Objective:

To evaluate the association between levels of physical activity and depression and anxiety symptoms among medical students.

Methods:

Observational cross-sectional study that used 3 questionnaires: the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess depression symptoms, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, short version (IPAQ).

Results:

146 students participated in the study. The higher the level of physical activity, the lower were the scores on the depression and anxiety scales; however, no significant differences were found in the median scores of the PHQ-9 (p = 0.121) and GAD-7 (p = 0.393) between the three levels of physical activity. It was found that women and students in the first three years of study had higher scores on the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scales.

Conclusions:

There was a non-significant tendency for medical students with greater physical activity to have lower scores on the depression and anxiety measurement scales.

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