Background Age-related declines in cognitive and physical function may compromise independence in older adults. Exercise training combined with cognitive demands has been proposed as a potential strategy to address these changes; however, the role of training frequency remains unclear. Aims This study examined the effects of exercise training combined with cognitive demands, delivered at different weekly frequencies, on planning ability and functional fitness in older adults. Methods This study included 92 community-dwelling older adults (mean age = 76.45 ± 6.02 years), who were allocated to one of three groups: once-weekly training (n = 23), twice-weekly training (n = 37), or a control group (n = 32). The 12-week intervention consisted of 90-minute sessions integrating multicomponent exercise (i.e., aerobic, resistance, balance, agility, and coordination training) with concurrent cognitive demands targeting short-term memory, reasoning, and processing speed. Planning ability was assessed using the Tower of London task. Functional fitness was evaluated using measures of cardiovascular endurance, agility and dynamic balance, static balance, muscular strength, flexibility, and lower-extremity function. All outcomes were assessed at baseline and immediately following completion of the intervention. Results After adjustment for sex, a significant group × time interaction was observed for the Tower of London-derived total move score (TMS; p < .001). TMS decreased significantly in both training groups, but not in the control group. At post-intervention, TMS was significantly lower in the twice-weekly group than in the control group (p = .004). Significant group × time interactions were also observed for cardiovascular endurance (p = .002), agility and dynamic balance (p = .003), and upper-body muscular strength (p = .001). Cardiovascular endurance improved only in the twice-weekly group, whereas both training groups improved in agility and dynamic balance and upper-body muscular strength. Conclusion The twice-weekly group demonstrated significant improvements across a broader range of outcomes, although direct differences between the two training groups were not consistently observed.
Background Aerobic exercise is a promising adjunct for adolescents with depression, yet actionable dose targets remain unclear. This review quantified effects on depressive symptoms, anxiety, and quality of life (QoL) and identified outcome specific dose ranges. Methods PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane CENTRAL, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar were searched from inception to 1 August 2026. Randomized controlled trials enrolling adolescents aged 13 to 18 years with diagnosed or elevated depression were eligible if aerobic exercise lasted at least 4 weeks and outcomes included depressive symptoms, anxiety, or QoL. Risk of bias was assessed with RoB 2. Random effects meta-analyses produced standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Weekly dose was expressed as MET·min/week. Bayesian dose-response models with restricted cubic splines estimated effective ranges and the doses associated with the greatest modeled benefit. Small-study effects were examined with Egger’s test. Results Thirteen trials (n = 734) were included. Aerobic exercise significantly reduced depressive symptoms (SMD = -0.79, 95% CI -1.03 to -0.55; I2 = 55.4%, τ2 = 0.097) and anxiety (SMD = -0.94, 95% CI -1.71 to -0.18; I2 = 92.5%, τ2 = 1.078), and improved QoL (SMD = 0.86, 95% CI 0.34 to 1.38; I2 = 80.4%, τ2 = 0.279) compared with control conditions. Dose-response analyses suggested exploratory weekly dose windows: depressive symptoms, 260 to 1,200 MET·min/week, with the greatest modeled benefit at about 820 MET·min/week; anxiety, 290 to 770 MET·min/week, with the greatest modeled benefit at about 530 MET·min/week; and QoL, 520 to 750 MET·min/week, with the greatest modeled benefit at about 750 MET·min/week. Egger’s test suggested possible small-study effects for QoL only. Conclusion Aerobic exercise appears to be a useful adjunct for adolescents with depression, with benefits for depressive symptoms, anxiety, and QoL. The modeled dose windows suggest an outcome-informed approach to prescription, with higher weekly exposure for depressive symptoms, lower exposure for anxiety, and an intermediate range for QoL. Given heterogeneity and possible small-study effects for QoL, these ranges should be considered provisional and refined in future dose-comparative randomized trials. PROSPERO registration CRD420251230511
