Correlation Between Depression Symptoms and Physical Activity Among University Students

Zidni Imanurrohmah Lubis; Alfidah Idnu Fadillah; Anita Faradilla Rahim; Syiar Aprilla Tanazza

doi:10.14710/jpki.21.3.206-214

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/jpki.21.3.206-214

Correlation Between Depression Symptoms and Physical Activity Among University Students

*Zidni Imanurrohmah Lubis

- Department of Physiotherapy, University of Muhammadiyah Malang, Malang, East Java, Indonesia, Indonesia

Alfidah Idnu Fadillah - Department of Physiotherapy, University of Muhammadiyah Malang, Malang, East Java, Indonesia, Indonesia

Anita Faradilla Rahim

- Department of Physiotherapy, University of Muhammadiyah Malang, Malang, East Java, Indonesia, Indonesia

Syiar Aprilla Tanazza

- Master students, Department of Sports Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan (R.O.C), Taiwan

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

BibTex Citation Data :

@article{JPKI81095,
    author = {Zidni Lubis and Alfidah Fadillah and Anita Rahim and Syiar Tanazza},
    title = {Correlation Between Depression Symptoms and Physical Activity Among University Students},
    journal = {Jurnal Promosi Kesehatan Indonesia},
  volume = {21},
    number = {3},
    year = {2026},
    keywords = {Depression symptoms,  Physical activity, University students ,Mental health, Biopsychosocial model},
    abstract = {    Background   : Depression represents a critical public health concern among university students, with prevalence rates in      Background:      Depression represents a critical public health concern among university students, with prevalence rates in Indonesia reaching 50.76%. While physical activity is known to benefit mental health, the relationship between depression symptoms and physical activity among Indonesian university students remains poorly understood, with previous studies showing mixed findings. This study aimed to examine the relationship between depression symptoms and physical activity among university students across multiple academic disciplines at Muhammadiyah University of Malang.     Method:    This cross-sectional study involved 383 undergraduate students from class of 2023 across ten faculties. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), while physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Random sampling was employed with inclusion criteria of students aged 18-25 years. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's rho correlation test with significance level set at α=0.05.       Result:      The mean depression symptoms score was 10.45 (SD=5.596), indicating moderate depression symptoms, while mean physical activity level was 1812.93 MET-minutes/week (SD=1766.542). Spearman's rho analysis revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between depression symptoms and physical activity (r=-0.135, p=0.008), indicating that higher depression levels were associated with reduced physical activity. Routine depression symptoms screening using PHQ-9 should be integrated into student health assessments, and physical activity interventions should employ low-barrier, flexible approaches starting with modest achievable goals to address depression-related barriers.     },
   issn = {2620-4053},   pages = {206--214}  doi = {10.14710/jpki.21.3.206-214},
    url = {https://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/jpki/article/view/81095}
}

Citation Format:

Abstract

Background: Depression represents a critical public health concern among university students, with prevalence rates in

Background: Depression represents a critical public health concern among university students, with prevalence rates in Indonesia reaching 50.76%. While physical activity is known to benefit mental health, the relationship between depression symptoms and physical activity among Indonesian university students remains poorly understood, with previous studies showing mixed findings. This study aimed to examine the relationship between depression symptoms and physical activity among university students across multiple academic disciplines at Muhammadiyah University of Malang.

Method: This cross-sectional study involved 383 undergraduate students from class of 2023 across ten faculties. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), while physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Random sampling was employed with inclusion criteria of students aged 18-25 years. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's rho correlation test with significance level set at α=0.05.

Result: The mean depression symptoms score was 10.45 (SD=5.596), indicating moderate depression symptoms, while mean physical activity level was 1812.93 MET-minutes/week (SD=1766.542). Spearman's rho analysis revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between depression symptoms and physical activity (r=-0.135, p=0.008), indicating that higher depression levels were associated with reduced physical activity. Routine depression symptoms screening using PHQ-9 should be integrated into student health assessments, and physical activity interventions should employ low-barrier, flexible approaches starting with modest achievable goals to address depression-related barriers.

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PATIENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE (PHQ-9)

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Keywords: Depression symptoms, Physical activity, University students ,Mental health, Biopsychosocial model

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Section: Research Article

Language : EN

In Vol 21 No 3: July 2026

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