Mediating Factors of Exercise Identity and Perceived Stress

As we continue to traverse influences of the post COVID-19 public health environment, there have been noted effects associated with mental and physical health. Stress and anxiety can lead to burnout and have negative physical effects on the body. Research indicated that increases in exercise participation may reduce burnout among college students (Chen et al., 2022). For college students, access to resources such as recreational centers may help to alleviate the negative effects of anxiety. Physical activity has also been shown to improve the relationship between self-image and esteem (Gan & Jiang, 2024). PURPOSE: This study sought to explore the relationship between exercise identity and perceptions of stress, with a focus on mediating factors of the use of campus resources, classification, and physical activity participation. METHODS: Participants (N=75) were given an online survey consisting of demographic questions, perceptions of anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7; GAD-7), and exercise identity (Exercise Identity Scale; EIS). The collected data were then subjected to a series of statistical analyses including correlations and One-way ANOVA. RESULTS: The GAD-7 did not have statistically significant relationships with any of the variables. The average score was 1.86, which equates to minimal-mild levels of anxiety among students surveyed. However, exercise identity displayed statistically significant correlations among sex (r=-0.339, p=0.003), physical activity participation type (r=-0.283, p=0.014), recreation center usage (r=0.260, p=0.025), and major (r=0.227, p=0.050). Further interactions indicated that more males (73.91%) aligned with exercise identity than females (39.22%). ANOVA (F=8.888, p