Background Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep are independently associated with the risk of depression. However, evidence on the joint associations with depressive symptoms among young adults remains scarce. Objective The study aimed to examine the joint associations of 24-hour movement behaviors with depressive symptoms. Methods A total of 8026 college students completed the survey. Light physical activity (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behavior and sleep were assessed using the 24-hour Movement Behaviors Questionnaire for Chinese College Students. Depressive symptoms were evaluated by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). Binary logistic regression was conducted to examine the associations of those behaviors with depressive symptoms. Results Meeting 24-hour movement guidelines was associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms (all P<0.05). The joint association analyses demonstrated that LPA and MVPA were associated with reduced odds of depressive symptoms only in participants who met sleep guidelines (all P<0.05). Lower sedentary behavior levels were associated with reduced odds of depressive symptoms (all P<0.05) irrespective of whether participants met the sleep guidelines, and adequate sleep was associated with reduced odds of depressive symptoms compared with high sedentary time and inadequate sleep strata (all P<0.05). Medium (OR=0.81, 95% CI: 0.67-0.98) and high levels of MVPA (OR=0.77, 95% CI: 0.64-0.94), but not LPA, were associated with reduced odds of depressive symptoms in participants with high level of sedentary behavior. Conclusions Adequate sleep was associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms irrespective of LPA and MVPA. Although lower sedentary time was associated with reduced odds of depressive symptoms, higher sedentary time combined with adequate sleep or higher MVPA levels was also associated with reduced odds of depressive symptoms. Future intervention strategies targeting depressive symptoms should consider the joint associations of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep based on holistic perspectives.
Background Physical activity (PA) contributes to pediatric mental health (MH), but it is unclear if this relationship varies across child development. This study tests the hypothesis that children and adolescents display distinct PA-MH associations, and explores sleep, social support, and screen time as key intermediaries. Methods This cross-sectional analysis evaluated two cohorts: 341 children (2–3 years) with caregiver-reported PA and Child Behavior Checklist scores; and 180 adolescents (12–14 years) who completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Screen for Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED), and Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ-C). Seven additional domains were queried as covariates: sleep, parenting, social determinants, environment, nutrition, medical factors, and screen time. Directed acyclic graphs guided multivariate regression modeling. Generalized linear models explored whether sleep, social support, or device use accounted for linkages between PA and MH. Results PA displayed univariate associations with fewer child depressive symptoms (d=-0.202, p<0.040), adolescent depressive symptoms (d=-0.590, p<0.001), and anxiety symptoms (d=-0.415, p=0.003). In multivariate models, PA was associated with fewer child emotional/behavioral problems (Estimate=-3.49, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: -6.75 to -0.22), and lower odds of adolescent depression (Odds Ratio [OR]=0.47, 95%CI:0.30–0.76) and anxiety (OR=0.61, 95%CI:0.40–0.95). Both sleep (Estimate=-0.29, 95%CI:-0.56 to -0.03) and social support (Estimate=-0.53, 95%CI: -0.92 to -0.13) accounted for a portion of the association between PA and adolescent depressive symptoms, but not anxiety. Conclusions PA is associated with reduced depressive symptoms across childhood. Sleep and social support account for a portion of this association in adolescents.
Background Physical activity and screen time are associated with emotional and behavioral difficulties in children, but the role of chronotype in these cross-sectional associations remains unclear. Aims This study examined whether associations of physical activity and screen time with emotional and behavioral difficulties included indirect components through chronotype. Methods This cross-sectional study included 1,729 Japanese children aged 4–9 years. Physical activity frequency, total daily screen time, chronotype, and emotional and behavioral difficulties were parent-reported. Chronotype was assessed using the morningness/eveningness (M/E) score from the Japanese Children’s ChronoType Questionnaire. Emotional and behavioral difficulties were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and a total difficulties score (TDS) was calculated. Separate indirect-effect models were adjusted for age, sex, household income, and sleep duration. Indirect associations were estimated using 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Results More frequent physical activity was associated with a lower M/E score and lower TDS, whereas longer screen time was associated with a higher M/E score and higher TDS. Higher M/E scores were associated with higher TDS after adjustment for each exposure. The indirect association through the M/E score was −0.058 (95% bootstrap CI: −0.092 to −0.025) for physical activity and 0.139 (95% bootstrap CI: 0.086 to 0.197) for screen time. Conclusions More frequent physical activity was associated with fewer emotional and behavioral difficulties, whereas longer screen time was associated with greater difficulties. Both associations included small indirect components through chronotype. Future longitudinal studies using repeated and multi-method assessments are needed.
