The Mediating Role of Anxiety in the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Premenstrual Syndrome in Female Students
Keywords:
physical activity, anxiety, premenstrual syndrome, female studentsAbstract
Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of anxiety in the relationship between physical activity and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome among female students.
Methods and Materials: This study was conducted using a descriptive–analytical design. The statistical population consisted of all female students of Islamic Azad University, Shahroud Branch, in the academic year 2023–2024, from whom 145 individuals were selected through convenience sampling. The instruments used included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST). Data were analyzed using linear regression, path analysis, and bootstrapping.
Findings: The results showed that there was a significant negative relationship between physical activity and the severity of premenstrual syndrome symptoms (β = -0.654, p < 0.001); that is, with an increase in physical activity levels, the severity of the syndrome’s symptoms decreased. In addition, anxiety was also found to be a significant negative predictor of premenstrual syndrome symptoms (β = -0.441, p < 0.001), indicating that lower anxiety levels were associated with reduced syndrome symptoms. Furthermore, physical activity was positively and significantly associated with the reverse anxiety score (indicating an actual reduction in anxiety) (β = 0.591, p < 0.001). Path analysis confirmed the partial mediating role of anxiety in the relationship between physical activity and premenstrual syndrome, with the indirect path effect being β = -0.260, which was statistically significant.
Conclusion: Overall, the findings indicated that increasing physical activity can reduce the severity of premenstrual syndrome symptoms both directly and indirectly through reducing anxiety, thereby contributing to the improvement of women’s psychosomatic well-being.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Pardis Rahimi (Author); Hassan Abdi (Corresponding Author); Malake Nasery (Author)
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