Inadequate Mental Health Literacy and Insufficient Physical Activity Potentially Increase the Risks of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese College Students

Xuexue Huang; Xiaoqing Wang; Jie Hu; Yanni Xue; Yanyan Wei; Yuhui Wan; Xianbing Song; Rui Wang; Bao Zhang; Jun Fang; Shichen Zhang

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.753695

Inadequate Mental Health Literacy and Insufficient Physical Activity Potentially Increase the Risks of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese College Students

Front Psychiatry. 2021 Nov 18:12:753695. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.753695. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Xuexue Huang^{1

2}, Xiaoqing Wang³, Jie Hu^{1

2}, Yanni Xue^{1

2}, Yanyan Wei⁴, Yuhui Wan^{1

2}, Xianbing Song⁵, Rui Wang⁶, Bao Zhang^{7

8}, Jun Fang^{1

2

9}, Shichen Zhang^{1

2

10}

Affiliations

¹ MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
² Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
³ Department of Pathology, Anhui Medical College, Hefei, China.
⁴ Department of Infectious Disease, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
⁵ Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Anhui Medical College, Hefei, China.
⁶ Information Technology Office, Anqing Medical College, Anqing, China.
⁷ Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
⁸ Department of Clinical Nutriology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
⁹ Department of Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan.
¹⁰ Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Management, Anhui Medical College, Hefei, China.

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the interactive associations between physical activity and mental health literacy with anxiety and depressive symptoms in Chinese college students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to July 2020. A total of 7,512 students were recruited from two medical colleges in Hefei and Anqing city in Anhui Province, China. Physical activity, mental health literacy, anxiety and depressive symptoms were measured by self-reported validated instruments. Analyses were conducted with logistic regression models. Results: The prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms was 8.6% and 16.4%, respectively. Insufficient physical activity was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 1.359, 95%CI 1.184-1.561) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.492, 95%CI: 1.237-1.799). Inadequate mental health literacy was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 3.089, 95%CI: 2.607-3.662) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 3.675, 95%CI: 2.861-4.721). Low physical activity rank (OR = 1.438, 95%CI: 1.151-1.798) was significantly related with depressive symptoms but not anxiety symptoms. The students who had inadequate mental health literacy and insufficient physical activity had the highest risks of depressive symptoms (OR = 5.049, 95% CI: 3.649-6.987) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 5.270, 95% CI: 3.338-8.321). Conclusion: These finding indicated that Chinese college students having insufficient physical activity and inadequate mental health literacy are at risk of exhibiting anxiety and depressive symptoms. Early intervention programs for college students with mental health problems should be considered to enhance their mental health literacy and to increase their physical activities.

Keywords: anxiety symptoms; depressive symptoms; interaction; mental health literacy; physical activity.