTE VAUD, Country: SWITZERLAND, Abstract-ID: 840

Background: Health profession university students experience high academic and psychosocial demands during a critical life period for establishing long-term health behaviours1. Physical activity (PA) is associated with improved mental health2, but the interplay between PA, sedentary behaviour (SB), fatigue and stress on mental well-being and perceived overall health remains insufficiently explored in this population. Future healthcare professionals represent a strategic target for health promotion, as their own lifestyle behaviours influence both their professional resilience and their proficiency as health ambassadors.
Methods: This cross-sectional study examined associations between PA, SB and fatigue with mental well-being and perceived overall health, as well as the moderating role of stress, among undergraduate health students in a Swiss University of Applied Sciences. Students completed an online survey including the International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form; the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ; to measure mental well-being, further subdivided in depression and anxiety symptoms); the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale; the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (further subdivided into physical and mental fatigue) and a single-item measure of perceived overall health (1-10 scale). Spearman correlations, linear regressions (controlling for BMI and gender), and moderation analyses were conducted.
Results: A total of 299 students across five health professions were included (75% female, median BMI: 23.0 kg/m2). Higher moderate-to-vigorous PA was associated with lower anxiety symptoms and overall PHQ score (ρ=-0.23, p<0.001 for both), and better perceived overall health (ρ=0.28, p<0.001). SB was associated with increased perceived fatigue (total fatigue ρ=0.19, p=0.003, physical fatigue ρ=0.17, p=0.008). Stress emerged as the strongest predictor of PHQ score (B=0.64, p<0.001) and perceived overall health (B=-0.19, p<0.001), but it did not moderate the relationship between these outcomes and PA nor SB. No significant interaction between PA and SB was observed for either mental well-being or perceived overall health.
Conclusion: Among health professions students, higher PA was associated with better mental well-being and perceived overall health, independent of stress or SB. While SB was unrelated to mental well-being in this study, it was associated with greater fatigue. Promoting PA and limiting SB should be key elements of university health-promotion strategies to enhance well-being and resilience in future healthcare professionals.

1. Gordon-Larsen P, Nelson MC, Popkin BM. Longitudinal physical activity and sedentary behavior trends: adolescence to adulthood. American journal of preventive medicine. 2004;27(4):277-283.
2. Singh B, Olds T, Curtis R, et al. Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. Br J Sports Med. Sep 2023;57(18):1203-1209.