Physical activity and resilience during the pandemic in a sample of medical students

Authors

Keywords:

resilience, psychological, motor activity, COVID-19, students.

Abstract

Introduction: Some previous evidence supports the fact that physical activity is associated with resilience in different populations; however, the results are inconsistent.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of resilience; and the association between physical activity and resilience during the pandemic in a sample of medical students.
Methods: Cross-sectional study in 508 medical students. Resilience was categorized as adequate and low, while physical activity was categorized as low, medium and high. To assess the strength and magnitude of association, Poisson regression with robust variance was used. The results were presented in crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The confounding variables were sex, academic year; having been diagnosed with COVID-19 and having relatives diagnosed with COVID-19.
Results: The prevalence of adequate resilience was 40.35%. In the multivariable regression analysis, the presence of those who performed high physical activity increased the prevalence of adequate resilience by 1.56 times (aPR=1.56; 95% CI 1.23-1.97) compared to those who performed low physical activity. No association with moderate physical activity was found.
Conclusions: Less than half of the medical students presented an adequate level of resilience. At the same time, an association was found with high physical activity.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Holmes EA, O'Connor RC, Perry VH, Tracey I, Wessely S, Arseneault L, et al. Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: a call for action for mental health science. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020; 7(6):547-60. DOI:10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30168-1

2. Espinosa Ferro Y, Mesa Trujillo D, Díaz Castro Y, Caraballo García L, Mesa Landín MÁ, Espinosa Ferro Y, et al. Estudio del impacto psicológico de la COVID-19 en estudiantes de Ciencias Médicas, Los Palacios. Revista Cubana de Salud Pública. [acceso: 01/10/2022]; 46(1):e2659 disponible en: http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S0864-34662020000500006&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es

3. Yusvisaret Palmer L, Palmer Morales S, Medina Ramirez MCR, López Palmer DA, Yusvisaret Palmer L, Palmer Morales S, et al. Prevalencia de depresión durante la COVID-19 en estudiantes de medicina de una universidad privada mexicana. MEDISAN. 2021 [acceso: 01/10/2022]; 25(3):637-46. Disponible en: http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1029-30192021000300637

4. Brooks SK, Webster RK, Smith LE, Woodland L, Wessely S, Greenberg N, et al. The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet. 2020; 395(10227):912-20. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30460-8

5. Rubin GJ, Wessely S. The psychological effects of quarantining a city. BMJ. 2020; 368:m313. DOI:10.1136/bmj.m313

6. Maugeri G, Castrogiovanni P, Battaglia G, Pippi R, D'Agata V, Palma A, et al. The impact of physical activity on psychological health during Covid-19 pandemic in Italy. Heliyon. 2020; 6(6):e04315. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04315

7. Eakman AM, Kinney AR, Schierl ML, Henry KL. Academic performance in student service members/veterans: effects of instructor autonomy support, academic self-efficacy and academic problems. Educational Psychology. 2019; 39(8):1005-26. DOI:10.1080/01443410.2019.1605048

8. Ramirez-Granizo IA, Sánchez-Zafra M, Zurita-Ortega F, Puertas-Molero P, González-Valero G, Ubago-Jiménez JL. Multidimensional Self-Concept Depending on Levels of Resilience and the Motivational Climate Directed towards Sport in Schoolchildren. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020; 17(2):E534. DOI:10.3390/ijerph17020534

9. Robinson M, Hanna E, Raine G, Robertson S. Extending the Comfort Zone: Building Resilience in Older People With Long-Term Conditions. J Appl Gerontol. 2019; 38(6):825-48. DOI:10.1177/0733464817724042

10. Asmundson GJG, Taylor S. How health anxiety influences responses to viral outbreaks like COVID-19: What all decision-makers, health authorities, and health care professionals need to know. J Anxiety Disord. 2020; 71:102211. DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102211

11. Childs E, de Wit H. Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults. Front Physiol. 2014; 5:161. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00161

12. Penedo FJ, Dahn JR. Exercise and well-being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2005; 18(2):189-93. DOI:10.1097/00001504-200503000-00013

13. Mateo CM, Hernández MP, Cabrero RS. El bienestar psicológico en la adolescencia: variables psicológicas asociadas y predictoras. European Journal of Education and Psychology. 2019; 12(2):139-51. DOI: 10.30552/ejep.v12i2.279

14. Hernández JG, Gil NA. Relación de los rasgos de personalidad y la actividad física con la depresión en adolescentes. Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes. 2019 [acceso: 01/10/2022]; 6(1):29-35. Disponible en: http://dspace.umh.es/handle/11000/4968

15. Lee S-Y, Tung H-H, Peng L-N, Chen L-K, Hsu C-I, Huang Y-L. Resilience among older cardiovascular disease patients with probable sarcopenia. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2020; 86:103939. DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2019.103939

16. Chow SKY, Choi EKY. Assessing the Mental Health, Physical Activity Levels, and Resilience of Today's Junior College Students in Self-Financing Institutions. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019; 16(17):E3210. DOI:10.3390/ijerph16173210

17. Dominguez-Lara S, Gravini-Donado M, Torres-Villalobos G, Dominguez-Lara S, Gravini-Donado M, Torres-Villalobos G. Análisis psicométrico de dos versiones de la Connor- Davidson Resilience Scale en estudiantes universitarios peruanos: propuesta del CD-RISC-7. Revista Argentina de Ciencias del Comportamiento. 2019 [acceso: 01/10/2022]; 11(2):36-51. Disponible en: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=333466557004

