Objective: The relations between sleep quality, psychological status, and physical activity have been investigated in occupational or patient groups. The aims of this study were to compare sleep quality, anxiety, depression, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and body composition changes in male and female young adults as well as to investigate the associations among these parameters.
Methods: In total, 660 healthy young adults (330 male, 330 female) were included in this study. Body composition parameters (body fat percentage and lean body mass) were determined with a bioelectrical impedance analysis system. BMI was calculated as the body weight divided by the square of the height (kg/m2 ). All participants completed the physical activity questionnaire (short form), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaires.
Results: We found that the BMI, lean body mass, vigorous physical activity time, moderate physical activity time, and total physical activity were higher in the men, compared to the women. The body fat percentage, BAI and PSQI scores were higher in the women, when compared to the men. The PSQI score showed positive correlations with the BAI, BDI, BMI and body fat percentage in both genders. In addition, the PSQI score showed positive correlations with the sitting time in the women. However, the PSQI score showed negative correlations with the vigorous physical activity time and total physical activity in the men. The BAI score was negatively correlated with the vigorous physical activity in the men. However, the BAI score was positively correlated with the BMI, body fat percentage and sitting time, but negatively correlated with the total physical activity in the women. The BDI score was negatively correlated with the vigorous physical activity time and total physical activity, but positively correlated with the sitting time in the men. The BDI score was positively correlated with the BMI and body fat percentage, but negatively correlated with the walking time in the women.
Conclusion: In young adults, lower sleep quality, and moderate to vigorous physical activity and higher anxiety score were found in the female, as compared to the male. The sleep quality is negatively related to the anxiety and depression symptomatology, BMI, and adiposity, but positively related to the physical activity, in both genders. Nevertheless, the anxiety and depression symptomatology are negatively related to the physical activity in both genders, but positively related to the BMI, and adiposity in the female. We suggest that the consideration of associations among sleep quality, anxiety, depression, physical activity, and body composition in male and female young adults might be helpful for the development of more beneficial preventive medicine strategies.