Determining the interconnection between personality and physical activity on perceived stress in a diverse sample

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Stress is a widespread issue with significant negative health consequences.
• Physical activity (PA) is known to mitigate perceived stress (PS), yet engagement remains low.
• The Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality may influence stress levels and PA engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the independent effects of FFM personality traits and PA on PS.
• To examine potential interactions between PA and personality factors in predicting PS.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study design was employed.
• Adults without anxiety disorders completed online surveys assessing personality (IPIP-NEO-120), PS (PSS-10), and PA (IPAQ-Long).
• Linear regression analyses were used to identify main and interactive effects.

Main Results:

• Neuroticism and conscientiousness significantly predicted higher PS.
• Physical activity did not show a significant independent effect on PS.
• An interaction effect was observed for openness to experience, where high levels of both openness and PA were associated with higher PS.

Conclusions:

• This study reinforces the connection between specific personality traits (neuroticism, conscientiousness) and perceived stress.
• Physical activity's role in stress reduction may be moderated by personality factors, particularly openness to experience.
• Future research should consider combined self-report and objective PA measures to further elucidate these relationships.