Background and Aims Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is associated with persistent cognitive deficits linked to impaired neuroplasticity. Physical Exercise may enhance the cognitive effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) by inducing neurobiological changes. This randomized controlled trial examined whether a structured exercise phase preceding CBT improves cognitive performance and explored related biological mechanisms. Methods This is a secondary exploratory analysis of a trial designed to investigate the effect of an exercise and CBT intervention on depressive symptoms in individuals with mild to moderate MDD. Seventy-four adults with mild to moderate MDD (18–65 years) were randomized to 12 weeks of high-intensity exercise (HEX, n=22), low-intensity exercise (LEX, n=30), or waitlist control (WL, n=22), followed by 12 weeks of CBT. Cognitive outcomes (inhibition, processing speed, working memory, episodic and verbal learning) were measured using Stroop, Digit Symbol, Digit Span, Verbal Learning and Memory Test (VLMT), and Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT). Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) were analyzed as mechanistic markers. Results Cognitive performance improved across all groups, mainly during the CBT phase. HEX participants showed greater gains in Digit Symbol Total versus WL (p=0.036). Exercise-induced CRF gains correlated with Digit Span Backward improvements (r=0.338, p=0.004), and IGF-1 increases correlated with VLMT First Trial performance (r=0.250, p=0.036). Conclusion A preparatory exercise phase enhanced specific cognitive outcomes and induced biological changes linked to cognitive gains, suggesting that exercise may prime neuroplastic mechanisms to improve CBT efficacy in MDD. These findings support integrating exercise as a neurobiological adjunct in depression treatment.
Background and Aims Physical activity has a positive effect on the mental health of adolescents, but previous research has focused mainly on average trends and single outcomes without considering heterogeneity in developmental trajectories and possibly different effects on different aspects of mental health. This study took a holistic approach to investigate the following: (a) latent classes of self-reported vigorous physical activity trajectories among Korean adolescents using seven annual survey waves, (b) whether latent classes differ with respect to five aspects of mental health at baseline and endpoint, and (c) predictors of latent classes of physical activity trajectories. Methods This study used the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey 2018 with 2,607 participants and a cohort design from 2018 to 2024. It employed latent class growth analysis to determine latent classes of vigorous physical activity trajectories, measured by a single five-category self-report item administered annually, and the BCH procedure to investigate whether latent classes differ with respect to five aspects of mental health at baseline and endpoint. It also used multinomial logistic regression to investigate predictors at baseline. Results and Conclusion Five classes were identified: mid (9.5%), high (9.8%), high sharp-drop (34.2%), high slow-drop (9.7%), and low (36.8%). Significant between-class differences emerged for depression, self-esteem, and peer relationships at both time points, with gaps widening by Wave 7. Attention did not differ across classes at either time point, and somatic symptoms differed only at baseline. The high class, characterized by sustained activity with mid-adolescence recovery, exhibited the most favorable mental health profile at endpoint. Gender, household income, smartphone dependency, and private tutoring time predicted class membership. Physical activity trajectories are selectively associated with emotional and psychosocial dimensions rather than uniformly affecting all aspects of mental health, underscoring the value of a holistic, multidimensional approach.
Objective Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition that can substantially affect quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of different physical exercise modalities in reducing obsessive-compulsive symptoms through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Method Four databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science) were systematically searched, and the reference lists of eligible articles were also screened. Five studies were included in the systematic review, and four studies involving 190 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Results Five randomized controlled clinical trials were included, involving a total of 326 adult participants (61.4% women). The five studies investigated aerobic exercise or yoga, lasting from 10 to 12 supervised sessions, and their individual findings were mixed. Four studies involving 190 participants were included in the meta-analysis, which showed no significant association between physical exercise interventions and the reduction of obsessive-compulsive symptoms compared to the control group (SMD = −0.34; 95% CI: −1.14, 0.46). One study could not be pooled because the necessary data were unavailable. Most of the included studies demonstrated "some concern" about the risk of bias, according to the RoB 2 tool. Conclusions The results suggest that physical exercise may support mental health more broadly, but the current evidence does not show a clear effect on OCD symptoms in adults compared with passive control groups. Limited reporting of exercise prescription variables, especially heart rate, session duration, and exercise frequency, may have contributed to these findings. This review highlights the need for studies with lower risk of bias, larger samples, and more detailed reporting of exercise prescription variables, including intensity, frequency, duration, and supervision, to better clarify the relationship between physical exercise and OCD.
