Quantifying the Impact of Physical Activity on Stress Tolerance in College Students

Problem: Stress experience by millennial college students can be crippling. While stress is a universal and unavoidable phenomenon for college students, the variance in ability to handle stress can be attributed to stress tolerance (Welle & Graf, 2011). Research is needed to identify effective t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:College student journal 2014-12, Vol.48 (4), p.559-568
Main Authors: Bland, Helen W, Melton, Bridget F, Bigham, Lauren E, Welle, Paul D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Case Studies
Check Lists
College Students
Coping
Coping Mechanisms
Correlation
Diaries
Extracurricular Activities
Health Behavior
Leisure Time
Methods
Physical Activity
Physical Activity Level
Physiological aspects
Psychological aspects
Questionnaires
Statistical Analysis
Stress management
Stress Tolerance
Stress Variables
Student Attitudes
Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
United States (Southeast)
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Summary:Problem: Stress experience by millennial college students can be crippling. While stress is a universal and unavoidable phenomenon for college students, the variance in ability to handle stress can be attributed to stress tolerance (Welle & Graf, 2011). Research is needed to identify effective tools that increase college students' ability to tolerate and positively cope with stress. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to quantify the impact of physical activity associated behaviors and exercise types significantly associated with high stress tolerance (HST) among college students. Methods: Research design employed was an quantitative, analytical, cross-sectional study of randomly selected college students (N=936) that completed a stress tolerance questionnaire (STQ) coupled with a physical activity log. Statistical differences by type of physical activity and stress tolerance were determined by Chi-Square and Odds Ratio (95%CI). Results: Significant physical activity behaviors associated with HST included: exercised (p=0.001), engaged in leisure activity (p=0.004), engaged in extra-curricular activity (p=0.012), and engaged in extra-curricular sport (p=0.039). Three out of four types exercise were significantly associated with HST: vigorous exercise, stretching, and resistance training (p
ISSN:0146-3934
2691-3887