Classroom Exercise Frequency and Mental Health in Medical Students

NCT07756879 | Completed

• 3 other identifiers: UTP-151-10122428871151-101224
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 105
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This 16-week, three-group, nonrandomized interventional study evaluated whether the weekly frequency of a brief classroom-based physical exercise program was associated with changes in mental health and physical activity among 105 undergraduate medical students at Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira, Colombia. EG2 (n=35) received two exercise sessions per week, EG1 (n=37) received one session per week, and CG (n=33) received no exercise intervention. Anxiety, depression, stress, and physical activity were assessed at baseline and after 16 weeks.

Conditions

Mental Health; Physical Activity

Keywords

Medical Students; Classroom-Based Exercise; Exercise Snacks; Anxiety; Depression; Psychological Stress

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in anxiety symptom score assessed with the DASS-21 anxiety subscale

  Seven items are summed without doubling to obtain a raw score from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety symptom severity.

  Baseline and post-intervention at week 16

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Change in depression symptom score assessed with the DASS-21 depression subscale

  Baseline and post-intervention at week 16

• Change in psychological stress score assessed with the DASS-21 stress subscale

  Baseline and post-intervention at week 16

• Change in total physical activity assessed with the short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire

  Baseline and post-intervention at week 16

Study Arms (3)

EG2 - Classroom Exercise Twice Weekly

EXPERIMENTAL

Thirty-five participants received two approximately 10-minute classroom exercise sessions per week for 16 weeks, corresponding to 32 delivered sessions.

Behavioral: Brief Classroom-Based Physical Exercise Program

EG1 - Classroom Exercise Once Weekly

EXPERIMENTAL

Thirty-seven participants received one approximately 10-minute classroom exercise session per week for 16 weeks, corresponding to 16 delivered sessions.

Behavioral: Brief Classroom-Based Physical Exercise Program

CG - Usual Classroom Activities

NO INTERVENTION

Thirty-three participants continued usual classroom activities and received no study exercise sessions during the 16-week period.

Interventions

Brief Classroom-Based Physical Exercise Program BEHAVIORAL

Approximately 10-minute sessions comprising a 3-minute warm-up, a 5-minute interval circuit involving large muscle groups, and a 2-minute cool-down. Exercises varied and intensity increased progressively, targeting 5 to 7 on the modified 0-to-10 Borg scale and a moderate Talk Test response. The program required no exercise equipment.

EG1 - Classroom Exercise Once Weekly; EG2 - Classroom Exercise Twice Weekly

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Enrollment in the corresponding academic group (EG2, EG1, or CG) at Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira.
• Voluntary agreement to participate and completion of written informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• \- Medical conditions that precluded participation in physical exercise.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Dynamical Business and Science Society - DBSS International SAS: lead

Study Sites (1)

Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira

Pereira, Risaralda Department, 660003, Colombia

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Ruiz FJ, Garcia-Martin MB, Suarez-Falcon JC, Odriozola-Gonzalez P. The hierarchical factor structure of the Spanish version of Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21. Int J Psychol Psychol Ther. 2017;17(1):97-105.

  BACKGROUND

• Craig CL, Marshall AL, Sjostrom M, Bauman AE, Booth ML, Ainsworth BE, Pratt M, Ekelund U, Yngve A, Sallis JF, Oja P. International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003 Aug;35(8):1381-95. doi: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000078924.61453.FB.

  PMID: 12900694 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being; Motor Activity; Anxiety Disorders; Depression; Stress, Psychological

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior; Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms

Study Officials

• Jhonatan Gonzalez-Santamaria, PhD

  Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: NETWORK
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Three pre-existing academic groups were compared. Group formation occurred through the university's routine enrollment process and was not controlled by the investigators.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 5, 2026
• First Posted: August 11, 2026
• Study Start: August 3, 2025
• Primary Completion: November 28, 2025
• Study Completion: November 28, 2025
• Last Updated: August 11, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

CO (1)