Social networks, group exercise, and anxiety among college students

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between group exercise membership, social network characteristics, and general state anxiety in a sample of college students. Participants: 490 undergraduates from a private university in the southern US participated in the study. Methods: An egocentric network analysis was conducted to test whether demographic variables, leisure-time physical activity, group exercise membership, flourishing scores, and network variables were related to anxiety. Results: Regression analyses (R2= .174, F=7.650, p<.0001) suggest group exercise membership (β=-.105, p=.034) and flourishing scores (β=-.342, p<.0001) were related to lower anxiety scores, while being a racial/ethnic minority (β=.094, p=.036), and having personal networks composed of more people who exercise often (β=.100, p=.025), were related to higher anxiety scores in this sample. Conclusions: Findings suggest a connection between group exercise membership, activity habits of peers, and anxiety. Encouraging group exercise participation could be an effective way of combating anxiety for college students.