En movimiento contra la angustia: el papel de la actividad física en el alivio del estrés psicológico
Barra lateral del artículo
Contenido principal del artículo
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17979/sportis.2025.11.4.11986Resumen
Este estudio exploró la relación entre la actividad física y el distrés psicológico en estudiantes universitarios. Mediante un diseño de investigación cuantitativo, en particular la correlación descriptiva, se encuestó a 1199 participantes seleccionados mediante un muestreo aleatorio simple. La investigación adoptó dos instrumentos consolidados: el Cuestionario Internacional de Actividad Física (IPAQ) para evaluar los niveles de actividad física y la Escala de Distrés Psicológico de Kessler (K10) para evaluar el distrés psicológico. Los datos se analizaron mediante estadística descriptiva e inferencial, incluyendo el Coeficiente de Correlación de Pearson, para determinar la relación entre las variables. Los resultados indicaron una correlación negativa estadísticamente significativa entre la actividad física y el distrés psicológico, lo que sugiere que niveles más altos de actividad física se asociaron con niveles más bajos de distrés. Estos hallazgos subrayan el potencial de la actividad física como factor protector contra el distrés psicológico en los estudiantes. El estudio enfatiza la necesidad de que las instituciones integren programas de actividad física en sus iniciativas de bienestar, ya que estos programas podrían aliviar la tensión mental y mejorar el bienestar general de los estudiantes. Las implicaciones de esta investigación sugieren que promover la actividad física puede mejorar los resultados en salud mental, lo cual es crucial para el éxito académico y el desarrollo personal. En conclusión, fomentar entornos que incentiven la actividad física puede reducir eficazmente el malestar psicológico y apoyar la salud integral de los estudiantes, contribuyendo en última instancia a una comunidad académica más saludable y productiva.
Palabras clave:
Detalles del artículo
Referencias
Arvidsdotter, T., Marklund, B., Kylén, S., Taft, C., & Ekman, I. (2016). Understanding persons with psychological distress in primary health care. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 30(4), 687–694. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12289
Battalio, S. L., Huffman, S. E., & Jensen, M. P. (2020). Longitudinal associations between physical activity, anxiety, and depression in adults with long-term physical disabilities. Health Psychology, 39(6), 529. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000848
Bülow, A., Keijsers, L., Boele, S., van Roekel, E., & Denissen, J. J. A. (2021). Parenting adolescents in times of a pandemic: Changes in relationship quality, autonomy support, and parental control? Developmental Psychology, 57(10), 1582. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001208
Camariñas, R. P., Tagare, R. L., & Tagare, R. L. (2022). Private tertiary students’ unspoken thoughts in learning physical education amidst COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for intervention. Edu Sportivo: Indonesian Journal of Physical Education, 3(1), 41–55. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.25299/es:ijope.2022.vol3(1).8444
Canby, N. K., Cameron, I. M., Calhoun, A. T., & Buchanan, G. M. (2015). A brief mindfulness intervention for healthy college students and its effects on psychological distress, self-control, meta-mood, and subjective vitality. Mindfulness, 6, 1071–1081. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-014-0356-5
Cattelino, E., Testa, S., Calandri, E., Fedi, A., Gattino, S., Graziano, F., Rollero, C., & Begotti, T. (2023). Self-efficacy, subjective well-being and positive coping in adolescents with regard to Covid-19 lockdown. Current Psychology, 42(20), 17304–17315. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01965-4
Chauntry, A. J., Bishop, N. C., Hamer, M., & Paine, N. J. (2022). Sedentary behaviour, physical activity and psychobiological stress reactivity: A systematic review. Biological Psychology, 172, 108374. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108374
Collin, V., O’Selmo, E., & Whitehead, P. (2020). Stress, psychological distress, burnout and perfectionism in UK dental students. British Dental Journal, 229(9), 605–614. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-020-2281-4
Craig, C. L., Marshall, A. L., Sjöström, M., Bauman, A. E., Booth, M. L., Ainsworth, B. E., Pratt, M., Ekelund, U. L. F., Yngve, A., & Sallis, J. F. (2003). International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 35(8), 1381–1395. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1249/01.MSS.0000078924.61453.FB
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.
Deng, Y., & Liu, H. (2025). To overcome test anxiety in on-line assessment: unpacking the mediator roles of techno competencies, teacher support, self-efficacy, and autonomy. BMC Psychology, 13(1), 192. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02545-y
Ehrlenspiel, F., & Mesagno, C. (2023). Anxiety in sport. In Sport and Exercise Psychology: Theory and Application (pp. 281–320). Springer. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-03921-8_12
Feyzbabaie, M., Rajai, N., Alizadeh, A., & Azizi, M. (2025). Psychological distress among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a hybrid concept analysis. BMC Psychology, 13(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02562-x
Gapa, I. J., & Tagare Jr, R. (2023). Dropped Interest: Generation Z Students’ Demotivating Reasons on Gradual Dislike on Sports and Recreation. Sportis. Scientific Journal of School Sport, Physical Education and Psychomotricity, 9(1), 98–124. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17979/sportis.2023.9.1.9076
Gothe, N. P., Ehlers, D. K., Salerno, E. A., Fanning, J., Kramer, A. F., & McAuley, E. (2020a). Physical activity, sleep and quality of life in older adults: influence of physical, mental and social well-being. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 18(6), 797–808. https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2019.1690493
Gothe, N. P., Ehlers, D. K., Salerno, E. A., Fanning, J., Kramer, A. F., & McAuley, E. (2020b). Physical Activity, Sleep and Quality of Life in Older Adults: Influence of Physical, Mental and Social Well-being. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 18(6), 797–808. https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2019.1690493
Heckel, C., Messerschmidt-Grandi, C., & Ringeisen, T. (2021). Learners’ characteristics, test anxiety, learning efforts, and performance: validating their structural relationships. Educational Psychology, 41(9), 1117–1138. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2021.1935468
Hirose, M., & Creswell, J. W. (2023). Applying core quality criteria of mixed methods research to an empirical study. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 17(1), 12–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/15586898221086346
Ilies, R., Huth, M., Ryan, A. M., & Dimotakis, N. (2015). Explaining the links between workload, distress, and work–family conflict among school employees: Physical, cognitive, and emotional fatigue. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(4), 1136. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000029
Kim, D. H., Kim, J. H., & Park, K.-J. (2023). The impact of regular exercise, competition experience, and physical self-efficacy on psychological resilience. Revista de Psicología Del Deporte (Journal of Sport Psychology), 32(3), 1–19.
