Relationship between Physical Activity, Perceived Stress, and Psychological Well-Being in University Students

Abstract Introduction. Perceived stress has reached concerning levels among university students, and physical activity (PA) has emerged as a relevant strategy for mitigation. This study aimed to examine whether perceived stress mediates the relationship between physical activity (PA), assessed as total volume, and IPAQ-SF intensity components (vigorous, moderate, and walking), and psychological well-being (PWB) in university students. Material and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 103 students from the University of Málaga (21. 7 ± 2. 3 years). PA was assessed using the IPAQ-SF (MET-min/week), stress with the PSS-14, and PWB with the Ryff-39. Analyses included descriptive statistics, ANOVA/t-tests, Pearson/Spearman correlations, and a simple mediation model (PROCESS macro). Results. Overall, 66. 99% of participants reported high PA levels (≥3, 000 MET-min/week). Total PA averaged 4, 860 ± 3, 497 MET-min/week (range = 0–12, 852). Perceived stress (PSS-14) was 27. 31 ± 9. 30 points (range = 6-56), and global psychological well-being (RYFFGLOBAL) averaged 4. 40 ± 0. 58 on a 1-6 scale. Total PA was negatively associated with perceived stress (r = −0. 28; p = 0. 005), and perceived stress was negatively associated with PWB (r = −0. 46; p < 0. 001). The indirect effect of PA on well-being through stress was significant (ab = 0. 13; 95% CI 0. 04, 0. 24). Students with high PA levels (≥3, 000 MET-min/week) reported significantly lower perceived stress than those with low-to-moderate PA (p = 0. 021). Conclusions. Physical activity appears to contribute to university students’ psychological well-being primarily through its association with reduced perceived stress. University-based interventions should integrate regular exercise with stress-management strategies to optimize students’ psychological well-being.