The Impact of Exercise on the Mental Health and Quality of Life of People—the Second Edition
A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 7758
Special Issue Editors
Interests: disparities in health outcomes and healthcare access/health service utilization of vulnerable populations, particularly sexual and gender minorities; disease disparities including HIV, mental health, and chronic diseases; barriers that impede and facilitators that enhance healthy behaviors such as HIV testing, preventive care, and disease prevention; the use of social marketing to promote health; the intersection of sport, physical activity, and health; using sport to advance health, especially among women
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: maternal and child health; the impact of COVID-19 on mental health; understanding social determinants of health; vaccine hesitancy; clinical research; evidence synthesis (particularly systematic reviews and meta-analyses)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Participation in physical activity, exercise, and sports has been found to improve people’s health and wellbeing in comparison to people who do not participate in these activities. Physical inactivity is a risk factor for chronic conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and some cancers. Additionally, there is a positive association between physical activity or exercise and improved mental health outcomes. Physical activity/exercise has been found to reduce psychological distress (including depression, stress, and anxiety) and poor mental health outcomes, while improving people’s sense of well-being and quality of life. While the positive effects of physical activity have been studied in the general population, less is known about the impact of physical activity, exercise, and sports on mental health and quality of life in subsets of the population. A paucity of research has explored the relationships between physical activity/exercise and mental health outcomes among specific populations, such as people with chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancer, and asthma), minority populations (e.g., racial or ethnic, sexual, and gender minorities), and people with disabilities.
This Special Issue aims to highlight innovative studies (original investigations and review articles) that explore the relationships between physical activity, exercise, and sports, as well as mindfulness interventions, on the mental health and quality of life of specific populations. Studies may include the impact of the frequency, duration, or intensity of physical activity on outcomes such as depression, psychological distress, quality of life, or wellbeing. Additionally, we welcome studies on specific types of activity (e.g., yoga, hiking, and swimming), exercise (e.g., cardiovascular exercise and muscle strengthening), or sport (e.g., team sport and individual sport) and their relationships with mental health and wellbeing. We will also consider studies assessing the determinants of physical activity based on theoretical frameworks, which could inform targeted interventions.
Dr. Jennifer R. Pharr
Dr. Kavita Batra
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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