Effects of physical activity on the mental health of university students. Systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Disorders related to mental health have become a health problem in the world and especially in the Americas region, however, one of the main ways to improve these disorders is through the practice of physical exercise in a stable way. Objective: To synthesize scientific evidence on the effect of physical exercise on the mental health of university students. Material and Methods: A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The information resources used for the methodological systematization were the Medline, Dimensions, LILACS, and SciELO regional databases; as well as the Google academic search engine. The data extraction period was October 25-31, 2023. Results: A total of 12 articles were finally included in the study, which were divided according to their design into: two on the design and implementation of physical activity programs, four on the evaluation of the effects of physical exercise programs, and six on the relationship between physical activity and quality of life or mental disorders. The authors of the studies were from different parts of the world and the most frequent language of publication was English. Conclusions: The existing scientific evidence in various sources of information on the effect of physical exercise on the mental health of university students was synthetized, and the direct relationship existing between the practice of healthy physical exercise for the treatment and prevention of mental disorders and quality of life was demonstrated.

Keywords

• estudiantes, universitarios, salud mental, ejercicio físico.