Purpose Despite physical activity (PA)'s health benefits, few adolescents meet recommended levels. This review examined associations between adolescents’ self-reported PA and sedentary behaviours (SB) and their modifiable determinants, assessing interventions across settings (school, home, mixed). Methods Five databases were searched from 2010 to 2023. Eligible studies included experimental studies assessing adolescents’ self-reported PA/SB and modifiable determinants at pre- and post-intervention. Within a social-ecological framework, Robust-Bayesian-Meta-Analyses (RoBMA) were conducted per setting, assessing heterogeneity and publication-bias. Single-study outcomes were narratively reported. A holistic classification of determinant domains was then applied to map measured determinants and targeted intervention components across individual-psychological, individual-behavioural, interpersonal, and environmental domains. Risk of bias and evidence certainty were also evaluated. PROSPERO-ID: CRD42021282874. Results Twelve RCTs and two CTs (school n = 10, home n = 2, and school-home n = 2 settings) were included. Thirteen studies (93%) incorporated theory-based approaches, and 13 studies (93%) addressed multiple determinant domains, although only four (29%) showed high-integration multi-domain designs. Of the 67 unique modifiable determinants identified, 94% were classified within individual/interpersonal categories. In particular, RoBMAs showed minimal or no pooled effects on PA/SB or determinants, except for weak evidence suggesting a small positive effect on planning in school setting, including action and coping planning, implementation intentions, or commitment to a plan of action, with substantial heterogeneity across studies. Risk of bias was due mainly to randomization and outcome measurement issues. The level of certainty from the evidence ranged from very low to low. Discussion Existing interventions predominantly target individual-level factors, with limited coordinated integration across socio-ecological domains. High-quality future trials should test whether well-designed, integrated multilevel interventions can more consistently modify diverse determinants of adolescents' PA/SB across setting and co-occur with psychosocial benefits.
Background and aims The Physical Activity Paradox (PA Paradox; occupational PA [OPA] elevates risks that leisure-time PA [LTPA] reduces) has been documented for cardiovascular outcomes but remains underexplored for depression. This study examined OPA and LTPA associations with depressive symptoms within a 24-h movement behavior framework that simultaneously accounts for sedentary behavior and sleep. Methods This cross-sectional analysis used data from the 2017–2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (N = 8159 working-age adults, M = 42.1 ± 14.2 years). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9 ≥10). Six survey-weighted regression models (three linear, three logistic) adjusted for demographics, health behaviors, socioeconomic factors, and all movement domains. Results In the fully adjusted model, OPA was associated with elevated depression odds (OR = 1.59, 95% CI [1.26, 2.01]), whereas LTPA meeting WHO guidelines was inversely associated with depression (OR = 0.56, 95% CI [0.43, 0.72]). Sedentary behavior (OR = 1.29, 95% CI [1.14, 1.47]) and both short (<7 h/night; OR = 1.31, 95% CI [1.03, 1.67]) and long sleep (>9 h/night; OR = 1.63, 95% CI [1.28, 2.09]) independently contributed to depression odds. Interaction tests revealed a uniform OPA–depression association across racial/ethnic groups, whereas LTPA's inverse association with depression was observed among White, Black, and Asian adults but attenuated among Hispanic/Latino adults. Substantial racial/ethnic disparities persisted after full adjustment. Conclusion These findings extend the PA Paradox to depression, identify sedentary behavior and sleep duration as independent intervention targets, and reveal that LTPA's inverse depression association varies by race/ethnicity. Persisting racial/ethnic disparities indicate that mental health prevention requires integrating domain-specific PA assessment with attention to social and environmental determinants.
