Investigating bidirectional within- and between-person associations between daily anxiety and physical activity...

This study investigated the bidirectional within- and between-person associations between daily PA participation and anxiety.

A convenience sample of overweight/obese adults (N = 91; Mean age: 30.7 ± 6.5) were recruited from a university in the southeastern U.S. Participants completed a 21-day intensive longitudinal study, wearing the activPAL4 continuously and completing two daily surveys. Participants reported momentary anxiety using three items from the PROMIS during the morning and evening surveys, and self-reported leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and strength training during the evening survey. Multi-level dynamic structural equation models with Bayesian estimation examined the within- and between-person associations between anxiety and PA (device-measured MVPA, leisure-time MVPA, strength training).

When examining associations between daily PA and evening anxiety, a between-person association indicated that participants with higher average leisure-time MVPA reported lower average evening anxiety (b = -1.60, 95 % Credibility Interval [CrI]: 2.63, -0.54). When examining associations between morning anxiety and PA, a between-person association indicated that greater average morning anxiety was associated with less time spent in leisure-time MVPA (IRR = 0.87, 95 % CrI: 0.79, 0.96). There were no significant within-person associations between daily PA and evening anxiety or morning anxiety and PA.

Although the findings do not support a bidirectional association between anxiety and PA, they suggest that greater average time spent in leisure-time MVPA may reduce average anxiety and may support greater leisure-time MVPA engagement. Our results highlight the potential for leisure-time MVPA to serve as an adjunctive therapy alongside traditional treatment approaches to support lower overall anxiety levels.