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Updated: May 18, 2026

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Published on: October 22, 2015
Relations between anhedonia and physical activity
1Departments of Preventive Medicine and Psychology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA. adam.leventhal@usc.edu
Objective:
To examine the relation of 2 measures of anhedonia-a specific facet of depression indicative of inability to experience pleasure-to physical activity (PA).
Method:
Cross-sectional correlational survey study of 157 college students (73% female, M age 19.9 years).
Results:
One or both measures of anhedonia were inversely associated with walking frequency, moderate-intensity PA frequency and duration, and vigorous-intensity PA frequency and duration (βs -16 to -.27, Ps < .05). Some of these associations were statistically mediated by lower PA enjoyment.
Conclusions:
Deficient pleasure may be an important affective mechanism underlying PA behavior.
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