Association between anxiety symptoms and preference for exercise intensity: a cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12820/rbafs.30e0415Keywords:
Mental health, Physical activity levels, Anxiety disorder, Generalized anxiety disorders, Cross-sectional studyAbstract
Introduction: The literature highlights the benefits of regular physical exercise in the treatment of anxiety; however, the preference for exercise intensity has been little explored. Objective: To investigate the association between anxiety symptoms and exercise intensity preference in physically active adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study recruited 639 participants classified as active or very active between August 2022 and October 2023. Of these, 108 presented anxiety symptoms (~16.9%) and 531 did not (~83.1%). Exercise intensity preference and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Preference for and Tolerance of the Intensity of Exercise Questionnaire (PRETIE-Q) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), respectivel. Associations were analyzed using crude and adjusted logistic regression models. Results: Of the 108 symptomatic participants, 39 were male (36.1%; 44.1 ± 10.6 yrs; 1.75 ± 0.07 m; 86.2 ± 14.1 kg; GAD = 11.9 ± 3.4) and 69 were female (63.9%; 42.5 ± 8.8 yrs; 1.63 ± 0.06 m; 68.9 ± 13.4 kg; GAD = 13.0 ± 3.7). Among the 531 non-symptomatic participants, 324 were men (61.1%; 47.3 ± 11.1 yrs; 1.75 ± 0.06 m; 85.2 ± 14.9 kg; GAD = 2.7 ± 2.4) and 207 were women (38.9%; 44.9 ± 9.6 yrs; 1.63 ± 0.06 m; 67.9 ± 12.3 kg; GAD = 3.5 ± 2.3). No association was observed between anxiety symptoms and exercise intensity preference, in either the crude model (p = 0.44) or the adjusted model (p = 0.79). Conclusion: Anxiety symptoms were not associated with exercise intensity preference in physically active adults.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Eduardo Lattari, Felipe Faria Silva de Oliveira, Erick Santana de Souza, Aldair José de Oliveira
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