Background Depression is common among middle-aged and older adults, and its relationship with physical activity may not be simply linear. Aims This study compared five machine learning algorithms for classifying elevated depressive symptom status among adults aged 45 years and older across high, moderate, and low physical activity groups and examined features contributing to classification. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using CHARLS-4 data. Elevated depressive symptoms were defined as a score ≥10 on the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Participants were classified according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire categorical scoring protocol. Models were trained separately in each group, and SHAP was used for interpretation. Results The sample included 3431 participants in the high, 2285 in the moderate, and 1193 in the low physical activity group. Elevated depressive symptoms were present in 1109 (32.32%), 572 (25.03%), and 406 (34.03%) participants, respectively. XGBoost showed the best overall performance in the high and low groups, whereas GBDT was selected for the moderate group. Life satisfaction was the highest-ranked feature across all groups. Physical activity-related features showed group-specific contributions to model output. Conclusion Machine learning models showed acceptable discrimination of CESD-10-defined elevated depressive symptom status across physical activity groups. The moderate activity group had the lowest observed prevalence, suggesting that the relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms may be non-linear and that activity level should be interpreted alongside individual characteristics and activity context.
Physical activity (PA) offers numerous physical and psychological health benefits for individuals with severe mental illness. PA is not routinely integrated into inpatient mental health services, despite its benefits. This study recruited participants with experience across different international contexts and inpatient psychiatric settings, from multidisciplinary professional backgrounds, with the aim of achieving consensus on effective, impactful, and feasible strategies to advance PA implementation and inform service design globally. Insights were gathered from thirteen stakeholders using the Nominal Groups Technique (NGT). The online NGT process followed five steps: an opening statement, silent idea generation, round-robin recording of ideas, group discussion, and voting to rank strategies based on their perceived effectiveness, impact, and feasibility. Thirty-three consolidated strategies were generated and organised into three categories: leadership and policy, staffing, and PA delivery. The strategies ranked most effective and impactful were leadership and organisational top-down commitment, providing PA infrastructure, facilitating consistent access to opportunities, building workforce capacity, and creating a positive day-to-day PA culture. The most feasible strategies included protecting PA time within service user (SU) timetables, collecting and utilising SU feedback, ongoing services evaluations, the characteristics of the PA provider, co-design of PA programmes with SUs, and PA language. The findings emphasise the need for a multi-level implementation approach. Strategies that rely on organisational resources and leadership were considered more effective and impactful, whereas those operating independently of wider systemic and organisational barriers were considered more feasible. There is a need for increased collaboration across research and practice to test, refine, and discover effective implementation strategies.
Introduction Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) recognises the prevalence and impact of trauma and seeks to create safe, trustworthy, and empowering environments for service users. Adoption of this approach is growing, alongside an increasing body of literature evaluating its application and benefits within primary healthcare, social work, and psychology. However, little is known about how TIP is understood and applied in specific allied health roles, such as the exercise professions. This paper explores how exercise professionals understand and apply TIP in their practices. Methods This study employed a qualitative design, using semi-structured interviews to explore participants' perspectives. Exercise professionals were recruited using purposive sampling and Braun and Clarke's six steps of inductive thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. Results 13 exercise professionals completed an interview; from their responses, three themes emerged: (1) cultivating therapeutic relationships through psychological safety and mutual partnership, (2) trauma informed exercise becomes a vehicle for experiencing empowerment and agency, and (3) exercise professionals need to turn inward to sustain TIP and a gap in training leaves exercise professionals to piece together TIP on their own. These themes demonstrate how TIP is currently understood and being applied in practice. Conclusions This study sheds light on the importance of the therapeutic relationship as a foundational element of TIP in exercise settings and its influence on exercise delivery. Currently, exercise professionals feel responsible for sustaining this approach individually, which points to the need to develop training and support structures to sustain its implementation.
