title: Association between physical activity and psychological status among Saudi female students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical inactivity is common among Saudi females. Many variables are associated with different levels of mental health, including physical activity. This study was designed to determine the correlation between 3 weeks of improved physical activity and psychological factors such as insomnia, depression and attention span.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-six female students, of mean age 20.9 ± 1.4 years, were analyzed. Insomnia, depression and attention were subjectively assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Attention Span Test (AST), respectively. Each subject was given a pedometers and advised to walk at least 6000 steps per day for 3 weeks. Psychological status was assessed before and after the 3 weeks and compared using paired sample t-tests. Pearson correlation was used to determine the association between physical health and psychological factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Improvements in scores on the ISI (from 7.22 ± 3.06 to 4.09 ± 2.80), BDI (from 8.88 ± 3.13 to 3.98 ± 2.74) and AST (from 63.86 ± 3.06 to 77.27 ± 11.33) were observed after 3 weeks. Physical activity was negatively correlated with ISI (r = -0.74) and BDI (r = -0. 78) and positively correlated with AST (r = 0.69).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improved physical activity can be useful in managing insomnia, depression and attention. In female Saudi students, higher levels of physical activity were associated with improved mental health.
authors.forename: Einas
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Al-Eisa
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Health Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. syamala3110@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Syamala
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buragadda
authors.forename: Ganeswara Rao
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Melam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009043:Motor Activity; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult