The relationship between exercise perceptions and levels of depression and anxiety in adolescents preparing for exams

Objectives: It was designed to determine the relationship between exercise perceptions and depression and anxiety levels among adolescents preparing for exams.
Methods: Participants' exercise perception levels were assessed using the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS) for both physical and emotional aspects, and their levels of depression and anxiety were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).
Results: The average age of participants was 16.86±0.72, and their body mass index was 21.84±3.49. EBBS, exercise benefit sub-parameters: 56.75±16.25, exercise barrier sub-parameters: 47.20±13.14, total score: 103.95±21.33. BDI sub-parameters: depression: 9.37±6.53, anxiety: 7.61±5.42, stress: 8.38±5.21, BDI total score: 25.35±15.80, which indicates moderate depression. No relationship was found between BDI and EBBS (r=0.067, p=0.468). When the sub-parameters were examined, no significant relationship was found between the BDI sub-parameter and exercise benefits and total scores (respectively, r=0.177, p=0.054; r=0.012, p=0.898), and a significant relationship was found between exercise benefits and exercise barriers (r=-0.199, p=0.029).
Conclusion: This study found no relationship between exercise perceptions and depression and anxiety among adolescents preparing for exams when evaluated in terms of total scores. Among the sub-parameters, there was a significant relationship between depression and exercise barrier scores, between anxiety and exercise benefits, and between BDI total scores and exercise benefits.

Keywords: Barriers and benefits to exercise, Adolescent Health, Physician Assistants, Depressive Disorder, Test Anxiety.