Background: Aggression and prosocial behavior are key aspects of social development in children and adolescents. Martial arts training has been proposed as a potential approach to reduce aggressive behavior and promote positive social functioning through the development of self-control and social skills, but existing evidence remains inconsistent. This study systematically evaluated the effects of martial arts interventions on aggression and prosocial behavior in youth. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and EBSCOhost-SportDiscus from database inception to January 28, 2026. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effects models to calculate standardized mean differences for aggression and prosocial behavior outcomes. Results: Six studies involving 1291 participants were included in the meta-analysis. For aggression outcomes, martial arts interventions showed no statistically significant effect (I2 = 20.0%, Hedges' g = -0.16, 95% CI -0.81 to 0.49). For prosocial behaviour outcomes, no statistically significant effect was observed (I2 = 0.0%, Hedges' g = -0.03, 95% CI -0.13 to 0.08). Conclusion: Current evidence does not support significant effects of martial arts interventions on aggression or prosocial behaviour among children and adolescents. Further well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to clarify whether specific martial arts interventions may produce behavioral benefits in youth populations.
The declining mental health of youth in late adolescence and early adulthood represents a serious public health concern, resulting in substantial symptom burden, mortality, and societal cost. Despite this, youth with clinical mental illnesses show poor engagement with mental health services. Two drivers of poor youth engagement in mental health services are ineffective transitions between child/adolescent and adult mental health services, and a loss of youth-specific, needs-appropriate support within the adult mental health services after “ageing out” of child and adolescent services. Such disengagement has serious developmental and functional implications, and is linked to higher hospitalisation and mortality, underscoring the need for improved models of care.Youth often prefer services that help them manage their symptoms, improve their overall wellbeing, support them to participate within their community. In line with this, youth often express preference for, and show higher levels of engagement with recovery-oriented services.Exercise aligns with many tenets of recovery-oriented care by fostering engagement, social connectedness, self-efficacy, behavioural activation, and equipping youth with strategies to improve their wellbeing, manage stress and mental illness symptoms. As such, it represents a practical, accessible, and feasible strategy for engaging youth with clinical mental illness that could be deployed within or alongside existing mental health services. However, it remains underexplored as a vehicle for supporting youth to transition to and engage with adult mental health services. We review the literature in this field and offer suggestions for future research and clinical efforts that integrate exercise into transitional care pathways.
Complex social issues (e.g., domestic, family and sexual violence [DFSV]) are enduring problems that emerge from the interplay of individual, relational, and structural factors within society. These issues are major global challenges that are closely intertwined with poor population health and wellbeing. Physical activity settings, including sport, exercise, active recreation and leisure pursuits, are potentially powerful yet underutilised platforms for social impact. If intentionally designed, they may help influence modifiable upstream determinants and mitigate downstream harms associated with complex social issues, while also strengthening health, social connection, and wellbeing. However, the evidence base remains limited. Key weaknesses include a lack of highquality causal evidence, insufficient investigation of underlying mechanisms (i.e., cognitive, psychosocial, behavioural, and neurobiological), limited emphasis on scalable and sustainable interventions, and inadequate cross-sector collaboration and integration. To address these gaps, we propose the Social Impact through Physical Activity (SIPA) framework to guide research on how physical activity may be utilised to influence four prominent complex social issues: social isolation and loneliness, DFSV, involvement with the criminal justice system, and discrimination and social exclusion, with mental health positioned as a central outcome and pathway of impact. Although these issues differ in form, each is shaped by social relationships and structural conditions, shows bidirectional links with mental health, and may plausibly be influenced through relational, psychosocial, and contextual pathways within settings where physical activity takes place. The SIPA framework provides a roadmap and five recommendations to guide future research, practice, and policy.
Maintaining psychological well-being is increasingly important as the global workforce ages. This study identified psychological symptom-based profiles among Korean full-time wage workers and examined their associations with domain-specific physical activity. Using data from the 2023 Korean Labor and Income Panel Study, latent profile analysis identified three distinct groups: Risk, Moderate, and Robust. The Risk group reported higher levels of stress, fatigue, rest-need, and depression and was more likely to engage in high levels of work-related physical activity. In contrast, transport-related activity (e.g., walking and cycling) was associated with lower levels of psychological distress symptoms. Recreational activity showed mixed results. These findings suggest that the association between psychological health and physical activity varies by domain, and occupational activity is potentially linked to increased psychological distress. Promoting self-directed moderate-intensity activity and ensuring adequate recovery may help protect workers' mental health. This study highlights the need for tailored interventions that consider the type and context of physical activity in workplace mental health strategies.
