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

NCT ID: NCT07139249

Last Updated: 2025-08-24

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 84 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-08-20
• Study Completion Date: 2026-02-01

Brief Summary

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

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.

Conditions

Depression; Anxiety; University Students; Gender; Exercise Intensity

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

females with high intensity interval training

It will consist of 14 female students; they will be receiving high intensity interval training.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

The high intensity interval training

Intervention Type: OTHER

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.

males with high intensity interval training

It will consist of 14 male students; they will be receiving high intensity interval training.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

The high intensity interval training

Intervention Type: OTHER

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.

females with moderate intensity continuous training.

It will consist of 14 female students; they will be receiving moderate intensity continuous training

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

The study moderate continuous training

Intervention Type: OTHER

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

males with moderate intensity continuous training.

It will consist of 14 male students; they will be receiving moderate intensity continuous training

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

The study moderate continuous training

Intervention Type: OTHER

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

The non-exercise females group

It will consist of 14 female students; they will remain sedentary for the six-weeks intervention period.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

The non-exercise males group

It will consist of 14 male students; they will remain sedentary for the six-weeks intervention period

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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.

Intervention Type: 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

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 25 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Cairo University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Aya Mohammed Hassan

principal investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

out-patient clinic, faculty of physical therapy, Horus university

Damietta, , Egypt

Countries

Egypt

Central Contacts

Aya Mohamed Hassan Abo Elhassan, Assistant lecturer

Role: CONTACT

aaboelhassan@horus.edu.eg

01220042634

Facility Contacts

Aya Mohamed HASSAN Abo Elhassan, Assistant lecturer

Role: primary

aaboelhassan@horus.edu.eg

01220042634

Other Identifiers

Aya-Phd

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id