Impact of Gender Difference and Exercise Intensities on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Among University Students

This study was done to investigate the impact of gender differences and exercise intensities on depression and anxiety symptoms among university students

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Depression; Anxiety; Gender; University Students; Exercise Intensity
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: The high intensity interval training; Other: The study moderate continuous training

Detailed Description

Depression among university students is a growing concern due to factors such as separation from family, transition to a performance-based environment, financial stressors, and uncertainty about postgraduation. An estimated 71% of Egyptian university students have at least minor depression. Depression is associated with lower academic performance and can lead to substance abuse, chronic conditions, and premature mortality. Despite the availability of effective treatment, only one in five university students receives minimally adequate treatment. Physical exercise is suggested as an affordable, low-cost, non-pharmacological treatment for depression and anxiety. Exercise can effectively relieve anxiety symptoms, and a study will evaluate depression and anxiety symptoms based on gender and exercise intensity among university students.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 84
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Aya Mohamed HASSAN Abo Elhassan, Assistant lecturer; Phone Number: 01220042634; Email: aaboelhassan@horus.edu.eg

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • Damieta, Egypt
    • out-patient clinic, faculty of physical therapy, Horus university
    • Contact: Aya Mohamed HASSAN Abo Elhassan, Assistant lecturer; Phone Number: 01220042634; Email: aaboelhassan@horus.edu.eg

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being a student in higher education
• Being single
• Age between 18 and 25 years of both sexes
• Accepting the principle of randomization in the trial.
• The body mass index is 18.5-24.9 kg/m².
• Diagnosed by psychiatrist as having a mild to moderate degree of anxiety and depression.
• Having scores of 7-24 on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression.
• Having scores of 17-30 on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Neurological history such as illness or head trauma
• Present severe and unstable respiratory disease
• History of heart defect or cardiovascular disease or any other medical conditions prohibiting high-intensity sport or physical activity
• Being professional athlete.
• Involved in regular routine of exercises
• Taking medication for mental health history of any neurological disorders like neuropathy or seizures.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

6

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: females with high intensity interval training; It will consist of 14 female students; they will be receiving high intensity interval training.	Other: The high intensity interval training; The training program for students in groups 1 and 2 involves high intensity interval training exercises, conducted three times per week for six weeks. The sessions include a 10-minute warm-up at 40% Heart Rate Reserve, four high-intensity work periods at 85-95% Heart Rate Reserve, three low-intensity work periods at 60-70% Heart Rate Reserve, and a 5- 10 minute cool down at 30% Heart Rate Reserve.
Active Comparator: males with high intensity interval training; It will consist of 14 male students; they will be receiving high intensity interval training.	Other: The high intensity interval training; The training program for students in groups 1 and 2 involves high intensity interval training exercises, conducted three times per week for six weeks. The sessions include a 10-minute warm-up at 40% Heart Rate Reserve, four high-intensity work periods at 85-95% Heart Rate Reserve, three low-intensity work periods at 60-70% Heart Rate Reserve, and a 5- 10 minute cool down at 30% Heart Rate Reserve.
Experimental: females with moderate intensity continuous training.; It will consist of 14 female students; they will be receiving moderate intensity continuous training	Other: The study moderate continuous training; All students in groups 3&4 will receive moderate continuous training 3 times per week for 6 weeks. Each session 40 to 50 minutes included a 5 to 10 minute warm-up, fo followed by 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise (treadmill walking exercise) with constant intensity at 60% to 70% Heart Rate Reserve and 5 to 10 minutes cool-down
Active Comparator: males with moderate intensity continuous training.; It will consist of 14 male students; they will be receiving moderate intensity continuous training	Other: The study moderate continuous training; All students in groups 3&4 will receive moderate continuous training 3 times per week for 6 weeks. Each session 40 to 50 minutes included a 5 to 10 minute warm-up, fo followed by 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise (treadmill walking exercise) with constant intensity at 60% to 70% Heart Rate Reserve and 5 to 10 minutes cool-down
No Intervention: The non-exercise females group; It will consist of 14 female students; they will remain sedentary for the six-weeks intervention period.
No Intervention: The non-exercise males group; It will consist of 14 male students; they will remain sedentary for the six-weeks intervention period

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
assessment of the severity of depressive symptoms	The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression will be used to assess the severity of depressive symptoms in students across six groups. The 17-item version ranges from 0 to 54, with scores ranging from 0 to 24. Scores between 0 and 6 indicate no depression, while scores between 7 and 17 indicate mild, 18-24 indicate moderate, and 24+ over 24 indicate severe depression. A decrease in scores of at least 50% indicates response, and scores of 7 or less after treatment indicate remission. The 17-item version has adequate reliability and validity.	at baseline and after 6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
assessment of severity of perceived anxiety symptoms	The Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety is a tool used to assess the severity of perceived anxiety symptoms. It consists of 14 symptom-defined elements, scoring from 0 to 4 (severe). The score range is 0 to 56, with scores above 17/56 indicating mild anxiety, 25-30 indicating moderate anxiety, and >30 indicating severe anxiety. It has good psychometric properties.	at baseline and after 6 weeks
assessment of physical fitness	The Harvard Step Test is a physical fitness index that measures an individual's ability to recover from muscular work and perform muscular tasks. It is performed on a 33 cm bench at 30 steps per minute, with heart rate measured every two seconds. The test is valid for estimating the cardiorespiratory fitness of college students and can be divided into three categories: excellent, good, average, and poor. The physical efficiency index rating ranges from 96 to 115, with the highest rating being excellent for males and the lowest being poor. The test is a reliable tool for assessing physical fitness.	at baseline and after 6 weeks
assessment of heart rate during exercise	A pulse oximeter will be used to continuously monitor heart rate during exercise, ensuring the target heart rate (THR) remains within the pre-calculated value. The heart rate will be measured and monitored for all participants using the Karvonen formula. The process involves cleaning the index finger, placing the pulse oximeter on the index, and keeping the pulse for at least a minute until the reading stabilizes.	at baseline and after 6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Cairo University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): August 20, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 20, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 17, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 17, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): August 24, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 24, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 17, 2025
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Mood Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Depression; Depressive Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: Aya-Phd

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No