Physical activity, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in remote-learning vocational health students: a cross-sectional study

Burak Buğday; Havva Adlı; Gülsüm Yetiş Koca; Perihan Gürbüz

Physical activity, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in remote-learning vocational health students: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aims: To examine associations of total physical activity volume with depressive symptom severity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among vocational health services students receiving fully remote education. Methods: This cross-sectional survey included 332 associate-degree students. Physical activity was measured with the Turkish International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) as metabolic equivalent minutes per week (MET-min/week); depressive symptom severity with the Beck Depression Inventory-I (BDI-I); and physical/mental HRQoL as study specific 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) subscale sums. Three two-step hierarchical linear regressions adjusted for age, gender, perceived economic status, chronic disease, and smoking status. Results: Total physical activity volume was not independently associated with BDI-I score (β=-0.033, p=0.527) or physical HRQoL (β=0.012, p=0.829). Its association with mental HRQoL was positive but did not reach conventional significance in the primary model (β=0.099, p=0.062) and was sensitive to model specification. Female gender, income lower than expenses, current smoking, and chronic disease were associated with less favorable outcomes in the fully adjusted models; income higher than expenses was associated with higher mental HRQoL. Exploratory Spearman analyses showed weak positive correlations of physical activity volume with physical functioning, vitality, and mental health after false-discovery-rate correction. Conclusion: In this remote-learning cohort, social and health-related vulnerabilities showed more consistent associations with depressive symptom severity and HRQoL than total weekly physical activity volume. The possible association between physical activity and mental HRQoL requires confirmation in longitudinal studies using more detailed or objective activity measures.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval for the study protocol was granted by the Inonu University Health Sciences Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee on 20 April 2021 (Decision No. 2021/1904).

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Burak Buğday ^*
0000-0001-9806-291X
Türkiye

Havva Adlı
0000-0002-4802-9131
Türkiye

Gülsüm Yetiş Koca
0000-0002-3313-7025
Türkiye

Perihan Gürbüz
0000-0002-6632-9197
Türkiye

Publication Date

October 25, 2026

Submission Date

July 18, 2026

Acceptance Date

October 20, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 7 Number: 5

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA76PL49AH

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Buğday, B., Adlı, H., Yetiş Koca, G., & Gürbüz, P. (2026). Physical activity, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in remote-learning vocational health students: a cross-sectional study. Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care, 7(5), 1172-1184. https://izlik.org/JA76PL49AH

AMA

1.Buğday B, Adlı H, Yetiş Koca G, Gürbüz P. Physical activity, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in remote-learning vocational health students: a cross-sectional study. J Med Palliat Care / JOMPAC / jompac. 2026;7(5):1172-1184. https://izlik.org/JA76PL49AH

Chicago

Buğday, Burak, Havva Adlı, Gülsüm Yetiş Koca, and Perihan Gürbüz. 2026. “Physical Activity, Depressive Symptoms, and Quality of Life in Remote-Learning Vocational Health Students: A Cross-Sectional Study”. Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care 7 (5): 1172-84. https://izlik.org/JA76PL49AH.

EndNote

Buğday B, Adlı H, Yetiş Koca G, Gürbüz P (October 1, 2026) Physical activity, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in remote-learning vocational health students: a cross-sectional study. Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care 7 5 1172–1184.

IEEE

[1]B. Buğday, H. Adlı, G. Yetiş Koca, and P. Gürbüz, “Physical activity, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in remote-learning vocational health students: a cross-sectional study”, J Med Palliat Care / JOMPAC / jompac, vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 1172–1184, Oct. 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA76PL49AH

ISNAD

Buğday, Burak - Adlı, Havva - Yetiş Koca, Gülsüm - Gürbüz, Perihan. “Physical Activity, Depressive Symptoms, and Quality of Life in Remote-Learning Vocational Health Students: A Cross-Sectional Study”. Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care 7/5 (October 1, 2026): 1172-1184. https://izlik.org/JA76PL49AH.

JAMA

1.Buğday B, Adlı H, Yetiş Koca G, Gürbüz P. Physical activity, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in remote-learning vocational health students: a cross-sectional study. J Med Palliat Care / JOMPAC / jompac. 2026;7:1172–1184.

MLA

Buğday, Burak, et al. “Physical Activity, Depressive Symptoms, and Quality of Life in Remote-Learning Vocational Health Students: A Cross-Sectional Study”. Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care, vol. 7, no. 5, Oct. 2026, pp. 1172-84, https://izlik.org/JA76PL49AH.

Vancouver

1.Burak Buğday, Havva Adlı, Gülsüm Yetiş Koca, Perihan Gürbüz. Physical activity, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in remote-learning vocational health students: a cross-sectional study. J Med Palliat Care / JOMPAC / jompac [Internet]. 2026 Oct. 1;7(5):1172-84. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA76PL49AH