Malvezzi, S. (2019). SELF-FULFILLMENT. Culture, Work and Psychology: Invitations to Dialogue, 309.
Margulis, A., Andrews, K., He, Z., & Chen, W. (2021). The effects of different types of physical activities on stress and anxiety in college students. Current Psychology, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01881-7
Marsigliante, S., Gómez-López, M., & Muscella, A. (2023). Effects on Children’s Physical and Mental Well-Being of a Physical-Activity-Based School Intervention Program: A Randomized Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 1927. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031927
Maurer, M. M., & Daukantaitė, D. (2020). Revisiting the organismic valuing process theory of personal growth: A theoretical review of Rogers and its connection to positive psychology. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1706. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01706
Mcdermott, R. C., Fruh, S. M., Williams, S., Hauff, C., Graves, R. J., Melnyk, B. M., & Hall, H. R. (2020). Nursing students’ resilience, depression, well‐being, and academic distress: Testing a moderated mediation model. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 76(12), 3385–3397. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14531
Noor, S., Tajik, O., & Golzar, J. (2022). Simple random sampling. International Journal of Education & Language Studies, 1(2), 78–82.
Park, J., Uhm, J.-P., Kim, S., Kim, M., Sato, S., & Lee, H.-W. (2022). Sport community involvement and life satisfaction during COVID-19: a moderated mediation of psychological capital by distress and generation Z. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 861630. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.861630
Patnaik, G. (2021). Positive psychology for improving mental health & well-being. Notion Press.
Poblador, S. A. C., Tagare, R. L., & Tagare, R. L. (2022). K to 12 transition in action: Threading the opportunities and challenges on the implementation of senior high school sports track in Southern Philippines. Edu Sportivo: Indonesian Journal of Physical Education, 3(1), 65–76. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.25299/es:ijope.2022.vol3(1).8467
Robbins, B. D. (2021). The joyful life: An existential-humanistic approach to positive psychology in the time of a pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 648600. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648600
Rusu, M. (2019). The process of self-realization—From the humanist psychology perspective. Psychology, 10(8), 1095–1115. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2019.108071
SANDUA, D. (2023). CREATING YOUR BEST VERSION: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS.
Sasso, L., Bagnasco, A., Bianchi, M., Bressan, V., & Carnevale, F. (2016). Moral distress in undergraduate nursing students: A systematic review. Nursing Ethics, 23(5), 523–534. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733015574926
Sensiper, S. (2023). Teaching meditation to college students within an historical and cultural context: A qualitative analysis of undergraduate reflections on contemplative practice. Current Psychology, 42(18), 15356–15367. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-02811-x
Sfendla, A., & Hadrya, F. (2020). Factors associated with psychological distress and physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Security, 18(6), 444–453. https://doi.org/10.1089/hs.2020.0062
Singh, B., Olds, T., Curtis, R., Dumuid, D., Virgara, R., Watson, A., Szeto, K., O’Connor, E., Ferguson, T., & Eglitis, E. (2023). Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57(18), 1203–1209. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106195
Smith, K. J., & Emerson, D. J. (2021). Resilience, psychological distress, and academic burnout among accounting students. Accounting Perspectives, 20(2), 227–254. https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3838.12254
Squires, L. R., Hollett, K. B., Hesson, J., & Harris, N. (2021). Psychological distress, emotion dysregulation, and coping behaviour: a theoretical perspective of problematic smartphone use. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 19, 1284–1299. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00224-0
Veilleux, J. C., Hyde, K. C., & Clift, J. B. (2022). When is your distress harder to tolerate? A qualitative analysis of situations in which distress tolerance is impaired and strengthened. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 23, 85–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2021.12.008
Westerbeek, H., & Eime, R. (2021). The physical activity and sport participation framework—a policy model toward being physically active across the lifespan. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 3, 608593. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.608593
Zheng, Y., Li, H., Gao, K., & Gallo, P. M. (2022). Developing a Home-Based Body Weight Physical Activity/Exercise Program. ACSM’S Health & Fitness Journal, 26(2), 20–28. https://doi.org/10.1249/FIT.0000000000000746
Zhou, Y., & Xu, W. (2019). The mediator effect of meaning in life in the relationship between self-acceptance and psychological wellbeing among gastrointestinal cancer patients. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 24(6), 725–731. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2018.1554252