Physical Activity (PA) Improves Positive Moods for International Students During COVID-19: A Multiple Baseline Design Report

Most people have difficulties maintaining mental health during the COVID-19 pandemics. International college students are at increased risk of developing mental disorders, which calls for effective preventive interventions. Previous work found modest effectiveness of physical activity (PA) in preventing and treating depression, whereas whether the intervention is effective among healthy individuals remains unclear. This study aims to design a low-intensify physical training to improve international students’ mood status. We used a 22-day multiple baseline design (MBD) with three healthy international students. The visual and randomization test were analyses using the R packages (RcmdrPlugin.SCDA and dependent packages). Results showed that taking mild aerobic exercise helps participants experience more positive moods (happy, energetic, concentrated), whereas PA had no significant effects on reducing negative moods (tired, anxious, depressed, sleepy). We suggest the importance of taking regular and mild exercise for international students at risk of mood disorders during the COVID-19.