The Effect of Exercise Identity on Levels of Depression among College Students

Indianapolis, IN

The purpose of this research project was to examine the relationship between exercise identity and the levels of depression among college students. Approximately 150 students, ranging from freshman to seniors, were asked to take a survey which included questions regarding the extent to which they identify themselves as an exerciser and their levels of depression. Questions concerning exercise activity, intramural participation, amount of exercise, and personal feelings concerning exercise were also included on the survey. Exercise identity is a measurement of an individual's prioritization of exercise and its values. This research is not studying physical activity but rather exercise. Many people tend to confuse exercise and physical activity. Physical activity is simple body movements that everyday activities consist of, such as washing the dishes or vacuuming the living room. Exercise is the vigorous movement of the body for a certain amount of time, examples being jogging or swimming. Any type of exercises in previous data has been shown to help the body's wellness. This leads to the hypothesis that the higher levels of exercise identity means the students would most likely have lower levels of depression.