The association between physical activity and depression in emerging adults: the pathway of subjective exercise experience

Objective: Individuals during emerging adulthood, particularly college students, show a higher prevalence for sedentary behavior and its associated depression. The aim of this study is to explores depression among college students in emerging adulthood in China, investigate the association between different levels of physical activity (PA) and depression among emerging adults and examine the potential mediating role of subjective exercise experience. Methods: A total of 2,516 college students in China were selected as research subjects. The short form of an international physical activity questionnaire, a self-rating depression scale, and a subjective exercise experience scale were used to assess physical activity, depression, and exercise experience, respectively. Results: (1) In terms of depression, 921 emerging adults reported depressive symptoms (40.5%), among whom 707 had mild depression (31%) and 214 had severe depression (9%). Emerging adults with high levels of PA have significantly lower levels of depression than those with medium and low levels of PA do, and those with low levels of PA have higher levels of depression than those with medium levels of PA do. (2) In terms of subjective exercise experience, compared with those who engage in medium or low levels of PA, emerging adults with high levels of PA experience more positive (positive wellbeing, PWB) and fewer negative (psychological distress, PD; fatigue) emotions during exercise. Additionally, compared with emerging adults with lower levels of PA, those with medium levels of PA experience fewer negative emotions (fatigue). (3) Depression was negatively correlated with PA and PWB and positively correlated with PD and fatigue. PA, PWB, PD, and fatigue all served as significant predictors of depression, and their total predictive power was 45.6%. PA had a significant direct effect on depression and a significant total indirect effect through its mediators. Four significant pathways were involved, and PWB emerged as the primary mediator. The most substantial pathways included direct mediation through PWB and serial mediation through PWB and PD. Conclusion: The rate of depression among emerging adults in China is concerning. Higher levels of PA were associated with lower levels of depression; the more PA that one engaged in, the better their depression status. Both the amount of PA and the number of subjective exercise experience (PWB, PD, fatigue) were significantly associated with depression. The relationship between PA and depression involved multiple psychological pathways, which were primarily characterized by the mediating role of enhanced PWB experienced during physical activity. This highlights that future exercise interventions should target the enhancement of subjective wellbeing during activity, rather than focusing solely on increasing its volume or intensity.