18. Arango-Vélez EF, Echavarría-Rodríguez AM, Aguilar-González FA, Patiño-Villada FA, Arango-Vélez EF, Echavarría-Rodríguez AM, et al. Validación de dos cuestionarios para evaluar el nivel de actividad física y el tiempo sedentario en una comunidad universitaria de Colombia. Revista Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública. 2020; 38(1):1-11. DOI: 10.17533/udea.rfnsp.v38n1e334156

19. Guzmán-Yacaman JE, Reyes-Bossio M. Adaptación de la Escala de Percepción Global de Estrés en estudiantes universitarios peruanos. Revista de Psicología (PUCP). 2018; 36(2):719-50. DOI:10.18800/psico.201802.012

20. García-Rojas K, Salazar-Salvatierra E, Barja-Ore J, García-Rojas K, Salazar-Salvatierra E, Barja-Ore J. Resiliencia y estrés percibido en estudiantes de Obstetricia de una universidad pública de Lima, Perú. FEM: Revista de la Fundación Educación Médica. 2021; 24(2):95-9. DOI:10.33588/fem.242.1117

21. Van der Merwe LJ, Botha A, Joubert G. Resilience and coping strategies of undergraduate medical students at the University of the Free State. S Afr J Psychiatr. 2020; 26:1471. DOI: 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v26i0.1471

22. Perales A, Izaguirre M, Sánchez E, Barahona L, Martina M, Amemiya I, et al. Salud mental en estudiantes de pregrado de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Anales de la Facultad de Medicina. 2019; 80(4):443-50. DOI:10.15381/anales.v80i4.17142

23. Dunston ER, Messina ES, Coelho AJ, Chriest SN, Waldrip MP, Vahk A, et al. Physical activity is associated with grit and resilience in college students: Is intensity the key to success? Journal of American College Health. 2022; 70(1):216-22. DOI:10.1080/07448481.2020.1740229

24. Zach S, Eilat-Adar S, Ophir M, Dotan A. Differences in the Association between Physical Activity and People's Resilience and Emotions during Two Consecutive Covid-19 Lockdowns in Israel. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(24):13217. DOI:10.3390/ijerph182413217

25. Hegberg NJ, Tone EB. Physical activity and stress resilience: Considering those at-risk for developing mental health problems. Mental Health and Physical Activity. 2015; 8:1-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.mhpa.2014.10.001

26. Ho FKW, Louie LHT, Chow CB, Wong WHS, Ip P. Physical activity improves mental health through resilience in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents. BMC Pediatr. 2015; 15:48. DOI:10.1186/s12887-015-0365-0

27. Chacón-Cuberos R, Castro-Sánchez M, Pérez-Turpin JA, Olmedo-Moreno EM, Zurita Ortega F. Levels of Physical Activity Are Associated With the Motivational Climate and Resilience in University Students of Physical Education From Andalucía: An Explanatory Model. Front Psychol. 2019; 10:1821. DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01821

28. Ozkara AB, Kalkavan A, Alemdag S, Alemdag C. The Role of Physical Activity in Psychological Resilience. Baltic Journal of Sport and Health Sciences. 2016 [acceso: 01/10/2022]; 3(102):24-9. DOI: 10.33607/bjshs.v3i102.62

29. Burt KB, Paysnick AA. Resilience in the transition to adulthood. Dev Psychopathol. 2012; 24(2):493-505. DOI:10.1017/S0954579412000119

30. Paluska SA, Schwenk TL. Physical activity and mental health: current concepts. Sports Med. 2000; 29(3):167-80. DOI:10.2165/00007256-200029030-00003

31. Stern Y, Arenaza-Urquijo EM, Bartrés-Faz D, Belleville S, Cantilon M, Chetelat G, et al. Whitepaper: Defining and investigating cognitive reserve, brain reserve, and brain maintenance. Alzheimers Dement. 2020; 16(9):1305-11. DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.07.219

32. Walhovd KB, Howell GR, Ritchie SJ, Staff RT, Cotman CW. What are the earlier life contributions to reserve and resilience? Neurobiol Aging. 2019; 83:135-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.04.014

33. Lesuis SL, Hoeijmakers L, Korosi A, de Rooij SR, Swaab DF, Kessels HW, et al. Vulnerability and resilience to Alzheimer's disease: early life conditions modulate neuropathology and determine cognitive reserve. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2018; 10(1):95. DOI: 10.1186/s13195-018-0422-7

34. Casaletto KB, Rentería MA, Pa J, Tom SE, Harrati A, Armstrong NM, et al. Late-Life Physical and Cognitive Activities Independently Contribute to Brain and Cognitive Resilience. J Alzheimers Dis. 2020; 74(1):363-76. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-191114

35. Clark PG, Greene GW, Blissmer BJ, Lees FD, Riebe DA, Stamm KE. Trajectories of Maintenance and Resilience in Healthful Eating and Exercise Behaviors in Older Adults. J Aging Health. 2019; 31(5):861-82. DOI: 10.1177/0898264317746264

36. McEwen BS. In pursuit of resilience: stress, epigenetics, and brain plasticity. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2016; 1373(1):56-64. DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13020

Published

2023-07-10

How to Cite

1.
Nina Ramos AN, Perez Diaz UN, Correa López LE, Torres-Malca JR, Vera-Ponce VJ, De La Cruz-Vargas JA. Physical activity and resilience during the pandemic in a sample of medical students. Rev Cubana Med Milit [Internet]. 2023 Jul. 10 [cited 2025 Apr. 2];52(3):e02302558. Available from: https://revmedmilitar.sld.cu/index.php/mil/article/view/2558

Issue

Section

Research Article