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Physical activity and anxiety: A perspective from the World Health Survey
Open accessAbstract
Background Despite the known benefits of physical activity (PA) among people with anxiety, little is known about PA levels in people with anxiety at the population level. This study explored the global prevalence of anxiety and its association with PA.Methods Cross-sectional, community-based data from the World Health Survey was analyzed. Prevalence of anxiety was estimated for 237,964 individuals (47 countries). PA was categorized as low, moderate, and high based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short form). The association between PA and anxiety was assessed by multivariable logistic regression.Results The overall global prevalence of anxiety was 11.4% (47 countries). Across 38 countries with available data on PA, 62.5%, 20.2%, and 17.3% of the sample engaged in high, moderate, and low levels of PA respectively. The prevalence of low physical activity in those with and without anxiety was 22.9% vs. 16.6% (p<0.001) (38 countries, n=184,920). In the pooled model adjusted for socio-demographics, depression, and country, individuals engaging in low PA (vs. high PA) had 1.32 (95% CI=1.17-1.47) times higher odds for anxiety than those with high PA. Female sex, older age, lower education and wealth, and depression were also associated with low PA. At the individual country level, there was a significant positive association between low PA and anxiety in 17 of the 38 countries.Conclusion Low PA levels are associated with increased prevalence of anxiety. There is a need for longitudinal research to establish the directionality of the relationships observed.
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“Consuming a balanced diet and regular activity have health benefits.”
From Barriers and facilitators to diet, physical activity and lifestyle behavior intervention adherence: a qualitative systematic review of the literature (2023) · cites this paper as [4]
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“Awareness of and insight into one’s own sleep and activity patterns have been shown to affect anxiety and well-being [50,51].”
From Development and feasibility of a digital acceptance and commitment therapy⇓based intervention for generalized anxiety disorder: Pilot acceptability study (2021) · cites this paper as [51]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Stubbs, B., Koyanagi, A., Hallgren, M., Firth, J., Richards, J., Schuch, F., Rosenbaum, S., Mugisha, J., Veronese, N., Lahti, J., & Vancampfort, D.
- Affiliations
- National Health Service (GB)
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ES)
- Karolinska Institutet (SE)
- University of Manchester (GB)
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (BR)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Butabika Hospital (UG)
- University of Padua (IT)
- University of Helsinki (FI)
- KU Leuven (BE)
- Corresponding author
- Stubbs, Brendon
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Affective Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-01
- Volume
- 208
- Pages
- 545-552
- ISSN
- 0165-0327 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2533733143
- Cited by
- 324
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 61 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 18
- FWCI
- 16.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- kclpure.kcl.ac.uk
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- Locations
- Journal of Affective Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Padua Research Archive (University of Padova) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Figshare (submittedVersion)
- Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Nova Science Publishers (Nova Science Publishers, Inc.) (submittedVersion)
- Lirias (KU Leuven) (submittedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research & Care Funding
- Miguel Servet Contract (CP13/ 00,150, PI15/00862)
- ISCIII - General Branch Evaluation and Promotion of Health Research
- European Regional Development Fund (ERDF-FEDER)
- Society for Mental Health Research Early Career Fellowship (Australia)
- Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO – Vlaanderen)
- NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (Australia)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- physical activity, anxiety, anxiety prevalence, physical inactivity, cross-national comparison, depression, socioeconomic factors, sex differences, age, wealth, mental health
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Global Health, Exercise, Prevalence, Logistic Models
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